
Exclusive safari experience
Limpopo, South Africa
Thornybush is a Big Five reserve on the western edge of the Greater Kruger near Hoedspruit, unfenced to the Timbavati and through it to Kruger itself. It is lodge-only, with guided drives that can go off-road and after dark, and it offers close sightings of the Greater Kruger's animals, including some well-known leopards, in a reserve small enough to be well covered in a stay. It is inside the malaria area and reached by road from Hoedspruit or flight to the town's airport.
Things to do: Luxury safari · Game drives · Spa treatments · Fine dining
Where you can stay: Luxury lodges · All-inclusive
What people record most across Limpopo. Past sightings, never a guarantee.
From iNaturalist records across Limpopo, not confirmed sightings inside this reserve.
Inside-park stays and nearby lodges, sorted by distance.
No stays are linked to Thornybush Game Reserve yet. These are the closest ones we have, by straight-line distance from the park, so check the drive before you book.
24.4775° S, 31.1563° E800 km from Cape TownOpen in Maps
Why book here
Wild places survive when the communities around them earn more from protecting wildlife than from anything that would replace it. Every stay you book through Spekboom carries a conservation contribution built into the price, never added on top, so choosing where you sleep becomes a way to fund the people and projects keeping this landscape intact.
Thornybush Game Reserve is in Limpopo, South Africa.
Yes. Thornybush Game Reserve is a Big Five area, home to lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino.
In Limpopo, commonly recorded species include animals such as Rock Monitor, Black Mamba, Nile Crocodile, Nyala and birds including Tropical Boubou, Racket-tailed Roller, Grey-headed Parrot, based on iNaturalist occurrence data. These reflect the wider province, not confirmed sightings inside the reserve.
The best time to visit Thornybush Game Reserve is May-Sep (dry season).
Popular activities at Thornybush Game Reserve include luxury safari, game drives, spa treatments, fine dining.
Other parks and reserves that share something with Thornybush Game Reserve.
Big Five parks and reservesPrivate game reservesNational parks and reserves in South AfricaNature reserves and parks in LimpopoAll protected areas