The Balule Nature Reserve is special for many reasons, not least of all its diverse terrain of rocky outcrops, the burgeoning Olifants River, thorny thickets, and sandy drainage lines. Ezulwini River Lodge boasts a prime position in this 40 000 hectare private nature reserve, built amid fig and mahogany trees on the luscious banks of the Olifants River.
There is plenty to feast your eyes on from the numerous viewing points around the lodge, but Ezulwini takes its sunsets very seriously, and built a rustic, elevated viewing deck purely for the complete appreciation of the Golden Hour. About 10 minutes’ drive from River Lodge, up a rocky slope through the bush, you arrive at Paradise Camp: Ezulwini’s private location designed for the ultimate sundowners.
On special occasions or by prior arrangement, guests at River Lodge can end their afternoon game drive at this epic location, just in time to watch the sun sink below the horizon and spread its light through the sky. Paradise at Ezulwini, as it has become known, is the epic vantage point from which to see the expansive Balule Nature Reserve at the most beautiful time of day.
The perspective gained after seeing the reserve from this angle is astonishing. The sheer size of the bush makes your existence in it seem minuscule. The thick growth of trees houses a variety of birds, snakes, bush babies, and big cats. Not even the elegant head of a giraffe, or the Africa-shaped ears of elephants emerge through the vegetation; just the green landscape stretching as far as the eye can see.
When your gaze meets the horizon, the Drakensberg Mountains rise into the lava-like sky creating an uneven edge to the otherwise flat shape of the earth. It’s a magnificent spot to oversee the surroundings in their entirety, to snack on fruit and cheese platters, sip on wine, and watch the day fade away. Paradise Deck sundowners is an exceptional addition to a special-order safari at Ezulwini.
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