The place needs renovation. The sight however, is beautiful and tranquil. The staff is nice.
We were somewhat disappointed with our accommodation. The chalet was adequately equipped but was in dire need of some TLC. Our duvet covers were stained and housekeeping during our stay was almost non-existent other than having our fireplace cleaned and the kitchen bin emptied. We do however love the park and hence will come back again. Enjoyed some of the many wonderful hikes and the views are spectacular. The staff were also very welcoming and friendly.
Thendele is a beautiful place and we will continue to visit, however the general maintenance and upkeep of the chalets was not quite as expected. The outside drain was blocked and therefore overflowing, the living room furniture is really outdated and in need of an update, the outside braai grids are rusted and not all are in working order. There was also a thick layer of dust on top of our fridge. However, the housekeeping staff were helpful and the beds very comfortable. Please can the beauty of our natural heritage be upheld in the facilities that we all want to continue to enjoy and share.
Old world charm with the fireplace and simplicity. Very friendly staff. We had the time of our life hiking much further in the berg than we anticipated. Felt small and thankful in this reserved part of the world. The staff even phoned to say we left something in the fridge....which we did on purpose. Will come again.
Great accommodation in Royal Natal.Well kept and maintained.
Even after previous bad reviews of the Camp I decided to give it a chance because although units are old, I was told renovations were underway. My unit (not yet renovated) was booked next to one that was actually closed for refurbishment. Woke up to sounds of building and workers shouting at 6.30am. The manager, Caroline, was very apologetic and kindly moved us to another unit. She was also frustrated with the noise (I was not the first to complain and yet they still had not solved the problem). It was a very unpleasant experience, which could have been avoided. The next day, we woke up to no electricity. All in all, very disappointing as the location is stunning but I dont think the accommodation is worth the cost.
We did not stay just stopped to hike. The staff was helpfull amd friendly
Awesone trails and views. Accommodation needs upgrading.
Excellent 3-star accommodation at a 5-star location with a 5-star view. Very clean and comfortable, even if the bathroom and TV is a bit old. We thoroughly enjoyed the stay in nr 25, and will definitely be back!
Stunning place just love the piece and tranquility the chalets are well equipped kitchens have been modernized but bathrooms sadly need attention there is no place to put anything and towel rail is in the bedroom. Remove the plastic tray in the shower it has no grip and is lethal if you stand on it my ankle is still black and blue. Staff very friendly but please give them uniforms
Such a pity that one of our sort after resorts and world heritage sites accommodation is in such dire need of upgrading. They charge high rates, but do not deliver the expected standard. The staff are also not pleasant and welcoming. The hikes and views are spectacular.
We had the privilege of staying at the Thendele Upper Camp. Such a beautiful location. Perfect accommodation. All necessities, friendly staff, spacious for kiddos to have fun... great walks manageable for 6 year Olds....such a pleasure to stay here !
Very peaceful place
The location is probably one of the best in the country. Thendele Camp is not the best value for money though, considering the Lower Camp units are very outdated and that the units are not fully serviced daily. This does not mean we had a bad experience at all. In fact, well probably make this a frequent trip as there is no better place to get this close and personal with the Amphitheatre. The service at reception is great and the staff are very friendly.In summary, its well worth a visit, but just prepare to pay a premium for the location and not the accommodation.
Amazing experience!
Great houses to stay in, with an unbeatable view of the Berg
Beautiful experience...Extremely neat and well kept...the Mountains at its best!
This is one of my favorite places. The staff are friendly and accommodating. Ive always found the chalets clean and decently equipped. The views from the upper camp are stunning and the walks are lovely with something for everyone. Not disabled friendly, but then its tough to be in the circumstances. The roads needed a bit of tlc when we were there, but I think they had heavy rains. Not fancy accommodation, but comfortable. Dont rely of the little shop much for food items, but firewood, blitz and lighters a plenty.
Unit clean and tidy. All you need was available. Very impressed.
Beautiful scenery and well kept lawns. The water is a definite problem although they advised to let the water run a while. After rain fall it was even worse. It would be very sad to let such a beautiful place go to ruins because of neglect and lack of upkeep. Hicking trails are not well kept either branches fell over paths and are just left there.
Beautiful, clean, fabulous, staff most welcoming polite and well informed. Chalets clet well appointed with beautiful views of the amphitheater and mountains and great hiking trails
Very pleasurable stay. A must if you enjoy hiking. The facilities need urgent care from management. Roads littered with potholes, poorly stocked shop and the utensils and glasses are in a poor condition / odd in number. Make sure you take enough food, water and snacks as there are no other shops nearby. The tower of Pizza is the nearest restaurant which is about half an hours drive away.Go in the rainy months to see the Tugela waterfall in full swing. Drier months also worthwhile as the heat is more tolerable for longer hikes.
The view on the mountains was beautiful. Chalet need a bit maintenance.
