Tzaneen Country Lodge

In the heart of the north eastern lowveld you will find the award-winning Tzaneen Country Lodge, famous for its superb service, friendly people and country cuisine.

At the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains with a seemingly endless abundance of natural sites and attractions, the tastefully decorated Tzaneen Country Lodge offers world-class hospitality, discreet security and outstanding service. Exclusive and private, the lodge is nestled on 150 hectares of farmland and indigenous forest.

Except for being in one of the most beautiful regions in South Africa, the Tzaneen Country Lodge is also only 84 km from the Phalaborwa Gate of the Kruger National Park and centrally located to explore the beauty and magic of Limpopo in Africa.

Tzaneen Country Lodge offers 50 luxury en-suite rooms made up of double, twin and family rooms and include facilities for the physically disabled. Luxury Suites and Honeymoon Suites are part of the different options to choose from, as well as our new dedicated “Green Rooms” with Fresh Air Inflow Cooler Systems. With two swimming pools, full amenities, room service and free High Speed Internet Access we cater for every need.

Bar, Breakfast services, Car parking, Credit cards accepted, Excursions informations, Fax service, Gym, Hourse riding, Internet corner, Laundry service, Meeting room, Public telephone, Restaurant, Satelite tv in lobby, Sauna, Swimming pool outdoor, Tourist information, Umbrellas and sunbeds, Wifi A/C, Alarm clock, Hair drier, Room service, Safebox, TV

Discover Tzaneen… the Happy Land! According to legend Tzaneen was named by the legendary King Makgoba himself as Tzaneng – which means “the happy land”. This is the place where you will arrive as a stranger and leave as a friend… Tzaneen is the second largest town in the Limpopo Province and is surrounded by low hills that slope up to the towering peaks of the Northern Drakensberg. Tzaneen is the commercial centre for the district, with 80 000 people residing in its area of jurisdiction and 650 000 people residing within a 30km radius. The mountains of Heanertsburg, Magoebaskloof and Agatha are linked via Georges Valley. Visitors delight in the stunning scenery, which has a special magic as the early morning mists give way to sparkling sunshine Bird life in the area is prolific, with Knysna and Purple Crested Louries. Crowned and Crested Eagles as well as the rare black Fronted Bush Shrike, which according to the authorities, only occur here and in the Chimanimani Mountains on the Mozambique/Zimbabwe border. Mountain grasslands and forest habitats as well as the local dams provide opportunities to see birder’s specials such as Narina Trogon, Green Twinspots, Buffy-streaked Chats and Cape Parrots. Only one nesting pair of the endangered Blue Swallow has been located in the Heanertsburg region – one of the 48 breeding pairs located in South Africa and Swaziland. The Land of Modjadji – the Rain Queen is an impressive setting of Baobab trees, untouched bushveld, breathtaking mountain ranges and an abundance of wild creatures, flora and birdlife to compliment this treasure-chest of enchanting legends, myths and culture. Modjadji is the direct descendant of the mighty Monomotapa who ruled over the Karange people in Zimbabwe during the 15th century. Following a royal scandal in the house of the King, his daughter, Princess Dzungungini and her son fled south from Monomatapa’s kingdom. With her she carried the potions and secrets of making rain and medicines to protect her against her enemies. These powers were passed down though her family line and her granddaughter was crowned the first Rain Queen Modjadji. Modjadji, whom author Sir Rider Haggard immortalises in his novel “SHE”, has been revered far beyond the boundaries of her tiny kingdom, and, according to legend, many great kings, including the Zulu king Shaka, have left her nation untouched and often called on her for her awesome rainmaking powers. Highlights of Tzaneen The Modjadji Cycad Forest (Encephalartos Transvenosis) is the largest concentration of a single species of cycads in the world and has been protected for three centuries in the royal garden of the mystical Rain Queen Modjadji – an area declared a national monument in 1936. The cycads are living fossils and are survivors of a primeval plant group, the Cycadales, which was the dominant type of vegetation approximately 300 million years ago when dinosaurs still roamed the earth, and most probably, formed part of the diet of some of these giants reptiles. This specific species is on of 29 species in South Africa and is protected. Sunland Baobab This enormous Baobab tree (Adansonia digitata) is thought to be one of the biggest specimens in the world. The tree has a circumference of 46, 8 metres and has been estimated to be 6 000 years old. The existing cavity in the tree has been created into a unique pub, which can accommodate fifteen people. Debegeni Waterfalls: The beautiful Magoebaskloof Mountain Pass between Heanertsburg and Tzaneen offers stunning scenery and some of South Africa’s finest indigenous forests in which waterfalls, lakes and craggy kloofs are found. The pass leads from the Highveld down the Drakensberg escarpment to the sub-tropical Lowveld, dropping about 600 metres over a distance of only six kilometres. Here one can explore the Debegeni Waterfalls, which means the “place of pots” in Northern Sotho. Wolkberg Wilderness, Woodbush and Dap Naudè Dam 20 000 ha of wilderness country, consisting of extensive indigenous forests, pristine grasslands, towering misty peaks and many waterfalls tumbling into crystal clear streams. This largest indigenous forest in the Limpopo Province is reached via a scenic drive off the R71. The dam offers a lovely picnic site in an oak forest below the dam wall. The Cyril Jackson Observatory Cyril Jackson constructed a small stone building in 1955 on a hilltop just outside the village of Heanertsburg. It was here that he made several discoveries that made him one of South Africa’s leading astronomers. He is credited with the discovery of seventy two asteroids and three comets, all named after him. The John Buchan Memorial The famous Scottish author, who later became lord Tweedsmuir and Governor General of Canada, spent two years in South Africa a Milner’s private secretary after the Boer War. His novel “Prester John” is based on the Woodbush/Magoebaskloof area. The simple monument – a large craggy boulder of local stone, rolled into place, unembellished except for a bronze plaque with a quotation from John Buchan’s autobiography – can be seen on the Georges Valley Road overlooking a breathtaking view of the Ebenezer Dam. Kaross Workers – Beauty, empowerment, embroidery. In 1989, Irma Van Rooyen, a local citrus famers wife started a small project to provide a modest living for a few of the worker’s wives. Today this project provides a good living for no fewer than nine hundred Tsonga and Shangaan women. This traditional Shangaan embroidery projects the rich agricultural cornucopia, our teeming wildlife and the abundant natural beauty we have in the Tzaneen Area. These colourful, vibrant works of art is today exported over the whole world and do Tzaneen proud. Tsonga Kraal Museum The Tsonga Kraal Museum is another attraction within the boundaries of the Hans Merensky Nature Reserve. This museum represents the building styles and cultural products of the North Tsonga. The Tsonga Kraal Museum is an attempt to show as many traditional building styles and the layout of the Kraal represents the homestead of a Chief with eight wives. The Kraal was built exclusively with traditional materials. Riverside Wildlife Rehabilitation & Environmental Education Centre This is a rehabilitation centre in its own right and the only centre specializing in the rehabilitation of humanised vervet monkeys. Other wildlife species are also rehabilitated so that they can be released back to nature. The RWREC provides environmental educational programmes for individuals and groups. Other • Golf Courses – Tzaneen Country Club and Orangedene • Spa – The Earth Spa Wellness Centre at Tzaneen Country Lodge • Hiking Trails • 4x4 Trails • Adventure Sports • Canopy Tours