Girls gone wild: Bonamanzi Game Reserve
The President of the East Coast, Loryn Holmes, writes: The best therapy in the world is time out with your friends. True Story!
The President of the East Coast, Loryn Holmes, writes: The best therapy in the world is time out with your friends ... True Story!
I always refer to my friends as my family and my family as my friends; having been blessed with a large number in each category.
This past weekend I was given the opportunity to spend some quality time with some of my fabulous friends in the most perfect surrounding – Dinizulu Camp at Bonamanzi Game Reserve! #happyplace
After strategically packing five girls’ bags into the rather spacious boot of my Chevrolet Cruze Hatch we headed up the N2 ready for a Girls’ Weekend in the Bush! No road trip is complete without a sufficient supply of quality snacks and sing-along tunes, courtesy of East Coast Radio of course!
A couple hours later, just as the sun was setting, we arrived safely at our destination. The private camp that was to be our home for the next two evenings was more than we had ever expected.
The luxury Dinizulu Camp is located off the beaten track within Bonamanzi Game Reserve and offers accommodation for six people in three separate thatched huts all with en-suite bathrooms.
The spacious communal living area has a fully equipped kitchen, lounge and dining area, satellite TV as well as a built-in bar. The lounge opens up onto an outdoor entertainment area that overlooks the Dinizulu Lake - providing the perfect location for an afternoon snooze (tried and tested by Monica) or a space where you can just zone out, game spot or watch the sun set over the bush. Truly AMA-zing.
There is also a pool but, being the middle of winter, none of us were feeling exceptionally brave to test it out but have no doubt that it would be a welcomed cool off in the KZN summer heat.
Although Dinizulu does function on a self-catering basis, we opted to enjoy dinner at the Lalpanzi Camp . The restaurant gives an “Out of Africa” feel, especially on Saturday night when were seated around the fire pit under a clear African starlit sky. There was a more than decent choice on the buffet station which catered for everyone’s dietary requirements. Having been on “Mission Diet” for the past couple of weeks, I didn’t hold back and over-indulged properly!
Saturday we treated ourselves to a lazy lie-in and thanks to Chef Warren, we didn’t even have to go far for breakfast. It was no big task for him and his team to bring breakfast to us. Now that’s service.
There are a number of activities on offer within Bonamanzi Game Reserve and under the observant eye (literally) of our guide, Anton, we got to experience two of the more popular activities.
Saturday morning we took a leisurely cruise down the Hluhluwe River – for those of you who are keen birders this is the ideal “vehicle” for spotting a host of river birds.
Later that afternoon we were tracking fresh leopard prints but unfortunately were not lucky enough to see this magnificent creature in the flesh.
Also on offer are horse safaris which were introduced earlier this year and are proving to be a really popular activity. There is also the option of a Sunrise Breakfast Ride which is an 1 ½ hour horse ride followed by sumptuous breakfast in the bush or alternatively the Sundowner ride, which includes sundowners and snacks against the breath-taking backdrop of False Bay. There are also guided walking tours and bush braais on the list.
Looking for a conference or wedding venue? Look no further! They offer that too, not forgetting the Amanzi Spa on site, to ensure you leave feeling holistically revitalised and rejuvenated.
Situated 20 minutes from Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve, Bonamanzi offers the ideal location for easy access to the “Big 5” game reserve. In addition to the luxury Dinizulu Camp, there is a choice of comfortable accommodation ranging from Tree Houses and Lodges, Chalets as well as camping facilities. An added bonus is that Bonamanzi provides a safe bush experience in which you can do walks or drives with or without the company of a trained field guide.
To the Management Team and Staff at Bonamanzi Game Reserve, THANK YOU for an incredible weekend away and for making us feel so welcome! We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Do not delay, book your bush getaway today. Visit www.bonamanzi.co.za for further details or call +27 (0) 35 562 0181
- Loryn Holmes