An Ubizane Christmas...

Christmas comes only but once a year, that’s why it is shared with the people closest to your heart.

Ubizane hosted a glorious Christmas evening that was more than special for our guests who joined us for dinner. The Décor of the Zululand Tree Lodge’s majestic restaurant was just the beginning of the fabulosity, with tinsel and candles surrounding the table and topping each place setting with a little African memoir gift nothing was stopping the true festive feeling floating about.

Even Ebenezer Scrooge himself wouldn’t have had anything to “bah humbug” about!

With the décor all in place, the Christmas tree lights flickering  and a view of the lime fever-tree forest there was only one thing left to do.... for our chef to bring out the dinner! A full 5 course masterpiece of everything delicious!

A starter of sweet potato, apple and ginger soup with caramelized onion loaf. Salads with loads of toppings, and not to mention the treats of spicy rice balls and bruschetta with balsamic reduction.

Succulent roasted pork topped with honeyed pineapple rings alongside a beef, beer and apricot potjie! All served with spinach green beans, pumpkin pie, green pea and herb mash and potato rosti’s

And a sweet serenade of a layered chocolate and berry cream cake and our famous Ubizane baby marrow cake!!

But of course an Indezi cheese platter with crispy crackers and fresh fruit kebabs are the only gift to finish off this truly delicious buffet!

I’m sure your taste buds are wishing you had joined!

With dinner served and everyone seated one could feel the festivity in the air, especially with one family celebrating not only Christmas but their son’s birthday as well!!

The evening was a huge hit...

Even the terrible monkeys were on their best behaviour and didn’t attempt to steal any goodies...

For the families who joined us...

Thank you so much for choosing to spend Christmas with the Ubizane family, you warmed our hearts with the festive joy and we wish you well for the year  to come. Here are some memories for you to cherish...

We truly hope you enjoyed your stay!!

Three, Two, One, aaaaaand Blast-off....

Only three days until Christmas and we can all feel the spirit! Jingle bells playing in the shops, “Santa’s” in the shopping mall, Christmas trees in every home, and Christmas lights decorating the whole planet…

UBIZANE'S TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS….

On the first day of Christmas,
Ubizane will give to you

An unforgettable experience too.

 

On the second day of Christmas,
Ubizane will give to you

Two Rhino, 

And an unforgettable experience too.

On the third day of Christmas,
Ubizane will give to you
three hoopoes

Two Rhino, 

And an unforgettable experience too.

On the fourth day of Christmas,
Ubizane will give to you
Four Nyala bulls,
three hoopoes

Two Rhino, 

And an unforgettable experience too.

On the fifth day of Christmas,
Ubizane will give o you
a five course meal

Four Nyala bulls,
three hoopoes

Two Rhino, 

And an unforgettable experience too.

On the sixth day of Christmas,
Ubizane will give to you
Six Zebra’s grazing
and a five course meal

Four Nyala bulls,
Three hoopoes

Two Rhino, 

And an unforgettable experience too.

On the seventh day of Christmas,
Ubizane will give to you
Seven Turtles a-swimming
Six Zebra’s grazing
and a five course meal

Four Nyala bulls,
Three hoopoe

Two Rhino, 

And an unforgettable experience too.

On the eighth day of Christmas,
Ubizane will give to you

Eight Rangers a-ranging

Seven Turtles a-swimming
Six Zebra’s grazing
 and a five course meal

Four Nyala bulls,
Three hoopoe

Two Rhino, 

And an unforgettable experience too.

On the ninth day of Christmas,
Ubizane will give to you
Nine Impala sleeping

Eight Rangers a-ranging

Seven Turtles a-swimming
Six Zebra’s grazing
and a five course meal

Four Nyala bulls,
Three hoopoe

Two Rhino, 

And an unforgettable experience too.

On the tenth day of Christmas,
Ubizane will give to you

ten chefs a-cooking
Nine Impala sleeping

Eight Rangers a-ranging

Seven Turtles a-swimming
Six Zebra’s grazing
 and a five course meal

Four Nyala bulls,
Three hoopoe

Two Rhino, 

And an unforgettable experience too.

