For many international travellers, a safari holiday in South Africa is something they have been looking forward to for years. But once you start researching, the choices can feel overwhelming:
For travellers planning a getaway in KwaZulu-Natal, most roads lead to the coast. Durban’s warm beaches are close, familiar, and easy. A weekend by the ocean feels like the obvious
Trying to find your families next weekend bush break escape near Durban? Look no further, Rhino River Lodge is the perfect place to reset for the weekend. We are just
Valentine’s Day at Rhino River Lodge isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about the moments that matter like the shared laughter over breakfast, the quiet pause on a deck as you
January arrives in Zululand, the dust of winter has long settled, the rains have worked their magic, and the landscape surrounding Rhino River Lodge shifts into something softer, fuller, and
As 2025 draws to a close, the bush around Rhino River Lodge settles into a gentle, reflective hush. The river murmurs gently, hornbills chatter in the canopy, and the air
There’s something undeniably magical about a morning game drive at Rhino River Lodge. The golden blush of dawn, the whisper of the breeze through the fever tree forest, the distant
A Guide to Manyoni’s Feathered Residents Tucked away in the heart of Zululand, Manyoni Private Game Reserve is best known for its Big 5 game viewing, but for those who
There’s a unique rhythm to life on safari – a gentle movement and flow dictated not by clocks, but by the sun, the animals, and the whispers of the African
At Rhino River Lodge, bringing conservation to life is more than just a mission — it’s a way of being. Through our partnership with the Zululand Conservation Trust, we recently had the
Drawn to the Wilderness Love has a way of finding the perfect place to bloom — and for Clive and Anette Alexander, that place was in the heart of the
Tucked away in the heart of the Manyoni Private Game Reserve, Rhino River Lodge offers an experience that balances untamed wilderness with the refined comforts of a luxury safari. For
Rhino River Lodge: A Safari Adventure for Everyone If you’ve been dreaming of a safari that welcomes everyone—couples seeking romance, families looking for adventure, or even solo travelers chasing a
You would be surprised at the number of “hidden gems” that are located in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa. Situated about a three-and-a-half-hour drive north of Durban, Rhino River Lodge is
Come sailing in the stunning waters of Durban for the Mirror World Championships. We would like to extend an invitation to complement your worlds with a safari experience at Rhino
What better way to renew and refresh ties than on a family safari in South Africa? Mixing up a long school holiday by taking the family to the bush is an
Choose not to hibernate this winter and you could just have one of the best breaks with the kids over the school holidays – a family safari in Zululand. When
Experience a beautifully lush and warm KwaZulu-Natal safari in South Africa’s summer months. Summer in the South African bush is a season of abundance. The regular (often daily) rains fill
Welcome to our beautiful country! If you are looking for reasons to visit South Africa, here are our favourite five, although we must admit that there are so many more.
Come and experience the magic of Manyoni for less this month by taking advantage of our safari special for South Africans. The Zululand bushveld is looking gorgeous after some rain
There have been some truly heart-warming tales of the Manyoni pangolins lately. So this World Pangolin Day this year, we are celebrating the pangolin conservation success stories unfolding right here
Your private group safari near Durban just got a whole lot merrier! We recently wrapped up the much-anticipated renovations of The Cottage and we are thrilled with the new look.
