Thornybush Nature Reserve · Greater Kruger
Tangala Safari Camp
Thornybush Nature Reserve · Kruger
A small, off-grid camp of three bush chalets and six colonial-style tents in Thornybush, facing a waterhole and the Drakensberg, with two game drives a day.
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The stay
One of Thornybush's original camps, run on the sun
Tangala dates from 1940, which makes it one of the earliest camps in what is now the Thornybush Nature Reserve, and it was reworked in 2016 when six colonial-style tents joined the three original bush chalets. Nine units is the whole camp. Each has twin beds under mosquito nets, a fan, an en-suite shower and a covered patio facing a waterhole with the Drakensberg escarpment behind it; antelope wander through the grounds. The camp runs entirely off-grid on its own solar farm, with borehole water pumped by solar. Days follow the standard two-drive rhythm, early morning and late afternoon, with a ranger and tracker, in a reserve that has shared an open boundary with Kruger since 2017. Meals are buffet-style at a shared table, with coffee stops and sundowners out in the bush.
Why Tangala
Tangala suits travellers who want Thornybush's Big Five, open-to-Kruger traversing at a modest price and a small, sociable camp, and who are happy to trade air conditioning and in-room gadgetry for fans, canvas and quiet. It is a straightforward, unpretentious safari base rather than a luxury lodge, and is priced accordingly.
Rooms & Suites
Bush Chalet
Colonial-style Tent
Safari & Experiences
Game drives
Early-morning and late-afternoon drives in open vehicles with a ranger and tracker in the Thornybush reserve, which has been open to Kruger since 2017.
Early morning and late afternoon.
Good to know
Families
- Minimum age: 6
Children from age 6 are accepted. All units are twin-bedded.
Power & connectivity
- Off-grid
Completely off-grid: solar farm with borehole water pumped by solar. Units have fans rather than air conditioning.
Getting there
- Nearest airport: Hoedspruit (Eastgate) Airport
- Drive time: About 30 minutes from Hoedspruit Airport; about 5.5 hours from Johannesburg
Daily flights to Hoedspruit from Johannesburg and Cape Town; the camp is about 30 minutes by road from the airport.
Sustainability & Conservation
Off-grid: powered by a dedicated solar farm, with borehole water pumped by solar.
The camp contributes monthly to rhino-protection initiatives. Thornybush dropped its fences with Kruger in 2017.
Add the road leg
Private transfers, arranged with the stay.
Spurwing can arrange private road transfers from Johannesburg, O.R. Tambo, regional airports or another lodge where the routing is practical, or build the road leg into a wider South African itinerary.
Tell us where you are coming from and where you are going next. We confirm the practical route, vehicle and timing before anything is booked.
Request This Stay
Rates on request
One trusted partner for the whole journey — speak to us and we’ll help plan the stay alongside the rest of your trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tangala have electricity?
Yes, but it is fully off-grid: the camp runs on its own solar farm, and rooms have fans rather than air conditioning.
How many rooms does Tangala have?
Nine: three bush chalets and six colonial-style tents, each with twin beds, an en-suite shower and a covered patio.
Is Tangala inside Kruger National Park?
It is in the Thornybush Nature Reserve, a private reserve in the Greater Kruger. Thornybush removed its fences with Kruger in 2017, so animals move freely between the two.