…..SoSuterBill…..

Six years after having last visited KwaZulu-Natal’s Thula Thula Private Game Reserve, a luxury safari lodge and conservation haven near Empangeni, BILLY SUTER pays a return visit. He reports on a weekend unwinding in this tranquil, 5 500ha getaway made famous in the books The Elephant Whisperer, An Elephant in My Kitchen and The Elephants of Thula Thula. He also offers a wonderful prize – an afternoon game drive and gourmet lunch for four people at Thula Thula, valued at R6 000! See the end of the post for competition entry details.

SOUL-SOOTHING. That’s the word that instantly pops into mind when arriving at the splendid Thula Thula (Zulu for ‘peace and tranquility’) which is the oldest private wildlife reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, apparently the former hunting ground of legendary Zulu King Shaka and now world-famous for its fascinating herd of elephants.

A breathtaking spread of hills, riverine bush, savanna and forest, Thula Thula was established 26 years ago and made famous in the 2009 bestselling book, The Elephant Whisperer, by Lawrence Anthony, the late husband of the reserve’s vivacious owner-manager Francoise Malby-Anthony.

A lauded conservationist and author of three books, Lawrence passed away at the age of 61 in 2012. His The Elephant Whisperer, co-written by Lawrence and his journalist brother-in-law Graham Spence, told the true story of a herd of wild African elephants marked to be shot for dangerous behaviour until Lawrence intervened, gave them a home on his reserve, formed an extremely close bond with them and watched them flourish.

The Elephant Whisperer was about the forging and success of that bond which has since seen that seven-strong herd grow to 28, and become increasingly popular with tourists from all corners of the world.

However, it is not only elephants that attract people to Thula Thula – it is also home to, among other things, hundreds of nyala, wildebeest, buffalo, warthog, hyena, leopard, five closely-guarded rhino, hippo, giraffe, zebra and some 350 bird species. Also, 12 ostrich that were added in recent weeks, shortly after the reserve gained another 1 000ha of land, bringing it to a total of 5 500ha. Another 1000ha are now being negotiated.

Besides the abundance of wildlife creatures, Thula Thula also offers creature comforts. Francoise and her amiable staff run the popular Elephant Safari Lodge, which offers eight luxury, air-conditioned units, yummy French cuisine for supper, hearty breakfasts and lunches, and two, three-hour daily game drives (7am and 3.30pm) with knowledgeable and friendly guides. All this is included in the stayover price.

Two of the bigger, exquisitely decorated and very comfy lodge units recently got the addition of their own, 3m x 4m, private pool. We were lucky to be in one of those units for our visit and loved being close to the pool as grazing nyala and frolicking baboons played mere metres away.

A short drive from the lodge, alongside a river, you will find Thula Thula’s Luxury Tented Camp, also offering eight individual units. Don’t expect stretcher beds and torchlight, though… this is a classy away-from-it-all in comfy beds with fine linen. There is no air-conditioner, but a powerful fan is available in tents should the perspiration run. We stayed there six years ago and loved it. It also includes meals and the twice-daily game drives.

It was due to ongoing worldwide fascination with Thula Thula and its elephant herd that Francoise decided, soon after Lawrence’s death, to write her own book – the hugely successful An Elephant in My Kitchen. It was inspired by a young elephant that strayed from the herd in 2014 and ended up at Francoise’s front door, where she fed the little fellow, called Tom, until he could be returned to the herd.

Further success and global recognition for Thula Thula came with Francoise’s more recent book, The Elephants of Thula Thula, now available in paperback and in audiobook. By the way, all three international bestsellers are available on http://www.amazon.com and are also available in various languages.

After months of promoting her latest book, Francoise was planning a much-needed fortnight’s holiday in Kenya and Tanzania when we caught up with her during our recent weekend at Thula Thula. We found the bubbly blonde with the honey-tinted French accent every bit as warm, friendly and passionate about the reserve as we remembered.

Her latest news is that she is considering writing and self-publishing a recipe book highlighting the French cuisine she devises for the Thula Thula menus. She is also mulling over the idea of a book for children with Thula Thula as the focus. Francoise also mentions that a local documentary on her late husband is being considered as well as a French documentary about herself. Both are expected by the end of the year.

Soldiering on in the face of adversity has been a common theme in Francoise’s books and also applies to her game reserve, where ongoing conservation efforts remain very close to her heart.

She is delighted that her elephants can now be tracked with a special App after funds were found for collaring the beautiful beasts, and a recent donation from Germany has now enabled Thula Thula’s rhino to also be collared and easily tracked, she says.

The success of the Thula Thula Volunteers Academy is something of which Francoise is particularly proud. Launched in July 2018, this project involves a maximum of eight volunteers at a time participating in a comprehensive conservation course that includes all meals and tented accommodation.

The cost is $120 a day for three weeks, and course manager and conservation expert Sheldon Schollij awards certificates on completion of the course, which is proving so popular that the earliest vacancies are in 2025.

Francoise rates the course as a must for anyone with a dream to work in the wild African bush and make a difference to conservation, all money raised going back into keeping Thula Thula ticking.

