Idyllic Safari to Sea Adventure

Makakatana Bay Lodge is set on the banks of Lake St Lucia within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site, one of the few natural wonders left on earth.  The goal is to show off this unique and pristine wilderness gem, the perfect addition to a typical safari holiday.

You will be eagerly greeted by the Makakatana Team and shown around. Enjoy a light lunch between 2 and 3pm and then get ready for your afternoon wetland game drive.

You get a taste of this enchanting pristine park in vast open spaces with immense bird and wildlife, great and small, on our luxury open safari vehicles. You get to enjoy a drink under the magical colours of the sunset skies while absorbing sounds and smells of the night setting in. Siting's could include: giraffe, wildebeest, buffalo, zebra, hyena, white rhino, waterbuck, serval, porcupine, genet, leopard and elephant.

The next morning, after breakfast at 09h00 you will enjoy a leisurely safari game drive through the western shores to the eastern shores to a pristine beach on the Indian Ocean iSimangaliso coastline where you can enjoy a swim, snorkel and picnic lunch in the highest vegetated sand dunes in Africa, reaching 180 mt in height. Beach walks are incredible too and after your sun charged day, you return back to the lodge at around 15h00, with salt on your skin and windswept hair to be welcomed back for high tea.

On your morning of departure, before we bid you farewell there is a morning western shores game drive for you to enjoy the wakeup calls of the park before breakfast and departure.   Depart 05h30 in Summer / 06h00 in Winter– return by 8am.

The most breathtaking views in Zululand are seen here, from the meandering Msunduze River below to the distant Lebombo Mountains, where Africa's Great Rift Valley begins.  Let us take your soul on a journey where you will discover the essential truth about yourself and your world, enticing your senses and enlivening your spirit along the way.  

A DAY AT LEOPARD MOUNTAIN

Waking to the morning calls of the birds in the riverbed below your suite, the day begins with a select cup of coffee and some traditional rusks before embarking on your early morning safari with your guide.

On return to the lodge, an enticing breakfast awaits you in the dining room. Thereafter you can enjoy a leisurely morning at your own pace or you can take some quality time for yourself and be pampered at our Spa for an hour or two.

At lunchtime, you can enjoy a light picnic basket lunch around the bird pond, on the main lodge deck or simply relax on your private balcony.

In the afternoon, you will be invited to come and enjoy afternoon tea on the main deck as you overlook the distant Lebombo Mountain Range. Afterward, you will go with your guide to explore some different areas of the reserve on your afternoon drive and will be treated to a magnificent African sunset to remember. On return to the lodge, you will have the opportunity to freshen up before having dinner in our ‘million stars’ boma where you will be treated to an exquisite African-inspired meal and can pair it with one of our award-winning wines from our cellar.

As the day comes to an end, you can sit around the bonfire and share the exciting stories of the days’ wildlife encounters with the other guests or retire to your suite to enjoy a sherry on your deck and listen as Africa's night chorus unfolds with distant lion roars, hyenas whooping, or baboons barking at lurking Leopards in the river bed below.

On your day of departure, after you have enjoyed a morning game drive and a delicious breakfast, we will wish you a fond farewell.

Thank you for travelling with us and we look forward to your return visit!