Mhondoro Game Lodge in Welgevonden Game Reserve
Spotting the Big 5 in South Africa is on many a travel bucket list and most people immediately think of the Kruger National Park. However, there are many more nature parks in South Africa where you can spot the world’s most famous quintet. Such as Welgevonden Game Reserve, where a Dutch couple has recently opened a super deluxe lodge.
Welgevonden Game Reserve
You will find Welgevonden Game Reserve in the north of South Africa, about a three hour drive from Johannesburg (Limpopo province). In Welgevonden, among others, lives the Big 5. The park borders on Marakele Game Reserve, there are no fences between the two parks, so the animals have a large habitat. Welgevonden Game Reserve is no less than 35,000 hectares and is home to a huge population of white rhinoceroses after the Big 5. You can go on walking tours with a guide where you can see the animals in their natural habitat.
Mhondoro Game Lodge
The super deluxe Mhondoro Game Lodge has recently been opened in the middle of Welgevonden Game Reserve, run by the Dutch interior designer Myriam Vogel and her husband Frank. The two have owned a large piece of land for a while, but due to a setback (fire) part of their resort had to be rebuilt. That has now been completed and there is a truly beautiful lodge, in the middle of the African wilderness.
Mhondoro is a beautiful, super deluxe place to see. Unique to this lodge is that it is located in a malaria-free zone, where you can see the Big 5 up close. Via an underground tunnel you come from the main lodge to one of the drinking places of the elephants. This way, visitors can get very close to the animals in a safe way.
Welgevonden Game Reserve is also a special place at night, when thousands of stars emerge on a clear night. Mhondoro has a ‘star deck’ especially for this, where you can enjoy this spectacle as soon as it gets dark. Mhondoro also has everything you expect from a super deluxe lodge in Africa: swimming pools, a gym, yoga room, a honeymoon suite and a wellness center where you can get a massage.
The lodge is decorated by interior designer Myriam Vogel, who has mixed African and European influences. There is room for up to 20 guests who can stay in the main residence or in the private honeymoon suite. You can stay in Mhondoro for about 225 euros per night.
