#emdonenilodge

SA National Parks Week 2017: Enjoy free entry at all national parks this week

Tourism Month is in full swing, with the South African National Park (SANParks) once again opening its doors for free for South African National Parks Week from Monday, 18 September until Friday, 22 September. The initiative is part of the annual South African National Parks Week. The campaign is held under the running theme ‘Know Your National Parks’. It allows locals, with valid identity documents, a chance to spend a day at a national park of their choice free of charge. The week-long campaign is at all national parks managed by SANParks, with the exception of Boulders at Table Mountain National Park and Namaqua National Park. Some of the parks will be extending the week to include the weekend. For individual park dates, please visit: www.sanparks.org/about/events SANParks Head of Communications, Janine Raftopoulos, on Friday said the objective of the week is to cultivate a culture of pride in all South Africans in their relationship with the country’s natural, cultural and historical heritage. “When people start to take pride in national parks, then we believe that they will start to understand the importance of conservation,” she said. The idea of a national parks focus week is a worldwide campaign and was conceived in South Africa in 2006 after realising that the majority of South Africans were not visiting national parks. The feature element of this campaign is the free access granted to all South African day visitors carrying their official IDs. Persons under the age of 16 will be allowed free access without proof of identity. It should be noted that the free access to the parks will not include accommodation and any commercial activities in the park such as guided safaris in vehicles or guided walks. This year’s SA National Parks Week will include exhibitions around the country at various key national parks, which will represent the different geographical regions of SANParks. The expo will include cultural, conservation, nursery and tourism aspects from the community, rangers and various conservation entities in order to highlight the broader South African biodiversity landscape. The annual SA National Parks Week has been made possible with support from First National Bank (FNB) and Total SA. “The spin-off of this initiative is that it boosts the local communities of the areas around the parks, while creating awareness of the need to preserve our natural heritage. “I would like to encourage all South African citizens to come out in their numbers to experience our country’s natural heritage in its abundance,” said Kgosi Ledimo, CEO of FNB Public Sector Banking. Total South Africa has again stepped up to the plate to help South Africans access these beautiful acres of land across the country. “Total South Africa is proud to be a long-standing partner of the SANParks Week since its inception in 2006 – 12 years ago – and our company fully endorses SANParks’ commitment to developing and promoting a system of sustainable national parks countrywide,” says Pierre-Yves Sachet, MD & CEO Total South Africa and Vice-President Total Southern Africa. “Total views environmental conservation as a key priority and we are committed to preserving the natural environment for future generations,” Sachet said. SANParks encourages all South Africans, especially educators and school groups, to diarise these dates and plan a visit to a national park nearby. “The survival of the South African national parks system and our natural and cultural heritage lies in the people of South Africa,” Raftopoulos said. – SAnews.gov.za source: rnews.co.za

