One word: SPECTACULAR! This unique destination is more than worth the drive to get there. The journey to Thonga isn’t easy as the last 1.5 hours drive is on a sandy, bumpy road at a slow speed. The hotel is the only lodging for miles and miles in a protected area. The location is truly unique, with only 12 thatched rooms for guests, so the privacy is unparalleled. (At arrival, we changed our booking from a two-night to a three-night stay.)
The rooms are gorgeous with modern, lovely bathrooms, and housekeeping is done twice daily. There are two medium-sized pools with loungers and chairs, and a wooden sun deck just above the beach, which has wonderful views. You cannot view the sea from the dining areas or the pools, but we could glimpse it from our room. This is because the forest isn’t cut back and you can hardly see any of the lodge from the beach. It’s a remarkable place.
The food is simply superb, so fresh, tasty, there are daily menus to choose from and a wide range of options, as always, too much food, but what I do love is that meals are generous but healthy, a good variety and not excessive in size (think a light starter, main and dessert for each meal type) and best of all it is fully included in the cost.
The beach, which runs all the way to Mozambique, is stunning. We loved walking along the seemingly endless beach each day and rarely bumped into another guest. There are daily activities offered, like snorkelling and SCUBA diving, turtle tracking, kayaking, birding, whale watching, dolphins, forest walks, swimming, and watching iconic sunsets with a sundowner. They even have a beach centre with all kinds of beach stuff you can borrow during your stay. Unfortunately, we were on a tight schedule of relaxation during our stay, so we didn’t have a lot of time to enjoy all of these activities.
We booked the ‘turtle experience’ and were lucky enough to sit with three Loggerhead turtles while they lay eggs, we also saw one coming out of the water and another going in, so all in all a ‘busy’ night. This experience again is a profound one, seeing a water animal drag its now heavy body through sand and then dig a deep hole for about 30 minutes before laying 80-100 eggs, pure exhaustion and then drag itself back into the water, ABSOLUTELY worth the money and getting back after 11 p.m. Sadly, we did not get a glimpse of the huge and wondrous Leatherback turtle! (Maybe next time.)
The very best part of the lodge is the extremely professional, helpful, knowledgeable, and delightful staff, most of which come from the local community, they bend over backwards to accommodate requests and make each experience the best it can be. The staff arranged a candle-lit dinner on the deck for us one evening, it was incredible. There is no evening entertainment, no TV, and limited connection, creating the perfect escape. Oh, I forgot the spa! One of the best massages I’ve had and they offer a variety of services, with no reservations necessary in advance of your stay.
Finally, the conservation and community work done by this lodge and its associated Isibindi Foundation is impressive and is making a profound impact on the local community and the broader ecosystem. We loved our stay here and hope to visit again someday.
Fun Fact: In ancient Hawaiian mythology, turtles were venerated as a powerful symbol of strength, fertility, longevity, and wisdom.
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