Honeymoon Highs at Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge

Whenever anyone asks me what the highlight of my South African honeymoon is, my mind wanders back to the first lodge of our stay.

Rhino Ridge is located in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, Africa’s oldest proclaimed game reserve. (It’s pronounced ‘sher-shoo-wee um-foe-low-zi’)

The lodge is situated approximately 280 km north of Durban, from where we flew to Johannesburg with budget carrier FlySafair. From there, we hired a Mitsubishi ASX with Woodford Car Hire to drive the few hours to Rhino Ridge.

Both transfers were reasonably priced with cash; no points were used for this part of the experience. The flight was about A$125pp each way, while the compact SUV hire was roughly A$460 for eight nights.

In contrast, our stay at Rhino Ridge was an uncharacteristic splurge for us. The total damage? About ZAR 35,700 (~AU$2,925) for three all-inclusive nights under the honeymoon package.

Driving to Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge

The journey from Durban’s King Shaka Airport to Rhino Ridge is doable with a standard 2WD car and the lodge gives comprehensive instructions on how to get there. Apparently, Google Maps isn’t entirely accurate here.

Most of the road trip is along a major freeway, but the last hour is within the park itself on gravel roads. It’s from here that the magic starts to happen.

Out in the bushes, we first saw some antelopes. Then a warthog. And then – my eyes could scarcely believe it – we inched past a herd of zebra, just a mere metre away from the road. It was surreal.

High up on a hill, we eventually spotted the lodge perched on the edge. And then, after some twists and turns, we were there.

As we pulled up to the lodge entrance, it was like the pitstop in an F1 race. Except, more relaxing. Someone came to bring the bags to our villa while another hopped into the car to park it. Meanwhile, we were ushered to the panoramic deck to check in and enjoy some lunch.

Inside the Honeymoon Bush Villa

Our first thoughts as we stepped into Villa Seven, one of two Honeymoon Bush Villas? Rustic. Relaxing. Remarkable. It was tastefully designed, featuring a luxurious king bed, a freestanding bathtub, and even a private plunge pool.

Also awaiting in the room were some romantic touches – a bottle of local sparkling wine and even some cute L-O-V-E letters scattered around the bathtub.

Our balcony overlooked the sprawling game reserve. Sometimes we spotted giraffe in the distance. One of the most relaxing moments on this trip was sinking into the oversized bathtub and just feeling at peace in the world.

Life at Rhino Ridge

Like most safari lodges, Rhino Ridge bundles two game drives a day in the room rate. This includes the afternoon drive upon arrival and a morning drive before check-out, for a total of six excursions over three days.

Our guide, Thobeka, was wonderfully bubbly and knowledgeable. She was truly a gem – an expert 4WD driver, animal spotter (even in the dark, armed with just a torch) and wildlife encyclopedia.

Though the open-air 4WDs can accommodate up to ten people, just six of us were with Thobeka, so we each got a spare middle seat per couple. It’s the same feeling as lucking out with an empty middle seat on an Economy flight!

A typical day at Rhino Ridge looks like this:

• 5:30 am: Wake-up and enjoy a coffee with rusks.
• 6:00 am: Morning game drive starts. A light morning tea is served mid-way through at a rest stop with tea, coffee and biscuits.
• 9 – 10 am: Arrive back and tuck into a full breakfast at the lodge.
• 10 am – 2:30 pm: Leisure time at the lodge.
• 2:30 pm: High tea-style lunch is served at the lodge.
• 4:00 pm: Afternoon game drive starts. A sundowner with snacks and complimentary alcoholic beverages is served around sunset.
• 7 – 8 pm: Arrive back and enjoy a three-course dinner at the lodge.
• 9pm: Free time, rest and repeat!

Of course, getting up at 5:30 am isn’t really anyone’s idea of fun or relaxation on honeymoon. But we were thrilled to be on safari and found it was easy to get up, especially as there was plenty of downtime in the middle of the day.

