|  | Lying just meters from the Indian Ocean in the coastal forest just behind the first row of forested dunes is Rocktail Bay Lodge.
- Game drives
- Bush walks
- Night drives
- Snorkelling
- Scuba diving (optional extra)
- Beach walks
- Horse riding (optional extra)
| Situated in northern KwaZulu-Natal within the Maputaland Coastal Forest Reserve and adjoining the Maputaland Marine Reserve is the secluded Rocktail Bay Lodge. Few parts of the South African coastline are as unspoilt and secluded as the area in the vicinity of Rocktail Bay.
This is not "Big Game" country, although the area possesses its own "Big Five": Leatherback Turtle, Palmnut Vulture, Butanes Skink, Lion Fish and Zululand Cycad. Two interesting antelope occur - common Reedbuck in marshes and grasslands and Red Duiker in forest patches. Hippo are found in fresh-water lakes. Whales and Dolphins are sometimes seen offshore. Birding is good and a number of typical coastal species occur - Green Twinspot, Green Coucal, Grey Waxbill, Purplecrested and Livingstone’s Louries, Natal Robin and jewel-like emerald Cuckoo in forests, Pinkthroated Longclaw and Rufonsbellied Heron in marshy areas. Various waders frequent the shoreline.
Access to Rocktail Bay is via the tar road which passes Ndumo. From this road there is 34km of gravel road to the entrance of the Coastal Forest Reserve at Manzengwenya. This road is passable in normal saloon cars. You park your car at the Warden's office inside the reserve and we drive you to the lodge in 4x4’s - another 11km away. Guests who own a 4x4 can drive directly to the lodge. Guests who wish to fly in will be met at the airfield just outside of the reserve.
Rocktail Bay Lodge was a winner of the 1999 BA “Tourism for Tomorrow” Awards. These awards recognize organizations in the tourism industry which have made a positive contribution towards their local natural and cultural environment. Rocktail Bay Lodge also lies within an area which was recognised by unesco's World Heritage Committee in 1999 to be of outstanding universal value and was thus awarded World Heritage Site status. |
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| Facilities
There is a lounge/pub and dining area where meals are served under thatch or under the giant Natal Mahogany trees. A boardwalk winds from the lodge through the dune forest and down to the beach. There is a swimming pool and sun deck for those who want to relax around the lodge. Snorkelling equipment is available at the lodge. | Accommodation
10 wood and thatch "treehouse" chalets & a family room
The chalets are raised up on stilts into the forest canopy. Each have en suite shower and toilet facilities and an outdoor shower. | ecoQuest
 Conservation: turtle research
Every summer, hundreds of Leatherback and Loggerhead turtles complete their breeding cycle and emerge from the Indian Ocean to lay their eggs on this stretch of coastline - incredibly most returning to the exact beach on which they themselves hatched! During these months, Rocktail Bay Lodge is integrally involved in the ongoing turtle research that has been going on since the 1960s. Guests are able to accompany the resident turtle expert on research drives at low tide at night helping to monitor the turtles' nesting numbers and their behaviour. The project is deemed the longest on-going scientific study of turtles in the world! The results from this study show that our turtle population is one of very few in the world that is on the increase. Guests visiting Rocktail in summer are able to interact with the guides and scientists patrolling the beach at low tide at night in search of nesting turtles. The sight of a 750kg turtle heaving herself with great difficulty up and down the beach to complete her egg laying must rate as one of the most moving safari experiences anywhere.
Guests at Rocktail are encouraged to 'adopt' a turtle, and they are updated via e-mail whenever 'their' turtle is spotted nesting. We pay the wages of the seasonal turtle scouts that are employed at this time of year to guard the turtle nests and help patrol the beaches. Rocktail Bay is also involved in co-sponsoring satellite 'transponders,' which track the migratory paths of Leatherback turtles at the end of their three-month laying spree. These transponders have shown that they are able to dive to the most extraordinary depths on a single breath. They have been recorded as diving to 600m and in excess of 900m! | Rate includes
. Accommodation
. All meals
. Standard lodge activities
. Park fees
. VAT and Tourism levy
. All local drinks(except premium imports) | Rate excludes
. Transfer to and from the lodge
. Drinks
. Specialist activities
| Access
Scheduled flights:
- Nelspruit, Durban and Johannesburg
Charter flights:
- To/from Nelspruit 1 hour
- To/from Durban 1 hr 26 minutes
- To/from Johannesburg 1hr 50 minutes
- To/from Skukuza 1hr 10 minutes
- To/from Sabi Sands 1hr 10 minutes
- To/from Richards Bay 55 minutes
- To/from Ndumo 40 minutes
Airstrip details:
- Mazengwenya (preferred airstrip
- Co-ordinates: S 27.16.00, E 32.45.00
- 30 mins drive from the lodge, 800m long
Sappi Strip co-ordinates: S 27.11.18, E 32.39.57
- It is 1300m long and compacted earth
- 50-60 minutes drive from the lodge and can be used by twin piston and turbine aircraft.
- Altitude: 200 ft -
- Direction: North/South | | |
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Rocktail Bay
