Thonga Beach Lodge

Reviews

"Very luxury resort. Our Family lodge has the most beautiful view and a nice terrace. The excursions where great. Miles and miles of deserted, pristine beaches lined with unspoilt dunes and natural forests, all of which we savored through long after dinner walks illuminated by the full moon. The meals were creative, nourishing and delicious. The staff were warm, friendly and hospitable. We loved the snorkeling in the crystal clear ocean was excellent."

- Marrietta

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"Clear the mind, nourish the Body, Soothe the Soul. These are the promising signs that greet you upon the steep drive in to the lodge. And the promise is delivered upon in full. Room 8 was the the best of the best! Spacious and comfortable with a private pool, and ocean views for spotting (with binocs) dolphins and pods of whales. Miles and miles of deserted, pristine beaches lined with unspoilt dunes and natural forests, all of which we savoured through long after dinner walks illuminated by the full moon. The meals were creative, nourishing and delicious. The staff were warm, friendly and hospitable. Special mention to Siphiwe who truly looked after us with smiles and support (and yummy cocktails). Loved the kayak on Lake Sibaya and the snorkelling in the crystal clear ocean was excellent. I was especially pleased, as a full moon enthusiast, that the lodge arranged a 4am excursion to view the lunar eclipse on the 28th."

- Stephanie

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"We loved Thonga Beach Lodge! For us the best say in South Africa. Lovely food, great dives, nice and friendly staff. Perfect for relaxation!!! The lodge is near to the beach, but far away from the big road."

- Lisel

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"What a pleasure to be able to write about a holiday location that is so fantastic it is unbelievable. It is not strictly a hotel but a group of lodges set around a restaurant and bar area in a forest next to the sea. Where to start? First, it is set in a very remote area and is accessible only by 4x4 vehicles along a rough sandy track. The remoteness of the place gives it a special character. The beach is lovely and almost deserted. The sea is quite rough so swimming is not so easy but there are warm rock pools to enjoy. The accommodation in wooden lodges is superb. The lodges are spacious and very comfortable with all the facilities you would expect. They are connected by walkways to the central bar/restaurant area. The quality of the food was excellent - at breakfast, lunch and dinner with plenty of choice and variety. Meals were something to really look forward to. Probably above all the staff are so friendly and helpful. It was a pleasure to stay there and we could not recommend it more highly. Well done to all at Thonga."

- John

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"Amazing scenery, people and hospitality, thank you to everyone for an unbelievable 7 days. The lodges were amazing, very private and peaceful. Only 12 lodges so very intimate. The activities are very well arranged with a board for guests to book the activities they want to participate in, on a first come first serve basis so very fair. The sun downers trip, which we went on on our first and last night was very good and a very nice way to meet other guests. we ordered drinks from the bar before we left and were served these beside the beautiful lake whilst watching the beautiful sun set! There were hippos and crocodiles in the lake on our final visit, which was amazing! The staff arranged an extra activity for guests who wanted to view the Solar Eclipse. This took place at 4am from the hill above the lodge. We were served hot chocolate and coffee whilst viewing the eclipse and returned to the beech to watch the sun rise, magical! From the beach you can watch the whales and dolphin as they swim in the bay, an unforgettable experience! The highlight for us as a family was the trip to the village of Mabibi! On the Sunday we joined in the church services at 2 of the 7 churches in the village and were very warmly welcomed and encouraged to join in the singing and dancing. delightful in every way. The next day we visited the Clinic, homestead and primary school. Our guide was Behki who lives in the village and was a amazing, such a nice person! The children at the school were delightful and sang and danced for us, beautiful, we will always remember the lovely people of Mabibi! The service at the lodge was excellent, lovely food and hospitality. Special thank yous to Bheki, Siphiwe, David and Purity for making our stay so unforgettable."

- Mandy

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"The team is nice particularly the people in charge of the activities (Ash, Lee, Thulani). The food is excellent but the restaurant team could be quite overbooking with waiting time when the site is full. Our room was very clean and beautiful with a wonderful view on the ocean. The access to the private beach to take a bath in the ocean was so great!"

- Claire

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"We have just returned from a fabulous stay at Thonga. I travel a lot and can confidently say that the food and service are world class - what separates Thonga from other top-end places is the unique location (nearly an hour by 4x4 to reach it) on a 4km section of unspoilt, beautiful beach. The staff - who are nearly all from the local community - work hard to make the stay special. Food standards, especially given the remote location, are outstanding. There is an excellent and varied program of activities, but this is also a great place to relax in a wonderful environment. Thank you!"

- Philip