Zulu Rock Lodge: Luxury in the South African Babanango Game Reserve

A new high-end accommodation has opened in the Babanango Game Reserve in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal: The stylish Zulu Rock Lodge is situated on a mountain slope on the outer edge of the 22,000 hectare nature reserve and offers a wide view over the valley of the White Umfolozi. It complements the already open Babanango Valley Lodge in the southern part of the reserve.

The seven chalets with sleeping facilities for a total of 16 people are all stone clad and decorated with curated Zulu artifacts. In addition to the five “Hilltop Luxury Rooms”, there is a family villa and a honeymoon suite, both with their own pool. Breakfast, a light lunch and a three-course dinner are served in the restaurant or under the stars.

Located 50 kilometers from the city of Vryheid, Babanango Game Reserve is the first project developed by the African Habitat Conservancy (AHC) under the direction of German philanthropist Hellmuth Weisser and his wife Barbara. Their goal is the conservation of game reserves and the restoration of endemic flora and fauna, but at the same time they also want to achieve sustainable development of local communities through tourism.

Guests at Zulu Rock Lodge have the opportunity to observe leopards, white rhinos, buffalos, giraffes, hyenas, zebras, antelopes and aardvarks. There are also 285 bird species living in the reserve. A strategic reintroduction program will ensure that lions and elephants will also move in by 2022, making the Babanango Game Reserve the home of the “Big Five”. The AHC has already invested a total of 18 million euros in the reserve. Another 9 million euros are to follow in the next two years.

Click here for the Babanango Game Reserve website