On the eleventh day of Christmas,
Ubizane will give to you
Eleven waiters waiting

ten chefs a cooking

Nine Impala sleeping

Eight Rangers a-ranging

Seven Turtles a-swimming
Six Zebra’s grazing
and a five course meal

Four Nyala bulls,
Three hoopoe

Two Rhino, 

And an unforgettable experience too.

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
Ubizane will give to you
twelve barmen serving

Eleven waiters waiting

ten chelfs a cooking

Nine Impala sleeping

Eight Rangers a-ranging

Seven Turtles a-swimming
Six Zebra’s grazing
 and a Five course meal

Four Nyala bulls,
Three hoopoe

Two Rhino, 

And an unforgettable experience too......

 

Ubizane Romance...

Honeymoons, weddings and anniversaries…

Could you imagine a better place to spend them than at Ubizane, dinner in the bush/boma, candle-lights and camp fires glistening in the forests of fever trees and the moon is your spotlight and the stars are your companions.

                                     

Ubizane offers a wide range of wedding packages to ensure the weddings held here will never be forgotten; with a beautiful bush dinner site for the reception nothing will beat this heavenly dream. Honeymoons are as special for the couple as well as they are preferred private, that’s why our Zululand tree lodge is perfect. Our Lodge rooms are as luxurious as they are private, as they are hidden away from the outside world in the majestic fever tree forests over looking nothing but the beautiful forest and its inhabitants. Newlyweds have found our tree lodge to be highly accommodating with regards to themselves needing some “alone time”. We can offer on request private game drives and private meals to help achieve the couples’ wishes.Anniversaries come once a year and are celebrated with a barrel full of cheer! Happy 2^nd anniversary to our in house guests Kaylene and Dane Van Der Haar! We truly hope you had a splendid and relaxing mini-break with us and all the best of luck for your future together!

With special celebrations one can expect special meals and last night was one for the books!

Starters of a delicious cucumber and basil couscous, creamy tomato soup with onion rolls and a fresh Greek salad. The main course masterpiece included, chicken kebabs with pineapple and green peppers drenched in a sticky sweet/sour sauce, Lentils and rice, green beans with onion and sun flour seeds mix, and juicy roasted pumpkin and sweet potato wedges. And for those few with a brave heart and a taste for something new… a hearty warthog stew. But one cant over-indulge on these treats alone as there is more to come, the decadent desserts, white chocolate and amarula moose or even a chocolate and pineapple splendor upside-down cake…YUMMY!!

And of cause no buffet style dinner is worth it without a full cheese and cracker board, with a variety of freshly, locally produces cheeses with none other than a sweet tomato jam to drench over the crunchy crackers.

I don’t know about you but I’m getting rather hungry for Ubizane right nowJ

Breakfast For a Queen...

When one is woken at around 5.30 am one knows exactly what lies ahead. Summer morning game drive…This time however we were not in search of the King’s and their queens but rather something different- something nobody has seen for a very long time.

With Casper at the wheel we leave our teas and coffees’s behind and jump into the “rhino” and set off, down the trails of Ubizane, out the main gate and into the Hluhluwe Park. We saw our regular friends who great us nearly every time, the tiny terrorist-like baboons, who are defiantly not shy to pose for the camera in the most undignified positions. As well as a few buffalo, zebra and of course the model-material giraffe.

 The sun was out and one could feel the animals up and awake and ready to get the days’ show on the road… breakfast time.We did not expect to see lions this time as we were on the lookout for a few elephants or hippo or something we else that we have not manage to see yet. However we were rather please when a Queen popped her head out of a bush and walked across the road. Her paws so big and stamina so graceful, really and truly a beautiful creature.