Out here in the bush, we don’t take ‘the bull by the horns’, we take ‘the buffalo by the boss’. Not literally, of course! That would be a death sentence,
The Wildlife Conservation Safari in Manyoni Private Game Reserve is a specialised itinerary for those who are interested in joining the Wildlife ACT professionals on the ground, participating in and
If the average safari-goer were to rank the species they most desire to see, African wild dogs usually wouldn’t even rank in the top three. Sure, they’re not the ‘prettiest’
When it comes to allogrooming among animals, the saying “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” definitely applies. While one of the main forms of communication between humans is oral
It’s not uncommon for our guests to witness predators on a kill, or even executing a hunt. Witnessing the cycle of life in person is a privilege that we’re not
On Tuesday, 1 December 2020, the rare Golden Pipit was spotted near our lodge. To non-birders, this bright yellow bird might seem unassuming, but to twitchers, it is a golden-feathered
Manyoni Private Game Reserve has a thriving cheetah population, and we are becoming well known for the outstanding cheetah sightings that guests often experience while staying with us. Cheetahs have
When children become interested in wildlife and conservation, it’s not only extremely heart-warming but also so encouraging to see the next generation getting involved from such a young age. This
Find out more about our accommodation options here: https://rhinoriverlodge.co.za/rhino-river-accommodation
Joining us from the local community, Bongani is one of our newest staff members and has found his second home here at Rhino River Lodge. He has been settling in
Nombuso is a young woman who aspires to do great things in the kitchen and in life. She is always smiling and happy looking, her attitude truly enlightens everyone that
Murray recently joined the Rhino River Lodge team in the position of Junior Ranger. Though young, Murray has already proved himself a mature and responsible member of our team, and
On an African safari, if you have a knowledgeable game ranger, you are likely to learn all sorts of new and interesting information about the animals you see. One of
Recently the Rhino River Lodge family has extended to include two new members, Sizzles and Peanut. Sizzles and Peanut are orphaned warthogs who have been adopted by managers, Clair and
The day is oppressively hot, as many are in summer in Zululand. The thermometer is pushing 40 degrees Celcius but the discomfort index reads “feels like 53”. It would be
Tips for Taking Children on Safari Written by Shannon Airton What? Take children on an African safari? The notion of taking kids on safari may seem both enticing and impractical.
One of my favourite questions to ask a game ranger is “What has been your favourite wildlife sighting so far?” After all, surely they’d have some epic stories to tell
Written by Claire Birtwhistle Dashing up a dusty road in the Zululand Rhino Reserve, none of us minded the bumpy ride as our guide, Kyle, had promised us a lion sighting.
While only newly promoted to the position of game ranger, Wyatt has been with Rhino River Lodge for longer than any of our other rangers on staff. In fact, Wyatt
In recent years, wildlife photography has seen a massive growth in popularity. DLSR cameras are now readily available, reasonably priced and user-friendly. However, as ‘easy’ as cameras are to use
For the first time safari traveller, going on safari can be an overwhelming prospect. Often considered a bucket list trip, expectations are high and the territory is unfamiliar and a
Bonisiwe, or as she is known by her nick-name “Siza”, is one of our newest staff members. She is our assistant cook in the Rhino River Lodge kitchen. Siza has
Recently photographer, Alison Langevad paid us a visit at Rhino River Lodge. Here she shares with us some of the stunning photos that she captured during her stay with us.
Angelica is Rhino River Lodge’s new Safari Host. It’s her smiling face that greets our guests at most mealtimes and when they arrive back from game drive. She is our
Terry and his wife recently came to spend a night with us at Rhino River Lodge. He captured our attention when he posted the lovely photos he took during his
If you have stayed with us over the last two years or so, then chances are, you have met Clair. Clair is our lodge manager, and while she may be
Written by Claire Birtwhistle Guests at Rhino River Lodge were recently treated to the most adorable sighting of five cubs and two lionesses in the Zululand Rhino Reserve. The reserve
Ania and Imran are return guests and have become part of the Rhino River Lodge extended family. On their most recent visit, in addition to their game drives, they also
This month’s staff feature is on our receptionist Slindile Nyandeni. Sli handles our reservations and is most likely the first face you will see when you arrive at Rhino River
Written by Shannon Airton Clouds hung heavily in the sky, mercifully shading us from the searing sun while we waited. Beneath the clouds our desired subjects flew in wide graceful
Thabi is our head cook at Rhino River Lodge. She is one of our newest staff members and has impressed us since day one with her hard work and creative
Written by Georgina Lockwood Feeling very Thelma and Louise, a friend and I had set off from Durban for a two-night stay at the stunning Rhino River Lodge in Zululand.
Written by Shannon Airton and Heidi Watson For a lion, learning to hunt is one of the most important skills that it will ever acquire. In the early days hunting
This month’s staff feature is our newest staff member, ranger Ryan Andraos. Ryan has come to us with some great experience and a whole lot of passion for the bush.
