JOZINI TIGER LODGE – LAKESIDE PEACE AND QUIET
REVIEW: SHIRLEY LE GUERN
PHOTOGRAPHS: SHIRLEY LE GUERN
My latest visit to Jozini Tiger Lodge was a pleasant surprise. We were going to the Umthayi Marula Festival and this was to be our stop off point. Having visited this lovely resort three times over the years, I was pleased to find that very little had changed. It still had that air of unexpected luxury and friendly and helpful staff.
As soon as you settle yourself out on the deck, G&T or glass of red wine in hand, you know that you are far away from the mayhem of city life. I guess gazing out over a tranquil water wonderland does that to you.
As you will find, when you wind up the road towards Jozini Tiger Lodge, you have the usual rural Zululand scene around you – rusty cars, spaza shops and tiny dwellings not to mention the cows and goats that step out into the road rather unexpectedly. But it is always almost impossible to ignore the vista of Lake Jozini which serves as a magnificent backdrop to your journey.
Who would have thought that something like this was this close to Durban?
INTRODUCING LAKE JOZINI – OR IS THAT THE PONGOLA DAM?
It has been described as a mini Kariba (which my Zimbabwean born husband didn’t buy) and is apparently not only one of the largest expanses of water in the region but a spectacular failure as the agricultural irrigation scheme that it was originally meant to be. What has resulted is one of the best – and most underrated – eco-tourism destinations in KwaZulu-Natal.
Apparently the lake itself – previously labelled the Pongolapoort Dam – is no stranger to controversy. Built during the sixties to irrigate over 80 000 hectares of farm land, it would have apparently failed all modern day environmental assessments.
But the Nationalist Party government of the day persisted. The irrigation scheme of which the then Pongolapoort Dam was supposed to be the cornerstone was never fully developed and, from a water supply point of view, it is apparently still under-utilised. Chatting to fellow guests over breakfast, we were amazed to hear that the actual town of Jozini which is on the shores of the lake, doesn’t have sufficient infrastructure in place to get its water directly from its neighbouring water source!
Instead, it is now mainly a tourism hub which is better known as Lake Jozini and certainly offers stunning views across to the Lebombo mountains. Without waxing too lyrical, it’s a gem in a Zululand that most of us think of as bush veld or sand forest bordered by a somewhat rugged, but intriguing, Elephant Coast.
Previous trips to the lodge and a cruise aboard the Shayamanzi, a river boat which anchors just in front of the lodge, convinced me that this was one of the most interesting places from which to view and photograph game such as elephants, hippos, crocodiles, giraffe and antelope. Unlike looking over their shoulders as one does in most reserves, here you can watch from a boat on the lake.
I am also told that Lake Jozini is the only tiger fishing destination in South Africa. But I’m definitely not into fishing, so it was going to be about the other attractions.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE LODGE
It’s hard to know what to expect as you make your way to the lodge. A somewhat dilapidated entrance actually means that your first glimpse of the striking thatched lodge that clings to the cliff face overlooking the dam is a big surprise.
Jozini Tiger Lodge & Spa offers 70 luxury guest rooms, accommodating 182 people through a combination of 44 classic rooms, 21 family lofts, 3 deluxe rooms and 2 executive suites. My classic room was elegantly but simply furnished and extremely comfortable. The bathroom, in particular, was spacious and user friendly. (My only aside is that the chair
is far too low for the desk in the room, making working on your laptop a little challenging – but one isn’t supposed to be working here, are you?)
But my favourite was undoubtedly the balcony on to which I could step with my morning cuppa and enjoy at wonderful view over the lake to the wall in the distance.
Jozini Tiger Lodge has all the features that come with most resorts of this nature – it is a wedding and conferencing venue and offers both luxury hotel and self-catering accommodation.
Perhaps my only disappointment during my two previous visits (and this one) was the food. Although the dining room is lovely and you can sit either inside or dine al fresco, the food is buffet style and very basic. Breakfast was the same as any four -star establishment with fruit, yoghurt and cereals, the standard English breakfast. Dinner was meat and two veg with a few other sides thrown in but largely uninspiring. One would think that, as a fishing venue, more attention would be paid to serving good fish dinners.
I am yet to experience the outdoor boma dinners which I am, however, told are in a different league.
But it would be extremely unfair to make food the main issue here. Jozini Tiger Lodge has its own range of great activities – including tiger fishing, game viewing (from the water or from open game vehicles which can be arranged), bird watching, kayaking and paddle boating.
The beautiful rim-flow pool with its adjoining putt putt course is the ideal spot for families to relax and the deck, which stretches out towards the lake, is a favourite with both enthusiastic selfie takers and more serious photographers.
For those wishing to venture away from the lodge to explore this region, it is the perfect base from which to visit the nearby Pongola, Mkuze and Ndumo Game Reserves, the Tembe Elephant Park as well as coastal stop offs like Sodwana Bay and the Isimangaliso Wetland Park.
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Every time, the highlight of my stay has been the sunset cruise from the lodge itself. Having tried a few of these at St Lucia, I was prepared to jog out and enjoy the odd drink served in the bottle or can from the on-board cooler box. Not at Jozini. The boat was far more comfortable and came complete with its own on board bar and delicious snacks. Best place to raise a glass and enjoy a sundowner.
Another definite highlight is the Mangwanani Spa which lives up to its name as a truly
African spa. It has empowered women from the Jozini Lake community through training to become certified therapists who offer a variety of spa therapies designed to combat the stresses and strains of city life. Well worth a try during your stay.
Last, but not least, a thank you to Tourism KwaZulu-Natal for hosting my stay despite the fact that the Umyathi Marula Festival was cancelled due to heavy rain.
