Ezulwini Billy's Lodge

Ezulwini Billy’s Lodge is in the Big 5 Balule Nature Reserve within a pristine region of the Limpopo province offering a perfect Kruger Safari. Billy’s Lodge boasts expert owner-management coupled with seamless knowledge and experience.

Ezulwini Billy’s Lodge is a grand structure that is accentuated with leadwood pillars and thatched ceilings, featuring a raised skywalk that leads to a private waterhole.

Room facilities offer comfort and convenience whereas the main guest areas and various viewing points leave one spoilt for choice. The communal areas offer a bar, indoor lounge, TV, and dining room as well as a shaded main deck with leather couches offering spectacular views of the bush.

The unique skywalk leads off the main deck to a viewing deck overlooking the waterhole. An open-air boma and a wine cellar built into a natural rock cave with a handcrafted display table add to the unique merit of Billy's Lodge.

The lodge is perfectly placed within a unique location on a seasonal riverbed, which is a regular attraction for elephants and various other games.

The main lodge has a large swimming pool and serves beautiful homemade meals under the stars on the deck.

The accommodation offering at Billy’s Lodge is inspired by the natural elements of the Balule Bushveld. With high thatched ceilings, stained concrete floors, en-suite bathrooms, and air conditioning, this lodge is perfect for a relaxing weekend getaway. There are 3 standard rooms, 2 of which are traditional rondavels and 1 room that leads onto the pool area. Each room sleeps two people in twin or double beds with mosquito nets and bedside tables. The en-suite bathrooms re dark-tiled with showers and large vanities.

In addition to the rooms, there are 3 luxury suites that are indulgently spacious with open plan en-suite bathrooms boasting an indoor bath, indoor and outdoor showers. Private decks are fitted with plunge pools and sun loungers to relax and take in the amazing views of the bushveld.

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

The Balule Nature Reserve forms part of the Greater Kruger and falls within its boundaries, therefore the flow of wildlife is unhindered. The vegetation is highly wooded, attracting all sorts of browsing animals, while the presence of the Olifants River attracts those water-loving birds.

Photography on game drives is encouraged, as is bird watching. The experience of a morning safari sees the bush coming to life with all the diurnal animals, while evening drives bear witness to the activity of hyenas, jackals, lions, and owls.

There is no shortage of predator viewing in the region of the Kruger Park. The Balule's 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.

With 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.

About the Balule Nature Reserve

Balule Nature Reserve was established by a group of like-minded, private landowners in the early 1990s. From the start, their objective was to create a larger, open system with no fences to hinder animal movement thus creating a much healthier habitat for fauna and flora.

The Reserve has since grown from the initial 11,000 ha to 55,000 ha, approximately 150 km of fences have been removed and it consists of both private and commercial properties. In 2004, the Eastern boundary fence was removed and Balule was officially incorporated into the Kruger National Park (established in 1898).

Thus, Balule is now part of an open system that covers over 2 million hectares in South Africa and is widely regarded as one of the most successful conservation areas in the world.

Balule is mostly made up of mixed Acacia and Combretum woodlands, which sustain 94 mammals, 280 birds, 72 reptiles, and 128 tree species, not to mention the insect, fish, amphibian,s and other plants species.