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Thonga Beach Lodge, iSimangaliso Wetland Park | Timbuktu Travel
iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Thonga Beach Lodge

Travel and Leisure Worlds Best Awards for number 1 tour operator in the world 2024 and number 2 tour operator in the world 2025
We're one of the World's Best Tour Operators!
Named three years running in Travel+Leisure World's Best, including No.1 in 2024

About Thonga Beach Lodge

A secluded beach lodge in a protected reserve on the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.
Imagine staying in a thatched bush suite, with a coastal dune forest at your back and, through the vegetation below you, the wide and lovely Indian Ocean. That's what's on offer at Thonga Beach Lodge in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Tucked into the trees just a stroll away from pristine Mabibi beach, Thonga Beach offers access to some of the best snorkelling and off-shore scuba diving in the country. Depending on the time of year, you can also watch turtles laying eggs or swim with dolphins. The accommodation is luxurious, with everything you need at your fingertips, and the service and meals are faultless.
iSimangaliso Wetland Park , South Africa
From $650 per person/per night
Beach
24 Rooms
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Property details

The property

The thatched communal area opens on to a deck, where delicious meals and great wines are served. If you're in a romantic mood, you can dine at a candlelit table on the waves' edge. Near the dining room is the lounge, with big comfortable couches in tranquil seaside colours, a small selection of books and games. Spend hours gazing at the horizon or watching the sun rise over a steaming mug of coffee on the beach deck. There's a pool for hot afternoons, a bar and a spa.

The rooms

The lodge sleeps 24 in spacious suites of sun-bleached wood and glass hidden in the dune forest and raised on wooden stilts. Each is air conditioned, with a huge bed enclosed in a billowing mosquito net and an en-suite bathroom. Deluxe and family rooms have a massive bath and the Deluxe rooms also have an outdoor shower. Thoughtful extras included golf umbrellas and a small cooler box, as well as dressing gowns. Some rooms offer sea views; others are set within the dune forest. All have private balconies.

Activities

Thonga Beach offers everything you'd expect from an ocean-side retreat. Dive and snorkel to see the colourful underwater life, go canoeing or fishing, take long beach walks, see the determined turtle hatchlings (in season), watch snorting hippos and rich birdlife at Lake Sibaya and visit the neighbouring community. This is an eco-friendly lodge in a World Heritage Site, built into an extremely sensitive forest of milkwoods that are protected and may not be cut down or trimmed.
Why we love it

Why we love it

With a mixture of snorkelling, scuba diving, cultural activities, and guided forest walks, there's something to please just about everyone.
Insiders tip

Insiders Tip

Visit from November to February and participate in the loggerhead and leatherback turtle nesting and hatching season. There is one-night drive out to the beach to watch these incredible turtles - it must be booked in advance, but it's worth it!
Something to think about

Something to think about

There are plenty of room types, including family rooms, so don't rule anything out!
Plan your stay

How to book Thonga Beach Lodge

How do I book Thonga Beach Lodge?

Thonga Beach Lodge can be booked with Timbuktu as part of a tailor-made South Africa trip, rather than as a standalone room reservation. Start online, customising one of our recommended South Africa trips featuring Thonga Beach Lodge or get advice and suggestions from one of our South Africa specialists who will design the trip around your dates, check availability and handle every booking for you.

How much does it cost to stay at Thonga Beach Lodge?

Stays at Thonga Beach Lodge start from around $650 per person per night as part of a tailor-made trip. The exact price depends on your travel dates, room type and the shape of the rest of your itinerary. A Timbuktu travel specialist can give you an accurate quote for your dates.

Thonga Beach Lodge

South Africa

iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Hippos share beaches with turtles while whales dance beyond coral reefs in this coastal gem.