Spotting Big Cats

Lions Exploring Their Backyard

Waterbuck on the Riverfront

Spectacular Vistas on Our Traverse

Elevated Views from Our Platforms

Game Viewing from the Lodge

Experience
Safari in unique ways

Safari activities at Ezulwini River Lodge revolve around morning and evening game drives in the private traverse of the Olifants West Nature Reserve, Greater Kruger, but there are many ways to keep busy during a stay at the lodge.

Twice-daily Game Drives: Guests can enjoy morning and afternoon game drives in 4x4 safari vehicles led by guide and tracker. Morning game drives begin at 06h00 and afternoon game drives depart from the lodge at 16h00. Drives include coffee stops and sundowner stops.

Photographic Opportunities: The Ezulwini Lodges are a photographer’s dream. Photographic opportunities exist while on drive and from the various viewpoints around the lodge.

Bird Watching:Because of the various viewpoints at a lodge level, there are a multitude of bird watching spots from the lodge.

Unique
Wildlife Experiences

Daily Schedule

Details
Useful Info

When to go

The Limpopo Province winter months (May to September) are coldest in June and July with base temperatures of 5°C at night; however average daytime temperatures are around 24°C. The Kruger is a year-round game viewing destination, with each season offering unique game viewing opportunities.

During the winter, wildlife flocks to available water sources because of the lack of rain. It’s easy to predict where wildlife will be. All types of wildlife frequents the Olifants River in front of River Lodge.

Summer occurs between October and March, peaking from December to February when temperatures soar into the high 30s (°C). This is the rainy season, which turns the bushveld into a lush green Eden. This is the perfect time of year for birders to tick off their lifers and other notable species.

What to pack

During the summer months the weather can be hot, while early morning game drives and night drives can be quite cool. You may want to bring a few things for every occasion.

Some of the essentials for a South Africa safari are mentioned below:

Comfortable, closed walking shoes
Sunblock in the form of SPF lotion and a hat
Neutral-coloured clothing for when you are out on safari
Light, airy clothing for midday heat
A bathing costume
Scarves and warm jackets for the winters (May to October)
Camera
Pair of binoculars

What to expect

Exclusive and peaceful, River Lodge is a safari retreat tinted with luxury and exhibiting natural charm in its creative structure and union with the surrounding bush.

The untamed ambience at River Lodge comes from the wild growth of the trees that line the riverbed, engulfing the lodge in shade and birdsong.

The safari experience at Ezulwini is centred on twice daily game drives in the lush Olifants West Nature Reserve. Boasting the ‘Big 7’, which is the Big 5 plus hippo and crocodile, and an abundance of birdlife and general game.

Guests can expect to be well looked after with superb cooking, guaranteed game viewing, warm hosting, and beautiful accommodation. Expect resident elephants to come close to the lodge and to be able to enjoy the wild world around you.

What You'll See
Wildlife

Predators

There is no shortage of predator viewing in the region of the Kruger Park. The shared border with the National Park means guests have easy access to some of the best predator viewing in South Africa. Guests can expect to see an impressive variety of predators, including the King of the Jungle.

The predators in the Kruger Park are habituated to vehicles and tourists, making sightings of big cats and wild canids a pleasure. In the privacy of the reserve, on game drive with Ezulwini guides, guests will enjoy the personal experience they get from the sightings of lions and leopards. Cheetah, wild dog, spotted hyena, caracal, serval, honey badger, and crocodile are also present.

Mammals

The Olifants West Nature Reserve is within the boundaries of the Kruger National Park, where the largest diversity of large mammal species thrives.

Over 147 species traversing an area the size of Wales, guests are bound to have many close encounters with the likes of elephant, rhino, hippo, buffalo, zebra, kudu, giraffe, waterbuck, impala, and wildebeest.

Hippos love the Olifants River, which courses through the reserve right in front of River Lodge, and can be seen bobbing in the water or basking on the riverbanks. The many trees and waterholes surrounding the lodges attract big tusker elephants famous in the area.

Birdlife

The Olifants River attracts a huge variety of water-loving birds, while the gigantic fig and Natal mahogany trees around River Lodge are always alive with puffbacks and orioles. Look out for herons and fish eagles from the viewing deck and watch swallows skimming the surface of the river.

During summer, many migratory birds flock to the Kruger in search of warmth and water, while the rest of the year the area is home to a plethora of resident species. In total, the Kruger is home to over 500 bird species, many of which are found here at Ezulwini.

Raptor and owl species commonly spotted include the scops owl, pearl-spotted owlet, giant eagle owl, fish eagle, brown snake eagle, bateleur, hawk eagle.

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