Set on the green slope of a hill in Zululand, this chic tented camp invites you to experience a luxurious safari complemented by refined style, immaculate service and Zulu culture. Overlooking Thanda Private Game Reserve, which is inhabited by the Big 5 and a breeding pack of wild dog, lavish Thanda Tented Camp offers guided 4×4 game drives conducted exclusively for its guests – it has sole traversing rights in the area so you will not see any other vehicles.

Accommodation comprises vast en suite Meru-style tents that feature wooden floors and are decorated with classic Victorian furniture and finishings. Each opulent abode is adjoined by an expansive viewing deck looking out over the captivating kwaZulu-Natal wilderness. With no electricity at the camp, the feeling of adventure is amplified along as the calls of animals at night echo as your drift off to sleep in your king-sized bed dressed in percale linen.

Enjoy a sumptuous bush banquet sitting around a roaring fire while the African star-studded skies twinkle brightly above. Traditionally dressed Zulu tribesmen perform customary dances, adding to the evening’s festivities. For a more intimate look into the Zulu culture, Vula Zulu is a traditional homestead adjacent to Thanda where warriors enact age-old rituals for battle.

The owners of Thanda Safari Tented Camp are philanthropists and founding members of Project Rhino, to help protect the most endangered of the Big 5 against poaching. Almost all the staff are recruited from the local Zulu community, and all the fees from village visits go to the villagers. Thanda’s resident photographer conducts a complimentary two-hour photographic workshop aimed at your level of skill and technical knowledge of your camera equipment.