Bongani Mountain Lodge: Stay here and forever hold onto your peace

AA place of wildlife

While enjoying a sundower on your private deck, there’s a great chance that you might spot one (or more) of Africa’s big five game animals – lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, Cape buffalo – disappearing into the horizon.

If not, you have the choice to go on an exciting game drive offered by Bongani Mountain Lodge.

All you have to do is sit back and relax in an open safari vehicle. Your experienced guide will ensure that you’re fully immersed in the moment defined by the sights and sounds of the bush as you come into close contact with nature and the multitude of species of wildlife, reptiles and birdlife.

There are also other things to see and do at the game reserve, such as rock art tours, cultural village tours, Kruger National Park drives, adventurous game drives as well as bush walks through the lodge.

AA place of history

As you wander through the Bongani Mountain Lodge, you’ll find that it’s almost impossible to avoid the undying spirit of the great African explorers and hunters of the bygone era who once occupied the area.

These include the San people, with over 250 recorded San rock art sites estimated to be 1500 years old - the greatest concentration of recorded rock art per square metre on earth.

Speaking of great Africans, Nelson Mandela has also graced the shores of Bongani Mountain Lodge. Just a few days after his release from prison in 1990, the former president of South Africa visited the Mthethomusha Nature Reserve, managed by the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Authority (MTPA). He also addressed a capacity crowd that had gathered at the nearby KaNyamazane Stadium in Likazi. This is the same stadium where the national 2017 World Tourism Day celebrations were held. During his stay in the province, Mandela went on a hunting expedition at the MTPA-managed Songimvelo Nature Reserve.

AA place of African cuisine

The lodge boasts an outdoor dining boma (an enclosure), which provides guests with an ideal setting to sweetly repose around an open-fire and enjoy a traditional African meal under glittering skies.

There’s also a beautiful restaurant on site where you can catch enthralling views of the bush and the mountains. A hearty breakfast, leisurely lunch and buffet dinner here will leave you wanting more.

And with so much scenic beauty stalking your every move, there’s no reason not to grab a light meal, snack or a drink on the viewing deck while you lose yourself in the pulse of the rolling countryside.

A place of escape

Sometimes (read: often) the best thing you can do for yourself is to escape the city rush. To enjoy the mystery of the bush, to feel the sun’s warmth on your back, to listen to the sound of the wind in the trees, and more importantly, to find your peace.