Tomjachu Bush Retreat

Tomjachu Bush Retreat is an exclusive, family-owned private nature reserve of more than 550 hectares of game-fenced mountain bushveld, 15 km from Mbombela (Nelspruit) in Mpumalanga, overlooking the southern boundary of the Kruger National Park and the Crocodile River valley. With no dangerous game on the reserve, guests can roam more than 20 km of trails, tracks and roads freely and safely among plains game such as zebra, wildebeest and antelope. It is a serious birding destination: over 275 species are listed across habitats that run from grassland savannah and thorny thickets to rocky outcrops and riverine forest, with sought-after specials including Crowned Eagle, Narina Trogon and Retz's Helmet-shrike, and a bird hide at Tom's dam. Specialist bird walks are offered with local guide Ben Coley, and the reserve's proximity to Kaapsehoop's Blue Swallow Reserve, Kruger and the Blyde River Canyon opens up day-trip birding for species not found on the property.

Accommodation spreads across the reserve in individually characterful units: the three-bedroom Homestead, once the family home and full of Lowveld antiques; charming Keeper's Cottage under a giant fig; the romantic stone-built Rock House with its own plunge pool and panoramic Bekker Mountain views; the family-sized Bush Cottage; dog-friendly Crooked Cottage with pet-friendly trails; and the award-winning five-star Valbonne Villa perched high above the valley, ideal for groups of up to twelve. Guests can self-cater, take breakfast or dinner in the Homestead dining room, and enjoy guided nature drives and walks, bush dinners, star-gazing and open-air picnics. Tomjachu is a BirdLife South Africa affiliated property.