Balule · Off-grid tents
Bundox Explorer Camp
Four solar-powered double tents in the Olifants West Nature Reserve in Balule, with an underground hide beside the waterhole and the whole camp bookable for eight guests.
From R4 595 pp / night sharing
Balule · Thatched chalets
Nyala Safari Lodge
Five thatched rondawel chalets with indoor and outdoor showers, a viewing deck along the seasonal Mohlabetsi River and a floodlit waterhole, for no more than ten guests.
FromR7 020pp / night sharing
The lodge
Five thatched chalets for no more than ten guests on the Mohlabetsi River in Balule, fully inclusive, with the lodge's own transfer in from Jejane gate.
Nyala Safari Lodge is a small, fully inclusive lodge on the banks of the seasonal Mohlabetsi River in the Balule Nature Reserve, part of the Greater Kruger, which shares unfenced borders with the Kruger National Park. Its five thatched, rondawel-style chalets stand under Jackalberry and Boer-bean trees and sleep at most ten guests. Each has air conditioning, a private patio, indoor and outdoor showers and a tea and coffee station, and four of the five also have a deep bath.
The main area has a viewing deck that follows the curve of the river, a rim-flow pool, a boma with a fire pit, a lounge and an undercover dining veranda, all looking towards a floodlit waterhole. Guided game drives of about three hours leave twice a day, at first light with a coffee stop and in the late afternoon with sundowners. The lodge runs on solar power. Guests leave their cars at Jejane gate and are driven about 40 minutes in to the lodge.
Highlights
- Only five chalets, ten guests at most
- Viewing deck over the seasonal Mohlabetsi River
- Floodlit waterhole in front of the lodge
- Rim-flow pool and outdoor gym
- Solar powered, with grey water and recycling
In pictures
A look inside
Your stay
Where you sleep, how you spend the days
Accommodation
- Five air-conditioned, thatched rondawel-style chalets, sleeping a maximum of ten guests.
- Every chalet has an en-suite bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers, a private patio, a tea and coffee station, mosquito nets, canvas drop-down blinds, ceiling fans and Wi-Fi.
- Four of the five chalets have a deep bath; Chalet 5 has none, as an Appelblaar tree forms part of its outdoor shower.
- Chalets 1, 2 and 4 have a king-size bed that converts to twins; Chalets 3 and 5 have twin beds that convert to a king.
- An extra bed can be added in some chalets, within the lodge's limit of ten guests.
Activities
- Morning game drive of about three hours at first light, with a coffee stop
- Afternoon game drive with sundowners
- The rim-flow pool, the outdoor gym and the floodlit waterhole between drives
The fine print
What your rate covers
Included
- All meals
- Game drives
- South African house wines, beers and soft drinks
- Teas and coffees
Not included
- Premium alcoholic beverages
- Conservation levy, R350 per person per stay in 2026
- Airport transfers
Good to know
- A single supplement applies: in 2026, R9 828 a night for one guest, against R7 020 per person sharing.
- The lodge meets guests at the gate, so it needs your arrival time and a contact number.
Getting there
Finding your way to the bush
Routes and transfers
- The nearest airport is Hoedspruit Eastgate.
- Not self-drive: guests park in secure parking at Jejane gate (outside Hoedspruit, near the fire station off the R527) and are collected by a Nyala guide. The drive from the gate to the lodge takes about 40 minutes.
- The gate pick-up is at 13:30, with 15 to 20 minutes' grace. Other times must be arranged in advance, and guests arriving later miss the afternoon drive.
- From Johannesburg's OR Tambo Airport, about six hours by road via Dullstroom, Lydenburg and the Abel Erasmus Pass. Do not follow GPS.
Every stay is arranged around you. Tell us your dates and who is travelling, and we will confirm availability and shape the rest.
Request availability
Tell us when you would like to stay
Send your dates and we will confirm availability and the rate for your stay.
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- Emailhello@lepden.com
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