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Thornybush Waterside Lodge

5.0 star property
Travelers discover their wild side at this natural haven where wildlife roams freely and spa treatments provide welcome relaxation after safari adventures

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The African savannah awaits at Thornybush Waterside Lodge. Experience close wildlife encounters during game viewing, then unwind on the sun-drenched terrace with panoramic views. The spa offers rejuvenating treatments, including aromatherapy and manicure/pedicure services.

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional

Popular amenities

  • Pool
  • Breakfast included
  • Spa
  • Parking included
  • Free WiFi
  • Restaurant

Room options

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Showing 2 of 2 rooms

View all photos for Suite

Suite | Minibar, in-room safe, free WiFi

Suite

  • Garden view
  • 60 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed OR 2 Twin Beds
  • Free WiFi

View all photos for Suite (11 & 12)

Suite (11 & 12) | Minibar, in-room safe, free WiFi

Suite (11 & 12)

  • Garden view
  • 120 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Twin Beds
  • Free WiFi
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About the neighborhood

Located in Thornybush Game Reserve, Thornybush Waterside Lodge is in a national park. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Selati Nature Reserve and Kapama Private Nature Reserve, while Nyani Cultural Village and Mafunyani Cultural Village are cultural highlights. Discover the area's wildlife on a nearby safari, or try your luck with game drives and game viewing. Visit our Thornybush Game Reserve travel guide
View more Lodges in Thornybush Game Reserve
Map
Thornybush Game Reserve, Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, 1380

What's nearby

  • Selati Nature Reserve
    Selati Nature Reserve
    9 min drive - 4.1 km
  • Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
    Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
    36 min drive - 27.6 km
  • Nyani Cultural Village
    43 min drive - 22.8 km
  • Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate
    45 min drive - 41.4 km
  • Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre
    53 min drive - 50.3 km

Getting around

  • Hoedspruit (HDS)
    115 min drive

Restaurants

  • The Bush Pub & Inn
    23 min drive
  • Kapama Southern Camp Restaurant
    41 min drive
  • Boma
    38 min drive

About this property

Thornybush Waterside Lodge

  • Luxury lodge in a national park
  • Free full breakfast, game and wildlife viewing, and a terrace are just a few of the amenities provided at Thornybush Waterside Lodge. Treat yourself to spa services, such as aromatherapy, a facial, or a body scrub. The on-site restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In addition to a coffee shop/cafe and a library, guests can connect to free in-room WiFi.
  • You'll also enjoy the following perks during your stay:
    • An outdoor pool
    • Free self parking
    • A roundtrip airport shuttle (surcharge), babysitting (surcharge), and 1 meeting room
    • Concierge services, smoke-free premises, and an elevator
  • Room features
  • All guestrooms at Thornybush Waterside Lodge offer comforts such as air conditioning and bathrobes, in addition to amenities like free WiFi and safes.
  • More amenities include:
    • Bathrooms with separate tubs/showers and free toiletries
    • Balconies or patios, coffee/tea makers, and ceiling fans

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Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: WiFi (ZAR 80 per stay)

Parking and transportation

  • Roundtrip airport shuttle (surcharge)
  • Free self parking on site
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking available

Food and drink

  • Free full breakfast available daily
  • A bar/lounge
  • A coffee shop/cafe
  • A restaurant

Things to do

  • Game drive
  • Game viewing
  • Library
  • Outdoor pool

Family friendly

  • Babysitting (surcharge)
  • Laundry facilities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Supervised activities for children

Conveniences

  • Laundry facilities
  • Limited-hour front desk

Guest services

  • Concierge services
  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Wedding services

Business services

  • Business center
  • Computer station
  • Conference center
  • Meeting room

Outdoors

  • In a national park
  • Terrace

Spa

  • Aromatherapy
  • Body scrubs
  • Facials
  • Manicures/pedicures
  • Massage

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Elevator
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking

More

  • Smoking not allowed

Room amenities

Bathroom

  • Bathrobes
  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer (on request)
  • Private bathroom
  • Separate bathtub and shower
  • Slippers
  • Towels provided

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Free bottled water
  • Limited room service
  • Minibar

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Ceiling fan
  • Phone
  • Safe

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: midnight
Contactless check-in available
Late check-in subject to availability

Check-out

Check-out before 10 AM
Contactless check-out available

Special check-in instructions

Guests must contact the property in advance for check-in instructions; front desk staffed during limited hours
To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property ahead of time using the information on the booking confirmation
If you are planning to arrive after 5 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation
For any questions, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Access methods

Front desk (limited hours)

Pets

No pets or service animals allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available

Property payment types

Important information

Optional extras

  • Fee for wireless internet in public areas: ZAR 80.00 per stay (rates may vary)

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property; the policies listed are provided by the property
Per property policy, children under 6 years old are not permitted on game drives.

We should mention

No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property

National rating

Quality Graded by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) – South Africa's official quality assurance organization.

Frequently asked questions

Does Thornybush Waterside Lodge have a pool?

Yes, this property has an outdoor pool.

Is Thornybush Waterside Lodge pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking?

Self parking is free at this property.

What time is check-in at Thornybush Waterside Lodge?

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: midnight. Late check-in is available during limited hours.

What time is check-out at Thornybush Waterside Lodge?

