Shayamoya Tiger Fishing and Game Lodge

 

My stay at Shayamoya Tiger Fishing and Game Lodge (September 2018) – By Charlotte Pretorius

Shayamoya is a beautiful lodge in Pongola, Zululand. This was the first time we’ve been to that part of South Africa, and it was a pleasant surprise for us. The sugarcane and tree plantations on our way to Pongola was beautiful – we did not know that this part of South Africa was so green and beautiful! When we arrived at Shayamoya, we were welcomed by the friendly staff. We stayed at Chalet number 4 – Red Ivory. It was a wooden chalet with a bedroom, bathroom and little deck. The views of the vegetation and the lake were breathtaking. There was a bird bath near the deck and we’ve seen many birds come for a bath. It was so relaxing to just sit there and drink it all in!

 

The chalet was beautifully decorated and with small touches, they brought the wild into the decor  – bath and basin plug with a brass hippo on it, the toilet paper was held in place with a porcupine quill, brass taps, and a handmade basin. Everything we needed was  there – mosquito spray, a torch, an umbrella, spring water and all the normal stuff (toiletries, coffee and tea station ext.)

 

We’ve now been to seven of these type of lodges in South Africa, and everyone has its own special features. Some of them include everything – all the meals and 2 game drives every day included in the price. At Shayamoya you could take the full package or put your own package together. Because we were on so many game drives, we’ve opted for the 3-hour boat cruise on the lake. Our guide, Lucky, made sure that we saw the hippos, a crocodile or two, zebra’s, rhinos and much more game. It was so much fun traveling on the boat and the vehicle instead of just the vehicle.

 

Another thing that distinguishes Shayamoya from the other lodges, is that this lodge was child-friendly – with lots of toys for the kids, board games for family time, books as well as a trampoline at the swimming pool, and a room with table tennis facilities. When we were there, we saw many families with small kids enjoying themselves at Shayamoya.

 

The food was excellent and the drinks reasonably priced. We had the most relaxing stay here and can recommend this place for families and everyone who wants a relaxing stay with beautiful views and great hospitality