Things to do in South Africa

A wild beach escape at Thonga Beach Lodge

There’s a sense of freedom down the long, solitary beach that’s rarely found in this day and age…

By Matthew Steyn

General Manager at Thonga Beach Lodge

Stay in an elegantly designed bedroom like this one at Thonga Beach Lodge in the iSimangali Wetland Park when you take a taiilored trip with Aflred&

Enjoy interiors with ocean colour palettes like this bar when you take a tailor-made trip to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park with Alfred&

Stay under cleverly designed thatched boma huts in iSimangaliso Wetland Park when you holiday with Alfred&

Sink down in a beanbag by the campfire at Thonga Beach Lodge when you take a tailored trip with Alfred&

Bunk down in a four-poster bed like this one in iSimangaliso Wetland Park lodge when you take a tailor-made trip with Alfred&

Swim in this beautiful blue pool when you take a tailor-made trip to Alfred&

It’s possible to reach us if you have your own 4×4 that can handle the off-grid sandy roads but for most, it’s a three-and-a-half-hour drive from the nearest airport to a drop-off point at Sodwana Bay where we’ll pick you up for an hour trundle through untrammelled territory.

You’re hours from civilisation but the journey is totally worth it; stranded on a solitary beach with no one else in sight flanked on one side by the tumbling Indian Ocean and on the other, rambling dunes and milkwood trees. While other lodges in the vicinity have a trek to get to the water, we’re the only hotel located right on the beach. All it takes is a short plod until your toes touch the sand.

The architecture is cleverly designed, camouflaged in the canopy under thatched boma huts linked by wooden walkways. Interiors are elegantly eco; dashes of duck-egg blue, woven chairs and bamboo-fashioned lanterns and nothing too outlandishly kitsch. Rooms similarly embrace the surroundings with some enjoying ocean views and alfresco private plunge pools. In the communal areas, everything feels seamless and easy going whether you’re sinking into a beanbag with an espresso martini by the firepit, slipping into the swimming pool or rambling down the beach for a picnic where you probably won’t see another soul. Honeymooners shouldn’t miss a couple’s massage cocooned under the trees, branched off from our fully fledged spa.

We might be remote, but the food here never gets boring. My last supper would be the steaming mussels followed by melt-in-your-mouth lamb shank and the silkiest panna cotta for pudding. The vibe wouldn’t be what it is though if it weren’t for our wonderful members of staff most of whom have all grown up together here in the Mabibi community. They imbue the true essence of this unspoilt and flourishing land.

Available in these itineraries…

Itinerary

KwaZulu-Natal Safari and Wilderness Beach
by Dagmar Marrocco

Length9 Days

Price range£3,575 - £4,540pp

Alfred & Matthew Steyn

Raised in Johannesburg, Matthew spent every family holiday on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal where his love for the ocean took hold. After spending time at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve as a ranger, and a stint in the corporate world, he followed the call of the wild and worked in areas including Botswana, Mozambique and the Serengeti as a head guide and general manager. At Thonga Beach Lodge, he’s living his best life with both his family and tight-knit Isibindi team.

Plan your holiday withAlfred&

Your journey will start with one of our UK team – someone like Laura, who's travelled extensively in South Africa. They’ll shape your ideas into the trip of a lifetime. But they won't do it alone. They'll draw on the expertise of our contacts on the ground, connecting you to the people who'll make your holiday one you'll always remember - ex banker who can show you the hottest foodie spots in Cape Town, the award-winning young sommelier who can introduce you to Stellenbosch's finest wines and the walking safari ranger who can guide you to the best game.

Laura Preston

Travel Expert for Alfred&

Having travelled extensively through Africa, Laura has a wealth of experience. She is passionate about Tanzania’s diversity from the quiet wilds of Ruaha that feel completely private to the silvery sands of Zanzibar and Stone Town’s spice-laced streets. In South Africa, she sought out the best views over Table Mountain, cocktail in hand, as well as the lesser-visited Kruger conservancies for more exclusive safaris. But her favourite place in the world has to be the Serengeti for its wide-open plains and incredible game that epitomise that feeling of Africa.
Wayne Howarth

Head Safari Guide at Kariega Game Reserve

Wayne loves being outdoors and has spent most of his life between the family farm and working on Private Game Reserves in the Eastern Cape. He has been guiding at Kariega for 12 years. His qualifications include Field Guide Association of South Africa (FGASA) Level 2, Advance Rifle Handling, Skippers Licence Category R and first aid. One of his career highlights was becoming a finalist in the 2021 Safari Guide of the Year competition.
Rupesh Kassen

Founder and guide of Eat Like A Local

Rupesh Kassen abandoned his decade-long career in banking to move to East Africa, where he trained and worked as a chef. He later became immersed in South Africa’s food scene and worked as a food critic before setting up Eat Like A Local in Cape Town. Rupesh now offers guided food tours to showcase the city and its diverse culture and history through food.
Fundi Ziqubu

Sommelier

Fundi was born in Durban and fell in love with wine when it was introduced to her by a few Capetonian friends. On discovering her passion she got the chance to study wine with the department of tourism in collaboration with the Sommeliers Academy. Being appointed sommelier at Lanzerac was a career highlight and in 2019 Fundi was named most up-and-coming wine steward by the Distell Inter-Hotel challenge.
Ntobeko Ntshingila

Duty Manager at Three Tree Hill Lodge

Ntobeko has been part of the Three Trees family for 13 years and describes it as a lovely journey with lots of room for growth and experience. She has her own family, including a daughter of 18, and a son, aged three. She lives in a nearby village with her parents, four siblings and three nephews. When not spending time with her family she manages her broiler chicken business, which brings her extra income.
Cheryl Blackburn

Owner and guide, Three Tree Hill Lodge

Being born in the Kruger National Park instilled in Cheryl a love of nature and wildlife. Having lived and worked as a guide in the Kruger reserve, and also in Botswana, she eventually got the opportunity to run her own lodge, with her growing family, in the lush KwaZulu Natal Drakensberg region. She still finds time to guide guests on foot, tracking white rhino in the neighbouring Spioenkop Game Reserve.

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Things to do in South Africa

A wild beach escape at Thonga Beach Lodge

Available in these itineraries…

KwaZulu-Natal Safari and Wilderness Beach

Alfred & Matthew Steyn

Plan your holiday withAlfred&