Find all hotels by Thornybush Collection in Balule Game Reserve

"Since before our arrival we received value added service from "

"Amazing property. A all the way. Great good!! Amazing chefs!!"

"10/10 recommend staying here. My husband’s and I stayed her for our honeymoon and had the most amazing time. The staff was incredible and super accommodating! The food was delicious, the safari guides were so knowledgeable and kept us so safe! I know we both will remember this experience for the rest of our lives. We will definitely be back for many years to come! Thank you Pondoro for the most amazing experience! We appreciate you! "

"I have not left a review for anything in a long time, but AM Lodge absolutley deserves a great review. I read a couple of previous reviews that made me hesitant, but the record needs to be set straight. I stayed Mar 14 - March 16 of 2025 and it could not have been a better experience. I was first greeted at checkin by Raydene, Chris, and Musa. They had a non alcoholic mixed drink ready and waiting for me, a hot towel, and Raydene began explaining the structure of the lodge. They honestly made me feel like roylaty, and I had never felt that before. Raydedne broke everything down and answered every question I had, even the stuff I had texted about before arrival. I later met Brandon, the chef of the lodge. Every meal he prepared was like it was hand made at a luxury 5-star restaurant. I honetly could not have asked for better food, and he even adjusts the menu based on pretty much anything you want. Later in the afternoon, it was time for my game drive. Chris walked me to my private lodge and from that moment on, was immediately available for anything I needed. The lodge itseld was a massive 1,615 sq ft building and I had it all to myself. It is so secluded and private that you are entirely in personal peace whether you are inside or outside of your building. I got a private game drive with driver Benjamin and our tracker Bali. Im only allowed 1500 characters so I had to delete the rest of my review. In short, I would absolutely stay here again and upgrade to the superior suite"

"If we could give 6 stars for our 3 day stay at Naledi we would! We were incredibly well taken care of by Marise, Matthew, Lilian, Decide and Chef Dudu throughout our stay. The food was delicious, our room in the Paperbark suite and the entire property is meticulously maintained, and they made incredible efforts to make our trip as enjoyable as possible. They succeeded! The game drives with Oupa and Excellent exceeded every expectation. They are true experts at guiding and tracking the majestic animals in the Balule reserve, and just incredibly lovely gentlemen to spend time with. We saw so much - yes, the Big 5, but also warthogs and hyenas and giraffes and hippos and zebras and impala herds and beautiful birds; sunset and sunrise and a rainbow one morning took our breath away. On our final sundowners, Oupa and Excellent took us by the Olifant River where we enjoyed the sunset and drinks surrounded by hippos and a grazing rhino. Each day felt like a treasure hunt - we gave very little input, allowing Oupa and Excellent to do their thing, and loved every minute. This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime trip for my wife and I, as we were visiting South Africa from the US for a friend's wedding. I went back and forth between the more well-known reserves (Sabi Sands, Timbavati) and was unsure what we'd be able to see in the summer season (our visit was in late January) - I'm so glad we chose Naledi and if there's ever an opportunity to visit South Africa again, we will be back!"

"This place is a must go. From the moment you checkin and are greeted by Francisco to the time you leave, you feel like the most important person in the world. The guides we had (Simon, Rudolph) were incredible and got us up close and personal with the animals. We will be taking our family back! "

"Good quality hotel with lovely view. "

"My daughter and I had the absolute privilege of staying at Ezulwini in August 2024. I first want to acknowledge the amazing and knowledgeable staff who absolutely made our stay. Ange and Craig make quite the team! Glory was accommodating, caring, and personable. While in the Bush, Craig and Shads combined their seemingly unlimited knowledge to answer all our non-stop questions. Even when the animals were feeling shy, Craig was able to teach us about something else within the ecosystem, and usually by the end of the lesson, Shads was able to use his eagle-eyes to track another animal. What really made this lodge stand out was the fact that their approach was respectful to the land on which they live, never exploitative. Each night before an absolutely delicious dinner, we were able to sit down with Ange and Craig who crafted a lesson about local history, the law of the reserves, or about the country of South Africa. The meaningful conversations absolutely made us feel like welcomed friends, rather than simple guests. Of course, it should go without saying, that the accommodations of the resort itself were stunning. The resort’s small number of guest rooms makes the experience feel personal and uniquely tailored to each guest, and the property, which often welcomes many four-legged guests, feels more like an extension of the bush rather than a separate space. I simply cannot recommend this lodge, this team, and this trip enough!"

"Not value for money. Dinner was tasteless. Disturbing was to catch a worker at 07:30 the next morning hiding under our tent while we were bathing. The wooden floor has clear gaps to look through. When confronted he said he was there to fix a problem. Complained to the manager and she only replied "Sorry for that". No investigation or request to identify the worker. Internet is non-existent and lights are inadequate in the tent. "