Kosi Forest Lodge – a romantic forest setting

By Roxanne Reid
Inside the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is iSimangaliso Wetland Park in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, is a place with a mystical, magical atmosphere. Surround yourself with waterways and lakes, walk in a raffia forest, dine by the romantic light of candles and paraffin lamps, sleep in comfort under a large milkwood or Natal fig tree, wake to the sound of bird song. This is the tranquillity of Kosi Forest Lodge and its romantic forest setting.

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​Kosi Forest Lodge huddles in an indigenous sand forest along South Africa’s Elephant Coast. A giant Zulu podberry tree with gnarled limbs dominates the main deck with its open-air lounge, bar and dining area. Eat your meals al fresco in the balmy Maputaland air or around a crackling fire in the boma. Lunch might be beef fillet kebabs and salads, dinner a trio of mussels, lamb and delicious yoghurt pannacotta. There’s no doubt you will eat well here.

The open-air but covered lounge is a rustic but comfy place to spend some time

The main deck and dining area are romantically lit by paraffin lamps at night

We loved the thatched, wood and canvas forest cabins, each hidden in its own clearing carved out of the natural forest so you can listen to the rustle of leaves. When there’s no wind they whisper but when the wind comes up they roar. 

Listen to the sounds of the forest from the safety of your mosquito-net-covered bed

Each cabin stands in its own patch of natural sand forest

There’s a kingsize bed, fitted mosquito net and indoor shower but the highlight is the outdoor bathroom with a boma enclosed by reeds. It has both a shower and a bath for a luxurious soak in good weather, while you listen to the sounds of the surrounding sand forest. It’s perfect for romantic getaways so it was no wonder there were two honeymoon couples staying while we were there. Or sit in an adirondack chair on your wooden stoep under the canopy of trees to drink in the forest ambience.

Every cabin has a romantic bathroom boma - great for honeymoons and other romantic getaways

​Take a walk along a winding path around the lodge and stop at the small bird hide huddling in the sand forest for a chance to spot birds like robins, waxbills and sunbirds. You may even see a few butterflies.

Another highlight at the lodge is the swimming pool that has a fabulous view out over Lake Shengeza. Relax in a lounger with a book and a cool drink, watch and listen for some of the resident hippos. Then marvel as the sun kisses the horizon and sets the clouds aflame with crimson. 

Kosi Forest Lodge's pool has a commanding view over Lake Shengeza

​Other things to do at Kosi Forest Lodge
We loved our stay here, both for the enchanting forest environment and for the slew of things to entertain you. Here are some other appealing things to do at Kosi Forest Lodge or nearby.

1. Take a walk in the raffia palm forest ​

Tha raffia palm provides fruit that is the favourite food of the palm-nut vulture

Earlier on the day we arrived it had rained and it was still lightly drizzling, but that didn’t deter us from going on a walk to see the raffia forest. Raffia palms are one of six species of palm trees indigenous to South Africa. Guide Jerome Mntambo told us about the five forest biomes of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park – savannah forest, sand forest, grassland (where you get hippos and two species of duiker), swamp forest, and coastal forest where turtles breed and hatch each year (see point 5 below).

The trees grow to about 25m high and have some of the largest leaves in the plant kingdom. Being very long and straight, the fronds can be used for fences or as the structural basis for a house. Since they float, the locals also use them to build canoes. The trees live around 25-40 years and have flowers once in a lifetime and then die.

These fruits in the highest reaches of the tree are a favourite among the palm-nut vultures that occur here. They hang upside down below the fruit, use their beaks to pull the palm nut off the tree and then grasp it in their feet to eat it. We saw one of these unique vultures – the only ones in the world that eat fruit instead of carrion – swoop across the sky but sadly too fleeting for a photo or even to focus the binos properly.

2. Go canoeing ​

Paddle through the waterways, mangroves and forest just a short walk from the lodge

Paddling a canoe is a must-do, a chance to feel close to nature along the waterways of the Kosi lake system. Glide silently along, the only sound the rhythmic swish of your paddle in the water. See birds, monkeys, mangroves and water lilies, soak in the scenery, listen to bird calls and the sound of the wind through the trees, perhaps even a booming grunt from a hippo. You may pass a crocodile sunning itself on a sand bank or hear the haunting call of an African fish-eagle. If you’re really lucky, you might even spot a Pel's fishing-owl. Either paddle your own canoe or let your guide do the work while you sit back and immerse yourself in the passing sights and sounds.

3. Go snorkelling at Kosi Mouth
If you have a 4x4 you can drive yourself to Kosi Mouth about an hour away from the lodge. Or you can join a full-day excursion from the lodge. Snorkelling equipment is provided. At Kosi Mouth you’ll be able to explore the forest, see some of the traditional Tsonga fishing traps and maybe spot whales or dolphins. The highlight is to snorkel in the clear water of this fresh and saltwater breeding ground. Species to look for include an abundance of nudibranches, starfish, anemones, sea urchins, hermit crabs, wrasse, angelfish and other fish species. Float on the water and discover the colourful world below the surface.

