Following 18 months of remodelling and renovations, the Kwenga Safari Lodge has reopened, and is now officially part of the Greater Kruger National Park.

Mike Frankel, the Owner of the lodge, told Tourism Update that it was decided that the main purpose of guest visits to Kwenga were game-viewing and experiencing Africa in its natural form.

“We were able to achieve this by the purchase of additional land and by dropping fences to become part of the Greater Kruger National Park. We are now proud to report that we are part of the Balule Private Nature Reserve, a member of the Association of Private Reserves, thereby officially making Kwenga Safari Lodge part of the Greater Kruger National Park where the Big Five roam freely and in abundance,” he said.

The lodge has also undergone refurbishments, with the rooms having been redesigned and rebuilt from the ground up. Frankel said that six of the eight rooms are completed, and the lodge is already taking guests.

The other two rooms should be completed by December and will have interleading doors.

The lodge has five luxury rooms and three standard rooms. Each room can accommodate up to two guests, although an additional bed can be set up in a room for one child under the age of 12. The lodge does not accept guests below the age of six.

The bathrooms have also been improved, with indoor and outdoor showers as well as baths featuring in all of the rooms. WiFi capacity and bandwidth at the lodge has also been increased.

In addition, the lodge has a pool and a lapa area, both of which overlook a waterhole, where there is daily animal activity.