Luxury chalet accommodation, charming staff and great food. All this and you get to go on safari with the most professional trackers and guides. You are almost assured of ticking off the big 5 and if you don’t then it is not for the lack of trying, All this with the most amazing sunsets and sundowner drinks. An absolute highlight of the 6 game parks visited in Africa.

I wasn't sure what to expecdt when we arrived at Thornybush. It was the frist Game Reserve we went to in a trip that spanned 11 Games Resrves and National Parks across 7 African Countries including South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. All the Reserves have highlights and we loved each of them for various reasons. However Thornybush was one of the standouts. The reasons are simple. The diversity of animals, the lack of competing touristsand the ability to get up really close are something many of the other reserves lack. For example when we were in Nagoran Goro crater, there was great wildlife but in one instance we had 58 4 wheel drdives encircling a pair of mating lions. Quite crowded and often annoying. In Thornybush you have a limit of two behicles at one time and everyone gets a turn. If a third wehicle approach it would wait until another one left and then would take its place. The guides were personable and knowledgable and the trackers acrually kept tabs on the animals and quickly tracked them down for viewing. The only downside was that they dont have the volume of animals e.f. a herd of Zebra might consist of 6 to 30 animals as opposed to Maasai Mara where they have tens of thousands in one place. That being said we were able to get within 5 metres of Leopard, Cheetah, Lions, Elephant and within 10 metres of Buffalo. We saw all the big 5 in this reserve, where as we only saw another Leopard (and not well in Chobe at Botswana). In addition the staff were friendly, attentive and excorted you to your cabin each night. The cabines are extremely comfortable and luxurious. They are almost suites and each has a personal veranhad where you can sit and watch animals in your back yard. The food was also excellent. The 4 wheel drive vehicles that you travel in are open air with a tiered seating structure so that everyone can see. I can't think of anything negative to say about the place and thoroughly recommend it. In closing, if you desire seeing a diversity of animals and only want to go to one place where it's very comfortable and a joy for the whole experience then Thornybush is my recommendation. You wont be disappointed.

We came here before staying at the Sabi Sands Game Reserve (both great private reserves) and greatly enjoyed the experience. The staff were especially friendly & helpful (particularly for the 6am game drives) and the food was fabulous - feasts laid out on the platform in front of the watering hole consisting of all sorts of delicious African fare - unforgettable!. The rooms were equally pleasant, with super comfortable double beds with the best hotel pillows I've ever had the pleasure of resting my head on.