4. Enjoy a guided boat tour of the Kosi lakes ​

Traditional Tsonga fishing traps at Kosi Mouth

The 11 000ha Kosi Bay Nature Reserve is a medley of lakes, pans, marshes, streams, swamps and ocean. The Kosi lake system is the best-preserved large estuary system on South Africa’s Indian Ocean coastline. There are four large lakes here and a series of linking channels bordered by forest and wetlands, all finally passing through a sandy estuary into the sea. The lakes are Makhawulani, Mpungwini, Nhlange and Amanzamnyama but often simply called by the numbers one to four for simplicity.

This is home to the rare raffia palm, to palm-nut vultures, date palms, sycamore fig forests and mangrove swamps with five different species of mangrove. Learn from your guide about some of the red data plant species to be found in the area.

On a motorised boat trip, you might spot hippos and crocs, otters, flamingos and other marine life. You’ll also get a chance to see and learn about the traditional Tsonga fishing traps that are still used by locals today.

5. Look for turtles

Watch loggerhead and leatherback turtles laying their eggs in mid-summer

If you time your visit to Kosi Forest Lodge between 15 November and 15 January, you’ll have a wonderful opportunity to track leatherback and loggerhead turtles returning to the beach at Bangha Neck to lay their eggs. You’ll travel along rough roads and over the sand dunes, then comb the beach in search of a turtle leaving the water to dig a hole and lay her eggs. Special care is taken not to disturb the turtles. This is a night expedition with a dinner picnic and you may return to the lodge well after midnight, depending on how soon you find a turtle. Note that seeing one isn’t guaranteed and that this activity isn’t suitable for children under eight years old.

6. Go fishing

Look and listen for African fish-eagles during your time in the Kosi Bay Nature Reserve

If fishing is your passion, the thing that makes your holiday fizz, then you’ll be in seventh heaven in the Kosi Bay Nature Reserve. Whether lake fishing, sea fishing, fly fishing or dropshot fishing is closest to your heart, you’re well catered for here. To preserve the wilderness area, you’re encouraged to tag and release, and there are strict regulations so talk to the lodge beforehand about what you can and can’t do. If you're lucky, you may share the space with an African fish-eagle.

7. Visit Tembe Elephant Park for the day ​

Tembe Elephant Park is just an hour's drive away, perfect for a day visit

An hour’s drive west of Kosi Forest Lodge is the 30 000ha Tembe Elephant Park, home to some of the country’s big tusker elephants, the tiny suni antelope as well as lions, buffalos and wild dogs. If you have a 4x4 you can drive there yourself and spend time in the hide made famous by the Tembe webcam. If you don’t have a 4x4 – or are anxious about driving in the deep, soft sand in the park – you can enjoy a three-hour guided game drive in an open safari vehicle. These happen at 10:00 each day and must be pre-booked. Contact Tembe directly on email info@tembe.co.za or cell 082 6512868.


Responsible tourism

Most of the friendly and helpful staff come from the local communities

One of the things I like about Isibindi Africa (Kosi Forest Lodge’s mother company) and the Isibindi Foundation is that they believe in responsible tourism – from an environmental, conservation and community point of view. From banishing single-use plastics, investing in clean solar energy and insisting on ethically sourced seafood to employing lodge staff from local communities, creating micro-economies in neighbouring communities, and supporting feeding schemes for local schools and crèches, they try to create a better world for today and tomorrow. For me, that’s something worth supporting.
Read more about the Isibindi Foundation’s projects at Kosi Forest Lodge


​Need to know

1. There’s lots of open space at the remote Kosi Forest Lodge, perfect for social distancing during the Covid pandemic. Strict masking and hand sanitising procedures are in place and someone will take your temperature when you arrive.
2. Kosi Forest Lodge is about 420km or a six-hour drive north of Durban.
3. The lodge is very near the border with Mozambique and in a malaria area. Talk to your doctor or travel clinic about malaria prevention before your visit.
4. You need a 4x4 to get to the lodge. If you don’t have one, you can arrange to park securely in nearby Manguzi/Kosi Bay and for the lodge vehicle to pick you up and take you back.
5. The quoted rates include all meals as well as a canoe trip and raffia forest walk.
6. Try to stay at least three nights, not only because your soul will thank you but also because it gives you a better chance of being assured of a windless day for a motorised boat trip. If you have two windy days back to back, you’ll be gutted to be leaving the lodge on the first wind-free day.

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World Heritage Sites in South Africa and why to visit them
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