At Rhino River Lodge, the theatre of nature comes to life in vivid, startling colours.
Marvel the majestic elephant, see the reclusive black rhino as he slips through the riverine bush, hear the leopards rasping call as he prowls his territory at night, delight in the many different antelope that inhabit the Zululand bush. Be dazzled by herds of zebra and their beautiful foals and get close the ever-curious giraffe poking their heads over thorn trees!
Rhino River Lodge is an intimate and exclusive private game reserve and lodge with some of the best game viewing Zululand has to offer.
Superb accommodation and exemplary service together with cuisine that features traditional South African flavours, dishes, and cooking styles and a wine list has been hand-picked to provide our guests with a selection of some of the finest affordable wines that South Africa has to offer await you.
Our Lodge is located in Zululand, 30 kilometres north of Hluhluwe in the shadow of the majestic Lebombo mountains and within the private Zululand Rhino Reserve.
The rare and endangered black rhino is found in this park; a rare privilege for guests to see, as well as the other 4 of the Big 5: elephant, buffalo, lion and the rare and elusive leopard.
After and exhilarating game drive, meet for breakfast or dinner on the raised deck at the lounge, dining and bar area looking out over the majestic Sycamore Figs and Fever trees that line the river below. As darkness falls congregate around the campfire in the boma and swap stories of the African bush with superb company. Evenings are a magical part of every guests experience, taking in the smells of the campfire, the sounds of the African night, and the splendor of an unpolluted starry sky.
During the day you can refresh yourself with a lovely swim in the sparkling, crystal clear pool watching the resident warthog families root in the grass, nyala nibble on leaves and seed pods and the timid red duiker make its way shyly across the camp picking at tasty tit-bits on the way.
In order to maximise our guests' chances of fulfilling their African safari wishes, we offer morning and afternoon drives included in the tariff and on request, night drives and guided walks.
Our morning drives leave soon after sunrise in order to try and catch the animals whilst they are still active before the heat of the day sets in. The drives are 3 hours long and are interrupted only by the sounds of the bush and a cup of coffee and a rusk at a scenic point, before returning to camp for an English style cooked breakfast.
The afternoon drive leaves once the day starts to cool down and the animals are active again. This is usually when the bigger animals are found close to water or mud wallows. As the sun begins to set, a complimentary drink is served before making our way back to camp and pre-dinner drinks around the boma fire.
Our night drives depart after an early supper and are about 2 hours long. This is when Africas more secretive creatures are about. Common sightings include porcupine, small spotted genet, aardvark, white tailed mongoose, bush babys, night jars and owls and on the rare occasion hyena, leopard or honey badger can be spotted.
Our guided walks offer the more adventurous an opportunity to experience the wilds of Africa in the best possible way, on foot! A guided walk entails an interpretive bush experience as close to nature as possible.
In the interests of safety the group size is limited to 6 people. Walks are undertaken either in the early morning or late afternoon and are between 2 and 3 hours long. Walking affords the unique opportunity of exploring paths that have been traversed by wild animals for centuries, and being exposed to all the smells and sounds of the bush which are not noticed when traveling by vehicle.
THE FOLLOWING TOURS CAN BE ARRANGED
- Tiger Fishing trips
- Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Game Reserve Tours
- Game Drive into Mkhuze Game Reserve
- Canoeing in St Lucia Estuary
- Boat Tours to view the hippos and crocs in St Lucia
- Whale Watching
PLACES OF INTEREST
- Ilala Weavers in Hluhluwe
- Duma Zulu Cultural village
- Emdoneni cheetah project
We are 300km from Durban Airport. When traveling north on the N2 from Durban, approximately 27km past the Hluhluwe turnoff, turn left into the P450, opposite the Baobab Inn.
When traveling south on the N2 from Pongola/Johannesburg, approximately 20km past the turnoff to Mkuze, turn right into the P450, opposite the Baobab Inn.
At this point you will also see a brown road sign pointing to "Rhino River". Our main entrance gate will be on your right-hand side 4km along the P450. Please ensure you have your confirmation of booking with you on which you will find the access code to operate the electric entrance gate and telephone numbers should you need to contact us whilst in transit.
