My husband, our 2,5-year-old son and I just spent three wonderful weeks at the Kruger Eden Lodge. Coming from Germany the flight over night was surprisingly unproblematic, most of it was sleeping, even without any jet lag for we stayed in the same time zone. It’s a truly amazing accommodation. The rooms are chic and comfortable, the staff was super friendly and the garden is so beautiful with lots of big trees and different animal visitors every day. Our son had a blast discovering warthogs, monkeys, baboons, bushbocks, impalas, bushbabies and even zebras nosing around the garden right in front of us!

The lodge borders right to the Kruger Park. We just had to walk a few steps off the property and there was a pathway running along the fence of one of the most famous National Parks in the world. How cool is that?! From there, you have a wonderful view over the Crocodile River, with beautiful sunsets in the evening. We actually had an amazing encounter with an elephant there. For some reason he decided to walk right up to us to the fence. We got to see lots of elephants on our safari tours at the Kruger Park, but this was special – not watching it from the car, but standing so close to this wild, big animal. We also met a herd of zebras with a baby on our side of the fence. They were so curious, we could have stroked them.

These close animal encounters were a wonderful addition to our safari tours at the Kruger Park. There we got to see the Big Five, but also many, many more animals – small and big. We were completely overwhelmed by the density and variety of wildlife there and had different adventures every time we visited the Park. Starting a safari tour from Kruger Eden Lodge was perfect because the Crocodile Bridge Gate is really close and after an hour of driving through the park there is this really nice restaurant with a panoramic view in Lower Sabie – perfect for a late breakfast or an early lunch. We also did a night safari which we would definitely recommend as you get to see animals you don’t usually get to see during the day.

While staying at the Kruger Eden Lodge we enjoyed a day trip to the beautiful Botanical Garden of Nelspruit with its waterfalls. We also visited the mountains at Graskop where you can walk through tropical vegetation around a huge waterfall. My husband was even brave enough to take a bungee-jump-like leap with the big swing there! Another family highlight was a visit at the Elephant Whisperer’s. Our son still talks about how he stroked and fed a real elephant.

We already very much miss our days at the Kruger Eden Lodge. Having daily adventures, bathing in the warm jacuzzi while looking at the wonderful garden and its animal visitors and sitting around the campfire in the evenings having braai (traditional South African barbecue). We want to thank the team at Kruger Eden Lodge for this unforgettable holiday and will definitely return!

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The Mystery of the Ancestral Tree

When you visit our lodge you will definitely be amazed by the wonderful looking wood that you will find in some of the rooms, e.g. as a tables, bedside tables, shelfs or outside as handrails and stairs.

This is the wood of the ancestral or leadwood tree, the largest species of bush willows in southern Africa. (Combretum imberb, Afrikaans: hardekool, Sotho: mohwelere-tšhipi, Tsonga: motswiri/mondzo, Zulu: impondondlovu)

It has a spreading, rather sparse, rounded to slightly umbrella-shaped crown. The small, grey-green leaves are borne on spiny, thin branches. The branches and leaves are hairless. It grows up to approx. 20 m high and the trunk can reach a diameter of up to 1.5 m. The characteristic bark is pale to dark gray and deeply fissured in the longitudinal direction. It reminds a little of crocodile skin. The wood is very hard and heavy, as the colloquial name suggests.

The Hereros and Ovambos of Namibia attach a special cultural and religious significance to the tree, as for them it is the great ancestor of all animals and humans. Kruger Eden Lodge is proud of the presence of ancestral trees on our property, which we treat with respect and even leave dead trees in the place where they lived their lives.

Our wood comes exclusively from settlement fellings in the region. Normally it would be burned in the process. In a small local craft business, however, the wood is saved from this fate and given a second life as a wonderful piece of furniture, which is exclusively and individually made for us with great craftsmanship. With good care, it can last for centuries and thus delight many generations.

But there is another mystery of the ancestral tree, related to its wood. The stored heartwood is unsightly grey. However, if you oil and polish it, it turns a wonderful dark brown. On colder days the special oil must be heated up as to be seen on the photo. Particularly beautiful are the yellow edges of the outer layers that border the brown heartwood and even show up in some places on the furniture.

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