Zululand Lodge is a privately owned tented camp on a private wildlife conservancy north of Hluhluwe town, in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The lodge is built on a slope with breathtaking views of the Msinene River valley and surrounding bushveld. The camp offers 9 tastefully decorated en-suite permanent canvas tents sleeping up to 18 people, on a lunch, dinner, bed and breakfast basis that also includes a guided conservancy walk.

The elegantly furnished central lodge has a sprawling open-air cushioned lounge, a large dining area serving home-made meals with a range of traditional food, a small reference library, and an upstairs viewing deck and bar with uninterrupted views and spectacular sunsets. A small waterhole in front of camp attracts nyala, zebra, impala and wonderful birdlife, and at night stories are shared round the campfire in the star-studded boma. Self-service tea and coffee are available in the dining area all day, with a limited range of drinks at the viewing deck bar.

Locally guided bush walks give the opportunity to observe the abundant birdlife along the Msinene River and to spot some of the plains game that roams free on the reserve, including the shy nyala antelope. The camp was designed and built from the ground up as an environmentally sustainable project: fully off grid on solar power with LED lighting throughout, rainwater harvesting, biodegradable soaps and a double septic system, staffed 90% from the local community with an in-house training and development programme. The conservancy, once a mixed cattle and game farm, is being rehabilitated to wildlife conservation through soil erosion control, reintroduction of wildlife, fence removal and anti-poaching efforts. The camp is very proud of its resident leopard population and hippo pods.

The Msinene River is a tributary of the World Heritage listed iSimangaliso Wetland Park, and the reserve sits close to the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, Phinda and Mkhuze game reserves and Lake St Lucia. You can self-drive in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi and Mkhuze, or book a guided open-vehicle game drive with a local guide. Lake St Lucia offers boat cruises and canoeing, Sodwana Bay (70 km) offers scuba diving, and there are community craft stalls and coffee shops in nearby Mduku and Hluhluwe. Whether you are a couple looking for a tranquil wilderness break, keen birders or a family wanting quality time together, Zululand Lodge is the ideal getaway.