Bayala Private Safari Lodges is a safari lodge situated in a ‘Big 5’ game reserve just 3 hours north of Durban, South Africa, in the ancient kingdom of Zululand. The Bayala wilderness is vast and forms part of a 12 000 hectare area of a 30 000 hectare private safari and conservation heartland providing outstanding wildlife safaris in South Africa where all of Africa’s wildlife greats roam free. Guests can experience daily safaris where they will have spectacular sightings of lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo and rhino in their natural world, along with cheetah, zebra, giraffe and a remarkable variety of other wildlife.

Family-friendly and open-hearted, Bayala Private Safari Lodges welcomes guests to two independently run lodges, each with 24 rooms offering all the essential comforts. At Bayala life is lived with homespun finesse, and the lodges provide chic lounges and bars, dining areas both indoors and out under star-sprinkled skies, and a pool deck that keeps close company with the wilderness.

Rehabilitation of wilderness and restoration of wildlife are Bayala’s highest priorities. Guests have a privileged window into conservation-in-action and are offered the opportunity to participate in hands-on activities such as the dehorning of rhino. Green living and sustainability are also prized, and guests are invited into an earth-friendly way of life.

Bayala Private Safari Lodges consist of Bayala Founders Lodge and Bayala Safari Lodge each offering 24 rooms, accommodating up to 48 guests in each lodge. The decor is refreshingly simple, appealing and serene. The rooms have en-suite bathrooms with large walk-in showers and are equipped with air-conditioning, guest amenities, quality linens, hot beverage facilities and hairdryers. Standard and Superior rooms are all generously comfortable. The family suites have been configured with family needs in mind, making use of interleading doors to link accommodation.

Dining at Bayala are casual celebrations of South Africa’s favourite fire-cooked feasts: the braai and the potjie. For a variety of experience, dinners are catered for in the stylishly casual atmosphere of the lodge, or around the fireside in the boma where the stars blink in the deep indigo night skies of Zululand.

Apart from the standard game drives, guests can enjoy bush walks and an array of activities. Bush walks are quite popular with the guests at Bayala as it is an activity that alerts all your senses. Guests can also engage in conservation. Currently, Bayala's team of experts are in the process of de-horning rhinos as part of a continued operation to combat poaching. For families, the Bayala Kids in Africa program is highly recommended as it is brimming with fun and lively eco-action activities. Pamper treatments are also available at Bayala and include a choice of massage rituals based on ancient African healing wisdom and using life-giving natural ingredients. There are other wonderlands to explore, not far beyond Bayala. iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Sodwana Bay, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, Mkuze Game Reserve and Kosi Bay all make exceptional day trips and are all easily reached from the lodges.

Zuka Private Game Reserve

Zuka Private Game Reserve is 10,300 hectares of the Mun-Ya-Wana Conservancy, a formal Protected Area bordering a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northern KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.

Zuka Private Game Reserve’s proximity to the Indian Ocean, and the Lebombo Mountains creates dramatic topography with varied geology and soils from the ancient sea bed and historic volcanic activity; in turn supporting an array of habitats and vast biodiversity.

Zuka Private Game Reserve supports stunning biodiversity across a variety of ecosystems with Elephant, Black Rhino, White Rhino, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Cheetah and myriad species of bird, mammal, reptile and insect. Zuka Private Game Reserve is one of the three founding members of the 30,000 hectare Mun-Ya-Wana Conservancy, sharing a boundary with the 328,000 hectare Isimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The original aspiration of Zuka Private Game Reserve, to expand green frontiers and extend land under restoration from previous dereliction and deterioration, for wilderness to thrive, balanced with pioneering conservation ventures, community development and sustainability is ongoing and expanding.