Package #69
KwaZulu-Natal, Zimbabwe
- 2 NIGHTS RHINO RIDGE SAFARI LODGE
Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park - 2 NIGHTS KOSI FOREST LODGE
iSimangaliso Wetland Park - 2 NIGHTS THONGA BEACH LODGE
iSimangaliso Wetland Park - 1 NIGHT SALT ROCK/UMHLANGA
Durban - 1 NIGHT VICTORIA FALLS
Zimbabwe - 3 NIGHTS TSOWA SAFARI ISLAND
Zimbabwe
RATES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST
includes:
Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge
2 nights’ accommodation in Safari Room, upgradeable to Bush Villa or Honeymoon Villa, all meals, morning and afternoon game drives.
Kosi Forest Lodge
2 nights’ accommodation, all meals, guided canoeing and guided Raffia forest walk.
Thonga Beach Lodge
2 nights’ accommodation – Forest View Room upgradeable to Ocean View Room or Deluxe Ocean View Room, all meals, guided snorkeling and use of snorkeling equipment, guided forest walks, cultural tours, kayaking and sundowners at Lake Sibaya. Nightly turtle walks 3 times a week (Nov – Feb).
Tsowa Safari Island (children 12 years and older only)
3 nights’ accommodation, all meals, basic laundry, local beer, wine, soft drinks, 4×4 and boat transfer from our private entrance to Zambezi National Park to camp. Daily game drive or bush walk, island walks, sundowner cruise on the Zambezi and guided canoeing. Note the bush walk and the canoeing must be pre-booked. Canoeing and bush walks available to children of 16 years and older.
Excludes:
All flights, non specified road transfers, park Fees, Isibindi Foundation levy, gratuities and items of a personal nature.
Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge
Drinks, spa treatments, laundry and guided safari walks.
Kosi Forest Lodge
Drinks, laundry, boat trip on the lakes, 4×4 trip to Kosi Mouth, 4×4 transfers and turtle tracking tours in season (Nov- Feb).
Thonga Beach Lodge
Drinks, spa treatments, laundry, SCUBA diving, Open Ocean Experience, dive equipment hire, 4×4 transfers and vehicle driven turtle tracking tours in season (Nov – Feb).
Tsowa Safari Island
Transfers to our private entrance to the park and non local beer, wine and spirits.
Durban
Overnight accommodation in Durban.
Victoria Falls
Overnight accommodation in Victoria Falls, and all excursions in Victoria Falls.
ITINERARY
RHINO RIDGE SAFARI LODGE
HLUHLUWE IMFOLOZI PARK, KWAZULU-NATAL
RHINO RIDGE SAFARI LODGE
HLUHLUWE IMFOLOZI PARK, KWAZULU-NATAL
KHOSI FOREST LODGE
ISIMANGALISO WETLAND PARK, KWAZULU-NATAL
KHOSI FOREST LODGE
ISIMANGALISO WETLAND PARK, KWAZULU-NATAL
THONGA BEACH LODGE
ISIMANGALISO WETLAND PARK, KWAZULU-NATAL
THONGA BEACH LODGE
ISIMANGALISO WETLAND PARK, KWAZULU-NATAL
night 7
SALT ROCK / UMHLANGA
DURBAN, KWAZULU-NATAL
nights 8
VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE
TSOWA SAFARI ISLAND
ZAMBEZI NATIONAL PARK, ZIMBABWE
nights 10 & 11
You may choose to lie in and listen to the wonderful sounds of the wild or join one of the many activities on offer:
Early Morning Game Drives are offered through the scenically beautiful Zambezi National Park. After a light early morning refreshment you will be taken across the river by boat to the mainland where your safari vehicle will be waiting to take you on an early morning game drive. The game drives last approximately 3 hours and include a refreshment stop.
Early Morning Guided Game Walks are also offered on the mainland which is considered to be a prime area to walk. These walks are conducted by highly specialized guides whose main aim is to ensure your safety and share their intimate knowledge of the wild animals and their environment. These walks last approximately 3 hours and also include a refreshment stop. This activity is available to children of 16 years and older only.
Guided Canoeing in inflatable canoes is available year-round. This activity departs mid-morning and lasts until mid-afternoon. This fun activity is a great way to spend an adventurous afternoon enjoying a picnic lunch and drinks along the way. This water safari is a wonderful way to see hippos, crocodiles, birds and elephant. This activity is available to children of 16 years and older only.
Guided Island Walks of an hour or longer if desired are offered daily to the centre of this magnificent island, home to century-old Baobab trees. Rare ground lilies flower early in the year and a tranquil river runs through the island where a pair of Pel’s fishing owls have their home. The birdlife along the water’s edge includes African finfoot and Schalow’s turaco.
