Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge

Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge is situated on the western boundary in the first private concession within Africa’s oldest proclaimed Game Reserve Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, Northern KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Set in a 96 000 hectare park Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge enables guests to enjoy 4 star luxury at a private lodge for the first time within the park, offering spectacular scenery and excellent safari opportunities within the heart of Big 5 territory.

Situated in the heart of Zululand, with access to the Zulu culture and battlefields, the lodge offers excellent birding opportunities, easy access to iSimangaliso Wetland Park and St Lucia, and a luxury private lodge experience within Big Five territory.

Rhino Ridge accommodates a maximum of 44 guests in 3 different room types. The rooms have been carefully positioned high up on a ridge to take full advantage of the spectacular views over the hills and valleys of Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park while at the same time giving each room maximum privacy. This has resulted in some of the rooms being quite a distance from the central lodge facility with some of them being a 200 meter walk to the main lodge area.

There are 8 Luxury Bush Villas comprising twin/king bedroom en-suite with separate toilet, luxurious indoor/outdoor shower, private wooden deck, mini bar, fireplace, overhead fan & air-conditioning. 2 Honeymoon Villas comprising twin/king bedroom en-suite with separate toilet, luxurious indoor/outdoor shower, private wooden deck, mini bar, fireplace, overhead fan & air-conditioning and private plunge pool. Finally, 6 Bush Suites comprising 2 twin/king bedrooms both en-suite. Rooms are arranged in pairs leading off a common lobby ideal for families or couples travelling together.

This lodge is an easy 3.5-hour drive from Durban, and you do not need a 4x4 to access the reserve. If you are looking for a great weekend getaway for Kwa-Zulu Natal, look no further than Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge. For guests wanting to fly in, King Shaka International Airport in Durban and Richards Bay Airport are the closest commercial airports.

About the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

The Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park is the only park under formal conservation in KwaZulu Natal where the Big Five occur. 280 kilometres north of Durban and established in 1895, this is the oldest game park in South Africa along with nearby St Lucia Reserve.

From having only 25 Rhino at its inception, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve now has the highest population of both white and black rhino in South Africa. Due to increasing intensity of poaching in the Park, field rangers have been stepping up their monitoring and patrolling efforts in the area.

Set in the heart of Zululand this is the oldest game reserve in Africa, where Zulu kings such as Dingiswayo and Shaka hunted and put in place the first conservation laws.

Today, Africa's 'Big Five' (lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo and rhinoceros) stalk the flourishing savannah. Game viewing is the principal attraction in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. Viewing hides overlook pans and waterholes enabling one to observe the wildlife at close range.

As the home of Operation Rhino in the 1950s and 60s, the Hluhluwe Umfolozi Park became world renowned for its white rhino conservation. Other areas of focus for which Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park is famous include wilderness trails which originated in Umfolozi in the 1950s and its renowned Game Capture unit upgraded into the Centenary Capture Centre, a benchmark for animal capture and sustainable utilisation throughout Africa.

The Park covers some 96 000 hectares and contains an immense diversity of fauna and flora.

Hluhluwe Umfolozi Reserve is characterised by hilly topography and the northern section of the game reserve is noted for its wide variety of both birdlife and wildlife.