As former president, Nelson Mandela, declared: “St.Lucia Wetland Park must be the only place on the globe where the world’s oldest land mammal (the rhinoceros) and the world’s biggest terrestrial mammal (the elephant) share an ecosystem with the world’s oldest fish (the coelacanth) and the world’s biggest marine mammal (the whale).”

Lidiko Lodge is situated in the village of St.Lucia, Zululand, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, surrounded by the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park (iSimangaliso Wetland Park) an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Set above the Great St.Lucia lake, on a coastal dune and with views of the estuary,the main lodge offers catered accommodation in 16 well appointed en-suite garden rooms.  All garden rooms have views of the tropical pool area or parklike gardens of the lodge.

The self contained cottage is ideal for families and sleeps 4 to 8 people.  Here guests have the choice to cater for themselves or to have their meals at the lodge.

Accommodation

At Lidiko guests are accommodated in style and comfort. All the rooms are garden rooms, en-suite, fully air conditioned and spacious with a private patio and entrance. The rooms are fitted with either single or King size base set beds.  Each room has a colour television, easy chairs, bar fridge, hair dryer, wall safe and a complimentary tea & coffee making facility. Crisp white sundried linen, luxurious towels and toiletries add to a feeling of luxury and pampering.

Double / Twin garden rooms

The 12 fully air conditioned luxury double/twin garden rooms are built around the tropical pool area. 

These spacious rooms, decorated in a contemporary Afro-Colonial style, all have a private entrance and private patio that leads onto the pool area of the lodge.

The spacious bathrooms are en-suite, have a separate shower and bath, a big vanity area and are fitted with fluffy white towels and toiletries.

The rooms have either two twin beds or a king size bed, two easy chairs; a remote controlled color TV; a hairdryer; bar fridge; personal safe; crisp white linen as well as a complimentary tea & coffee making facility with traditionally home baked rusks.

Family Unit

The family unit consists of two en-suite rooms with an inter-leading door between the two rooms. 

It has a private patio and own entrance and is decorated in a contemporary Afro-Colonial style. Children will be suprised by who shows up to play.

The bathrooms each have a shower, vanity and toilet and are fitted with fluffy white towels and toiletries.

The one room has a double bed and the adjoining room has two single beds, all made up with crisp white linen.  The unit has a remote controlled color TV; a hairdryer; bar fridge; personal safe as well as a tea & coffee-making facility with a packet of traditionally home baked rusks.

This is the ideal lodge for parents with younger children who would like the children to have their own room, but still be close enough to them.

Family room / Triple room

The Family/triple rooms are ideal for 3 persons travelling together or 2 parents with a child.  The room sleeps 3 people.

Being a wing of the original colonial building, the triple rooms have a thatched roof and is decorated in a typical Zululand Colonial style.  The triple rooms are en-suite with a seperate bath and shower, fully air conditioned and have a private entrance with views of the lodge's gardens towards the lake. 

These spacious rooms have three single beds made up with crisp white linen, two easy chairs, a remote controlled color television, hairdryer; bar fridge as well as a complimentary tea and coffee making facility with a packet of traditionally home baked rusks.

The en-suite bathroom is fitted with toiletries and fluffy white towels.

Meals

“The guests are met, the feast is set
May’st hear the merry din” – Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Meals are enjoyed on the dining deck overlooking the Great St.Lucia Lake and parklike garden of the lodge. 

BREAKFAST

A scrumptious country breakfast is served buffet style on the dining deck overlooking the Great St.Lucia Lake.  The breakfast consists of fruit juice, cereals, fresh fruit, yogurt, croissants as well as bacon, eggs, other hot dishes of the day, coffee, tea and toast.

LUNCH AND TEAS

An a la carte menu is available all day for drinks, cakes and sandwiches.

DINNER

In view of the fact that Lidiko Lodge is within 5 minutes’ walking distance of all the restaurants in the village, dinner is only done by prior arrangement.

Dinners at the lodge consists of a three-course table d’hote menu.  The dinners are traditional South African meals or barbeques. Lidiko Lodge prides itself in using only the best and freshest ingredients in all their meals.

Cottage

The self contained cottage is a new addition to the lodge and sleeps 4 - 8 people.  It is ideal for families or friends travelling together.

The cottage consist of 3 bedrooms, each fitted with 2 beds, a relaxation room with 2 sleeper couches (ideal for children to sleep on), a lounge, private dining room, 2 bathrooms (one with a shower and one with a bath) and a self contained kitchen.  It has a deck overlooking a park of approximately 4000 square metres.

The deck is the ideal place to, from a elevated and safe distance, watch the hippos as they graze in the park in the evenings or during the day the abudant bird life, or to observe the antics of the squirrels, the mongoose and the monkeys.

Guests have the choice of catering for themselves or to book bed and breakfast at the lodge. 

Guests have all the facilities of the lodge at their disposal, are centrally accommodated in St Lucia and have the luxury of a spacious (app 160 square metre) private cottage all to themselves.

Activites

Lidiko is the ideal venue from which to enjoy a beach and bush holiday.

With stretches of pristine beaches, the warm Indian Ocean, summer just about all year round, take long walks on the beach, swim and snorkel in the warm Indian Ocean.

Go on a boat out to sea and look for marlins, sailfish, dolphins, whales...Maybe you feel like some deep sea fishing.  Maybe you just feel like good seafood at one of the local restaurants.

Being in Zululand, visit a cultural village, buy a basket from the local crafts market, have your hair braided the Zulu way or visit a Sangoma (traditional healer).

Do a lake cruise or just walk down to the lake and view the hippos and crocodiles.  If you are feeling more adventurous, consider kayaking on the lake between the crocodiles and hippos.

Go for walks in the dune forest or down the Estuary. Listen to the sounds of the forest and look out for red duiker, bushbuck, mongoose...

Track the giant leatherback and loggerhead turtles on a moonlit beach, do birdwatching, find and identify camelion, dragonfly species and butterflies.

Do your own game drive in the Wetland Park or at nearby Hluhluwe/Imfolozi or join an open vehicle safari to the park.

Go jogging, cycling or just relax and soak up the sun.

All safaris and excursions are done with qualified guides and offer excellent photographic opportunities. See our page on organized activities.

WHAT TO BRING

Beach towels (pool towels are available from the lodge)
Swimsuits
Sunglasses
Sun hats
Cameras, video cameras and spare batteries
Binoculars
Sandals
Comfortable walking shoes
Sunscreen and lip cream
Insect repellent
Something warm and insulated for the cooler nights and mornings during winter
Lots of enthusiasm

SAFETY AND SECURITY

With one access point across a crocodile infested lake and with hippo and leopard patrols during the night, St Lucia is just about crime free.  There is further a 24 hour security patrol by Homo sapiens.  Do not go close to the bushy areas at night, because you might meet a hippo or leopard.  Always remember that we are in the animals’ territory and respect it.

MEDICAL

The whole of the St Lucia Lake area as well as the Hluhluwe/Imfolozi Park is malaria free.  Should you however be coming from the Kruger Park, Swaziland or other malaria areas in South Africa you are advised to continue taking prophylactics.

WEATHER

We experience beautiful sunny skies throughout the year. 

Summer temperatures are hot and humid, ranging between 20 degrees at night and up to 40 degrees during the day.

Our winter temperatures are mild, ranging between 14 degrees during the night and up to 24 and even 28 degrees during the day.