Polokwane - Concealed in the lush woodlands of the Balule Nature Reserve, Greater Kruger’s Big 7 sanctuary, Ezulwini Billy’s Lodge hosts its guests in safari style.
African luxury splayed out in the bush in the form of private suites, thatched ceilings over spacious wooden decking, a fire-lit boma, and most enchantingly, an elevated skywalk leading to a private waterhole teeming with elephant activity.
Elephants are not the only water-lovers making a presence at the end of this extraordinary walkway. Waterbuck, kudu, zebra, and giraffe sneak in when all is quiet, while Ezulwini’s famous blue-eyed leopard, Chavaluthu, hides just beyond sight.
The skywalk, as it has become fondly known, is a unique and innovative addition to the already spacious viewing deck at Billy’s Lodge. Built on wooden stilts and fitted with steady planks and hand rails to create a footpath in the air, the skywalk transports guests from the main lodge to a shaded outdoor lounge on a platform that overlooks the waterhole.
Big tuskers are frequent visitors – one bull so familiar with the lodge, he has been dubbed, ‘Ezulwini’. Almost daily, the tuskers bring the younger elephant bulls to feed on the vegetation surrounding the lodge. A seasonal drainage line furrows below the deck, inviting the elephants to feed on its green leaves. Guests step onto the skywalk and watch in bewilderment as these giants walk below them, offering a once in a lifetime opportunity to stand taller than Earth’s largest land mammal.
At night, the stars and the moon illuminate the waterhole at the end of the walkway, and a whole new view presents itself. Before settling down for an al fresco dinner, Billy’s Lodge guests take to the elevated walkway once more and wait, look, and listen for the nocturnal porcupine, jackal, honey badger, and lion to announce their presence at the popular drinking hole. It really is no surprise that Ezulwini is a ‘Place of Paradise’.
For all reservation enquiries, please contact Sun Destinations by telephone on +27 (0) 21 421 8433 or email: reservations@sundestinations.co.za
Adapted from a press release for IOL