J and I had the pleasure of staying 2 nights at Thali Thali Game Lodge with compliments of the owners, Amalia and Thys.   It just so happened that the weekend we visited, it was our 5 year wedding anniversary, so perfect timing all round.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, all I knew about this lodge is that it’s just off West Coast road and very near Langebaan. So not too far for a mini safari breakaway!

We arrived the Friday afternoon and were warmly welcomed with a glass of bubbly. The reception/dining area is rustic, inviting with a typical game lodge feel and the outside veranda is breathtaking.

This was our luxury tent for the weekend.  It reminds me alot of Oewerzicht in Greyton but the tent is better equipped. Double bed, fridge, kettle, microwave and a couch to relax on.  Our tent in particular was pretty private and looked out into the vast vegetation.

The tent was clean and had everything we needed. Very comfortable.

Bathroom consisting of a large shower, basin and toilet. Typical African rustic finishes.

Complimentary soapy stuff.

Unpacked and ready to relax.

Little bokkies chilling in and around the lodge. These ones in particular love a little camera action. Super inquisitive.

Gives you an idea how spaced out the tents are. Lovely. I would describe the lodge as typically west coast, you are reminded that you are near the coast with the sand and vegetation.

Thys, our game ranger for the morning explaining how to tell the difference between a male and female tortoise.

J and I excited and enjoying the drive around the lodge and spotting some wildlife.

Some majestic Oryx checking us out. Among these guys, we saw lots of ostrich, emu, zebra, all kinds of bokkies, camel, hartebees, eland and 3 giraffes in the distance. I believe this time of year the vegetation is very baron but becomes lush and green in winter. I’d be interested to see this place in winter.

Each tent has it’s own braai pit, J was in love with it! So naturally we braaied and quaffed vino on our little balcony while enjoying the silence and night air.

Thali Thali’s Sunday buffet seems to be quite a hit among tourists and locals alike. And we can see why…

A selection of breads, butter and preserves to start. Yum.

Waterblommetjie potjie

A generous buffet including mixed veggies in cheese sauce, hartebees pie and soet patat. Proper comfort food! Love it!

The soet patat was the best I’ve ever tasted, it’s apparently the chef’s specialty. Seriously yum! A must try.
We couldn’t even stay for dessert, we were so full. It felt like we just had lunch at ouma’s house, was very nostalgic.

If you are looking for comfort food with generous portions, you need to come to Thali Thali’s restaurant. Locals come here on a Friday or Saturday night for dinner with their families. So it’s super lively in the evenings. The dinner menu includes your typical steaks etc, kiddies menu and more traditional meals like oxtails, eisbein and so on. They also do a few current items on the menu like chilli poppers. I must disclose that I tried one of the specialties, oxtail, but sent it back unfortunately because it was tough, lacked flavour and had no sauce. The waiter was very apologetic and removed it from our my bill. I think they took it off the menu for the night. May have purely been a bad batch. Pity. The restaurant also offers breakfast and lunch, so if you are staying at the lodge, you pretty much don’t have to go anywhere!

So all in all, I would say Thali Thali is a great place for a mini west coast safari. It is very relaxed and also family orientated. They have cottages for families available. They also do weddings at Thali Thali and have a designated tented area and a large boma area for larger receptions.

I give the food a 6.5/10
The tent a 7/10
The venue and facilities 6.5/10
The game drive 6.5/10

Thali Thali Game Lodge warrants 3 stars from us.

Thank you to Amalia and Thys for having us, it was a lovely little breakaway.

Thali Thali’s details:
Website: www.thalithali.co.za
Email: Bookings@thalithali.co.za
Phone number: +27 82 372 8637