There were quite a few children staying at the lodge. Some of them rose early with their parents, but other families slept in and just did the afternoon drive. It was also possible to organise a 10 am, kid-friendly drive at extra cost.

Our Safari Experience

Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park is home to the big five (in terms of danger to humans): lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo.

We narrowly missed out on the lion and leopard. Both were spotted by others nearby at some point, but they vanished not long after. We didn’t come here to merely tick boxes, though, and still had a fulfilling experience. There’s always next time!

The safari experience was nothing short of fantastic. It didn’t feel like we spent hours on the road each drive, though that’s what happened in practice.

Thobeka asked my wife what she wanted to see on her first-ever safari. She answered ‘giraffe,’ and as luck had it, we later chanced upon an entire herd of these tall, majestic creatures by a watering hole, slowly munching on the canopy.

Watching them wander around us as the sun gently dipped below the horizon was a memory that’s forever etched into my brain.

Over the days, we encountered curious elephants, stubborn buffalo, and rare rhinos (which are still threatened by poaching, unfortunately). We also sighted zebras, antelopes, nyalas, wildebeest, hyenas, and much more.

It was a pity that our stay was unseasonably wet and cloudy for most of the time. Despite Thobeka being very well prepared with warm blankets and durable ponchos, we still got rained on a few times. It’s all part of the fun.

On our very last game drive, we came across something I hadn’t thought much of before – the ‘wild dogs’, also known as the African Painted Dog. Apparently, they are rarely sighted these days, and Thobeka squealed with excitement when we spotted them.

It is evident that this pack had seen better days. One of the dogs literally had an ear bitten clean off, and another had a gaping hole in its neck – both wounds looked quite fresh. Thobeka surmised that they’d likely been attacked by leopards recently.

But now, they were on the prowl. We tracked them for a few kilometres as they ran in formation, sniffing at the air. Up ahead, a lucky group of nyala spotted the danger and leapt away. There was to be no attack today.

All-inclusive luxury at Rhino Ridge

We were nothing short of spoiled at Rhino Ridge. The rates are full-board, so all meals are included. Drinks were reasonably priced by our standards, with soft drinks costing under A$2 per can and glasses of wine at around A$6 each. Cocktails weren’t much more than that, either.

Our honeymoon package entitled us to a private dinner in our room one night. But it was just as lovely to dine on the main deck with everyone else, bathed in candlelight.

The food was predominantly Western or Asian, with some African influences, such as the standout grilled kudu fillet, an antelope.

Breakfast and lunch were similarly tasty and filling. There’s something about being on safari that makes one ravenous. Breakfast typically had a continental or ‘big grill’ plate, while the late lunch was served as an assortment of light bites. Make no mistake, it was still a lot of food.

During the downtime between drives, there was ample opportunity to go for a swim at the resort pool or indulge in a paid massage. Our package also entitled us to a complimentary 30-minute treatment each.

What about tipping in South Africa?

Gratuities were handled via envelopes at reception, which you could fill in and submit at the end. Coming from Australia, we weren’t sure what to expect, so we did a lot of research beforehand. Tipping is customary and appreciated in South Africa, but not mandatory.

Our understanding is that the guide should be tipped about ZAR 150 (A$12.5) per person, per day. The suggested pooled tip for general staff, including servers and housekeeping, is approximately ZAR 100 (A$ 8.50) per night. This was placed in a box to be divided evenly among everyone.

Finally, we handed smaller cash tips directly to our masseuses and porters.

Final Words

Rhino Ridge truly exceeded our expectations. The lodge is beautiful and a testament to Isibindi Africa, which built and operates the lodges. Through the Isibindi Foundation, the lodge gives back to the broader community. They also hire and train staff from the nearby villages.

The feeling of going on safari is something I still can’t quite perfectly capture with words. There’s something about the wind in your hair, the uncertainty of what you’re going to see, and the pure amazement when you witness the beauty of nature unfold around you.

I will be back.