Best hotels in Zululand & The Elephant Coast

Zulu for ‘love’, Thanda makes you do just that. You will fall in love with this authentically South African wildlife experience. Thanda Safari Lodge is known for its plushly unique bush suites, each perched on a hill overlooking the reserve. With your own private sala on stilts, plunge pool, wrap-around deck and bush boma, you probably won’t want to leave to explore anything else. But trust us - it’s worth it. On Thanda’s game drives and bush walks you will fall in love again with the diverse wildlife and best of all, you get to enjoy it all to yourself.

Thanda Tented Camp will be closed from January 2021 for the foreseeable future At Thanda Tented Camp, it’s nature all the way and a truly authentic safari experience. After the sun sets in a red glow, you’ll wine and dine around a crackling bonfire. Then, once night falls and you fall asleep to the distant cries of howling jackals, the only thing separating you from a galaxy of shining stars is the canvas of your safari tent. Wake to the dawn chorus of a thousand birds as you enjoy a steaming coffee, before heading into the reserve to watch South Africa’s wildlife in action – and of course, to fall in love with the bush.

Leopard Mountain is a 5 Star, Multiple Award winning, Big 5, Family Run Safari Lodge situated in the 58 000 acre Manyoni Private Game Reserve. It is located high up in the hills and has spectacular views overlooking a vast area of unspoilt bush veld and riverine forests, from the river meandering below to the distant mountains. The sought after chef will prepare tantalizing meals for you while the picture perfect backdrop makes an intimate setting for a romantic wedding, honeymoon or a well deserved break. The lodge offers peace and tranquility with friendly hospitality.

The forest largely dictated where the camp went. When Dale and Shannon Airton built Rhino Sands in Manyoni Private Game Reserve in 2017, they worked around the trees rather than through them — the walkways bend where trunks stood in the way, and the whole thing is invisible from above save for the solar panels. That philosophy runs through everything here. The camp is entirely off-grid, the menus follow what's seasonal in KwaZulu-Natal, and a maximum of ten guests at any one time means the team — small, personally selected, genuinely passionate — can actually get to know you. Five tented suites on a peninsula of the Msunduze River, malaria-free Zululand, Big Five game plus cheetah and wild dog on the reserve. It's a rather good combination.

Sungulwane is an exclusive, Big 5 Safari lodge on Zuka Private Game Reserve. With just 8 private chalets, it's the ultimate intimate African bush experience for you and a loved one, friends or the whole family. Each suite is embedded into the thick Red Ivory forest giving you the feeling of sleeping in the tree canopies – in complete harmony with nature. An extensive private deck with large stack back doors and showers allow for endless stargazing or daydreaming over the uninterrupted views of the valley. Whether relaxing on a lounger by the pool, sipping on a glass of red wine while the flames dance in the firepit or enjoying a gourmet dining experience in the Boma, Sungulwane offers warm, friendly Zululand hospitality at its best.