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Adopt a Cheetah

Adopt a Cat in your name or in the name of a loved one and help us save these magnificent endangered creatures. The Emdoneni Cheetah Project offers the public the opportunity to adopt a cat in an effort to save the endangered cats of South Africa. Based in Hluhluwe, KwaZulu-Natal, Emdoneni Cheetah Project aims to rehabilitate and raise wild cats to release in the wild. We have several species of cats at different price points, for you to adopt and sponsor. Get to know our cats below and pick one you would like to help save! Adopt a Cheetah Adopt a cheetah in your name or in the name of a loved one and help South Africa save these magnificent endangered creatures. Select a Cheetah below: Moya Moya being a Zulu word for ‘wind’, probably implies the speed at which this cat can run (Run like the wind). This male cheetah can be relaxed and relatively placid when it comes to interaction with people. Moya is the more dominant brother and does not like to be reprimanded by anyone! Although the brothers have a strong bond, which they reinforce by grooming each other, Moya much prefers to spend his time alone, far from his brother Juba. The two brothers can be difficult to tell apart, but Moya is a much lighter shade than his brother and has white fur at the tip of his tail too. Adopt for a one year ZAR 3,000 ADOPT MOYA FOR ONE YEAR Adopt for a lifetime ZAR 10,000 ADOPT MOYA FOR A LIFETIME Juba Juba is a Zulu word for ‘fast’- ‘Ejuba’ means pigeon and these birds are very fast and agile fliers. This male cheetah can be relaxed when it comes to interaction with people and he is very comfortable around children. Being the more subordinate male in the coalition, he is sometimes easier to work with. Although Juba is quite calm the majority of the time, he is a typical cat and definitely lets you know when you have rubbed him up the wrong way. As mentioned, the two brothers can be difficult to tell apart but Juba is a much darker shade than his brother and has black fur at the tip of his tail. Adopt for a one year ZAR 3,000 ADOPT JUBA FOR ONE YEAR Adopt for a lifetime ZAR 10,000 ADOPT JUBA FOR A LIFETIME Shadow Shadow is a young male cheetah that is at Emdoneni Cheetah Project for breeding. He and his brother, Skye, are not interested in having any human interaction and prefer to be left to their own devices. Adopt for a one year ZAR 3,000 ADOPT SHADOW FOR ONE YEAR Adopt for a lifetime ZAR 10,000 ADOPT SHADOW FOR A LIFETIME Skye This young male is on the project purely for breeding. He and his brother, Shadow, are relatively wild and not used to, or open to, any human interaction. Skye is quite an efficient hunter and will definitely catch any animal that manages to get into his enclosure, except the Woolly-necked storks which seem to be able to out-smart the cats. Adopt for a one year ZAR 3,000 ADOPT SKYE FOR ONE YEAR Adopt for a lifetime ZAR 10,000 ADOPT SKYE FOR A LIFETIME Raine Raine is a naughty young female that is very friendly and even more playful. She loves to run around chasing her sister or anything else that moves fast enough to be a challenge. Raine is a real girl and loves any handbags or jersey’s and as you can imagine, uses them for very different reasons to us! Adopt for a one year ZAR 3,000 ADOPT RAINE FOR ONE YEAR Adopt for a lifetime ZAR 10,000 ADOPT RAINE FOR A LIFETIME Storm He is a real darling cat with a loveable personality. Guests visits are his favourite time of the day where shows off his charm and with that big brown eyes one cannot help to fall in love with him right away! Adopt for a one year ZAR 3,000 ADOPT STORM FOR ONE YEAR Adopt for a lifetime ZAR 10,000 ADOPT STORM FOR A LIFETIME Dusk Dusk is our youngest male cheetah, born from Autumn. He is a special cat with a great heart & amazing personality. Unfortunately due to his slight malocclusion and a deformed tail. Dusk will become one of our ambassador male cheetahs. Dusk has a subtle personality. He always has time for a cuddle when he gets visitors. Adopt for a one year ZAR 3,000 ADOPT DUSK FOR ONE YEAR Adopt for a lifetime ZAR 10,000 ADOPT DUSK FOR A LIFETIME Autumn Only one word to describe this amazing feline – ASTONISHING!~ We bought Autumn in from Hoedspruit Centre for Endangered Species (HCES) to assist us with our breeding project. She is the only adult female in the project. Adopt for a one year ZAR 3,000 ADOPT AUTUMN FOR ONE YEAR Adopt for a lifetime ZAR 10,000 ADOPT AUTUMN FOR A LIFETIME Dew Dew is our youngest male cheetah, born from Autumn. He is a real character with a mind of its own. He actually loves to play and to meet new people. If all goes well, Dew will be put into our rewilding program for a possible release. Adopt for a one year ZAR 3,000 ADOPT DEW FOR ONE YEAR Adopt for a lifetime ZAR 10,000 ADOPT DEW FOR A LIFETIME

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Emdoneni News

Top 10 Reasons to Visit a Spa – Emdoneni Spa

Are you one of those people who are still on a look out for a valid reason to go on a spa vacation? Or is it that you hold the perception that spas are solely meant for superficial grooming benefits? Well, if your situation mirrors the same then probably it’s time to reconsider this very notion. Well, there are certainly beautification benefits, but the truth is that there are a loads of mental and physical benefits that you can attain from a visit to the spa. Rather by visiting a spa regularly you can effectively jumpstart a healthy lifestyle, reconnect with your family and loved ones, or simply rejuvenate and recharge yourself. In this respect we are listing out a few of the best reasons to go to a spa along with the ideal suggestions on the sort of spa experience you’re looking to venture out for. Top 10 reasons to visit a Spa: 1. Relaxation and Stress Management Every service falling under a spa inclusive of a massage and body work can greatly aid you in relaxing. Merely sitting in a jacuzzi, steam shower or sauna can immensely relieve you of stress. 2. Detox Our environment is full of harmful toxins which impact us physically and mentally. A few particular spas specialize in detox. Rather various types of services foster detoxification by effectively getting rid of toxins and excess fluids which can otherwise lead to energy loss, constipation, bloating etc. 3. Lose Weight Nowadays, the old “fat farm” days of 800 calories and day long strenuous exercises to attain tremendous weight loss are long over. These days almost every destination spas guide on how to eat for long-term health and weight management. 4. Improved Self Esteem and Confidence It is a proven fact that taking adequate time to pamper oneself and to taking good care of your body and mind can greatly improve your body image, enhance its awareness and boost your self esteem. 5. Improved Circulation and Blood Pressure A lot of services ranging from heat therapy, hydrotherapy and massage vastly accelerate circulation and reduce blood pressure. 6. Anti-Aging and Skin Benefits Taking proper care of one’s skin bears a direct impact on one’s skin’s aging process. Treatments like facials along with body treatments cater to skin problems and enable you to keep looking at your best. 7. Manage Pain There are a flurry of treatments which can brilliantly aid in alleviating pain in case of arthritis and nerve problems. 8. Improved Sleep Patterns and Breathing Sauna, heat related therapies, relaxation process can help one to sleep better at night along with curing serious sleep disorders. Clear breathing and strengthened respiratory system are also the benefits. 9. Getting Inspired Being touched therapeutically through massage one can feel physiologically cured and make best use of one’s creativity. 10. Connecting with loved ones Spas can be a wonderful place to spend quality time with your loved ones. Destination spas can truly be fun for a girlfriend getaways, and also if you are looking to rekindle romance or spending quality time with your mom or sister. Emdoneni Spa Treatments Now Available Your journey to total relaxation and well being begins at the Emdoneni Spa at Emdoneni Lodge. Rejuvenate your senses… To book a treatment, please enquire at the reception desk as to times available. As the treatments are quite popular, please book in advance to avoid missing out on this truly unique experience. Follow this link to see the amazing treatments we offer: https://goo.gl/3Z5Xna

