Shayamoya consists of 10 elegantly appointed chalets. You can relax on your private deck and observe the curious behaviour of the scarlet-breasted sunbird and many more that are your neighbours. Getting even closer to nature, enjoy the experience of taking a steamy outdoor shower under the stars. Each chalet is beautifully finished with attention to detail, such as the custom made basins and brass taps in the bathrooms.
Dinner, Bed & Breakfast Price :
Standard Chalet : R970 p/p/p/n sharing
Premium Chalet : R1150 p/p/p/n sharing
Single Supplement : R275
R65 per person
What to do in the area
Activities at Shayamoya: This massive expanse of water (16000ha), the third largest dam in South Africa, is where Shayamoya conducts game-viewing boat-cruises, a wonderful way to enjoy sundowners and witness the hippo and crocodile in their watery world. The lodge also offers game drives - sighting a large variety of game including white rhino, giraffe, wildebeest and most species of buck. Birdwatching; over 300 species of birds are found here; guided walking trails & canoeing up the Pongola River and something unique - elephant tracking excursions; monitoring a family of elephant that were reintroduced into the area after an absence of 100 years! Or come join a horseback safari trail in the Pongola Game Reserve and experience nature as the first explorers to Africa did. Trails depart twice daily.
For the more energetic: the area has excellent off-road mountain biking routes traversing through bushveld, citrus or sugarcane fields. Shayamoya's uniqueness is attributed to genuine hospitality, ideal settings and the challenging sport of tiger fishing. For more information on tiger fishing - Click here
Historically: This land, North of the Pongola River used to be part of Swaziland. It was handed over to the Zuid Afrikaanse Republic in the 1800's, to form a buffer zone between the Zulu tribe and the Swazis - who were experiencing attacks on their family and cattle from the Zulus. As no one wanted to live between these tribes, and due to many species of animals dying off from prolific hunting, Paul Kruger proclaimed this area a Game Reserve, the first ever to be proclaimed in Africa in 1894. The Pongola Game Reserve.
The Pongola-poort Lake and the Lebombo Mountains provides the lodge with the dramatic view. The dam was originally built in 1970 as part of an irrigation scheme providing the Makatini flats with water. However this project never came to fruition. The first time the level of water was ever higher than 12% was in 1983 when the Demoina floods filled it in 3 days! Now the dam is teaming with the exciting tigerfish, which are causing quite a stir with the record held at 8.3kg (1997).
Facilities
- airport transfers - bar/cocktail lounge - big game (less than 30km) - boat trips (less than 5km) - braai / barbecue - communal - braai / barbecue - onsite - canoeing (less than 5km) - conference venue onsite - DSTV in communal area - fireplace - fishing onsite - game drives onsite - lake onsite - lock-up safe - nature trail (less than 2km) - parking all onsite - private entrance - restaurant onsite - tea / coffee making facilities - television in communal area
Distances
Where are we? Situated in the North East of KwaZulu-Natal, bordering Swaziland and Maputaland, "Shayamoya" is ideal for those discovering this pristine tourism area with abundant bird life, game, turtle nesting, scuba diving, 4x4 adventures and of course those hooked on fishing! Shayamoya is favourably located and very accessible. Only 2 km off the N2 between the towns of Pongola and Mkuze, on the road to the Swaziland border post, Golela. The Shayamoya stay conveniently breaks your long journey when travelling from Kruger Park through Swaziland or from Johannesburg to other locations such as Maputaland, Mozambique, Hluhluwe and St. Lucia. Shayamoya Game Lodge is KwaZulu-Natal's place to be for relaxing back-to-nature weekends, romantic getaways, challenging experiences or simply an overnight stopover.