Thendele is amazing. Its pretty pricey for self catering but the views are spectacular and the units are clean and comfortable.
Cottages need upgrading a little and the road of course is a disaster .... otherwise just perfect
Place is so peaceful and the staff there is welcoming and friendly. 😲Oh, the view is to die for!
The location is stunning but it is heartbreaking to see the accommodations deteriorate
Its was clean and the staff very friendly
Beautiful hikes!! Great place!
Great little getaway with friendly staff. Breathtaking views and excellent hiking options. Docking a star because amenities are a bit dated.
The best place ever! Beautiful and well equipped chalets. Amazing views from your bed! Very recommended!
Disclaimer, if it wasnt for the breathtaking natural beauty of this place, I would give it a rating of TWO. Accomodation is poorly maintained and in serious need of an upgrade. Furniture is aged, bathrooms in the lodge had no showers only baths, cutlery, electronics and other equipment is all very old and some is broken. Several of the staff we talked to both at the camp and during booking was very unfriendly. The place offers a huge selection of great hiking routes and is a serene spot, blessed with natural splendour to boot.
So close you can touch the mountains. Very rustic. Lovely chalets, etc. Friendly staff.
Beautiful mountain range. Cottage was sticky and dirty. Needs upgrading. The bathroom is disgusting. Baboons are a big problem there. Windows and doors need to be upgraded to keep these dangerous animals out the cottages. Staff was friendly was one positive.
Really peaceful place, one of my favourite spots. The camp is great - very convenient and all amenities provided, the staff are very friendly and helpful. Always visit when I am in SA - a perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the world with some amazing hiking. Oh and the stars at night! Truly spectacular :-)
We stayed in a 2 bedroom unit in the lower camp. It was very run down and poorly maintained. This would not give a good impression to overseas visitors. The house keeping poor, linen tired and not clean. The kitchen units antique and the laminated melamine units popped . The fridge was not defrosted and cleaned and the oven door didnt close tight. The view was spectacular a pity the design of the unit is out of date and does not capitalize on this feature
Unforgettable experience. This resort is fully equipped with everything you will need in terms of self catering. The staff were cheerful and very helpful and made the stay even better. Location cannot be beaten as each chalet has panoramic views of The Amphitheatre. The day long hikes from the resort are incredible, well marked and well maintained. There is a small but well stocked curio shop which sells, amongst other essentials, bread, milk and eggs, as well as some well-priced souvenirs.
The houses are quite nice and the views are amazing! There are lots of trails nearby for hikes which could keep you busy for a few days. There is a shop in the camp with basic goods like firewood but I would suggest bringing your own food and meat with you as the selection is quite limited.
One of my favourite places in the world, but the units are starting to need some attention on the insides. I really hope that Ezemvelo pays attention to this, as the prices are starting to creep, but the amenities are not matching the rates increases. The views are worth the price though, but still.
It is absolutely beautiful here. The campsite is so clean and tidy. Its so nice and peaceful and its pleasantly quiet in the evenings. One can enjoy the sounds of nature.
Thendele is a beautiful and very special place. I believe that anyone that has stayed at Thendele will have a very fond memory of it.
This must rate up there for one of the most spectacular views in the world. For the price the cottages are a little dated. The walks were well maintained and cleatly marked.
The cabins are a bit run down, but fully functional and comfortable. Once you take in the amazing surroundings, I cant see how anyone could be anything less than thrilled with a stay here. The views are world class, and the hiking is great. Be sure to ascend the amphitheater for endless views of the region. And you will also have the chance to peak over the edge of the worlds second highest waterfall (only a trickle in winter months, but flows regularly during summer).
Very good place to sleep. Its directly in the golden gate highland park and you got a wonderful view there. The hikings trail are not far away from the camps.
Beautiful location but expensive accommodation for shoddy and dated units with poor service from staff. Pity as a private company could make this into a world class resort.
The view is wonderful, the chalet not. The rates are expensive for the awful state of the chalet. The toilet roll plastic casing kept popping open, clearly broken, dishes were not clean, the colander missing a handle, the chopping board sticky & unclean. The chalet is poorly maintained - cracks in walls. Braai was broken - missing its base, the heater was broken - missing its wheels. They charge for firewood which is wet.... They arent giving value for the money, and simply appear not to care. Ive been twice now (2011 & it was in a much better state) but never again.
Adequate base for a glorious hike in the mountains.
The units have the essentials but are not really being maintained. The service is moderate to good and the facilities are basic. If you go for the purposes of hiking, it should be satisfactory.
Fantastic hiking in really beautiful surroundings. Pretty expensive though and the cottages definitely need some work / upgrading. You need to bring all your own food as you are a long way from shops, supermarkets etc. The staff are friendly but one of them cost us one of our 3 days there. The drive around to the top of the Amphitheater cannot be completed in a small 2x4 car, you need one with higher clearance as the last few kms are not straight forward. We were told it would be fine so we drove 2.5 hours each way only to find it couldn’t be done in our small hire car.
