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White Elephant - Safari Lodge |
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White Elephant - Safari Lodge |
Lodge Accommodation |
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Welcome |
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Life is a journey, a safari made up of a myriad of small, precious moments. In today's hurried, stressed world, most of us overlook these little moments along the way. It is these moments that make life happy and worthwhile. We need to re-adjust our focus from the journey's destination to the 'now'. Only then will these precious moments, the simple abundance and the magical simplicities that surround us become visible.
We at 'White Elephant' invite you to take time to see, feel, hear, sense and savour the small moments, to celebrate them with us, to re-awaken your soul.
At 'White Elephant' life is a celebration; a celebration of the moments, of the music and harmonies of nature, of simplicity and beauty, of passion from the soul.
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Location |
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The lodge is located in the beautiful Pongola Game Reserve, overlooking the western escarpment of the Lebombo Mountains, Lake Jozini and the endless savannah woodland of Northern Zululand.
The lodge is easily accessible from Gauteng and Durban, being situated directly adjacent to the main N2 East Coast route, between Mkuze Village and Pongola.
The lodge is within close proximity to many renowned Zululand game and nature reserves, including Mkuze Game Reserve, Ndumo Game Reserve, Tembe Elephant Reserve, the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park and the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park. |
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Description |
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SAFARI LODGE
Surrounded by the majestic Lebombo Mountains and shimmering waters of Lake Jozini, the Safari Lodge offers every comfort for your sojourn in the African wilderness.
Originally built in the 1920's, this 16-bedded lodge captures the history and romance of the "colonial era".
The sweeping views and tranquil setting provide the venue for a unique African experience. Eight luxurious safari-style tents, each with en-suite bathroom, outdoor canvas shower, private veranda and personal bar, ensure a secluded retreat in unspoilt savanna bushveld teeming with game and birdlife. Unwind with dusky birdcalls, moonlit vistas and the distant gentle lapping of water.
Luxurious, tented safari lodge with the ambience and romance of a bygone era.
Spectacular views of the majestic Lebombo Mountains and distant waters of Lake Jozini.
Game drives, guided walks and elephant tracking. Brilliant bird-watching and game viewing.
Tiger-fishing and sunset lake cruises.
Excellent cuisine and personalised service.
Private, exclusive experience.
Pongola Game Reserve
The Pongola Game Reserve was first proclaimed in 1894 and is the second oldest reserve in the world. It is a sanctuary to a large variety of wildlife, including giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, impala, hyaena, buffalo, rhino and leopard. Exactly 100 years ago after the last sighting of elephant in the Pongola area, two breeding herds were reintroduced.
Birdlife is prolific due to the diversity of habitats, with in excess of 350 species recorded.
Pongola Game Reserve is a co-operative conservation project between private landowners, tribal communities and government conservation services, and aims to form the heart of a large ecological and socio-economically viable "Big Five" reserve. Allied to this quest the "Space for Elephant" Foundation has been formed to realise the goal of a biosphere large enough to viably sustain an elephant population of a thousand elephants and allow the re-establishment of the ancient elephant migration routes.
Journey into the bush on a game drive or a bush walk with one of our professional guides who will share with you what we have learnt and explore together that which we still need to learn.
A cycling safari on dusty African roads in the late afternoon sun will heighten your senses and invigorate the soul.
Gentle boat cruises on lake Jozini add a new dimension to game viewing and birdwatching. Hear the haunting fish eagle cries, hippos snorting, feel the winds whispering against your skin, inhale the tranquillity and solitude of Africa. Test the shimmering waters for 'tigers' with our expert fishing guide to assist you.
From the novice fisherman to the expert anglers fishing with a fly, Lake Jozini offers you the ideal location for tigerfishing of a lifetime, while you enjoy the pristine wilderness setting that compares favorably to the wilds of Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe.
Rhino walks are an exhilarating experience, allowing you to gain a closer understanding of these prehistoric mammals, their ways and their battle against extinction.
