Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge

A dry wind brushes along the endless landscapes of Zululand, it rushes along the Hluhluwe River and whips around the neck of a lioness coming for a drink in the cool shade along the riverbank. The wind carries down the river and twists and turns along its course. It climbs a steep slope, engulfing a black rhino in a Tamboti thicket, rustling the amber leaves as it goes. The wind keeps climbing, reaching the top in a flurry and brushing the hair back from your face. The warm, earthy scent of rhino dung still carrying on the breeze. You inhale deeply, absorbing as much of Zululand as you can, and exhale your contribution to the ecosystem you find yourself in. Stretched out on a sun chair, in your linen robe, you reach to the side for your first sip of a herbal tea, all the while the African sun kisses your face.

This is not fiction, it is exactly the kind of afternoon you will have at a little slice of heaven called Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge. A lodge of impeccable architectural design, perched upon a ridge in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park with a never-ending view of forever.

We spent a couple of nights at Rhino Ridge, and was it the perfect place to reset and rejuvenate? It most definitely was, and then some. It was the first time in a very long time that I felt I was in an environment that was a complete detox. The lodge had always been on our bucket list as we want to explore absolutely everything that Hluhluwe-Imfolozi has to offer, and this trip had been much anticipated since December last year.

We were originally supposed to visit Rhino Ridge in April but due to a virus I had picked up we had to postpone our visit. Given the times and the pandemic we find ourselves in, how a lodge deals with such last minute cancellations is a big testament to who they are and what they’re about. Rhino Ridge were extremely understanding and accommodated our new dates effortlessly. When booking at a lodge in such uncertain times, and just in terms of any unexpected events, you want to know you are rest assured and your best interest is at heart… and I can say from our experience that this was definitely Rhino Ridge.

Our Arrival

On our day of arrival, it was a typical Zululand winter's day – an icy, blustery morning that turned up the heat as the sun approached its zenith. We received a very warm welcome at the lodge and a much needed refreshment, but no greeting was as great as the view we were met with. Hospitality counts for a lot in my books, and can turn a Formula 1 into the Oyster Box, so it is something I always look for in any kind of accommodation. Rhino Ridge was hospitable from the word go and we were made to feel as if we were the ones who were much anticipated. In any sort of tourism environment, that is a big thing and much harder to come by than you would think.

The Villa

Our Luxury Bush Villa was TO DIE FOR, I know I’m always in awe of how beautiful the bush is but this was beauty personified. It’s odd to come back from a trip where the architecture, décor and overall design is what takes the cake. I even had to ask after who designed Rhino Ridge, as well as who did their interior design. The architect is Gerry Frencken and the interior design was done by Henri Frencken, if by some chance they are reading this blog post… a very big well done! The physical lodge and villa were phenomenal.

I’ll start with the bedroom, a chamber fit for a king and certainly a bed that didn’t fit me but all five foot of me wasn’t complaining. I think part of why our time at Rhino Ridge seemed to be so rejuvenating was the restful night’s sleep we got. I personally had been struggling with disruptive sleep, so a bed covered in snow-white percale linen that I could get lost in was just what the doctor ordered.

The bathroom was spectacular, a rain shower that opens up onto your deck and has a full panoramic view of the reserve, we often spotted giraffe and buffalo ambling by. The bath is dreamlike, every single night I took a bath and relished in the fact that I could stargaze to my left and had a cozy fire to my right. The bathroom is separated from the lounge by a fireplace. This made for the most romantic setting for a bubble bath, and without the chill when climbing out.

In fact, the fireplace beat the chill no matter where we were in the villa. The night-time was always cosy and ambient. Our last night in particular was a scene straight out of a Wilbur Smith novel, cuddled up on the couch after a warm bath, fire going, tea in hand when all of a sudden the call of a hyena broke the night sky. We swiftly went out onto the deck, sat outside under a blanket and spent the evening listening to the hyenas calling to each other in the dark. The haunting ‘whoops’ paired with the crackle of the fire is something I could never have dreamt of, all with the love of my life by side. It’s priceless moments like these that I can’t believe I get to keep forever.

The Food

All meals happen on the deck at the main lodge, and every meal is a treat, a real Safari for your taste buds.

To say that we indulged would be an understatement! Meals were decadent but weren’t overdone at the same time. There’s nothing worse than being on holiday and you over do it on rich food that you’re just not used to, so another odd note on Rhino Ridge is that I felt the portions were perfect. By the end of our stay my heart was happy and so was my tummy.

