This luxury lodge is situated in a private concession inside the Addo Elephant National Park. Here you can enjoy exclusive access to the 14 000 hectare Nyathi Section of the National Park – a special place, where the Sub-tropical Thickets meet the Suurberg Mountains. From RiverBend Lodge we can also drive out to explore the rest of the Addo Elephant National Park, which is roughly 200 000 hectares in size… the bird life and biodiversity is staggering!
Birder Friendly Establishments
Eastern Cape
Addo Elephant National Park
Activities
Book a birding drive with one of our bird specialist guides at RiverBend Lodge, and go on a journey of exploration into the Open Grassland, Gallery Forest and Riverine Woodland that most people never get to see. In fact, where else in the country can you visit 5 different biomes in one day: Thicket, Fynbos, Forest, Grassland, and Savanna. You can also book a Photographic Safari with our specialist wildlife photographer.
Special birds in the Park
On our guided birding drives, you are likely to spot some of the local special, such as Booted Eagle, Denham’s Bustard, Southern Black Korhaan, Knysna Turaco, Brown Scrub Robin, Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher, as well as both the Black and the Grey Cuckooshrike. If you are lucky then you might even get to see the elusive Narina Trogon! This is a great area to explore, even for the experienced birder, who is looking for a nice challenge, as we have a good number of LBJs on the list, including 7 different Cisticolas, 6 different Larks and 4 different Pipits. With a bird list of 332 species, it is quite possible to see 50 species on only one excursion, and you can expect to see well over a hundred species during your stay at the lodge. Download the attached bird check list by clicking HERE.
Enjoy the experience of a lifetime
River Bend Lodge is rated as a 5-star lodge, and here you can expect colonial style luxury accommodation. It is the only luxury lodge inside the Addo Elephant National Park that is also family friendly. All suites are air-conditioned, equipped with ceiling fans, electronic safes, and a mini bar, satellite TV, free Wi-Fi, hairdryer and en-suite bathroom with separate bath and shower. Suites with inter-leading doors are available for families.
Where possible, we try and provide guests with their own private guide and private game viewing vehicle. For the kids there is a mini-rangers programme, where they can learn the basics about bird identification, and start their first
ever bird check-list. Please pre-book your birding drive to secure your bird
specialist guide for your stay at RiverBend Lodge.
Cedarville
The Cedarberg Guest Farm is situated between Kokstad and Matatiele at the foothills of the most Southern Drakensberg-Maluti mountain range. Cedarville is close to three mountain passes with border posts into Lesotho which make the farm a perfect base to explore this lesser known section of the Drakensberg and southern Lesotho.
Cedarberg Guest Farm has a number of self catering cottages to offer guests that want to come and enjoy the farm and area and all the bird watching is has to offer. It has braai facilities and a nice cosy fireplace for the cold winters.
Birding
There are more or less 90 bird species just in the garden and on the farm itself which range from your normal garden birds for the area to quite a few birds of prey and birds that enjoy aquatic areas like the dam. What is very special to the area is that al three species of Cranes are found here, Blue Crane, Wattled Crane and the beautiful Grey Crowned Crane. Along with them the Secretarybird is also quite common in the area. Another one that is very special to our area is the Bearded Vulture among a whole lot of other vultures. With the smaller birds Rudd’s lark is a unique one.
On the Farm itself you’ll already find quite a big variety of birds within the garden, in the veld, on the mountains and at the big dam. Across the Cedarville flats and on farms in the area you’ll find even more. Cedarberg Guest Farm is a conservation area and are therefore just a step below a nature reserve with bird species that won’t disappoint.
Humansdorp
Oyster Bay Lodge is located between Tsitsikamma and Port Elizabeth. It lies within a beautiful Coastal Reserve (235 ha) and incorporates magnificent dunes, woods, river deltas, beaches, wetlands, lagoons, free roaming horses and an extensive bird life.
A variety of activities like horse riding on the beach, hiking trails on the Coastal Reserve, sand boarding, family or romantic picnics and bird-watching will give our guest the opportunity to experience the Coastal Reserve. Our private and unspoiled sandy beachfront of 3.5 km makes Oyster Bay Lodge a little paradise in the Eastern Cape.
Accommodation
This four star graded luxury lodge is situated on a natural, coastal reserve between Tsitsikamma and Port Elizabeth along the malaria free Garden Route in South Africa. Our luxury accommodation and B&B accommodation consists of luxury ‘Cape Dutch’ chalets and comfortable guestrooms with optional services and an exciting variety of activities and adventures on the property and the surrounding area. Our guests can relax at the freshwater swimming pool or enjoy a drink in the ocean viewing bar. After having viewed the sunset from our relaxing bar, our hosts will take you through to our cosy restaurant where you can enjoy excellent cuisine.
