An intimate forest lodge with sweeping views of Lake St Lucia offering great comfort and hospitality for travelers exploring Hluhluwe’s game reserves and wildlife attractions. We have fantastic self guided walking and mountain bike trails offering beautiful scenery and a great bird watching environment. Hluhluwe River Lodge is a Four Star establishment as awarded by the South African Tourism Board.
The Lodge
Commanding a fantastic view of False Bay (southern reach of Lake St Lucia) the main lodge incorporates a dining room, bar and a lounge area. The reception leads out onto an expansive terrace and grassed courtyard with a 180 degree access to all of the facilities and a superb view of Lake St Lucia and the river floodplain.
There is also the Errol Harrison Museum that is open to guests. This is a local history museum curated by Hluhluwe River Lodge in honour of Errol Harrison, a Zululand pioneer, outdoorsman and naturalist. The terrace is a great place to take in the beautiful surroundings at any time of the day.
The chalets are separate from the main lodge building and tucked away privately in a forested environment.
Hluhluwe River Lodge Chalets
There are two luxuriously appointed honeymoon suites tucked away in a forested ravine just a short walk from the main lodge. These thatched chalets are made with natural materials on an open plan design with a large deck and slide away doors to take advantage of the beautiful forest surrounds.With a King size bed and a suspended mosquito net the room exudes a romantic atmosphere in a natural setting.
The family chalet is open plan and ideal for small toddler’s and kid’s sharing with parents. There are two family chalets specially designed for a family with two small children. These open plan thatched chalets have a double bed arrangement for parents and a dormer set off to one side with two single childrens’ beds. More Info
Self Catering Mkhulu’s House
Mkhulu’s House is a private homestead just away from Hluhluwe River Lodge and tucked away in its own secret forest. The house sleeps 4 people in two en suite rooms and is ideal for a family of 4 or two couples wishing to self cater in the privacy of their own environment.
There is swimming pool and a lovely entertainment area on the deck complete with a superb view. There is a fully equipped kitchen and there is also a gas barbecue for outside cooking. More Info
Self Catering Santa Rosa Home
Santa Rosa is a three bedroom self catering home situated in a 10 hectare private nature reserve bordering on False Bay and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, one of South Africas four natural World Heritage sites. The house has 180 degree uninterrupted views of False Bay Park, Lake St Lucia and the coastal dunes .
The main terrace with its expansive forest view is the ideal venue for barbecues and el fresco dining as well as the protected courtyard. The spacious lounge with a dining area set off to one side forms the heart of the home. There are 3 en suite bedrooms in the house with queen size beds.
Mountain Bike Trails
The area offers excellent mountain biking trails literally from the doorstep of your chalet. We recommend a ride to False Bay Park which is a 2300 hectare reserve hugging the western shoreline of Lake St Lucia, and forms part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
For the advanced rider there are two trails recommended by the lodge which are both scenic and physically challenging. These trails are 30 to 40 kilometers in distance. We recommend that riders use tubeless tires and that spare tubes are carried due to the remoteness of the trails.
Safari
Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park is 97 000 hectares in extent and consists of two distinct areas namely northern Hluhluwe section and the southern iMfolozi section. To fully appreciate the whole area it takes a full day in the Park. This can either be done as a self drive (in your own vehicle without a guide) or with a professional Safari operator in an open game viewing vehicle.
Professional Safaris can be arranged prior to arrival for half day and full day safari’s. Memorial Gate is the entrance to the Hluhluwe section and this gate is a 20 minute drive ( +- 30km’s ) from the lodge.
Birding
The Hluhluwe area with it’s variety of habitat, game reserve’s, forests and lake’s offers the birdwatcher an opportunity to see a variety of birds during a stay over. The best time for birding is the summer period from October to end March. The winter months from April through September are also an excellent time for birding, windless and warm days with no humidity are ideal for walking in the area.
Around the Lodge itself there are many birds to be seen and the ‘ Red Duiker Trail’ on the lodge conservancy offers excellent bird sightings.
Outings & Hikes
If the weather is good (which is most days) a trip to the beaches either at Sodwana Bay or Cape Vidal is highly reccomended. Sodwana is a scuba divers paradise, great for swimming, snorkeling and offshore game fishing whilst Cape Vidal is a swimming, snorkeling and beach walking paradise. The road to Cape Vidal passes through the Eastern Shores Coastal reserve and is home to some superb game viewing especially Kudu, Waterbuck, Reedbuck and Bushbuck. St Lucia Village has several restaurants for a lunch stop.