Wendys Country Lodge

Wendy’s Country Lodge is a nature lover’s delight with bird life in abundance. The guesthouse is set in a beautiful large tropical garden in Riverview, a peaceful suburb to Mtubatuba only 20 minutes away from the craft markets and beaches of St. Lucia, the world famous Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Game Reserve, and of course South Africa’s first World Heritage Site, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

A warm hospitable welcome awaits you in this charming colonial style home that offers 4 star luxury en-suite bed & breakfast accommodation for tourists, as well as corporate guests needing peaceful and comfortable accommodation on their travel.

A delicious full English breakfast is included, and in the evening you can enjoy some of the finest cuisine in our restaurant and relax with good fellowship around Tony’s Private Bar.

With our central location for exploring Zululand in KwaZulu-Natal a part of the accommodation service we offer is to assist our guests in the planning of tours and safaris to get the most of their time.

The main tours and safaris starts from our doorstep and are undertaken by experienced guides from Zululand Aquatic & Animal Adventures which have a sound knowledge of the abundant wildlife of the Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Game Reserve and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

Accommodation At Wendy’s Country Lodge we offer 4 star luxury en-suite bed & breakfast accommodation.

All our bedrooms are spacious, have comfortable twin or double beds, en-suite shower and Victorian bath, ceiling fan, air-conditioning, tea/coffee tray and fresh flowers.
The rooms all have view to the magnificent tropical garden, and three of our rooms have private patios where you can enjoy the abundant bird life.
The romantic and honeymooners are fully catered for in our charming honeymoon suites.
For the family we offer a cottage that sleeps up to 5 people.

A part of the service we offer our guests is to assist them in the planning of tours, safaris and activities to enable them to get the most of their time. We both have extensive knowledge of Northern KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa as we have lived here for many years and have a keen interest in all activities relating to the outdoors.

The main tours and safaris start from our doorstep and are undertaken by experienced guides from Zululand Aquatic & Animal Adventures which have a sound knowledge of the ocean and the abundant flora and fauna of the area.

Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Game Reserve Safaris

The Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park has the Big 5 where the rhino population is of special note. Being in a relatively high rainfall area, the carrying capacity is high and there is plenty of game to see. It is advisable to give yourselves two days for game viewing.

The iSimangaliso Wetland Park

The iSimangaliso Wetland Park is a declared World Heritage Site. Several excellent boat tours are available from St. Lucia only 20 minutes away, and cover various parts of the lake and the St. Lucia Estuary. The main attractions are: Hippos, Crocodiles, Fish Eagles, Goliath Herons, Pelicans and a host of other bird life.

Walking Trails

Numerous walking trails are available. One of the most popular is the Mziki trail where sightings of crocodiles, hippos, water birds and buck are almost guaranteed.
Cultural Tours: The Dumazulu Traditional Village is only a 20 minutes drive north of Riverview and caters for tourists wishing to experience the Zulu culture without too much commercialism.

Beaches:
Cape Vidal (part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park) has safe swimming and good snorkelling where numerous tropical fish can be seen.
Mission rocks (on the way to Cape Vidal) has beautiful walks along a secluded beach.
The St. Lucia Estuary and beach has numerous tourist related activities. Mapelane is situated to the south of St. Lucia and is a little out of the way but has a charm and beauty of its own.

Fishing

St. Lucia offers excellent fishing in the estuary, along the beaches and deep-sea, but be aware of crocodiles and sharks especially at night time. Consult with the local conservation officers if you are new in the area.

Mtubatuba

Mtubatuba is a small busy town located around 200 km north of Durban. The town was established as a railway siding in 1903 and named after the local Zulu chief. In 1916 the first sugar mill was build along with a shop, bank and even a hotel. Today Mtubatuba has become a commercial and administrative centre for the entire North Eastern Zululand region.
Due to its location Mtubatuba is the ideal base from where to explore the Zulu culture, the nearby world famous Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Game Reserve and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa’s first World Heritage Site. The town itself does not have many activities to offer, but especially for overseas guests, a shopping tour to Mtubatuba with a visit to the local taxi rank, gives a good insight in a small modern Zulu town and the life of the ordinary Zulu people.

St. Lucia

St. Lucia Village is located only 25 km east of Mtubatuba, and is tucked in between the St. Lucia Estuary and the Indian Ocean. The town’s economy is primary based on tourism, and with the many activities St. Lucia is worth visiting. There are beautiful beaches, excellent fishing, a vegetable and craft market, and of course the very popular Boat Cruises on the St. Lucia Estuary.

Just north of St. Lucia is the Crocodile Centre located that beside the many crocodiles in all ages, also has a Snake Park, Cycad Garden and a Curio Shop. In the same area there are several shorter hiking trails.