After a good night’s rest you will be woken up by sounds of the Indian Ocean and fauna of our Coastal Reserve. Enjoy a delicious and healthy a la carte breakfast before exploring the private sandy beach and hiking trails. Oyster Bay Lodge offers internet facilities and excellent mobile phone reception for the business traveller and those wanting to keep in touch with friends and family. To follow the news “at home” a satellite television is available in our lounge and ocean viewing bar for your convenience.
Port Alfred
Located in the malaria free Eastern Cape where the Garden Route meets the Sunshine Coast, with a temperate year round climate, Pomeroy Lodges is perfectly placed to provide easy access to the many activities and places of interest available in this beautiful area of the Eastern Cape.
The five luxury self-catering lodges at Pomeroy stand before gum trees overlooking 330 hectares of mixed veldts, bush and riverine forest. Each lodge offers spacious accommodation, sleeping up to four persons. A fully fitted kitchen and outside braai facilities provide everything required for easy living. The furnished living area opens out directly onto the stoep, for indoor or outdoor relaxation.
Pomeroy Reserve is home to a wide variety of animals including Giraffe, Zebra, Wildebeest, Kudu and Nyala with many of the species enjoying the succulent grasses near the lodges affording excellent sighting opportunities from the comfort of your lodge.
There are also many well maintained tracks and paths, making the reserve easily accessible. Spend some time relaxing by the dams or make use of the strategically placed hides to watch the game and bird life. There is no dangerous game however all wild animals should be treated with caution and respect as their behaviour can be unpredictable.
A total of 130 species have been recorded in the reserve including Crowned Eagle, Cape Weaver, Greater Double Collared Sunbird, Amethyst Sunbird, Cape White-eye, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Black-headed Oriel, Grey-headed Bushshrike, Black-collared Barbet, Wood Hoopoe, Barn Swallow, Black Saw-wing, Yellow-billed Kite and also Cape Glossy, Black-bellied and Red-winged starlings.
Rhodes
Walkerbouts Inn – Rhodes was established more than two decades ago by the proprietor, Dave Walker. It is located on the same site as the original farmhouse on the farm “Tintern” on which the village of Rhodes was established in 1891. It is in an elevated position on the western side of Rhodes on a quiet cul-de-sac with a stunning view across the village.
Attending trade shows such as Indaba, Hooked on Fishing, the Grahamstown Festival, Getaway shows and many others on behalf of the local tourism industry, Walker was accordingly nicknamed “Walkabout” by Leon Isted, a late great friend from the farm Bidstone who is sorely missed. On establishing the venue, it was a natural conclusion that the name should be a corruption of the nickname and became “Walkerbouts Inn – Rhodes”.
A number of bird species can be seen in the Highlands and Walkerbouts is an ideal venue from which “twitchers” can venture into the mountains to seek their next “tick”. The network of roads from Rhodes places one in ideal locations to view these specialities. Orange-breasted rock-jumpers and Ground woodpeckers on the concrete pass in the Carlisleshoekspruit. Drakensberg siskins and Sickle wings on the plateau on the Naudesnek Pass route. Black Harriers on the Ben McDhui plateau. Bearded vultures in the Donkerhoek vicinity and many more species, all within an easy drive from Rhodes. A good field guide and binoculars is essential. Ask at reception for a copy of our bird list comprised of +-230 species seen in the Barkly East district down the years.
Walkerbouts was awarded a 3-star rating by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa. It has six en-suite bedrooms complete with wall-mounted panel heaters and beds fitted with electric blankets to ward off the winter chill. Four of the room’s en-suite facilities have showers and the other two have showers in the baths. Three have a double bed with a single bed and three have a double and two single beds.
The dining room and lounge are heated by a “Jetmaster” fire-place as well as an anthracite heater. The cosy pub, whose walls could tell many stories also has a wood-fired “Queen Anne” heater. Our famous pizza’s add another dimension to the cuisine and provide an alternative to the wholesome country fare served in our dining room. More specialised victuals such as vegetarian meals can be prepared by prior arrangement.
We pride ourselves on giving guests personal attention including special dietary arrangements, ensuring that they enjoy their stay with us. Well behaved pets are also welcome by prior arrangement to share the delights of the experience.
Rhodes is a historic village known for its scenic beauty, quietness and tranquillity Rhodes is located in the Eastern Cape Highlands, near the escarpment at the southernmost end of the mighty Drakensberg mountain range in the magisterial district of Barkly East. It is 1821m above sea-level and is 16km due south of the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho.
The village is surrounded by the towns of Elliot, Maclear and Ugie below the escarpment and above the escarpment, Barkly East lies 60km by road to the west of Rhode