Thula Thula – private game reserve
Thula Thula Private Game Reserve, only two hours from Durban, offers all animal lovers a true spiritual adventure with encounters with the legendary Thula Thula elephants.
Situated in Zululand, only two hours from Durban, and one hour from Richards Bay, Thula Thula is a luxury safari destination where our game rangers will share their incredible knowledge of the bush during exciting game drives. Observe elephant, rhino, buffalo, hippo, leopard and a spectacular variety of other indigenous species, great and small. Birdlife is prolific with over 350 identified species, including raptors.
Thula Thula is also the home of our matriarch Nana and the special herd of elephants made famous in the best-selling book THE ELEPHANT WHISPERER by Lawrence Anthony.
Thula Thula is run by his wife Francoise who carries on the legacy of Lawrence with all conservation projects and the running of both lodges. Francoise has written the sequel of The Elephant Whisperer, AN ELEPHANT IN MY KITCHEN, published in July 2018. A new book, THE ELEPHANTS OF THULA THULA, will be released early September this year with new tales and stories about this Zululand piece of paradise.
With its unique atmosphere, stylish décor and superb cuisine, Thula Thula offers you the choice of exclusive accommodation between the Elephant Safari Lodge, renowned gourmet destination, and the Luxury Tented Camp, which offers an authentic African bush experience in the heart of Zululand. Both provide very unique and different experiences.
Thula Thula, now a 4500 ha Wildlife Sanctuary dedicated to the conservation, protection and survival of endangered species, is expanding to create more space for its elephant herd with a further 1000 hectares of community land.
The Zululand Wildlife rehabilitation centre has reopened and is fully operational to welcome and take care of wounded or orphaned wildlife by our team of carers.
Our volunteers academy welcomes anyone wishing to learn and contribute to our conservation projects. The volunteers camp is situated next to the wildlife rehabilitation centre and offers an incredible view over the whole game reserve. Funds paid by the volunteers go back into our conservation projects, through our non profit company the South African Conservation Fund..
