Thornybush Game Reserve

Pros & Cons

• Good wildlife viewing with all of the Big Five present
• Day and night drives and walking safaris available
• Off-road driving in open vehicles
• Lodges catering to different budgets
• Wildlife less abundant when compared to Sabi Sands and Timbavati
• High density of camps, so less exclusive
• Emphasis on checking off the Big Five species

Wildlife

All of the Big Five are regularly spotted at Thornybush, but wildlife is less abundant than in nearby Timbavati and Sabi Sand Game Reserve. There is a good chance of seeing black and white rhino and cheetah as well. Lions are regularly seen, and wild dogs move in and out of the property. Giraffe and a good variety of antelope are present as well.

• More about Thornybush's wildlife

Scenery

The terrain consists of mixed woodland and open savannah with patches of tangled thickets and thorny bush, hence the name. The reserve is bisected by several dry riverbeds.

Weather & Climate

Thornybush steams its way through the summer Wet season (October to April) when daily downpours combine with high temperatures to make life unpleasant. The heat starts to back off in March, signaling that the milder months of winter (the Dry season: May to September) are near. The humidity and rainfall pretty much disappear in the drier months.

• More about the weather and climate

Best Time to Visit

If you visit Thornybush during the wetter months (October to April), you’ll be rewarded with the appearance of baby animals and migrating birds. The landscape, fed by the continual rain, will also be a rich green and the air nice and clear. But the heat is a burden, and the wildlife, in general, will be easier to spot when the vegetation recedes in the Dry season (May to September).

• More about the best time to visit

Want to Visit Thornybush GR?

• Thornybush safaris and tours
• Tour operators for Thornybush