Check-out is at 10 AM.

Does Thornybush Waterside Lodge provide a shuttle to the airport?

Yes, there's an airport shuttle.

Where is Thornybush Waterside Lodge located?

Situated in a national park, this luxury lodge is 2.8 mi (4.5 km) from Selati Nature Reserve and 11.6 mi (18.6 km) from Nyani Cultural Village. Mafunyani Cultural Village and Tintswalo Hospital are also within 20 mi (32 km).

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Reviews

Thornybush Waterside Lodge Reviews

10

Exceptional

10

Cleanliness

10

Location

10

Staff & service

9.8

Property conditions & facilities
Rating 10 - Excellent. 16 out of 17 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 1 out of 17 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 17 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 17 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 17 reviews

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Tathiana

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A experiência no Thornybush Waterlodge foi excelente! O staff é muito gentil e simpático, sempre muito prestativo. Os games são muito bem organizados, com ranger e tracker muito experientes. Altamente recomendado!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2019
Verified

10/10 Excellent

K

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

couldn't find a fault

Incredible attention to detail from the moment we arrived until our departure. This is a beautiful, comfortable oasis with highly trained and professional staff. Rangers and trackers better than anywhere I've been before.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2018
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Vanessa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Exceeded All Expectations

Thornybush was perfect from beginning to end. The staff, accomodation, food and game drives all exceeded our expectations. Well done Thornybush, we will be back.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2018
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Carlos Eduardo

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Lodge maravilhoso

Lodge com passeios de safari diários onde vimos quase todos os Big5 e foi muito emocionante. O quarto é muito grande e a decoração não contrasta com o parque. A área comum e o restaurante são muito bons. Tinha medo de ficar entendiado mas o tempo passou muito rápido e foi uma ótima esperiencia.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2017
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Lidia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

African Safari at its best

If you want to see African wild life and experience a luxury lodge, this is the place to go. We spent three nights at this fabulous resort. The facilities, meals and service are five star level. We enjoyed two safari outings per day with experienced and knowledgeable staff who made sure we were safe and comfortable all the time. We saw the big 5 plus many other animals, including beautiful birds. A great experience...I just wish we could go back every year,
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2017
Verified

10/10 Excellent

dierin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Best trip ever Great safaris Good food

We loved this trip everything was perfect but we thought the weather would be warmer Need to travel during their summer months Which is our winter We're from the Turks and caicos and not acclamaited to the cold We saw everything on the safaris Our guide Enoch was the best Fantastic accommodations and food
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2017
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Aldo José

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Só se você quiser ter uma experiência unica

Perfeita
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2017
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Pedro

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Excelente lodge

Lodge muito confortavel. quartos espaçosos e comida boa. conseguimos ver o big five. valeu muito a pena
Verified

10/10 Excellent

FREDERICO

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Hotel excelente

Excelente hotel, com equipe capacitada e muito atenciosa. Recomendo o hotel.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Nicole

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Highly recommend

Our experience at Thornybush Waterside Lodge exceeded our expectations at every level!! The service, the food, the cleanliness and amenities of the property but most of all the people!!! I cannot say enough good things about this place. Just go!! What a fabulous vacation.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

cindy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Loved the safari drives everyday. The guides do a great job of making sure you get to see and take great pictures. Food was amazing and the room was very nice. Would highly recommend
Verified

8/10 Good

Julio

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great Safary Experience!

My wife and I spend 3 nights at Thornybush Waterside Lodge. It was a great experience!!! . Great game drives with very knowledgeable and attentive ranger and tracker!! Great experience! Very ralaxing ambiance with really attentive staff!! We enjoyed it a lot!! Will recommend it to others!
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Frank

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Best Safari Lodge

Amazing experience. Staff is great and lodge is amazing. Got to see all of the Big 5 and a TON of other animals. Ranger Jukula and tracker Abraham were very friendly and very devoted to providing the best experience possible.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

greg

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Thornybush Safari game lodge

From the time of our arrival we had the most amazing time… Game drive in the morning comeing back for lunch. Game drive in the evening come back for dinner .. First class all the way.. We were extremely lucky to find the Thornybush collection. We stayed at waterside lodge But The River Lodge was spectacular also. 5 people from So. California. Trip of a life time. But will be back next November.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Andrew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Amazing Luxury Safari Experience for Honeymoon

If you like seeing wildlife, eating good food, and staying in luxurious surroundings then Thornybush is the place for you! When we arrived there was a problem with our booking due to a miscommunication between hotels.com and Thornybush. However, the Thornybush Group CEO personally contacted us, resolved the problem, and made sure our stay was amazing. We were blown away by the hospitality shown by the Thornybush team. We came here for our honeymoon, and they provided several romantic surprises for us during our stay. We saw the Big 5 and more every single day. We even saw leopards AND both black and white rhinos. You get a guide and a tracker - they work hard and in cooperation with the other guides in the private reserve to find wildlife for you. The food is amazing and plentiful. The service is great - you get a personal butler who looks after your needs every day. You'll want for nothing when you stay. We were really sad to leave in the end. This particular lodge overlooks a watering hole - we got to enjoy gin and tonics while watching hippos - nothing better! I recommend Thornybush to anyone who wants to see wildlife with a luxury safari experience.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Zelda

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2019
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Andrew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2017