A spanking new addition to Tulela, Mondzo is a Big Five safari lodge that was created with South Africans and outdoor lovers who prefer to set their own pace, top of mind. Magnificent Mondzo is a luxurious safari lodge that is safely fenced and entirely yours to enjoy.
Imagine gathering up your favourite folks and heading into the bush to a safari hideaway that’s absolutely private, thoroughly peaceful, and entirely on your own terms.
Mondzo is tailor made for days spent chilling around the pool, braaing under starlight, dining whenever you choose to, and doing game drives, bush walks and a variety of other activities exactly when you please.
Tucked under tall trees and overlooking an evocative riverbed, Mondzo, which means ‘hardekool’ in Shangaan, is a bush lodge offering a soulful sanctuary. It’s a special space to reconnect with loved ones and the natural world. Morning and afternoon game drives on an open game viewing vehicle, accompanied by a guide and tracker, will have you enchanted – and with hardly another soul in sight.
And when you went to relax after exploring the bush, you can return to a beautifully stylish, contemporary and understated African safari lodge.
The décor at Mondzo is fresh and soothing in washed greens and greys punctuated with natural textures, raw wood and leather.
Every room is a safari hideaway that beckons cocooning and a celebration of freedom. Curl up in front of the stone fireplace on a winter evening; dip in the pool alongside the evening braai in summer; eat, lounge, nap or just chill on the deep veranda that is fitted for absolute comfort. It’s also an ideal spot to view resident herds of elephant, buffalo, zebra and impala, maybe even wild dogs chasing past on the hunt.
A perfect year-round bush getaway
Inside is space for 10 in four roomy bedrooms, one with bunk beds for the kids. The living area is spacious with a feeling of calmness and connection with surrounding nature, while screeded floors are cool underfoot in the heat of summer. There are fans and air conditioning throughout and beds are draped in mosquito netting too. Just beautiful.
Bespoke activities are on offer too, such as guided bush walks, tracking or a bush picnic under Big Jack, a shady, 300 year old Jackalberry tree. But do take just one night to sleep out under the African stars. It can all be arranged for you, and your only job is to savour the experience of sleeping under the open African sky, with a million stars watching over you. It’s part of the magic at Mondzo.
Reviewed by Keri Harvey
Edited by Dawn Kennedy