The best holiday ever! Close to nature and far away from the maddening crowd! But not far from comfortable accommodation. The self-catering cottages were serviced daily.
Really amazing setting, plenty of hiking option. The camp is well run, with the accomodation a better standard than I was expecting, big clean huts that even had TVs with loads of digital stations. Overall excellent, very happy!
Roads to the camp are in need of serious attention, potholes not great, units could do with more Repairs and Maintenance, budget must be increased.
Nice cabins for a stay. Staff are very helpful. Most importantly, there are a series of lovely hikes that start here. The Devils Hoek hike has nice rock pools along the way for swimming in summer if it has been raining. The Vemvaan River walk is also very nice and a bit more rigorous. Intrepid hikers can walk up the amphitheatre - we did not do that with the children.
Have fantastic view surrounding the camp.
Chalets are basic but more than adequate, lovely and cozy especially in winter with a fire going in the fireplace... Perfect starting point for some great hiking trails and a little shop for the essentials on site. A definite repeat visit on the cards...
Id rather not say too much. Its a hidden jewel in the Drakensberg. If it becomes too popular it might stop being the incredible place it is. Dont go there. Dont visit. Leave it to me and my friends. Please :-)
A lovely peaceful place stay in the mountains.
My favourite place in the northern berg. Beautiful views. Even from your bed.Walks and hikes to suit the fit and not-so-fit. Beautiful position closer to the amphitheatre than any other. Self catering.
Nice camp. Perfect view. expensive. Units need a bit of an upgrade. Great location
Beautiful chalets, well equipped. The view and hiking trails is a necessary experience. Will come back as soon as possible
Outdoors,affordable and friendly staff
My most favorite place in the world for relaxation
Beautiful view and surroundings in the central Drakensberg. Facilities are mediocre, for the price.
Incredible location! Accommodation is a little dated but you wont care when you look around at the incredible scenery. Easy access to great walks. If you are arriving late, be sure to bring fire goods to enjoy an evening fire or braai, otherwise the on site shop has all you need.
On the foot of the Berg. A bit dated but worth a visit. Very friendly staff
The views from the chalets are insane. Huge windows mean you could see the amphitheatre from the bed in our one.There is a porch, chairs, table, bench and braai spot right in front. Armchairs, fridge, fireplace (wood and lighters available at the shop/reception) and kitchen were all great to have. Its more expensive than I usually go for but I loved it and it made our time there special.
Safe and adventurous
Awesome
Great place to visit. Awesome views and a good starying point from where to take on the different trails into the berg
Nice and clean house with a great view (when it is not foggy..)
A beautiful place. Each and every chalet has what must be the most stunning view in all of Kzn of the Drakesburg. They expanse and the majesty makes any accommodation secondary. The actual accomadtion is decent if dated. Clean and comfortable and more tha pleasant to spend an evening or two. Could do with a revamp.in the next few years. But in no way detracts from the actual experience
Great spot. Save well marked walking trails. Beautiful Bushman rock art a short walk with a guided tour. Trout fishing. Beautiful sights of the amphitheatre in the Drakensberg mountains. Ribbon falls, Tugela waterfall, second highest waterfall in the world. Great staff and accommodation. Some snow during winter months May onwards.
Excellent accommodation and views well worth it..... Great hiking opportunity
The houses are a bit old fashioned but has everything one needs including a fireplace. Beautiful views and close to hiking trails.
Amazing!!!
Amazing and peaceful. The views from our chalet are breathtaking.
Lovely, scenic surreal place. Loved it there.
Just breathtaking. Small, cozy chalets in the heart of the northern drakensberg.
Amazing views from the chalets. Great place for hiking. No restaurant.
Peaceful. Amazing views and great for family quality time
Stunningly beautiful location with a view across the Tugela river to the Amphitheatre. Lovely walks starting directly from the camp lead into the drakensburg and down to the tiger falls.This is the second time weve stayed here - the previous time was ab out 5 years ago. The accommodation struck us as essentially unchanged - not luxurious but comfortable and spacious. The beds are all single but are comfortable (and warm - there are lots of spare blankets available). The kitchen has a full set of cooking utensils and crockery and theres a simple braai (barbequeue) stand outside each hut which a range of birds are likely to visit as soon as its cool (and a grey mongoose came a little later to ours to lick up an fallen fat).The reception has an extremely basic shop - basically spotting books, hats and walking sticks, milk, butter and bread but also has useful guides for many of the local walks (for R5 each) and the staff are friendly and helpful.We were warned about baboons but did not see any on this visit.
Fantastic!!!
Simple but functional self catering beautiful hikes
My favourite...
Rustic setting. Well-maintained and clean rooms.
- Address:Royal Natal Park, South Africa
- Site:http://www.thendele.co.za/
- Phone:+27 36 438 6411
- Resort hotel