Amangwane is the place to stay if you are visiting the Kosi Bay area. This laid-back paradise is set in the most eastern part of SA, on the Mozambique border.
A long-standing partnership between Elmon Mkhonto and Anton Roberts, Amangwane (Zulu for octopus) has grown from 10 dome tents with one communal bucket shower and toilet to a comfortable lodge with 10 reed chalets and a lapa area where guests relax around the campfire.
This is rustic, folks, with generator, gas and limited electricity (you can charge your goodies at night) and no TV. Rooms are basic with two single beds in each chalet. For families, there are bunk beds for the kids. Each unit has an en-suite toilet and shower.
But it’s not the facilities that make Amangwane cosy; it’s the atmosphere. As we swept up the sandy drive past the chalets to the kitchen/common area, I envisaged doing as little as possible for as long as possible, preferably in a comfortable hammock.
However, it didn’t turn out that way. Amangwane is in the dunes, about 3.5km from the beach – and what a beach! Pristine, unspoilt – there are many adjectives and superlatives to describe Kosi Bay and its hinterland – but you need to experience it to truly “get” it.
That short distance to the beach is accessible only by 4x4 and takes a little longer than you might think through soft, deep sand. If you are a passenger, this allows you time to take in the stunning surroundings.
A visit to the fish traps with Elmon is a great way to learn about this old fishing technique passed down over generations. The traps are set in tidal lakes in the clear water that Kosi is renowned for. This clarity also makes snorkelling – drifting on the tide over the array of fish and Moray eels which inhabit the protected reef within Kosi mouth – a treat. The fishing is something too, off unspoilt beaches that arch into the distance.This is a great time to witness something rare and special. You cross the lake in the early evening by boat and take a walking tour with trained guides in search of loggerhead and leatherback turtles on their annual nesting migration.
Tembe elephant reserve is a short distance away and there are plenty of other attractions not far off, including iSimangaliso Wetland Park and Jozini Dam.
If you like to do your own thing, Amangwane offers self-catering at R350 per person sharing per night for adults.
For a catered stay – traditional South African fare with Thonga flair, as well as trips to Kosi – it is R795 per person sharing per night.
Those aged four to 11 are half-price and under four stay free.
Allow about five hours’ drive from Durban. Be warned – you might not want to return.
www.kosibay.net or call Emma at 035 590 1233. - Sunday Tribune