My husband, son and I spent two nights in the Royal Suite at Thornybush River Lodge. In the 13 years we have lived in South Africa we have stayed in some stunning lodges both in SA and further afield but Thornybush surpassed them all on every level. Thank you to Ronel, Rico, Nick and all the team for an amazing trip. Hospitality, food, accommodation and unbelievable wildlife sightings all added up to a truly memorable stay leaving us wanting to come back for longer on our next trip.
Hi there lizziesherrington01, thank-you so much for taking the time to leave this review of your stay at River Lodge! We're so thrilled that we were able to top your list of the lodges you've stayed at :) Looking forward to your (longer) return.
OH MY GOSHHHH!!! We can't say enough amazing things about the River Lodge. We stayed in the Royal Suite because it was our honeymoon and we wanted to splurge and it was well worth it. We had MANY beautiful honeymoon surprises which I won't spoil in case you are going for that purpose BUT the food was AMAZING, the service was TOP NOTCH and the game drives were UNBELIEVABLE.
A few things to know if this is your first safari experience, as it was ours:
- there are only typically around 10 people at this lodge at at time and they typically keep drives to 6 people which make it super special. We just came back (August) which is winter there and there was one other couple there for 1.5 days and the other 1.5 days - we were the ONLY guests - it was so intimate and beautiful.
- there are 2 drives a day, one in the morning and one at night and while you are gone, the staff is working hard to clean your room and prepare delicious meals which are at set times.
- you don't leave the lodge at all because there is nowhere to go but you don't need to -everything is there!
- bring cash to tip your staff! They work SO hard and deserve it all! You have the same guide and tracker for all of your drives (about 5-6 hours a day!) and they do an amazing job!
- you don't need crazy safari clothes! I am so happy we decided not to spend money on hats, safari pants and other gear - just bring neutral colors and spend the money on an amazing camera with an extra long lens!
- we were told that their winter is the best time to see animals and it was true - the areas are more barren ( brown and bare) than the summer when it's more lush (green) - the lush landscape makes it more difficult to view animals! We also heard their summer can be brutally hot - August was perfect with cooler mornings and nights and perfectly warm weather during the afternoon!
Hope this helps anyone looking to go on safari but the biggest advice we can tell you is book with the River Lodge. I have traveled to many countries on many continents and rarely write reviews and never say to myself that I want to revisit a place I have already been but we will ABSOLUTELY be back to the River Lodge <3
Hi there Stacey R, thank-you so much for leaving this review of your stay at River Lodge! We are so pleased that you had such an amazing time here with us, and we're thrilled that we were able to make your Honeymoon a memorable one. Looking forward to your return!
I have been to a lot of spots in the bush and this is one of my favorites so far. Everything is open so animals roam freely . Amazing healthy food. Wonderful friendly staff. Stunning rooms . Small and intimate. Will definitely be back.
Hi there JennaBrown30, thank-you so much for taking the time to leave this review of your stay at the River Lodge! Looking forward to your return.
Having just returned with friends for 3 days at this most beautiful stunning Lodge, it was a wonderful experience to have encountered. Our lodge was so beautifully decorated in the most sumptuous decor, and was in the most incredible, tranquil location. The staff were so lovely with their smiles, and Ocean and Abed were our rangers who even managed to find us a Leopard and a Porcupine which is extremely rare to find. Food was of the highest standard with wines to match. It was wonderful to be treated like Royalty for the short time we were there. We would recommend The River Lodge to anyone wishing to have 5* Luxury and hopefully we will come back again soon.
Hi there karen p, thank-you so much for leaving this review of your stay at River Lodge! We're thrilled that you got to see what you wanted, and that you had such a great time here with us. Hope to see you back again some day soon.
Having visited River lodge 3 times I could not imagine how much better it could get but somehow it does
From my previous reviews March last year you will see that River Lodge manages to deliver what some of the top hotels can do ,but it does not stop there
Having just come back from a 3 nights stay i noticed they have not rested on their laurels but have continued to maintain and update the facilities to a level that any 5 star hotel in a major city would be proud of
The service by all the staff is extremely good and attentive managing your expectations and beyond
Having been to other of Thornybush's lodges it is clear that management set the standards and ensure that they are implemented , which unfortunately is not followed through in other hotels i have visited in south Africa
Hi there alwaysaway16, thank-you once again for leaving this review for River Lodge. And thank-you for your kind words about our staff and management - we do try our best to set standards and have clear guidelines for how we manage our lodges. Hope to see you back again soon.
