Flying bananas in the bushveld

Adjoining the world-famous Kruger National Park, Thornybush dates back to the 1960s and its abundant game and comfortable lodges have helped to make it one of South Africa's best-known bushveld reserves. With SA Express flights from Johannesburg (an hour away) landing at nearby Hoedspruit airport twice a day, Thornybush is an easy weekend getaway for a relaxing bush break.

Laid-back luxury
There are six separate lodges scattered throughout the reserve, each with its own particular charm, style and level of luxury. For those seeking absolute peace and quiet with all the trappings of five-star accommodation, Serondella is a small intimate lodge on the eastern boundary of the reserve, not far from the vast expanse of Kruger. Offering just six private suites, guests are able to enjoy a wonderful feeling of being cast away in the bush, albeit in a rather comfortable manner! The tented camp at Chapungu has a similar feel with rustic canvas tents getting you up close and personal to nature.

Shumbalala on the other hand makes no bones about its luxurious accommodation. While all the rooms enjoy free-standing baths and wonderful views of the water-hole, the presidential suite is simply astonishing. King-size beds and a private lounge make this a wonderful sanctuary for relaxing after a hard day’s game-viewing, while during the hot bushveld afternoons a flick of a switch rolls away the wooden deck to reveal your very own watering hole... a private plunge pool.

The main Thornybush Lodge, offering 20 suites spread along the banks of the seasonal Monwana River, is similarly luxurious. Each suite has a wonderful view of the active waterhole just across the river and during the hot hours between the morning and evening game drives you can relax on your spacious private deck as the baboons cause mischief around the waterhole and a variety of antelope pick their way gingerly along the banks. The camp is unfenced and predators often wander through the gardens at night, making an escort back to your room an absolute necessity.

Game viewing au naturel
Exhibitionists will simply love the suites at the main lodge. While the bushveld may still have been waiting for the summer rains to arrive, I didn’t hesitate to make full use of the outdoor shower overlooking the waterhole. Indoors, the glass-fronted shower and bathroom allow similar unrestricted views over the river and surrounding bush, allowing you to do a bit of game-spotting au naturel if you wish…

The magnificent bedrooms (romantic mozzie nets come standard of course) lead onto your private wooden deck that is simply made for long lazy afternoons spent sipping G&T's and watching the wildlife go by.

When four o'clock rolls around it's time to head for a light afternoon tea, followed by the regular evening game drive. The reserve offers all of the Big Five, and because of its large size can accommodate substantial herds of elephant, buffalo (there are over 300 on Thornybush) and rhino. All the usual suspects such as impala, kudu, giraffe are also found in abundance along with a wonderful variety of birds.

Spotting the Big Five
Game drives take place on one of the comfortable open-top Land Rovers which allow for a great all-round view of the bush. Each vehicle, complete with ranger and tracker, is in radio contact with other game vehicles in the reserve so you’re almost guaranteed of some great game sightings. Just a few hours after leaving the lodge we’d managed to track down a lone (and lean) male lion, elephant, rhino as well as a host of other fauna and flora. Providing both entertainment and information, Ocean proved to be incredibly knowledgeable about the reserve, covering everything from the social structure of rhinos to the call of the Lilac-Breasted Roller.

As the sun sank below the horizon of thorn trees, Ocean pulled the Landie to the side of the road, scanned the bush for any animals lurking about and motioned for us to jump out. Before we could say ‘whisky on the rocks’ there was a table set up, cooler-box unpacked, biltong laid out and sundowners poured; a brilliant way to end a day out in the bush.

Dining is a flexible affair at Thornybush and the lodge tries to make every meal a unique experience. Dinners out in the reserve can be arranged if you want to get a feel for true bush cuisine, while the main lodge offers a wonderful deck overlooking the waterhole as well as a rustic boma area. If you’d prefer something a bit more intimate, the staff will gladly set up a romantic dinner for two on your private deck, complete with crisp white linen and flickering oil lanterns.

Whether you choose to rise with the sun for the morning game drive or sleep late and enjoy your suite, you can be sure that during every hour at Thornybush you’ll feel the stress of daily life ebb away. Luxurious suites, friendly staff, wonderful food and above all, fantastic game viewing, make Thornybush a magical bushveld escape.

		Visit Thornybush... The quickest way to get to Thornybush is to fly there with South African Express Airways. SA Express flies twice a day from Johannesburg to Hoedspruit, with the flight taking just over an hour. Transfers between the reserve and Hoedspruit/Eastgate airport can be arranged. Alternatively, Thornybush Game Reserve is a five-hour drive from Johannesburg. Rates for the various lodges start from R1550 per person, including accommodation, meals and game drives. Visit the Thornybush website for further information or contact reservations on +27 (11) 883 7918. Thornybush is situated in a low-risk malaria area, but prophylactics are recommended. Consult your doctor at least two weeks prior to departure. iafrica.com flew to Hoedspruit with South African Express Airways and travelled around in comfort courtesy of Avis car hire.