This sign is planted in the earth, not too far from the camp.
In a way, this is what makes the Sun Destinations portfolio different; they are all rooted in the African soil, and striving to be as eco-friendly as possible, without the guest experience being compromised in any way.
Guests arriving for the first time will have no inkling what awaits them just a short distance away. Returning visitors will be ecstatic knowing what awaits them. Or so they think!
nThambo, like all of the lodges in the Sun Destinations portfolio are constantly being upgraded or renovated. It could be as minor as the replacement of the soft furnishings. Or sometimes returning guests will realise that the accommodation has been radically redesigned.
What lies beyond this entrance…
To the left, the office and dining room…as well as the entrance to the outdoor Boma.
To the right, the bar, lounge, and outside pool and deck.
And perhaps if you are quiet and careful, you might catch sight of a frog or two hiding in the pot plants…
I have stayed in this accommodation before, but this time it was different.
An extended deck and new seating were some of the surprises that awaited me.
Both were most welcome as they allowed me to spend private time here while watching the animals parade past the waterhole that was close to the lodge. (The accommodation is set out in such a way that everyone has an uninterrupted view.)
Can you guess what the overall colour palette of the public spaces?
Perhaps these bottles might give you an inkling as to what the colour MIGHT be…
If you said BLUE, you would be correct, so pour yourself a drink to celebrate.
The colour is inspired by a large image of a Cape Glossy Starling on the lounge wall.
By the way, I have it on good authority that there will be a new brand of alcohol available at the lodge shortly. However, more of that in future postings… Certainly something to look forward to!
At night, the public spaces change in ambience.
The soft light accentuates the fixtures and allows guests to feel relaxed and removed from the chaos and mayhem that is currently the daily ‘normal’in the world beyond the perimeter of the camp.
Early morning…and the pathway from the main building towards the accommodation I was staying in.
You can see why the camp is referred to as a “Tree Camp”, given that all the accommodation is built on stilts, giving guests the feeling of sleeping in a tree house.
Because the camp is unfenced, guests are escorted to their accommodation by staff after dark.
And the reason for this became eminently clear on one of the nights I was in camp.
I was about to walk back alone one evening when I was stopped by one of the field guides.
“Wait”, he said, “I will walk you back”. I was about to say it was only a short distance and I would be OK when he pointed his torch at a Honey Badger trundling past us…
And if that was not enough, we had only gone a few paces when he swung his torch to light up some bushes to the right of the path.
“See the eyes” he asked me.
I had noticed them and had stopped dead in my tracks.
“Leopard”, he said. “It comes into camp occasionally. “And THAT is why we insist on guests being walked back”.
I no longer argue when guides offer to walk me back to accommodation in unfenced camps.
The lounge in the daylight.
Note the aforementioned image of the Cape Glossy Starling on the wall.
I have visited this lodge several times over the last few years and there is always something new to discover.
Oh, and I have to warn visitors that there is a jar of cookies on the craft table just outside the office.
They are made fresh every day as the supply never lasts longer than a few hours.
Delicious does not begin to describe them, and they are baked on the premises daily.
They are VERY moreish, and if you do not pace yourself, you might find that your 3 meals a day become just too much.
The view to the horizon is often obscured by the herds of elephants that visit this pool for a drink.
Even though there is a waterhole less than 100m from this deck, they prefer the fresh, clean water and the pool chemicals(before you make a comment) are environmentally friendly and seem to have no adverse effect on them.
It would not be a safari lodge if it did not have mosquito netting.
Although all the camps in the Sun Destinations portfolio are different, there is one constant that can be found at them all.
The beds and the linen are sublime. Often, they are so comfortable that I have to have a serious conversation with myself to get up to be ready for an early morning game drive. Especially in the winter months!
New branding, but the same service excellence that guests have come to expect.
Click on the logo to find out more.
Travel & Things is the proud winner of these prestigious awards from the digital British lifestyle magazine Luxlife.
The awards are in the categories:
Best Travel & Experiences Blog 2024 – South Africa
Best African Game Reserves & Lodges Travel Review Site 2025.
Best African Resorts and Retreats Award 2025.
And the most recent accolade… Most Engaging Travel & Lifestyle Blog 2026.
See who the guests have been since the inception of this YouTube channel.
Click on the logo above.
Looking for something to read? Click on the logo above to visit the Off the Shelf YouTube channel for interesting and up-to-date interviews and book reviews.
“Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?”
Edgar Bergen
All images are the copyright property of
and may not be used without permission.
All images used in Travel & Things posts are edited using Ribbet software. To learn more about the product and what it offers both amateur and professional photographers, click on the logo above.
