Community-owned game reserve to launch ultra-luxury tented lodge

A game reserve in Zululand, that is 74% owned by Community Trust Landowners, has unveiled its plans for a new ultra-luxury tented lodge on the banks of the White Umfolozi.

The Madwaleni River Lodge, which will be launched in September 2023, features 12 luxury tents for a maximum of 24 guests. Located in the middle of the 20,000 hectare Babanango Game Reserve, it will allow guests to completely escape the modern world and immerse themselves in nature.

The Big 5 game reserve is one of the largest private rewilding projects in South Africa in the last 30 years. Approximately 74% of the land has been invested by three Community Trust Landowners – a partnership that is not only vital for the long-term conservation success of the reserve but in the economic well-being of the surrounding communities in the region.

The luxurious safari tents, in the Big 5 Game Reserve, have received award-winning distinction for their design.

The lodge takes its name from the isiZulu phrase meaning “The place of the rock,” paying homage to the picturesque granolithic mountains found in the reserve. The landscape surrounding the lodge boasts some of the oldest geological formations on Earth, with some rocks dating back 3.4 billion years.

Each luxury tent features a private heated plunge pool, with indoor and outdoor lounges boasting breathtaking views of the surrounding wilderness. And apart from a fine dining area, gym, lounge, infinity pool, bar and library, the new river lodge also boasts a magnificent 2000-bottle wine cellar with a curated selection of the finest, rarest, and most unique wines from the Cape region of South Africa.

Guests are hosted by experienced safari guides for two game drives a day to explore the diverse landscape and wildlife of Babanango Game Reserve.

Significant historical battle sites, such as Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift, are located close by.