Once you return to camp from your chosen activity you will have time to enjoy a swim in our two swimming pools, relax on the decks enjoying your favourite drink or take a siesta in your tent. High tea is served in the late afternoon before the boat cruise leaves on a water safari to marvel at another magnificent African sunset.
Upon return from your boat cruise you will have time to freshen up or have a drink at the bar before dinner. What better way to end a glorious day on the deck overlooking the river, enjoying a delicious meal listening to the grunting of hippos and the gentle rumbling of elephants.
The pathways and dining decks are lit by lanterns that create a romantic atmosphere, allowing you to relax and soak up the sounds of nature. Guides always accompany guests back to their tents after dark.
ABOUT THE LODGES
RHINO RIDGE SAFARI LODGE
Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge is the only private lodge in the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park, providing guests with exclusive luxury and outstanding service within South Africa’s oldest national park. Each luxury room or villa is stylishly decorated and includes a spacious bedroom with impressive views from the bathroom, outdoor shower and patio deck. From each cleverly-designed space, you can watch the wildlife below, uninterrupted in their natural habitat as they have been for decades in this protected area.
Along with limited game viewing at the lodge and on morning and evening game drives, Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge offers a host of authentic Africa experiences – from wild bush walks to traditional Zulu homestays and rejuvenating spa treatments. In keeping with the Isibindi ethos, Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge is a joint venture between the National Empowerment Fund and the local Mphembeni community who own the land on which the lodge is built. People from the community have been trained to work in various departments and now constitute 97% of the lodge staff.
KOSI FOREST LODGE
Kosi Forest Lodge is a haven of crisp, cool comfort in the sand forests and you will find that treading gently is a natural way of life in this soft sand forest. Glamping at its best, here you live amongst the trees, surrounded by birdsong. The perfect combination of thatch, canvas and wood, what sets these forest rooms apart is their unique bathrooms with an outdoor shower and deep, wide bath under a leafy canopy. Oil lamps are lit along the forest paths and in your outdoor bathroom, creating a warm glow and connection with the ancient past of this unspoilt land.
The gentle local staff are anxious to please and love to show off the beauty of this pristine part of the earth, be it gliding through a still river in a canoe, birdwatching, or taking you snorkeling at the Kosi Bay river mouth. They are only too delighted to pack you a generous picnic lunch or organise a private, candle-lit dinner under the stars at the open firepit. Enjoy your favourite sundowner drink at the pool which overlooks Lake Shengeza, where hippos grunt and fish eagles call.
The lodge is situated in a protected part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, famed for its diverse birdlife which includes forest, grassland and coastal birds. Palm-nut vulture and Pel’s fishing owl are local delights. As you walk lightly on this beautiful part of our earth, you too will become the gentlest version of yourself.
THONGA BEACH LODGE
Every now and again something special comes along… like Thonga Beach Lodge, the unspoilt gem of KwaZulu-Natal’s Maputaland coast. Situated in South Africa’s first World Heritage Site, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Thonga Beach Lodge is mere metres away from the sparkling Indian Ocean. Beneath the breakers lies a treasure trove of marine life, from vivid reef fish to schools of dolphins, and even turtles returning to the beach to lay their eggs. Thonga’s 12 thatched eco-sensitive rooms are positioned for maximum privacy and minimal environmental impact. The rooms are built on raised platforms among the indigenous forest and undulating dunes with expansive glass windows and doors to let in the ocean breeze and sounds.
Make your journey all the more memorable when you enjoy close encounters with nature. Indulge in a spa treatment; track mother turtles laying their eggs; explore the reefs beneath with a snorkel or SCUBA dive; or go on a guided forest walk. Feel assured that you’re travelling with purpose, discovering and helping to preserve one of the last undeveloped wilderness beaches left on the African continent.
TSOWA SAFARI ISLAND
Tsowa means ‘new beginnings’, which is what you will find on this pristine island in the middle of the mighty Zambezi River. A surreal place, set apart from the hectic world, the whispers of this majestic river are broken only by occasional calls of the African fish eagle. In a camp fringed by a beautiful forest, a soft path leads to a cluster of century old baobabs. This is our safari island Tsowa, sensitively situated within the Zambezi National Park.
The 12 bed luxury camp is set in the sand-washed forests of an untouched island in the middle of the Zambezi River.
The décor echoes the natural environment, with layers of natural fabrics mirroring the surrounding colours of bleached wood, river, sand and bone. Authentic wood and other raw materials are used to create pared-back simplicity.
The river expedition theme is carried through with careful attention to the finer details, right down to the crockery and wooden platters on which meals are served. Start your own ‘new beginning’ from this inspiring, artful setting which pays the greatest respect to the natural surroundings.
In the main camp, stretched canvas tents overlook the Zambezi River so that you may view wildlife from every part of the lodge. With timber frames and sides, set on wooden decks, the spacious open areas rest in the shade of massive jackalberry trees.
