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The natural beauty of Maitland forest and the surrounding area offers breathtaking shots of lush green forests, crystal clear coastlines, diverse insects, and birds.
Rolling hills, dams, and blue skies make for a perfect backdrop. Whether you’re a pro or an amateur, we call all photographers to visit us. Pack your camera and explore the area’s natural wonders.
We were lucky enough for the award winning wedding photographers from The Keepers Media to visit our lodge at the end of 2022. Not only did they take incredible creative photographs of Thunzi and it’s surroundings, but they also shared their whole experience with us.
Here is a look at Thunzi, through the lens of a photographer:
“From the moment that I first saw Thunzi Forest Chalets and Hot Tubs on Instagram, it was a place I knew I not only wanted to photograph but needed to! Sometimes nature and beauty call an artist in ways that are hard to explain. Our two nights stay were truly healing and unforgettable in ways that I have so often believed only photography could do for me.”
“What caught my attention on Instagram wasn’t just the romantic wood-fired hot tub, or the beautiful forest chalets overlooking the lush greenery, but the viewing point deck, that gives you a 360 view of the area… I knew that I needed to be up there, at that spot with the glorious Eastern Cape sunset, sipping wine with my other half, as we captured daylight turning to beautiful dramatic oranges, and purples and then a sky full of stars. It was a sunset just like that which I experienced on top of Lion’s head mountain in Cape Town that had made me fall in love with photography 15 years ago. And getting to experience that moment at Thunzi, not alone, but with my camera gear, and much more experience, is only what I could have dreamed of back then, was a full circle moment for me!
There’s just a joy in being in a moment like that, and having the privilege to photograph it makes you want to share it with the world, and make others experience it too. But I’ve learned that that’s what travel does to your soul too, it re-ignites passions, and curiosities, and renews love for nature in ways that such little things in life can do for the soul.”
“I am a romantic at heart, and waking up the next morning, opening the big doors to our balcony, lying in bed with the rain pouring outside, coffee in one hand and a camera close by, I felt such peace. As much as I couldn’t wait to go and photograph the dunes only 5 minutes away from Thunzi, go row in a little canoe, and take a romantic stroll later on the hiking trail, I remember thinking, this is what you call joy! It’s rainy and gloomy but it’s just as beautiful and peaceful, in its unique way. I remember thinking, this is why Thunzi called out my photography heart because it calls for rest, romance, and a reminder of just how beautiful South Africa is.”
“As soon as the sun came out, we headed out to the beach, where we stood for quite a while, mesmerised by the dunes and the shoreline. I hadn’t seen dunes like that before. I imagined all the couples I could photograph there, walking in the sand.. or brides in their white dresses, with their veils blowing in the wind.”
We then headed back to explore the beautiful dams and dramatic treescapes of the venue, with cute little benches perfectly placed, for the best views that Thunzi has to offer.
As a photographer, you always notice things such as shadows lights, colors, textures, and the way the light changes as the sun turns from day to night. The shadows change dramatically, and as a lover of all shadows, I couldn’t help but want to share this place with other photographers and creatives. I wished for more days to explore how sunrises changed colours, and seasons changed the landscapes, for more days of that sincere peace and appreciation of my job, passion, and country.
However, leaving Thunzi, I knew that I felt incredibly privileged and lucky to have experienced this place at all. That I got to experience this little hidden treasure that so many creatives hadn’t got to experience yet, and that above all, I so badly wanted them to experience…”
Photo Credit: The Keepers Media
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