The hippo was invisible as we entered the reeds with our canoes. It watched us silently as we approached, unaware of the big lump hiding beneath the tranquil Pongola river.
Just as we were about to glide right over the animal, he wiggled his head and gave a splurt of disgust. We froze and then started a slow but urgent U-turn. We only dared to breathe when we were another 200m from the friendly hippo, who might not have been so friendly if we had collided with him.
After our narrow escape our host venue’s name took on greater meaning for us: Mvubu Lodge ‒ The Hippo Lodge.
Mvubu Lodge is no ordinary game lodge. In fact, if you want to find adventure in the bush, the lodge is a place to collect bush stories that will serve you well on cold winter days when the boss is breathing down your neck.
Mvubu Game Lodge sits atop a cliff face overlooking the Pongola river as it flows into Lake Jozini. It is situated within the Pongola Game Reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
The lodge is not your typical over-the-top game lodge that boasts grand photos in every glossy magazine, but is rather a down-to-earth place where South Africans are still made to feel welcome with a great mixture of hospitality and relaxation. Yet the lodge feels as exclusive and special as you could desire. During our stay we only encountered South African couples, something that is very rare at game lodges these days.
We escaped to the lodge over a weekend after a month of work that left me highly strung and totally overworked. I needed a luxurious getaway, but on my journalistic salary I needed an affordable one as well.
While the luxury lodges near the Kruger Park invited me with beautiful photos and guarantees of spotting the big five, Mvubu won me over with its affordability and wide range of activities. It was refreshing to find a lodge that offered rates at less than R1Â 000 a night.
The road to Pongola is not easy. Trucks, potholes and wood-chucking tractors ensure that you are truly stressed out when you arrive at Mvubu. Though it is only 450km from Johannesburg, you will feel every kilometre.
But once at the lodge the first sounds of the hippo’s gallivanting in the river below will begin working away at the stress levels, leaving you relaxed and ready for adventure.
And Mvubu certainly offers adventure. Apart from our exiting canoe venture, we also tracked a rhino on foot. Our guide Basil introduced us to the basics of tracking. We found the rhino while still driving, but lost it again when we parked the vehicle to approach it on foot, so Basil got to show us the tricks of the trade.
Other activities at the lodge include elephant tracking, game drives and boat cruises up the Pongola river on the Fish Eagle boat. You can also go horseriding or have a picnic in a secluded spot. Guests who just like to relax without close encounters with hippos or rhinos will enjoy the bird-watching sunset cruise.
Mvubu offers patrons the opportunity to spot giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, impala, rhino, hyena, buffalo, leopard and elephant. Birders might spot the rare Bat Hawk.
The large variety of vultures delighted us because we have never had an opportunity to study them up close and in such great numbers.
The lodge also offers excellent fishing, with the annual tiger fishing competition being held in September. Lake Jozini has a greater variety of fish than any other body of fresh water in South Africa.
This variety is not only because floods dumped exotics such as bass and carp into the lake, but also because the lake lies in a sub-tropical area and is home to species normally found only in Central Africa. Fishermen are treated to the popular Tiger Fish, and many fishermen travel here to hook the big one.
The thatched chalets are not luxurious, but offer comfortable sleeping facilities. Their best feature is a lovely verandah deck that offers uninterrupted views of the river and surrounding bush.
We enjoyed dinner around the boma and chef Garth excelled himself during our stay. Our favourite dish of the weekend was an Impala fillet smothered in a French red wine sauce, so perfectly done that it changed our views on venison.
Garth likes to prepare typical South African food, but the Greek in him creates fusion by adding Mediterranean flavours to his dishes. The end result is delicious. Guests at Mvubu also enjoy typical meals al fresco or on the deck under cover when the boma is unavailable.
We visited Mvubu Lodge in late autumn, a chilly time of year, but the Pongola valley can get extremely hot in summer. A secluded pool is a firm favourite with guests to relax at during the day. The Hippo Hole Bar is also very popular and is the lodge’s unofficial meeting place.
The 110-year-old Pongola Reserve is the oldest in South Africa and is the second oldest reserve in the world, having been first proclaimed in 1894.
South Africa’s first game laws were promulgated in 1866 in Natal.
The government was becoming increasingly concerned about the decimation of wild-life in the colony due to excessive hunting. Hunters were pouring into the colony and huge numbers of animals were being killed.
But at the end of the nineteenth century, Paul Kruger, president of the republic, realised that the nation’s large numbers of game were being drastically depleted and so proclaimed the first formal protected area in South Africa’s history, the Pongola Game Reserve.
Today the Pongolapoort Bioreserve is managed cooperatively between the KwaZulu Natal conservation services, private enterprise and local communities to demonstrate the value of conservation for sustainable rural development and community upliftment through eco-tourism.
Unfortunately the reserve was deproclaimed in 1921. In the twentieth century KwaZulu Natal’s game faced an even bigger threat. Maize, wheat, groundnuts, sugar cane and forest plantations replaced indigenous vegetation, leading to wildlife starving or moving into other areas where there was more food.
The lowdown
Directions to get there: From Johannesburg travel on the N12 to Witbank and then the N4 to Nelspruit. After Middelburg on the N4 take the Hendrina turn-off. Travel through Hendrina to Ermelo and on to the N2 through Piet Retief and Pongola. After Pongola take Golela/Swaziland road. After two kilometres turn right into Pongola Game Reserve and Mvubu Lodge.
Prices: Between R700 and R1 000 a person, depending on the season. Breakfast, dinner and one game activity per day are included.
Prices: Mvubu Lodge is offering Winter Specials to Mail & Guardian readers. For more information call Mvubu Lodge’s reservations at Tel: (034) 435 1123.