About Ndaka Safari Lodge
Only 3 hours from Durban and 4 hours from Johannesburg, Ndaka Safari Lodge is a family friendly lodge made up of an African farmstead, where the main house had been converted into the lodge, complete with 3 rooms and 7 ( 2019) large size luxury safari tents have been put up around the property.
The lodge itself has an open plan lounge close to a lapa (the entertainment area) with its built-in braai (barbecue) area. A large deck around the swimming pool area gives you and the family a lovely spot to enjoy the late morning/ early afternoon sun and watch wildlife wander by. The large indigenous garden is inside the main camp fence and you are free to wander around enjoying the scenery.
Close to the swimming pool is the open fire pit that overlooks the bushveld where pre-dinner drinks can be enjoyed around the camp fire.
Ndaka Safari Lodge was built with the idea of have having a great, good quality getaway for families and friends at an affordable rate. They are located in the centre of the Nambiti Game Reserve and access to the lodge is via the Memorial Gate in the north. Your game drive adventure starts with a 5 minute 'self-drive game drive' from the gate to the parking area where the rangers will pick up from. From there you have a 20 minute transfer (a short game drive basically) to the lodge.
Although the the lodge is fully fenced, with an electrified fence, it is advised to keep an eye on your children to make sure they don't get too brave in their explorations. The main 'house' has 3 standard lodge rooms. . The newer tented camp is within walking distance of the main house and face towards the open veld area along the perimeter fence.
Game Drives
Depending on the season, the timing of the game drives are co-incided to start just before 1st light. There are two game drives per day during which your experienced guide will share their knowledge and love of the African bush with you.
Each drive lasts about three hours. The morning game drive normally leaves between 5:30am and 6am. During the game drive, the guides will find a spot where you can enjoy the stunning views, whilst enjoying a hot coffee, tea or hot chocolate.
The afternoon game drive leaves between 3:30pm and 4pm. A scenic spot will be chosen by your ranger to stop and watch the sun going down, whilst enjoying a refreshing 'sundowner' drink and some snacks. You can enjoy a brief night drive on the way back to the lodge where the guides will use a spotlight to find nocturnal animals, not normally seen during the day.
Game drives have access to the entire Nambiti Private Game Reserve and strict vehicle limits at animal sightings ensure an exclusive game viewing experience.
Guides are also in constant radio contact with each other keeping track of animal movements.
Accommodation
Lodge Rooms
There are 3 standard rooms in the farmhouse available:
Room 1. Cheetah (king bed/twin beds, bath & shower en-suite)
Room 2. Elephant (king bed/twin beds + single bed, shower en-suite), and
Room 3. Rhino room (twin beds, bath & shower en-suite)
Elephant & Rhino rooms can be combined into an inter-leading family room.
Tented Suites
The tented camp offers the "authentic African safari" experience. The tents are extremely spacious with a sleeping area and a lounge area which can easily be converted to sleep 2 or 3 younger children in it.
The tented area is within walking distance of the main house/lodge with the closest tent being about 40m from the reception area, dining room, swimming pool & bar.
The tents are made of a multi-layered insulated canvas which keeps them cooler in summer and warmer in winter. There are electric blankets on the beds as well as heaters to keep you snug in winter and ceiling fans to cool you down in summer.
The 7 single & 3 double/family luxury safari tents overlook the Nambiti plains and a small waterhole.
The 3 family luxury safari tents which are set away from the other tents and overlook a picturesque valley are made up of 2 tents that have been joined together so it has 2 en-suite bedrooms sharing a common lounge in the middle.
There is an internal brick wall on either side of the lounge to ensure privacy. Each side has its own entrance with an entrance hall, a bedroom area with a king bed/twin beds, dressing room, bath and shower en-suite, as well as an outdoor shower.
An extra 1 or 2 single beds can be added to this tent to accommodate a family of up to 6 guests. This tent is ideal for families with 4 children, families with teenagers, or 3 or 4 adults travelling together.
Please note: for 2 or less children sharing this tent, the minimum rate for teens aged 13-16 applies.
