Revitalise your spirit and soul, leave the city life behind and escape to the tranquil natural beauty found at River Bend Lodge. Anchored on endless horizons and flanked by the Zuurberg Mountains, River Bend Lodge is situated within a 17 000 ha private concession area of the Addo Elephant National Park.
Watch herds of Elephants feeding a short distance away, listen to the songs of some 250 bird species, enjoy a personalized game drive into the mountains and discover varying vegetation from thick forested valleys, open savannah plains to hillsides rich in Fynbos.
Experience the warm hospitality famous to the region as you acclimatize to the comfort of River Bend Lodge. Enjoy plentiful game activities guided by professional guides who’ll not only enlighten you in Africa’s splendid creatures, but also reveal the fascinating history of this revitalized wilderness.
River Bend - a personal experience, dedicated to conservation and rehabilitation of Africa’s natural world.
Eight individual suites, tastefully designed, invite you to relax and enjoy incredible tranquility and privacy - a haven, worlds away from the madding crowds of modern life.
Be pampered to a relaxing back massage in the privacy of your room, or sip a cocktail on your private veranda as the sun sets below the endless horizon. Rest a sleepy head on feather soft comfort and let the sounds of gentle bird song wake you to another glorious day in the Addo Elephant National Park.
All the suites are air conditioned and equipped with ceiling fans, electronic safes, mini bar, satellite TV, hair dryer and bathroom on suite with bath and shower.
The cuisine at River Bend is the perfect blend of traditional old world food and Pan-African world fusion.
Matched with the finest wines from around the country, this is a gastronomic experience.
From tempting breakfasts through to late-night nibbles, each individually plated dish, created from the finest locally grown ingredients, is presented to you in the spirit of warm hospitality.
Meals are not restricted to the dining room and guests are encouraged to make use of one the various verandas or to arrange a packed picnic to enjoy on your game drive. Romantic candle lit dinners in the privacy of your room are welcomed.
From marveling at the magnificent Elephant herds grazing a short distance from you on your private game drive, tracking the movements of game on foot, learning about the medicinal values of the bush to strolling through the citrus orchards of our adjacent farm, River Bend offers a diversity of activities to enjoy. All at your own pace and pleasure. GAME DRIVES & GUIDED WALKS River Bend is situated inside a 17000 ha private concession area of the Addo Elephant National Park. Home to the Big Five, the region is also steeped in history and along with National Parks, River Bend is constantly involved in rehabilitating this magnificent wildlife region to its former glory.
Game drives are conducted inside the Addo or in our 5000ha Private Intsomi Reserve. The Intsomi Reserve, accessible exclusively by River Bend, is also home to various species not seen in the Addo such as Giraffe, White Rhino, Sable, Gemsbok and the endangered Bontebok to name but a few.
Guided walks are conducted in the Intsomi Reserve where your guide will focus on the smaller creatures and plants.
Joining one of our professional guides on a night drive, the beauty of the Southern Hemisphere sky and its history will form part of the search for some of the indigenous nocturnal species to be found in the area.
MOUNTAIN DRIVES AND WALKS Take a picturesque drive into the majestic Zuurberg Mountains. Enjoy a sundowner drink as the sun sets over the sweeping valley below and watch as the colours change the mood of the day. Ideal for those seeking breath-taking beauty and tranquility. BIRD-WATCHING The region is home to over 300 species. Search for the ever elusive Narina Trogon or Knysna Touraco in the forests on the mountain slopes, the Blue Cranes nesting in the grassland or the majestic Black Eagle soaring overhead.
Our guides are all trained bird watchers and special birding trips can be arranged when making your reservation. Should you wish to spend the day away from the lodge and other non-birders, our guides would take you on a private birding trip with a packed lunch to be enjoyed in the veld.
TOURS TO THE WILDLIFE REHABILITATION PROJECTS Take a guided tour to our rehabilitation projects in the River Bend Private Intsomi Reserve where you can learn about how the wildlife are cared for and get great sightings of these rare and endangered species.
Currently there are wild dog and serval breeding projects, a hand reared white rhino due for release in 2006 and a leopard cub saved from a canned leopard operation.
This centre is of no commercial value and access is limited as we are hoping to release these animals back into the wild in due course.
CULTURAL & HISTORICAL EXCURSIONS Learn about the medicinal values of the flora and fauna in the region by an experienced local ranger. Or take a self drive historical tour to the battlefields and frontier town of Grahamstown - a mere 80kms from River Bend. CITRUS TOURS AND PICNICS Spend some time visiting the River Bend Citrus farm on a guided tour by our citrus manager. The River Bend Citrus farm currently has over 217 000 trees producing oranges, navels, ruby grapefruit and lemons for the export market.
Our chef will prepare a delicious picnic for you to enjoy in the coolness of the orchard shade.
TRACKING COURSES During the school holidays in April, July and September special tracking courses will be held for young adventurers wanting to spend some time learning the secrets of the bush. These 5 day, four night courses will be spend in the veld, away from civilization and the lodge.
During this time you will learn how to survive in the bush, how to identify animals, spoor identification and time would be spend on the night skies. Basic bush cooking skills will also be learned while making use of some of the edible plants that you have learnt about.
These courses are held for a minimum of 6 people and a maximum of 10, no under 10 years of age.
ASTRONOMY Big open skies and wide horizons offer spectacular stellar and planet gazing. Our rangers are highly knowledgeable in astronomy and offer interesting talks on night drives. Special astronomy packages can be arranged on request. Children of all ages are welcome at River Bend. Various activities are on offer including a playroom where hours of fun can be had.
The team is geared towards every need and children will be taken on walks with their guide, baking biscuits with the chef or doing mini treatments with the Beauty Therapist.
There is also a dedicated channel on our television network on which children are able to choose from a selection of videos to be played.
Should your children decide not to join you on a game drive or for dinner, we have trained child minders to take care of them while you can relax and enjoy the beauty of the Addo Elephant National Park and make use of the luxury facilities at River Bend Lodge.
A specially designed kiddies menu of all-time favorites, served at your convenience, all form part of our commitment to ensuring a pleasant stay for all our guests. |
