The home of some of the world’s most majestic creatures and a country that is vibrant and culturally unique, South Africa has always been a place that invited the dreamer in me to roam and delight in its wilderness. I couldn’t miss out when the chance came along to discover its varied wildlife in style at Dundi Lodge. The Lodge is an award-winning property situated adjacent to the Orange River near the Augrabies Falls, one of the five largest waterfalls in the world. The Falls are an awesome sight and the thundering noise of the cascades (to put it in perspective) is roughly 3X that of Niagara Falls. The power of this natural wonder is unforgettable and so is Dundi, considered one of the best for viewing game. We had the opportunity to see parading baboon troops, prolific bird life, and several rare species of antelope, specifically the eland (a plains antelope), gemsbok (a larger antelope) and springbok (a medium-sized brown and white gazelle) in addition to aardvark and aardwolf (an earth wolf).
Upon being welcomed at Dundi I learned the unique story behind it how it got its name. Shibula, a black Rhino brought from the Lisbon Zoo to Augrabies Falls National Park, was successfully returned to the wild then gave birth to her first calf there in the fall of 1994. Named Dundagos, which means ‘We had achieved’ in Nama, she is known as Dundi for short, and is the first calf ever born into captivity there. She’s been a lodge favorite ever since, and her story is lovingly retold by the workers who look forward to more successful rhino returns. It was disheartening to learn of the animal’s critically endangered conservation status. I was pleased to hear that Dundi had taken pride in its reintroduction though they are rare and seldom seen.
Dundi boasts its own private game reserve, a short drive from the lodge and the atmosphere is very “lady in the bush”. Wood and crystal blend subtly with authentic African touches and the lodge has a unique ethnic contemporary feel. Guest rooms are situated around the pool and deck and decorated in warm beiges and neutrals. It’s a wonderful place to have a glass of wine at the end of the day and is especially peaceful in the evening before and after dinner.
Fantastic dinners accompanied by award-winning local South African wines made the experience at Dundi complete. Dining on traditional potjiekos by starlight and taking in the countryside were special moments. I laughed along with the native storytellers and knew that I would return home with a few tales of my own. I will never forget my departure on the charter flight by We Fly Aviation from the private airfield there. The pilot was as attractive as Robert Redford in Out of Africa. What a way to check out of a hotel!