The mFulaWozi Wilderness reserve has to be one of the most exciting new developments in this long-established wilderness area. Situated in the richly historic and pristine wildlife area which marks the meeting place of the Black and White Mfolozi Rivers, this is a new private reserve which adjoins and is open to the famous Hluhluwe-Umfolozi reserve, the oldest proclaimed game reserve in the country dating back to 1895! What makes it special is that this is the initiative of 5 Zulu chieftains descended from the legendary Shaka Zulu, who have chosen to turn this magnificent piece of their bushveld over to conservation and up-market eco-tourism - so far 6 000 hectares of an eventual 16 000 has been incorporated into the reserve. Two stunning new lodges are the first tangible results of the venture, and their names – Biyela and Mthembu – are taken from 2 of the chiefs making up the “Big 5” (by the way, in case you’re wondering the “mFulaWozi” name originally comes from the sound made by the reeds in the river when the wind blows)

Mthembu Lodge was the first to open here and immediately garnered a string of rave reviews – and it’s not hard to see why! For one it boasts gorgeously modern and spacious suites with a level of luxury sure to satisfy the most discerning of guests. In fact, Mthembu may well have a slightly wider appeal for more conservative safari guests compared to sister-lodge Biyela, which makes no apology for its overt angularity and unabashed contemporary architectural style. Mthembu by way of contrast, has a more intimate and less imposing character and has been designed around the central concept of the circle - this can be seen in the soft curves typical of the lodge's architecture right through to the prominent use of circles in decorative elements like the floor mats and woven  wall hangings. This softer nature of Mthembu is also amplified by the colour palette of sand, terra cotta and dusty pinks, we well as the lodge’s cosier location down next to the White Umfolosi river as opposed to the statement hilltop views enjoyed by Biyela.

The 7 luxury suites and 2 family units are spacious and extremely light and airy – we particularly love the floor to ceiling windows and folding doors which open up the interiors to the surrounding riverine bush wonderfully. Even the bathrooms boast stunning views outside – or if that’s not enough then head outside to enjoy a blissful outdoor shower. A spacious lounge area complete with wonderfully comfortable sofa is the perfect place to relax in air-conditioned splendour if you don’t fancy relaxing on your spacious outside deck. In fact, the only real pity is that Mthembu doesn’t boast the private plunge pools that most of the suites at Biyela enjoy.

Speaking of pools, you’re likely to spend much of the midday hours between game drives relaxing in the lodge’s infinity pool from where you’ll enjoy lovely views down over the river. As we said previously, this is a lovely, intimate area where the open bar area lies literally alongside – so take up the chance to relax with something long and ice-cold in your grasp as you watch for animals drinking at the river! Service levels at Mthembu are consistently raved about by guests, as are the quality of the delicious meals on offer!

The  new reserve is located on the south-eastern tip of the Umfolozi section of the public Hluhluwe-Umfolozi park, only separated from the legendary wilderness section of the public reserve by the White Umfolozi river, with game able to move freely between them. Guests will traverse the eventual 16 000 hectares of the home reserve as well as be able to cross the river to roam about in the 96 000 hectares of the main reserve. The beauty of this arrangement is that guests here enjoy real exclusivity compared to the busy public roads further north in the reserve.

Originally the royal hunting ground of Shaka Zulu who decreed that the land be left undisturbed for 8 months a year to preserve the endemic animals, the park which was proclaimed back in 1895 is the birthplace of rhino preservation, literally breeding the species back from the edge of extinction when a group of around just 100 white rhinos remained. As the home of Operation Rhino in the 1950s and 60s (driven largely by the park's warden, the legendary conservationist Ian Player), the reserve became world-renowned for its white rhino conservation. Interestingly Mthembu Lodge was actually designed by the late Ian Player's niece Michelle Throssell which goes to show how things move in circles!

But whilst you’re definitely in the right place to see white rhino (sightings of the much rarer black rhino are also common) the rest of the Big 5 is also present and correct, as well as cheetah and wild dog. Big cat sightings are probably less common than the greater Kruger area on the whole, but the lovely riverine scenery and large amounts of rhino, elephant and nyala on view, not to mention some sensational birding (especially during the summer months when the migrants arrive) go a long way towards making for hugely enjoyable game viewing. One thing to note is that as a brand-new reserve (only opened in 2019) and bordering onto the adjacent wilderness area of the public reserve, animals can be skittish around vehicles – this however is already rapidly improving as they become more habituated to the presence of game vehicles.