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Thornybush Waterside Lodge

5.0 star property
your current months are December, 2024 and January, 2025.
December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for Thornybush Waterside Lodge

Lobby lounge
Breakfast, lunch and dinner served
Lake
Suite (11 & 12)
Bar (on property)

Reviews

9.8 out of 10

Exceptional

Popular amenities

  • Bar
    Bar
  • Breakfast included
    Breakfast included
  • Pool
    Pool
  • Spa
    Spa
  • Room service
    Room service
  • Housekeeping
    Housekeeping

Explore the area

Map
Thornybush Game Reserve, Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, 1380
  • Greater Kruger National Park
    1 min walk
  • Selati Nature Reserve
    10 min drive
  • Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate
    43 min drive
  • Hoedspruit (HDS)
    115 min drive

Room options

View all photos for Suite

Suite

Suite

  • 60 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed OR 2 Twin Beds

View all photos for Suite (11 & 12)

Suite (11 & 12)

Suite (11 & 12)

  • 120 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Twin Beds

Similar properties

Restaurant
Phelwana Game Lodge
Pool
Breakfast included
Spa
Parking included
5.0 out of 5, Exceptional, (1)
The price is NZ$547
for 1 night
includes taxes & fees
6 Dec - 7 Dec
Phelwana Game Lodge

About the area

Thornybush Game Reserve

Located in Thornybush Game Reserve, Thornybush Waterside Lodge is in a national park, within a 15-minute drive of Greater Kruger National Park and Selati Nature Reserve. .This luxury lodge is 31.7 mi (51 km) from Kruger National Park and 11.6 mi (18.6 km) from Nyani Cultural Village.
View more Lodges in Thornybush Game ReserveOpens in a new window

What's nearby

  • Greater Kruger National Park - 1 min walk - 0.0 km
  • Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate - 43 min drive - 33.9 km
  • Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre - 48 min drive - 24.5 km
  • Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre - 64 min drive - 39.0 km
  • Orpen Gate - 75 min drive - 51.1 km

Getting around

  • Hoedspruit (HDS) - 115 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪The Bush Pub & Inn - ‬23 min drive
  • ‪Boma - ‬33 min drive

About this property

Thornybush Waterside Lodge

Luxury lodge with free breakfast and spa services
Thornybush Waterside Lodge offers 20 air-conditioned accommodations with safes and complimentary bottled water. Rooms open to balconies or patios. This Thornybush Game Reserve lodge provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Guests can make use of the in-room coffee/tea makers and minibars. Bathrooms include separate bathtubs and showers, bathrobes, slippers, and complimentary toiletries. Housekeeping is offered daily and hair dryers can be requested.
Recreational amenities at the lodge include an outdoor pool.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.

Guests can pamper themselves by indulging in the onsite spa services. Services include facials, body scrubs, body treatments, and manicures and pedicures. A variety of treatment therapies are provided, including aromatherapy.
Make yourself at home in one of the 20 air-conditioned rooms featuring minibars. Rooms have private balconies or patios. Complimentary wireless internet access is available to keep you connected. Private bathrooms with separate bathtubs and showers feature complimentary toiletries and bathrobes.
Relax and unwind with massages, body treatments, and facials. Additional amenities at this lodge include wireless internet access (surcharge), concierge services, and babysitting (surcharge).
Stop by the lodge's restaurant for lunch or dinner. Dining is also available at the coffee shop/cafe, and room service (during limited hours) is provided. Wrap up your day with a drink at the bar/lounge. A complimentary full breakfast is served daily.
Featured amenities include a business center, laundry facilities, and a library. Event facilities at this lodge consist of a conference center and a meeting room. Guests may use a roundtrip airport shuttle for a surcharge, and free self parking is available onsite.
Guests are offered a complimentary full breakfast each morning.
Onsite venue - This restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Room service (during limited hours) is available.

Languages

English

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: WiFi (ZAR 80.00 per stay)

Parking and public transport

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

Food and drink

  • Free full breakfast available daily
  • 1 restaurant and 1 coffee shop/cafe
  • 1 bar
  • Room service available

Things to do

  • Game/wildlife drives
  • Game/wildlife viewing
  • Outdoor pool
  • Spa services

Family friendly

  • Babysitting (surcharge)
  • Laundry facilities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Supervised childcare

Conveniences

  • Lift
  • Library

Guest services

  • Concierge services
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Front desk (limited hours)
  • Laundry facilities
  • Wedding services

Business services

  • Business centre
  • Computer station
  • Conference centre
  • A meeting room

Outdoors

  • Terrace

Spa

  • Aromatherapy
  • Body scrubs
  • Body treatments
  • Facials
  • Manicures and pedicures
  • Massages

Accessibility

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

More

  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Air conditioning
  • Ceiling fan

Bathroom

  • Dressing gowns
  • Free toiletries
  • Hairdryer (on request)
  • Private bathroom
  • Separate bath and shower
  • Towels

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Free bottled water
  • Minibar

More

  • Phone
  • Safe
  • Slippers

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 more details, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation

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

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.

Property is also known as

Thornybush Waterside Lodge Hoedspruit
Thornybush Waterside Hoedspruit
Thornybush Waterside
Thornybush Waterside Lodge Bushbuckridge
Thornybush Waterside Bushbuckridge
Lodge Thornybush Waterside Lodge Bushbuckridge
Bushbuckridge Thornybush Waterside Lodge Lodge
Thornybush Waterside
Lodge Thornybush Waterside Lodge
Thornybush Waterside
Thornybush Waterside Lodge Lodge
Thornybush Waterside Lodge Bushbuckridge
Thornybush Waterside Lodge Lodge Bushbuckridge

Thornybush Waterside Lodge Reviews

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

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" "

9.8/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Staff & service

9.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Zelda

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

10/10 Excellent

K, Geneva Switzerland

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

10/10 Excellent

Vanessa, Australia

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

10/10 Excellent

Andrew

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

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

10/10 Excellent

dierin, turks and caicos

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

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.

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

8/10 Good

Julio, Dominican Republic

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!

10/10 Excellent

Frank, NYC

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.

10/10 Excellent

greg, calif.

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.

10/10 Excellent

Andrew, Sydney

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.

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

10/10 Excellent

Carlos Eduardo , Brasil

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

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

10/10 Excellent

Pedro, Sao Paulo

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

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.