Location

Idwala Lodge is located in the Nambiti Conservancy, about 20km from Ladysmith in the heart of the Midlands Meander only 3½ hours from Johannesburg and 2½ hours from Durban.

Map of the Battlefields and Nambiti Conservancy

The Battlefield Route of the Midlands Meander boasts the largest concentration of battlefields in South Africa attracting thousands of history lovers each year. Every town and historical building, some dating back to the 1880’s, has a tale to tell. Some of these buildings have been declared National Monuments including the Natal Railway Museum, the Goodman Household monument and the commemoration wall where President Nelson Mandela was arrested prior to his 27 year imprisonment.

The area enjoys a temperate climate with warm to hot summers and mild winters. Ladysmith proclaimed in 1850 and named after the Spanish wife of Sir Harry Smith, has an average maximum temperature of 25.5 degrees Centigrade.

Image Gallery

Attractions

Let history come alive
Ladysmith is surrounded by more than 10 major battle sites, including Spioenkop, Wagon Hill/Platrand, Elandslaagte, Nicholson’s Nek, Tugela Heights, Gun Hill & Lombard’s Kop. Registered local tour guides are available to make this historical journey, one you will never forget.

The Drakensburg Mountains
Set in the rolling foothills of the Drakensburg Mountains, Ladysmith provides easy access to this 200km long mountainous wonderland and world heritage site. The hiking trails, world's second- highest waterfall, breathtaking rock paintings and endless unspoilt mountain vistas will keep you enthrawled.

Natural Splendour
The Nambiti Conservancy has three times the carrying capacity of regions like Botswana and is the only reserve in the region with the big five: buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion and rhino. We currently have over thirty other species of game including giraffe, hippo, hyena, impala, springbok, and zebra. The incredible biodiversity of the area includes savannah grasslands and thornveld as well as two magnificent waterfalls which flow into the meandering Sundays River. Whether bird spotting from the lodge's exquisite unobscured deck or seeking the big 5 on a traditional, open-vehicle safari game drive, Nambiti's beauty will be a treasured memory to take away.