7 Night Self-Drive | Rhino Ridge Package #04

Get connected to nature’s classroom, feel and touch the difference between a lion spoor and a hyena on a riverbed. Slow down, this raw safari experience is unlike any other and is as much a spiritual journey as a learned path

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Duration

6 Days 12 Hours

Tour Type

Nature and Wildlife

Location

Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park - iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Overview

 

Package #4


KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2 NIGHTS RHINO RIDGE SAFARI LODGE
Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park

2 NIGHTS KOSI FOREST LODGE
iSimangaliso Wetland Park

3 NIGHTS THONGA BEACH LODGE
iSimangaliso Wetland Park

FROM R25,454 PER PERSON SHARING

         

includes:

Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge 

2 nights’ accommodation in a Safari Room, upgradeable to a Bush Villa or Honeymoon Villa, all meals, teas and coffees, morning and afternoon game drives.


Kosi Forest Lodge

2 nights’ accommodation, all meals, guided canoeing on the Siyadla channel and guided walk in Raphia forest.


Thonga Beach Lodge

3 nights’ accommodation Forest View Room upgradeable to an Ocean View or Deluxe Ocean View Room, all meals, use of snorkeling equipment, guided walks, cultural tours, kayaking and sundowners at Lake Sibaya. Nightly turtle walks 3 times a week (Nov – Feb)


excludes:

Park Fees, drinks, laundry, gratuities and items of a personal nature, inter-lodge transfers and 4×4 transfers at Thonga Beach Lodge.


Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge

Spa treatments and guided game walks.


Kosi Forest Lodge

Motorised boat trip on Kosi Lakes System, 4×4 day trip to Kosi Bay Mouth, 4×4 turtle tours and 4×4 transfers.


Thonga Beach Lodge

Spa treatments, SCUBA diving, Open Ocean Experience, dive equipment hire, 4×4 transfers and vehicle driven turtle tracking tours in season (Nov – Feb).



ABOUT THE LODGES
Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge

Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge is the first 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.



Booking Terms & Conditions

We have added special provisions to our booking terms & conditions to make allowance for changes due to COVID-19. Please view our booking terms & conditions for details.

Included/Excluded

Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge: 2nights’ accommodation in a Safari Room, upgradeable to a Bush Villa or Honeymoon Villa
Morning and afternoon game drives at Rhino Ridge
All meals
All accommodation have mosquito nets. 
Kosi Forest Lodge 2 nights’ accommodation
Guided canoeing on the Siyadla channel 
Thonga Beach Lodge: 3 nights’ accommodation a Forest View Room upgradeable to an Ocean View or Deluxe Ocean View Room
Cultural tours (Thonga Beach Lodge)
Guided forest walks
Guided snorkeling and use of snorkeling equipment,
Kayaking and sundowners at Lake Sibaya. 
Nightly turtle walks in season (Nov – Feb)
Flights
Road transfers
Laundry
Drinks
Gratuities and items of a personal nature.
4×4 turtle tours and 4×4 transfers
SCUBA diving at Thonga Beach Lodge
Open Ocean Experience at Thonga Beach Lodge
Spa treatments

Itinerary

Travel Styles

Nature & Adventure
Activities

Facilities

Wifi
Satellite Office

FAQs

What to pack
Be sure to have a jacket and scarf as it can get really chilly on the open 4×4 vehicle. Sunscreen, hats and sunglasses will also be needed for later in the day. 
What to expect
Nothing is predictable in the bush; therefore each safari offers a potentially new and unique experience.
Special topics of focus
Our guides will share their wealth of bush experience which involves the identification of animals, trees, grasses, insects and birds. 
Knowledge
The medicinal uses of plants and local folklore is also discussed as well as looking for the ever fascinating Big 5!
Social activities and community visits
Visits to the local Zulu community with which the lodge works very closely can also be arranged. Game walks are charged at an additional cost payable at the lodge.
Learn more about nature with the locals
Our guides will impart their intimate knowledge of the bush and wild animals, most notably the white rhino for which this park is most famous.
What activities are available at Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge
Additional activities included guided game walks (children 14 years & older only) in the national park with highly skilled armed trails guides 
Malaria protection
All beds have mosquito nets. 
The Kosi lake and river system
The Kosi Lakes are a series of interconnected lakes which stretch over some 18km.
How to meet the untamed nature
The best way to see the Kosi Lakes system is by boat.
Distance between Kosi Forest Lodge and Thonga Beach Lodge
The total travel time from Kosi Forest Lodge to Thonga Beach Lodge is approximately 2.5 hours.
Accommodation at Thonga Beach Lodge
The 12 thatched en-suite rooms have been carefully constructed in the coastal dune forest to ensure minimum impact on the environment and maximum guest privacy. 
Thonga Beach Lodge activity highlights
Activities at Thonga Beach Lodge include SCUBA diving, Open Ocean experiences, kayaking and sundowners at Lake Sibaya, guided snorkeling, seasonal turtle drives/walks, cultural tour of local Tsonga village and guided forest walks.
What are my options?
Whether you are a walker or a diver, take advantage of the wealth of activities that await you in this beautiful hideaway, or simply relax with a Spa treatment or on the beach deck.
Diving the Mabibi
SCUBA diving at Mabibi is phenomenal. Our professional lodge diving team can accommodate enthusiasts, from the beginner to the veteran. 
Water activities at Thonga
For those who don’t dive, we have an Open Ocean Experience.
As the seasons change
In summer there are nocturnal walks and drives along the beach in search of prehistoric turtles laying their eggs. 
Turtling paradise
Witness the culmination of an incredible journey as giant Leatherback and Loggerhead turtles come ashore to lay their eggs in carefully prepared nests.
Discover the journey of the Leatherback turtles
Hatchlings arrive from the end of December to the end of February.
When is turtle tracking available
Turtle tracking is offered in the evening from November to the end of February. The turtles lay their eggs from November to February. 
What measures are taken to assure my safety in the African haze?
Every precaution is taken to ensure these magnificent creatures are not disturbed during the laying process and data collected from the turtle drives is submitted to the Ezemvelo Turtle Monitoring program.

Tour Location

Get connected to nature’s classroom, feel and touch the difference between a lion spoor and a hyena on a riverbed. Slow down, this raw safari experience is unlike any other and is as much a spiritual journey as a learned path

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