Kosi Forest Lodge

Rooms

There are 8 guest huts - 2 of which can be linked to make a family unit - hidden away amongst the sand forest. They have tented sides, thatched roofs and attractive dark-wood decking. Although Kosi Bay is a low-risk malaria area, the beds have mosquito nets, as well as colourful cotton bedspreads and really comfortable mattresses. At the far end of each hut, screened behind reed-covered panelling, is a dressing room with a sink, a wardrobe and a toilet which gives access to the sand-floored boma bathroom, open to the stars and overhung by branches. A bath here will become a treasured Kosi memory.

Although basic, we loved the combination of wood and canvas and the authentic bush feel of the huts. And they really come into their own at night when you can sit out on your deck, or laze in your hammock, gazing at the night sky. The absence of electric lighting means there is little light pollution; the night skies at Kosi are unbelievable.

Features include:

• Mosquito net

Eating

Breakfast at Kosi begins around 8am; a large buffet laid up beneath the huge Zulu podberry tree at the main lodge. There are cheeses, cold meats, cereals, homemade muffins and croissants, boxed fruit juices, and a cooked breakfast order is taken at your table by one of Kosi Lodge’s ever-smiling staff.

Unless you’re here for several days the chances are that your lunch will be a picnic, perhaps overlooking the Indian ocean or on the banks of the lake. The food is adequate rather than memorable: a few nibbles, followed by a selection of salads - maybe potato or chicken mayonnaise, water melon and goat’s cheese, or chopped beetroot - and cold meats and cheeses, accompanied by corn bread baked that morning back at the lodge.

But if the lunches don’t exactly sing, the dinners here are really special. There’s a cosy thatched bar to one side of the dining area where you soon get chummy with your fellow guests, and a fire is lit on the boma, sending shadows dancing across the forest canopy. You eat on the main deck or follow a lamp-lit path which winds through the forest to a small clearing, where a circle of tables have been set up under the Albizia trees. A set menu is served every night: starters tend to be soups or salads, and being in the bush yet close to the sea, you may be treated to barbecued fish or meat from the braai. There’s a small selection of South African wines, beers and soft drinks.

Features include:

• All meals included
• Bar
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Hike through the Raffia Palm Forest, then canoe along shaded water channels past crocodiles, water monitors, otters and myriad plant and birdlife - this is included in the rates
  
  
• Take a day excursion by jeep to Kosi Mouth, where you can snorkel and walk for miles along a deserted beach towards the Mozambique border
  
  
• Between June and September, you'll be able to watch humpback and southern right whales migrate northwards along the coast - it takes 1 hour to reach the coast
  
  
• Explore the Kosi lake system by motor launch, stopping to swim, birdwatch and to see traditional Thonga fish traps
  
  
• From mid-November through to mid-January, take a night excursion to see leatherback and loggerhead turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs. These trips are available every night
  
  
• Drive to the Tembe National Elephant Park, just 1 hour from the lodge, and watch these amazing pachyderms, plus other wildlife, from the safety of a secluded hide
  
  
• The national park has the Big 7: lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, rhinoceros, whales and dolphins - talk to staff about arranging a safari trip
  
  
• Follow a marked game path straight out from the lodge, stopping to birdwatch from the hide and to hippo-watch at the lakeside

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Boat trips
• Hiking
• Horse riding
• Kayaking
• Plantlife / flora
• Private guided tours
• Safaris
• Swimming
• Whale watching
• Wildlife

Kids

The low risk of malaria means that the Kosi Bay Nature Reserve is a popular destination for families with children. They’d get good mileage out of the beach, the wildlife, the small swimming pool and the canoe trips along the waterways.

Best for:

Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

There is a family suite, made up of 2 interconnecting rooms, which can sleep up to 5 people.

Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Kosi Forest Lodge is located in the Kosi Bay Nature Reserve, part of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, now internationally recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The reserve is on the wild and pristine Elephant Coast of South Africa in KwaZulu-Natal - the Eastern coastline which is bordered to the north by Mozambique.

A visit to the park could easily be combined with a trip to Lesotho and/or Swaziland.

By Air
Richards Bay (250km / 4-hour drive) is the closest airport - reachable via scheduled flights from Johannesburg (flight duration 1 hour 15 minutes). From Richards Bay, you can take a 30-minute charter flight to Manguzi airstrip (min 2 pax / luggage allowance 12kg).

Alternatively, take a charter flight from Johannesburg to Phinda Airstrip (1 hour 15 minutes) followed by a Zumat flight to the lodge airstrip at Manguzi (30 minutes / luggage allowance 20kg). From the airstrip it's 25 minutes to the lodge. The lodge can organise some domestic flights.

By Car
You can self-drive here - see our car rental recommendations. Alternatively road transfers can be arranged from Richards Bay, Durban and Phinda, which is about 2 hours south of Kosi. If you are not driving in a 4x4 you will be collected in Manguzi or Kosi Bay at either 12noon or 4pm. If you are staying at other lodges, transfers can be arranged.

Detailed directions will be provided when you book through i-escape.

More on getting to South Africa and getting around.