Ultra-divine and right off the well-worn track, Thonga Beach Lodge is set on the remote and beautiful shoreline of the Maputuland coast. It’s a luxury lodge resting discreetly in dune forest just above one of the most untouched wilderness beaches remaining on the African continent. Mabibi Bay is a magical place of coastal forests, lakes and long, long sandy beaches.
Every year between November and February there is a seasonal highlight for visitors to Mabibi Bay: nightfall brings the special privilege of being able to view turtles laying their eggs on these long, untrampled stretches of beach. Watching these magnificent creatures is an indescribable experience. The turtles return to the Maputuland coastline each year, having swum the full length of the African continent, to the very beach where they themselves once hatched.
The new hatchlings make their appearance from the nest about 60 days after being laid. Their emergence is a real miracle, after digging 40 cm to the surface and crawling some 50 m to the sea, where they often fall prey to kingfish and seabirds. The survival rate is less than one in 50.
At Thonga Beach Lodge you can also enjoy South Africa’s best snorkelling and fantastic off-shore scuba diving. Scuba diving at Mabibi Bay is spectacular, with reefs located a short distance from the lodge. Shoals of game fish, sharks and schools of bottlenose dolphins are often seen. The diving team at the lodge accommodates all enthusiasts, from first-timers to experienced divers. No less than 1,250 fish species occur on the reefs in this area!
The lodge is an indulgence, with barefoot luxury the essence of the experience – dine outdoors on an ocean-facing deck, return from the beach to a spa treatment, and take a good novel to the pooldeck which is only a few steps from the seasand. Long beach walks are there for the taking, without throngs of people laying claim to the space.
Mail us to book, or book online above, or call +27 21 797-7122.
Thonga Beach is such a perfect Honeymoon destination – so private and unspoilt. A little bit of heaven on earth!