Nature

We are thrilled to share some fantastic news with you! Our brand-new, solar-powered birding and nature boats, 'Jabulani' and 'Malahleka', have arrived at Makakatana Bay Lodge. They promise to deliver an extraordinary Lake St Lucia experience like no other, exclusively for Makakatana guests.

Makakatana Bay Lodge has recently joined the growing number of African safari lodges who have opted to go solar. We recently implemented a greener energy supply solution that will help us reduce our dependence on the very strained power grid in South Africa.

Tired of being served fruit salad as vegan with a sweet tooth?
Planning a safari to a luxury bush lodge in St Lucia, KwaZulu Natal but are worried what Vegan food you are going to be served? 🤔
At Makakatana, our chefs have some seriously delicious secret sweet recipes. Some of these recipes have been shared with us, and we are happy to share them with you too.

"BUT WAIT" you ask ....... 'surely you don't share secret recipes'?

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly." - Proverb

Have you ever wished you were someone or something else when times get tough? That you can grow wings and fly away? Now and again I fantasize about turning into a hippo in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park in KwaZulu Natal and spending my days lazing about, sleeping and eating!

While it is impossible for humans to physically change so dramatically–a weekend getaway in the bush can only take us so far!–I am consoled by knowing that I am privileged to experience all the wonders of nature in the world that surrounds me. When guiding and spending time on safaris in the bush at Makatana Bay Lodge in KZN, I am in a world where I continually discover and learn more. I am fascinated with those little creatures that have figured out how to escape one reality to begin a new one.

Trust us to find all these baby chameleons in the month of Love! Teeny, tiny, Flap-necked Chameleons (Chamaeleo dilepis), the size of a child's thumb are all over the Western Shores and around Makakatana at the moment.

We have had some fabulous sightings of them while out on our night drives. Chameleons are mostly found throughout Africa and Madagascar, but they are not limited to these locations. For someone who has never seen a baby chameleon before, it is easy to mistakenly assume that they are dwarf chameleons. The Setaro's dwarf chameleons (Bardypodion setaroi) are endemic to the area but are more prevalent on the Eastern Shores of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.