'Elephanting' will give you so much more than the mere thrill of sighting elephants. As you participate in our Research Programme, you will learn to 'see' elephants differently. Stand in their footsteps and feel their mighty presence. Explore with us their problems in today's world and learn with us about our 'silent' elephants.
Soar over the majestic Lebombo mountains and our corner of Africa with Zululand Mission Air Transport. This special 'flying doctor' service brings medical assistance to the people in the remote rural areas of Maputaland. You will gain a new insight into Africa's soul and her needs, from ZUMAT's committed pilots.
Discover the mystery and magic of zulu culture by taking part in our Umgano or Uthambothi tours. A visit to Dumazulu Cultural Village and Illala Basket Weavers can be arranged, as well as visits to rural schools, zulu chiefs and herbal doctors. Venture a little further into some of Maputaland's other wonderful Game and Nature Reserves (Hluhluwe-Umfolozi, Mkuze, Itala, Ndumu, Tembe and the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park).
Located in the middle of the village of Ubombo, you will find a special place known as the “Ubombo Children’s Care Village”. It is where children are nurtured & cared for in a loving environment. The project began with no fixed income. Through the help of many remarkable and generous people, the property has been purchased to provide a secure home for the children and enable the organization to grow.
God wrested the beautiful Lebombo Mountains from the steamy Maputuland plains and here nature ruled with a harsh hand for hundreds of years.
But the vast herds of game lured determined men, hunters and explorers. So began the advance of white man in the early 19th century. Hunters made considerable fortunes. One such hunter, "Elephant White" shot 15 elephant in one season. In the plentitude that was Africa, everything seemed inexhaustible...
The abundant game began to dwindle. In 1874, President Kruger proclaimed the Pongola Game Reserve, the first reserve in Africa.
The Anglo Boer War in 1899 brought chaos and the new Game Reserve was abandoned. For years thereafter, lack of funds, muddles boundaries and political agendas caused the Game Reserve to be a "white elephant"
After the 1st world was, man toiled on the steamy plains, planting fields, building houses and railway lines but nature ruled ruthlessly with droughts and disease.
Man fought a bitter struggle for almost 3 years against sleeping sickness and the tsetse fly. For a long time angry gunfire echoed across the plains. "Kill the game!" men cried for they believed they had to destroy the animals to rid the land of the tsetse fly. Hundreds of thousands of animals thudded to the ground. By 1940 the game was gone but the tsetse fly remained: Another "white elephant" in this history of man.
In 1948 man finally won the tsetse fly war, with the notorious DDT insecticide. Cattle now flourished and sugar cane crept further along the course of the Pongola River...
The construction of the gigantic Jozini Dam began in 1970. But it was a flawed dam that caused considerable controversy and it, too, became known as a "white elephant".
Finally, in 1993 the wheel had turned full circle. Fences were dropped and game re-introductions began. Two elephant herds were re-located to our "new" reserve. One of these elephants is an albino, not entirely white but a symbolic reminder of the past "white elephants" After 100 years, the Lebombo reverberated again with triumphant sounds of nature!
In 1999, shrouded in the mist of early morning, a large elephant bull pushed over the mighty Mphafa tree in the Lodge's garden. It was this tree that had given the lodge its name. It seemed fitting that the newly - restored Lodge be renamed "White Elephant"
A century has passed since the first proclamation of the Pongola Game Reserve, one hundred years in which man has struggled against nature. We cannot undo what has been done. We cannot rewrite history; we can shape our future from past lessons.
One-day vast herds will once again migrate freely across our plains at the foot of the Lebombo. Our struggle, too, will be difficult. But they are different from those that our forefathers fought. Our aim is to return this land to the wilderness, to Mother Nature. |
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MAIN INFORMATION |
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| [KwaZulu-Natal ] |
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click for map ] |
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MENU |
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CONTACT DETAILS |
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Telephone:
+27 (0) - 33 342 9740 |
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Fax:
+27 (0) - 86 621 7082 |
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Mobile:
083 41 90 255 |
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| PO BOX 792
Pongola
3170
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Your Host:
Belinda
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