Casper wanted us to get an even closer look at this beautiful animal so we moved closer and Casper followed her as close as he could to wherever she was off to. The closer we got the lower she crouched to the floor and crawled further into the bush, this I thought was rather peculiar, I never knew of them being shy animals?Then next this we know we see her jump up and run, run as fast as lightning into a herd full of buffalo, the buffalo part in half to form a pathway for her to run through. It was as though they were both in synch with one another. Then next thing you know we see a large warthog running in the distance…

Her choices for breakfast… pork sausages or bacon. She was getting closer and closer and the warthog in defense ran into the taller bush and far into the wilderness, she was close on his trail but from then onward we saw no more of the hog or the Queen.

it is a rather sad thing to see a kill of an animal, but yet again it is one of mother nature most amazing sightings, the prey vs. the predator.

When we returned back to Ubizane, the smell of bacon, eggs and other delights were tempting our taste buds from the restaurant… Our breakfast had arrived too!

YUMMY!



RED TOMATOES...

The African sun can be a tourist’s best friend and worst enemy. Sunstroke is no joke and can destroy a holiday in one quick swift.

What is sunstroke?

Sunstroke occurs when the body becomes overheated through overexposure to the sun and the brain cannot control the cooling process of the body. Sunstroke can cause confusion, light-headedness and fatigue, and shade and cool water on the skin helps. However, sunstroke is much more serious as the body can control heat exhaustion somewhat by spreading blood flow to the extremities, but it can't control the effects of sunstroke and requires immediate medical help.

6 Steps to relieve sunstroke:

·         GET OUT OF THE SUN! the sooner you are out of the sun the quicker you can relieve yourself from sun stroke, and the less damaging it will be.

·         Lower your body temperature by putting a cool, wet rag on the back of your neck. This will cool you down faster than just putting the cloth on your face.

·         Remove any extra clothing like a hat or shoes and socks to aid in the cooling process.

·         Lie down and put a cool, damp cloth over your forehead. Raise your feet a few inches to avoid potential shock.

·         Drink (sip) cool water slowly. Too much too fast can induce shock. Start on any diluted clear or light colored Powerade - dilute with water 50%. (Full strength will upset your stomach.)

·         If flu-like symptoms persist, go see the doctor immediately!

      Those with health issues as well as the very young, very old and overweight people are often especially susceptible to sunstroke and should avoid spending too much time in the sun. If staying indoors or somewhere cool is not an option, light colored, loose clothing and a wide-brimmed hat should be worn and water should be consumed regularly. It’s important to drink water on hot days even when you don’t feel thirsty; as it helps your bodies stay cooler longer.

Enjoy your holiday, get bronzed and feel great, but be responsible…You only have one skin so look after it. Never forget to wear sun screen, it will help with regards to stopping extreme sun burn/stroke as well as lessen your chances of skin cancer.

Be wise. Enjoy your summer holiday.





Summer is...

Swimming, safari and sundowners.

 The sun is shining, the pools are sparkling and the drinks are chilled. As the drinks so are the guests…Chilled.

Today everyone is having fun. Out staff are all smiles and our guests are overflowing with delight. The kids are swimming, the dads are fooling about and the mums are tanning.

The good times have arrived.

Both of our experienced game rangers took a handful of guests on a bush walk, Hamilton in the afternoon and Casper in the late morning. On the bush walks around Ubizane guests have the possibility of seeing White Rhino, Giraffe, Zebra and a numerous array of plains game and a myriad of birds. The walk is around two hours long and allows one to feel totally connected with the African wildlife. One may even believe that it is the only real way to find a connection with these beautiful creatures.

 At  our safari lodge our proud receptionist Elizabeth is on hand to assist any guest with whatever they may need, tea, coffee, towels and of course the beverage orders. And on the other side… Tree lodge is being watched over by our fabulous Duo Cindy and Yolandi, who are ensuring everything on Ubizane today is running sweetly and without any fault.

Saturdays, like Sundays, are meant for relaxation and some “down time” with your family, and there is sure no better place to do so than at our very own little piece of heaven, Ubizane.