Clinton Moodley spent two days at Pongola Country Lodge. He shares his views on his stay.
Location:
Pongola Country Lodge is located on the N2 route between Swaziland, Mpumalanga and Northern KwaZulu-Natal.
First impression:
The hotel is located within the bustling town of Pongola. The Streets are lined with vendors selling a range of items from clothing, vegetables and meat. But, once inside the lodge, you are in a tranquil setting with minimal distraction.
Who visits here:
Travellers who want to visit places like the Elephant Coast and Eswatini (previously Swaziland).
Check-in:
We arrived late at night. Despite our large group, check-in was a breeze. A staff member took our bags up to our room. Because we checked in at night, we were not able to do a full tour of the property.
The staff:
The staff were friendly and always at hand to offer assistance, whether it was with our luggage or getting a pot of hot water for tea at breakfast.
The buffet dinner. Picture: Clinton Moodley
Food and drink:
J’s Restaurant, which offers an a la carte menu, caters for all types of palettes. The buffet included accompaniments like pap, chakalaka and grilled veggies.
The breakfast spread had limited options for vegetarians.
The room:
The lodge offers 67 up-market and spacious en-suite rooms ranging from junior suites to deluxe family rooms.
On the first night, I stayed in a spacious ensuite room. There were two single beds, a sleeper couch and a chair. The bathroom was modern and easy to navigate.
The next day I was upgraded to one of their honeymoon suites that comes with a jacuzzi. The hotel was not able to merge the single beds and decided to change my room to one with a double bed. This room was sleek and well decorated. It came with a double bed, a spacious shower and a balcony overlooking the greenery.
The rooms come with a television, wi-fi and tea and coffee making facilities.
The lodge has a swimming pool, gymnasium (it was closed during my stay) and a bar and lounge area.
The rooms are comfortable. Picture: Clinton Moodley.
The upgraded room with a jacuzzi. Picture: Clinton Moodley
The activities:
The lodge itself does not offer much for travellers, but there are plenty of options within driving distance. Travellers can go for boat trips at Jozini Dam, abseil, canoe or birdwatch.
Price:
Rates starts from R480pp with breakfast.
Contact details:
Located at 14 Jan Mielie Str in Pongola. Call 034 413 1352 or email [email protected].
*Clinton Moodley was a guest of Tourism KwaZulu-Natal.