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Emdoneni News

Exciting Emdoneni

I discovered Emdoneni a few years ago. My sister was out from the USA and I wanted to give her a truly South African experience. And she wasn’t disappointed. By Tim Lombard. There’s something special about seeing a wild animal up-close. At Emdoneni, you get the chance. As part of the Cheetah Project, where they carefully rehabilitate wildlife and then release them into the wild, we get to experience monitored interaction with cheetah, caracal, serval and African wildcat. Emdoneni Lodge, with Cheetah Project, is a high quality lodge and is situated on a small game farm. It is accessible for any vistitor who still wants to experience the luxury of a bush environment and also be close to the main attractions such as Hluhluwe/iMfolozi Game Reserves and St Lucia World Heritage Park. This intimate, beautiful, multi-award wining lodge is the ideal location from which to explore the wildlife and coastal reserves in Zululand. We got to experience the abundance of our wildlife and the scenic splendors of this rich and diverse region during game drives offered at Hluhluwe/iMolozi Game Rerserves, guided and non-guided walks done at the lodge, cultural excursions close by and relaxing bot cruises at Lan St Lucia. The kids got to enjoy the facilities at the lodge too, with a swimming pool, jungle gym and play area. They even have their own kiddie’s menu, which was a real bonus for our fussy children. It’s now my third time and. And it won’t be my last. Do yourself a favour and experience Emdoneni’s owner-run lodge. You won’t regret it.

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Emdoneni News

Hluhluwe – 5 Reasons It’s The Best Place For Your Family Holiday

Hluhluwe is a small town in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is situated between iSimangaliso Wetland Park and Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park on the banks of the Hluhluwe River. Finding a great location for a family holiday can be a challenge, especially for families who have young children or varied interests. Do you often ask yourself – where will my family most enjoy a holiday? Here are 5 reasons Hluhluwe might just be the perfect answer for a family holiday: It’s the ultimate in outdoor activity: Do some members of your family crave outings in the bush while others would rather bury their toes in the sand or enjoy dips in the ocean? In Hluhluwe, you don’t have to choose. Visit the Hluhluwe / iMfolozi Game Reserve for a chance to spot the Big Five or enjoy beautiful beach time at Cape Vidal, Sodwana Bay, and Main Beach St. Lucia. Bush or sand, the glorious scenery and natural wildlife will ensure happy days for the whole family. Perfect for the sporty lot: If your family, young or old, enjoy sport activities, they will be spoilt for choice in Hluhluwe. The various lodges in the area offer a wide range of sporting activities, including hiking, walking, biking, horse riding, swimming, kayaking, and scuba diving. Getting outdoors and being physically active is sure to make everyone feel better, healthier, and happier. A thrill with some African beasts: Take a day trip to an educational facility like Crocodile Centre St Lucia and enjoy a hands-on snake and crocodile experience. You are sure to leave better educated about some of the world’s most feared creatures. And don’t forget the hippos… Home to the largest population of hippo in the area, the St Lucia Wetlands Park offers river boat excursions where you are guaranteed to see these fantastic “water horses” in their natural environment. The kids are sure to love these close encounters! Up close and personal with a big cat: Our own Emdoneni Lodge boasts a world-class cheetah project. Caring for cats that have been injured or orphaned in the wild, the project gives guests a chance to learn about and interact with these amazing animals. This is the kind of experience family memories are made of. Family time: Modern life is busy and between TV and technology not many families spend regular quality time together. The beautiful scenery in and around Hluhluwe will encourage you to gather and share as a family. Imagine having dinner together under starlit skies, sipping sundowners on a group game drive, or teaching your children to snorkel… the possibilities for family fun are endless. And, these moments of natural beauty and togetherness are sure to create treasured memories for you and your loved ones.

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