Saseka feels very much like a shining jewel in our Thornybush crown. After years of coming to this bend in the Monwana River to celebrate special occasions we finally decided to build something as remarkable as the setting feels.
With visionary designers, Silvio Rech and Lesley Carstens, leading the way we’ve managed to create a lodge that has a strikingly unique layout and finds a superb balance between cutting-edge design, classical style and feeling connected to the outside environment.
The main area has a large, tiered deck with a broad view of the riverbed and a cleverly designed roof that mimics the dappled light of a tree canopy. This is where we love to meet with our guests for a drink or a meal, share stories and listen to the afternoon breeze bringing the surrounding trees to life.
Away from the soothing tones of the main area, our guests stay in nine luxurious tented suites with stylish interiors, sweeping decks, private pools and uninterrupted views of the seasonal Monwana riverbed. The Leadwood Villa offers a sole-use option within the lodge, perfect for small groups and families.
If you are looking for more options, check out our other Thornybush Game Reserve lodges in the Kruger Park.
Thornybush is a 14,000-hectare private nature reserve that shares a fenceless border with the famous Kruger National Park in South Africa. Big 5 encounters are the standout experiences for our guests, with visitors particularly impressed with the lion and leopard sightings. It’s the vast diversity of wildlife, however, that has seen Thornybush emerge as a leading safari destination. With our passionate and expert guide-and-tracker teams leading the way, our guests leave with a genuine understanding of our entire ecosystem and the enthralling cast of animals.
Eight luxury tents, each with their own private deck, outdoor shower and pool, accommodate two guests each. The Leadwood Villa can host groups with a central lounge and dining area, shared deck and pool, as well as a private safari vehicle.
The eight suites, with elevated views of the riverbed, are ultra-spacious safari tents on permanent foundations. Glass doors open up onto your own extensive private deck and pool, complete with sun loungers and chairs. In a private corner, there’s also an outdoor shower with bush views.
Attention to detail is present wherever you look, a great example of this is the fabric of the interior canvas, designed exclusively for Saseka, with prints from the herbarium in Pretoria of all the region’s plants.
The intelligent lighting of the tented suites is also an impressive feature. The suites allow the sounds of the bush to filter in to give you a truly immersed safari experience.
Experience the ultimate intimacy of the Leadwood Villa. As a sole-use option, this space grants you the privacy of staying at your own lodge within the magnificent grounds of Saseka Tented Camp, overlooking the seasonal Monwana riverbed.
Embrace the privacy of this exclusive-use accommodation for your whole family or small group. The main villa includes a tented suite, sunken outdoor lounge and fire pit as well as an indoor lounge area.
With space for up to six people, accommodated in adjacent tented suites, you’re able to experience the luxury of the bush in a prime setting.
Awaken to a pink dawn, the sounds of the morning chorus as the birds begin to stir and look forward to a new day and an exciting chance to see the african wildlife begin their day – this is the ultimate welcome to a morning drive at Thornybush. You’ll need to be up before the sun, starting with a morning coffee and a snack before you hop into our game vehicles and set off to see the best big 5 animal sightings. Morning game drives are a perfect opportunity to seek out wildlife as this is when the land is cool and the animals are most active. Anything is possible and sightings come quickly, so prepare those cameras and have your bush eyes peeled! After a couple hours of roaming the reserve you’ll stop at a special spot for our famous bush coffee break before heading back for a delicious late breakfast.
With two game drives a day, you’re bound to spot your bucket-list big 5 animal sightings. Following a lazy afternoon, most likely spent by the pool or on your deck, we’ll meet for a deliciously prepared afternoon tea with sweet treats before you climb into your game vehicle for a three-hour drive that leads into the evening. The sundowner stop at one of our favourite viewpoints will no doubt show off one of Africa’s iconic sights – a sunset casting golden light across an African savanna. As night sets in, you’ll start to see new animals stir on your safari at night experience, adding another level of excitement to the end of the drive.
A walking safari offers something quite different to a game drive: the thrill of being on foot in a Big 5 reserve and a chance to engage with the smaller things. You learn about tracking, insects, flowers and most of all the power of the african landscape. It’s a chance to have an immersive experience where you get down and touch and smell what’s out there while at the same time you never quite know what you’ll encounter around the next corner. There is little that compares to a walking safari or going on a safari hiking experience in a true big 5 safari reserve.
Following a morning game drive, our guests can be treated to breakfast in a beautiful bush setting. While the savannah stirs to life, we serve a wide variety of breakfast dishes that our guests enjoy surrounded by the untouched African wilderness. No matter what your dietary requirements may be, we’ve got a dish for you.