Written by Shannon Airton and Frances Hannah While on a game drive, Rhino River Lodge guests came across a hyena with a snare around its neck. Springing into action, the
Written by Shannon Airton On an African safari most people are focused on the wildlife. And rightfully so, as Africa boasts some of the most impressive animals
This month’s staff feature is Rhino River Lodge’s co-owner and general manager Dale Airton. Dale has been working in conservation his entire adult life and has been managing Rhino River
The rhino poaching crisis is continuing unabated. All too frequently we are bombarded with violent images of rhinos slaughtered, survivors with their horns brutally hacked off leaving horrible wounds, and
Recently guests at Rhino River Lodge have been getting up close and personal with a very special rhino that often approaches vehicles and rubs them with her horn in search
One question people often ask before they book a safari is “What can we expect to see during our stay?” This is especially pertinent when people are on their first
The trees were heavily laden with vultures, like balloons at a party. Everywhere we looked they stared down at us, eager eyes, menacing grins, perched ready and waiting. White-backed vultures
Anyone who has ever had a cat can testify that they love boxes. Images abound of cats contentedly squeezing themselves into all sorts of containers and making themselves at home.
This month’s featured staff member is game ranger Alex Juawo. Alex is the newest addition to the rangers at Rhino River Lodge but he’s fit right in and guests are
Written by Hillary Gaertner Good things come in threes. From fairytales to Hollywood blockbusters or, in this case, animal babies in the bush, the “rule of three” seems to always
Frances Hannah is our head ranger here at Rhino River Lodge. We love Frances for her sharp sense of humour and calm presence. Frances may be a ranger by trade
To celebrate the launch of our new Instagram account we ran a photo competition for all of our previous clients and the results were pretty spectacular. Congratulations to Ashleigh Behrens
The life of a safari lodge ranger is one ruled by adventure, excitement and that little dose of danger that comes with the bush-life package. It sounds exhilarating to any
“I’m on a date with the wilderness!” This is what I kept thinking to myself from each sunrise to sunset during my two night stay at Rhino River Lodge. I
The scene was set for a three part performance, and the whole extravaganza unravelled like any drama should. The only difference was that this was a real life bushveld sighting,
Stereotypes are way too simple, you know: black rhino are shy and retiring, the lion is the king of the jungle … ranger Frances Hannah explains that what you expect
Meeting your offspring for the first time can be quite an event – even if you are a lion, as our ranger Frances Hannah explains. We found the three big
Sometimes it’s the little thing that make all difference. We’ve been having Bush Dinners every Wednesday and Saturday during October (book now, we still have some vacancies), but planning the
Guests love lions. They love to look at them, photograph them, and tell everyone how close they got to them. Guests love lions. Except possibly the guests from this weekend.
On the sundowner drive yesterday we caught up with our three “big boys”, the male lions. I had four guests in the car, and as the first fellow ambled along
This is young mother with her calf, only a few days old and still wobbly on its feet. It is nice to see how well she is taking care of
A waterhole in the African Wilderness on a warm afternoon can be a huge magnet for the game, attracting a wide variety of animals desperately searching for water. Keeping this
The Institute of Bio mimicry looks for answers to our day to day problems in the natural world and intends to turn them into easy solutions. 1) Ever wondered why
On the 1st of July 2011, Zululand Rhino Reserve officially became a Big 5 reserve with the introduction of 3 male lions. An historical day for conservation, returning lions to
Well this last Saturday we all donned our Steve Irwin khaki’s, and got in touch with our inner “Crocodile Hunter” for a very exciting morning out in the field. It
Why is is that the best sightings always happen when you are alone and there are no witnesses? When new guests are about to experience a game drive with us
Every so often we get an unusual visitor in the camp. Our camp has an electric strand that encircles the camp at about eye-level to keep the big animals out,
There were still dew crystals scattered on the long blades on grass and the fresh winter chill was keeping us awake, when we headed off early one morning on what
Wow, it has been a while since our last blog post…but we’ve got some great news! Zululand Rhino Reserve, the reserve that Rhino River Lodge is situated in, has finally
The day was a dreary, misty foggy day. The expectations for any great sightings were pretty low but we decided to head out any way in search of the elusive
It all started with a great black rhino sighting on our morning drive. It was a big bull, and he came right up to the vehicle to investigate us. I
There is a beautiful little Leopard that we have been very lucky to see every now and then. I have mentioned a great sighting we had of it in
There must be a very tired Stork somewhere after delivering a few special parcels with us at Rhino River. The babies we have wondering around now include a few new
So last month ended with a fantastic sighting of a Leopard with an Impala carcass. We were truly spoilt with that sighting and we really couldn’t have asked for anything
What a fantastic month for sightings it’s been! The White Rhino have been plentiful, but we are still hoping for those elusive Black Rhino to make themselves seen. Isaac had
