Thornybush

Thornybush Thornybush offers a truly authentic safari experience in the Greater Kruger National Park.
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Thornybush sits on 14 000 hectares of pristine, untouched bushveld - adjacent to the Kruger National Park. 12 Luxury lodges and tented camps offer visitors the opportunity to experience a safari in stylish, unpretentious comfort. If you're looking for a true safari experience, in a Big 5 reserve, then Thornybush is the perfect choice. We offer the full safari experience, from morning game drives to guided bush walks and sunset drives, with the main event being the incredible diversity of wildlife. We have both 4 and 5-star lodges, some of which are quite intimate, accommodating only 8 guests, and others which are bigger, accommodating up to 40 people. We also have conferencing facilities and wedding infrastructure for events which are truly unforgettable. If you're planning a Southern Africa safari, then make sure you choose Thornybush!

A cheetah in the wild is a sight that never gets old. Rarely seen and always unforgettable, this beautiful cat stood out...
13/09/2026

A cheetah in the wild is a sight that never gets old.

Rarely seen and always unforgettable, this beautiful cat stood out in the open grassland, pausing to take in the world around him.

Would this sighting be at the top of your safari wishlist? 👀

📸: Kaden Maasch

THORNYBUSH GAME LODGEEst. 1962Some places have history. This one started ours.Thornybush Game Lodge first opened its doo...
10/09/2026

THORNYBUSH GAME LODGE
Est. 1962

Some places have history. This one started ours.

Thornybush Game Lodge first opened its doors in 1962, making it one of the oldest safari lodges in the Greater Kruger and the cornerstone of the Thornybush story.

More than six decades later, much has evolved. The suites are beautifully considered, the spaces have been reimagined and contemporary comfort sits easily alongside classic safari character.

But the things that matter haven’t changed: warm hospitality, exceptional wildlife, long afternoons overlooking the bush and that unmistakable feeling of being on safari.

A little heritage. A lot of heart. And still one of our favourite places to be!

📍 Thornybush Game Lodge, Thornybush Nature Reserve

We are Hiring!Simbambili Game Lodge is seeking a Full Trails Guide, who will lead game drives and bush walks, ensuring o...
10/09/2026

We are Hiring!

Simbambili Game Lodge is seeking a Full Trails Guide, who will lead game drives and bush walks, ensuring our guests have a world-class safari experience.

Requirements:
- Minimum 3 – 5 years’ experience in leading game drives and bush walks, in a high-end luxury safari environment (preferably 5* safari lodge)
- DEAT Registered
- FGASA Level 2
- Full Trails
- First Aid
- Advanced Rifle Handling
- Valid PDP License
- SAPS competency
- All legal requirements
- Clear Criminal Record

Applications must be sent to [email protected] with “SGL Full Trails Guide” in the subject line.
Or
Candidates can visit the careers website for more information on the position: https://thornybush.com/career/full-trails-guide-simbambili-game-lodge/

We are Hiring!Simbambili Game Lodge is seeking a Relief Manager, who will work with the Lodge Managers in running daily ...
10/09/2026

We are Hiring!

Simbambili Game Lodge is seeking a Relief Manager, who will work with the Lodge Managers in running daily lodge operations, and ensuring our guests have a world-class safari experience.

Requirements:
- Minimum 3 – 5 years’ experience in a senior guest facing role, in a high-end luxury environment (preferably 5* safari lodge)
- Relevant hospitality related qualification
- Computer literate
- Basic accounting, bookkeeping, and finance systems experience
- Reservation systems experience
- Valid Driver’s License
- Clear Criminal Record

Applications must be sent to [email protected] with “SGL Relief Manager” in the subject line.
Or
Candidates can visit the careers website for more information on the position: https://thornybush.com/career/relief-manager-simbambili-game-lodge/

Little legs. Big ambitions. Questionable balance. 🐘Learning to elephant is 10% confidence and 90% trying to get all four...
07/09/2026

Little legs. Big ambitions. Questionable balance. 🐘

Learning to elephant is 10% confidence and 90% trying to get all four feet pointing in the same direction.
We give the dismount a solid 10/10.

📸: Kaden Maasch

There is a certain drama to watching a group of vultures descend on a carcass.Wings spread, calls filling the air, and d...
05/09/2026

There is a certain drama to watching a group of vultures descend on a carcass.

Wings spread, calls filling the air, and dozens of birds gathering around what remains of a life once lived.
Vultures are nature’s clean-up crew, helping to remove carcasses quickly and efficiently.

They may not always be the stars of a safari sighting, but without them, the Greater Kruger would look very different.

📸: Kaden Maasch

What happens when the wise meet the wild?At Thornybush, conservation is about more than protecting the land and wildlife...
04/09/2026

What happens when the wise meet the wild?

At Thornybush, conservation is about more than protecting the land and wildlife within our reserve. It is also about sharing knowledge, creating connections and giving that knowledge a chance to travel home.

Through Gogos in Conservation, community matriarchs are stepping into the bush, learning about elephants and wildlife, sharing stories, discovering new skills, and becoming conservation ambassadors for the generations that follow.

Because sometimes, the most powerful conservation story is the one that gets told around the kitchen table.

Discover the story behind Gogos in Conservation and how 35 Gogos are helping conservation knowledge travel beyond the reserve.

Read the full story on our website. Link in bio! 🌱

Thornybush Community
Elephants Alive
Thornybush Nature Reserve

Striped silhouettes. Painted ears. A landscape holding its breath... Zebra watching, wild dogs listening, every sense tu...
03/09/2026

Striped silhouettes. Painted ears. A landscape holding its breath...

Zebra watching, wild dogs listening, every sense tuned to what might happen next.
In the bush, the most unforgettable moments often live somewhere between stillness and possibility.

📸: Kaden Maasch

A burst of lilac tree wisteria. Creamy k**b thorn flowers. Small signs of a new season appearing across a landscape that...
01/09/2026

A burst of lilac tree wisteria.
Creamy k**b thorn flowers.
Small signs of a new season appearing across a landscape that has worn winter gold for months.

Slowly, beautifully, the bushveld is beginning to bloom.
Happy Spring Day from Thornybush! 💜🤎

📸: Ranger Sarah

**bthorntree

There’s a reason elephants are never really alone. 🐘They move together, protect one another and stay connected through t...
30/08/2026

There’s a reason elephants are never really alone. 🐘

They move together, protect one another and stay connected through the bush.

Watch a herd for a while and you’ll see it everywhere, in the smallest touches, the quiet communication and the way everyone seems to know exactly where they belong.

📸: Kaden Maasch

Address

Thornybush Nature Reserve
Hoedspruit
1380

Telephone

+27112536500

Website

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