MY MANYONI

 

It’s so cool to have that special place you like going to. The place that doesn’t disappoint.

You look forward to going there, being there and it’s always sad to leave.

Rhino RiverLodge in Manyoni Private Game Reserve is that place for me. We have been a couple of times as it’s conveniently just down the road (from Pongola) and also a quick and easy three hours on the N2 north from Durban.

We stay in the Homestead, which is separate from the main lodge, but still close enough to enjoy the frills of the lodge. We decided to feed ourselves during the day and dine in style in the evenings.

On our first night we were treated to a candle-light dinner in the riverbed. A boma style fire kept us warm and we ate well. Bush braais can be tricky but the chef cooked to perfection.

Hala was our ranger and he ticked all the boxes for great game sightings.

We captured four out of the big five – the elusive leopard slipped through our fingers.

In the spotlight we found two male lions - an adult male escorted by an older gent who is teaching him a few tricks. We were pleased to see that they hunted well the next day, with wildebeest on the menu. We encountered a lioness and her three cubs who were clearly on the hunt and listened to the zebra frantically barking as they got closer. We didn’t see if they were successful. Not sure I have the stomach for that.

And on the way back for brekkie, almost close to touch, was a male cheetah.

The rhino were on show – without horns but with babies. A herd of elephant also put on a grand display.

Game was abundant – loads of impala, nyala, kudu, giraffe, wildebeest and zebra. The bird life was plentiful and we came across a crowned eagle who had bagged a young monkey.

Manyoni's Conservation Initiatives have several active projects which are well worth supporting. They are especially vigilant in protecting rhino.

Covid has turned tourism on its head, but it has given local tourists the opportunity to enjoy destinations that have budget challenges. So have a look around for good deals. Zululand winters are fabulous.

ZULULAND IS THE KING OF THE JUNGLE

South African tourists are easily intimidated by luxury lodge prices, and yet we yearn to be a part of the Big 5 exclusive gang. I have stayed in some of the more up market lodges that ask in the region of R18,000 per person per night. I don’t deny that this is a real treat and beyond anything we can ever dream of affording. There is no denying that this is luxury at its ultimate best.

Rhino Sands in the Manyoni Private Game Reserve, between Hluhluwe and Mkuze in KwaZulu-Natal offers luxury equal to those upmarket lodges found in the Kruger National Park area. The Big 5 experience can easily be matched and it is more affordable for the local tourist. Admittedly we have to dig deep to tick the box to have an exclusive game experience, where you are treated like the King of the Jungle, to feel special and support those who are striving to keep our wildlife alive. It is a once in a life-time experience and well worth saving your pennies to do.

Rhino Sands caters for only 8 guests in 4 luxury tents. The décor is magnificent, and the lodge is totally eco-friendly. This ticks a huge box for me. The lodge goes out of its way to make sure that attention to detail is done to the extreme, without being superficial. It is down to earth and loyal to the conservation effort the reserve strives to preserve.

At a third of the price of some of the lodges that appeal to international tourists, Rhino Sands has to be on your bucket list.

In 2004, 17 private properties in the northern Zululand area dropped their fences forming the Manyoni Private Game Reserve (formerly Zululand Rhino Reserve). The vision behind the reserve was to provide a home to a population of black rhinos as part of the WWF Black Rhino Range Expansion Project. The joining of the properties created a 23,000-hectare private game reserve in the heart of Zululand, in one of the most animal-rich and species-diverse areas of South Africa.

In addition to the black rhinos, the reserve is now home to the big five (rhino, elephant, buffalo, leopard, lion) and has seen the re-introduction of two endangered carnivore species, cheetahs and African wild dogs. It is one of the premier wildlife-viewing destinations in Kwa-Zulu Natal and one of the most beautiful reserves in the area with varied landscapes from acacia thornveld to open savannah to riverine forest. Game drives on the reserve are regulated and coordinated by the ecotourism businesses to minimize the impact on the environment and the stress on the animals providing guests with a better and more intimate game viewing experience.

Find out more: https://rhinosands.com