We were not supposed to stay here because we wanted a more luxurious lodge - Jackalberry. But East Cape Tours and Thornybush Reservation Department (Diane and Michelle Naidoo especially) were very incompetent dealing with our request for Jackalberry. We fully paid the 4 nights at Jackalberry and we received the confirmation voucher from Thornybush Reservation Department for our 4 nights stay. (I have the proof of email and attachment sent by Michelle Naidoo). Less than 3 weeks before coming here, Thornybush Reservation Department represented by Diane Naidoo and East Cape Tours (travel agency) send me an email stating that they don't have how to accomodate us for 4 nights so they made a proposal to stay at a cheaper accommodation N'Kaya. I was in London during that time and it was really painful for me to communicate with them knowing that they messed up our fully paid reservation. In the end we decided to go for N'Kaya because there was no availability for a better lodge inside Thornybush.
The Lodge and The Management
It's located in the north-eastern part of Thornybush Game Reserve, 20 mins drive away from Thornybush Reception Area. It has only 4 cottages so you will feel like home. The lodge is protected by electrical wire but this doesn't scary nyalas which are almost permanently living inside the lodge area. When we arrived we were greeted by Andre which together with Lene make the management team. Andre is quite a nice guy, he gave us all the information needed, he spoke with Lene while she was in town to buy a new kettle because the one from our room was not functioning. Lene and Andre are taking very good care of their customers, always helpful and very receptive to the feedback customers give.
Accomodation
There are 2 rooms which comprise bedroom and sitting area. Rooms are very well equipped with A/C (much needed during South African summer), comfy bed with mosquito net, safe, torch, insect repelent, UK and european electrical plugs, coffee and tea making facilities. There are 2 bathrooms one with shower and one with bathtube. Cleaning is done twice per day (when people are in safaris) so you can imagine that we were very satisfied.
Food
All meals are included in the paid package. Breakfast is served after you come back from the morning safari. Eggs are prepared as you like and they are served with bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms. Different types of cheese, ham, jam and pastry complete a very rich breakfast. As drinks water and smoothies are supplied. We are not big fans of smoothies, we would have appreciated more a fresh orange or mango juice.
At 3.30 pm a light lunch is served. Variety is the word that describe the best the light lunch: during our stay we have eaten mini pizzas, quiche, pork ribs. Also the deserts were very appreciated by all the guests during our stay.
Dinner is served after the afternoon safari and it's the most important meal of the day. It includes starter, main and desert. There was a variety of dishes that we tried during our stay: sweet potato pie, springbok steak, kudu, chicken breast, local fish. Last night was a special one: we have eaten in the boma and it was the best night of our stay. Our guide Dean entertained us with wildlife stories and with the actual political situation in SA. It was a bbq dinner and all the employees tried hard to make us feel special.
Drinks
There is a honesty bar just near reception area from where you can serve yourself with drinks whenever you like. Prices are more than decent: a glass of Shiraz wine 40 R, a Courvoisier shot 40 R, a beer around 20 R (Castle Lager, Lite, Windhoek draught), refreshing drinks 15 R, rum 30 R. There is a list with all 4 rooms where you write the items that you took from the bar if nobody from the lodge was at the bar when you picked up the desired items.
Other facilities
The lodge offers wifi for 70 R per device per stay. The wifi is very unstable and you need to relogin several times per day. I think this is an area where the management should improve.
There is also a cottage near the electrical fence from where you can see the animals coming at the waterhole especially built by the lodge. We saw zebras, wilderbeests, capped buffalos, nyala, impalas, giraffe coming here when thirsty.
The Game Drives
There are 2 game drives per day. The morning safari starts with the sounds of nyala horn that Dean makes to wake up everybody. Dean our guide and driver will do the impossible to take you to see The Big 5 during your stay. Andres the tracker often gets off the car to inspect the tracks of lions or leopards. We didn't manage to see a leopard in our first 3 game drives and Dean and Andres made it possible on the fourth drive with the help of Regi the guy from maintenance which was passing an area where a 2 year female was waiting for us.
What I love most on safaris made within private game reserves it's the fact that animals are not stressed and you are just 1-2 meters away from them. Also the covertible 4x4 vehicle makes you feel part of the game. Of course there is also the negative side of not seeing the same number of animals that Kruger or Masai Mara is offering. We were lucky to see 7 black rhinos (including a female with a baby), 6 white rhinos, more than 20 elephants, capped buffalos, 3 leopards (including a female with cub), 6 lions (2 male, 3 adult females and one female cub of 8 months old), wilderbeests, impalas, lesser kudus, nyalas, warthogs, steinbok, zebras, giraffes, cameleons, monitor lizard, squirrels, vervet monkeys, herons, vultures, eagles or storks.
In the end I would like to say a Big Thank You to Dean, Andres, Lene, Andre, Regi and to the kitchen team which did everything to make us feel as we were home.