I hopped into a vehicle with Francoise to visit the nearby Volunteers Academy whose base is a tented area around a large house and gardens atop an aloe-flecked hill adjacent to the reserve’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. It’s in a secure fenced area, with large trees and great views over the whole game reserve and Mkhulu Dam, a favourite spot of the elephant herd.

I met the current academy team comprising participants from the UK, Switzerland, Australia, Germany and a sprightly 82-year-old from America. All couldn’t recommend the course highly enough and this brought a wide smile to the face of team manager Sheldon.

“Our youngest participant has been a seven-year-old who attended with a parent,” he says, pointing out that the course is split in two.

In the mornings, the focus is on reserve management work, including the planting of indigenous plants, controlling alien invasive plants and bush clearing. In the afternoons, he adds, “we do game drive-orientated educational courses, working on everything from elephant identification and monitoring, to rhino monitoring and behaviour, birds and birding, tracks and tracking and the identification and uses of trees and plants”.

It’s all about educating and inspiring. Volunteers experience living in the African wilderness, sharing experiences with others, growing their skills and making a difference. Programmes vary slightly throughout the year, as the challenges involved in wildlife conservation are constantly shifting and certain issues may receive more focus than others.

For more information mail academy@thulathula.com

Getting back to the luxury element… the food at Thula Thula’s lodge is truly special. When not raining, the four-course dinners are usually served at a long table close to a crackling fire in the boma. Otherwise, seating is in the close-by lodge communal building which accommodates a cosy lounge, pub, pool and terrace which is soon to be newly tiled.

At dinners, Francoise encourages everyone being seated together but there should be no problem should you prefer a private space.

Francoise’s penchant for French cuisine and original dishes are often evident. The two nights my partner and I stayed over, the dinner menu included a terrific Sweet Potato and Roast Apple Soup; Pineapple Chicken with Orange Sauce and Vanilla Puree; and Rare Fillet of Venison on Potato Rostie Gratin with Red Wine Bacon Sauce.

Pud choices included sinful treats such as Nougat Glace Mille Feuille with Red Berry Sauce; Amarula and Rum Home-Made Ice-Cream with Raisins; and White Chocolate and Grilled Nuts Tart.

The safari lodge’s communal building terrace is used for breakfasts which are particularly yummy, the menu going beyond the usual English breakfast to offer some novel eggs-to-order options.

Besides a buffet table of cereals, yoghurts, fresh fruits, juices and more-ish fresh croissants, muffins and breads, items on the menu when we were there included the must-have scrambled eggs and biltong on a home-made potato and chive cake. Also delicious is Croque Monsieur with Egg, Bacon and Cheese in Bechamal Sauce.

The twice-daily game drives are a big highlight of a relaxing weekend at Thula Thula and our guide and driver, Muzi, was wonderful at tracking the famous elephants. We were lucky to have had almost 20 of them around us one day, among them matriarch Nana who recently celebrated her 60th birthday.

We also got to have a fun 15 minutes or so with a trio of hippos gawking at us from a dam all the time we enjoyed sundowners and snacks alongside the game-drive vehicle. Muzi also pointed out animal tracks and was a mine of information when it came to flora and fauna.

A pleasant two-hour-or-so drive north of Durban, Thula Thula Private Game Reserve is in a malaria-free zone and for those who want to arrive in style, note that there is a private, 700m grass airstrip on the property.
Also note that a number of specials are on offer at the moment so a visit to the Thula Thula website is a must.

WEBSITE: http://www.thulathula.com
EMAIL: info@thulathula.com
PHONE: +27 (0) 82 2599732 or +27 (0) 73 2668577 or +27 (0) 879455352

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WIN A THULA THULA DAY TRIP (WITH LUNCH AND GAME DRIVE) FOR FOUR!

Care to put yourself in line to win a Thula Thula Day Trip for four adults that includes a game drive and lunch for all four? The prize is valued at R6 000 and the prize voucher is valid until the end of July 2025.

You simply have to be a follower of the SoSuterBill site to win.  At no cost.

If you are not already a follower, click on the word ‘…..SoSuterBill…..’ that appears under Billy Suter’s face on the red curtain at the top of this post. Next, scroll down a little and leave your email address in the blank space alongside the ‘Subscribe Free’ banner. You will then be a follower, and receive email notification whenever a new story is filed on the site.

Once you have subscribed (there is no cost), send your NAME and PHONE NUMBER via email (NOT THIS SITE’S CONTACT FORM) to sosuterbill@gmail.com and place the words ‘THULA THULA COMPETITION’ in the subject field. 

Note that the competition closes at 6pm on Tuesday, July 30, and the winner will be contacted soon after. His/her name will be posted in this spot thereafter. (The lucky winner is K Huxtable. Congrats!)

Also please note that this prize excludes all bar expenses and is valid only until the end of July 2025. The prize must be taken up on a day subject to availability and is not redeemable on holidays or over long weekends. Also note that travel expenses to and from Thula Thula are not included in the prize. Accommodation is also not offered in this prize.

NOTE: PLEASE READ ENTRY DETAILS CAREFULLY AS SOME PEOPLE ARE ENTERING COMPETITIONS INCORRECTLY.

ALSO NOTE THAT ONLY ONE ENTRY PER SUBSCRIBER WILL BE CONSIDERED.

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