My favourite meal by far was their braised oxtail. I grew up eating good oxtail (as bias as it may be, my father really does make the best oxtail potjie), so you can take my word for it that this was remarkable. If you happen to find yourself at Rhino Ridge and you are fortunate enough to have the oxtail on your menu, do yourself the favour and order it – you will not be disappointed.

Game Drives

If you have ever been to Hluhluwe-Imfolozi you’ll know how beautiful the park is. It’s one of the shining emeralds of KZN and I’m sure most people would agree.

If you haven’t been to Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, I actually envy you because you have so much to look forward to. I was blown away during my first visit, and I actually love being with people when it’s their first time in the park because I get to relive a piece of my amazement through them. The park is Big 5, with an extremely healthy population of elephant and rhino, in fact it’s ‘home’ of the rhino (this is where Operation Rhino was initiated in the late 1950’s). Hluhluwe-Imfolozi also boasts the title of the oldest game reserve in Africa.

An unfortunate aspect of the game drives is that your guide is not allowed to off-road because it is a national park. This rule is there to protect the environment so that both fauna and flora do not get disturbed, as well as it ensures that no sightings are obscured from the general public with game viewers going off-road.

In saying that, we had unbelievable sightings nonetheless. Our first morning drive we had a lioness with her three cubs, which turned into a hunt and she grabbed a warthog not even 500m away from us. These kinds of sightings are one in a million, especially in a park as large and dense as Hluhluwe-Imfolozi.

Every game drive you stop for drinks, in the afternoon is for sundowners, during our stay alcohol was actually banned but Rhino Ridge had a large selection of non-alcoholic drinks as well as 0% options for your usual sundowner favourites. I just pretended my tonic had gin in it. On the morning drive the stop is for a mid-morning coffee, which is honestly the best part of any bush trip, be it in the sticks or ultra luxury. Again with the food, but the snacks we received on the game drives were amazing! In the mornings we got these mini muffins that were glazed with a syrup - I could not control myself with those muffins and kept taking more when no one was looking (Rhino Ridge, if you're reading this, please send more muffins).

The Lodge

A few other features of the lodge which are big draw cards, first being the bar that overlooks a watering hole. The perfect spot for wandering buffalo to stop for a drink on their journey while you have yours.

Secondly, Rhino Ridge boasts a phenomenal spa that makes use of even more phenomenal products (even if I say so myself). We’ll get to why Esse Skincare is so fantastic but for now just know that it’s the good stuff, good for your skin and equally as good on the environment. It’s important that lodges put focus on the ‘eco’ part of eco-tourism, and often what slips under the radar are the products they make use of at their spas. Big kudos to Rhino Ridge for using such products, there’s nothing quite like guilt-free indulgence at a spa in the middle of nowhere.

The lodges’ pool is also a sight for sore eyes, especially on a hot Zululand day. There’s something so decadent about having a refreshing dip whilst on Safari, it’s almost like we still have that basic instinct inside of us that knows how precious a resource water is. The pool is also just below the bar so it’s the perfect place to grab yourself a cocktail and lounge away all your worries.

COVID regulations

We felt extremely safe in terms of the current pandemic. Rhino Ridge kept to strict regulations and not once did we feel overly vulnerable. This is the perfect way to self-isolate! Every meal our table was well away from any other guests and the wait staff had very little contact with us, they always had their masks on and sanitized regularly. The game drives run with less guests as usual and you won't find yourself seated with someone who you are not travelling with. In the rooms you are provided with an a natural sanitizer that is gentle on the skin as well as your own personalised aluminum water bottle for use around the lodge. Where possible, Rhino Ridge has made their lodge COVID friendly.

It’s been a tough time for us as a country, in particular in KwaZulu-Natal. Entire industries have been turned on their head, let alone hundreds of businesses. An industry that sits close to our hearts will always be the tourism industry, and what better way to support them than by helping yourself. Hit the reset button and put yourself in a place to receive the natural beauty of South Africa, and in this case – KwaZulu-Natal. Book a spontaneous getaway, take the leap of faith for the experience of a lifetime because you will never know when you’ll get the chance again, and you will never know the impact you’ll have on another unless you go.

Thank you so much Rhino Ridge for our spectacular time with you, I don’t think we could have imagined anything more than what we experienced. The work you do for the local community is heartwarming, to know there are real people whose entire lives have been given a future through your vision speaks for itself.

We cannot wait to make our return and to visit Isibindi’s other two South African lodges, Kosi Forest Lodge and Thonga Beach Lodge, if Rhino Ridge is anything to go by then we are surely in for a treat.

Follow the link to explore Rhino Ridge a little further, and when you book be sure to mention where you heard about them!!

https://www.rhinoridge.co.za/