Excursions

Your gateway to Maputaland, the Elephant Coast and Mozambique

Tembe is your starting point for a range of adventures in unspoilt and beautiful Maputaland. Why not stay a bit longer and make Tembe your base from which to explore? A short drive from the lodge will take you to some of Africa’s most varied experiences.

Area Activities:

Ndumo Game Reserve - Birding, game viewing, fig forest walk - 28km away.
Lake Jozini - Tiger fishing, sunset cruises, kayaking, birding, game viewing - 70km away.
Kosi Bay Mouth - Birding, snorkelling, fishing, fish traps, turtle tours, beach activities - 62km away.
Kosi Lake - Birding, kayaking, fishing - 50km away.
Lake Sibaya (largest fresh water lake in SA) - Birding, fishing, kayaking, sundowner cruises - 61km away.
Border Cave - Anthropology, archaeology, hiking
Turtle tracking - Kosi Bay, Sodwana Bay
Ponta Malongane (Mozambique) - Scuba diving, fishing, beach activities - 71km away.
Ponta do Ouro (Mozambique) - Snorkelling, surfing, fishing, beach activities - 75km away.
Sodwana Bay - Scuba diving, fishing, beach activities
Mkhuze Game Reserve - Birding, game viewing, fig forest walk
Gugulesizwe Cultural Village - Zulu cultural experience
Black Rock - Snorkelling, fishing, beach activities
Dog Point - Snorkelling, fishing, beach activities

Canoe and Fishing Trips

Along the Phongola River.

River Walk

Along the Ingwavuma River.

Off-road 4x4 Trips

Border Caves
Usuthu Gorge
Cecil Mack's Pass
Hlathikulu - King Dingane's grave site

Raffia Palm Forest Walk

Kosi Bay Mouth

The Kosi Bay estuary system consists of a series of interconnecting channels and four lakes that flow into the sandy estuary mouth before reaching the Indian Ocean. This subtropical paradise features spectacular wildlife, birds and plants, including interesting species of mangrove and palms. Hippo and crocodile occur in the higher reaches. Leatherback turtles come here to lay their eggs in nests on the beach. Birds to tick off include Pels Fishing Owl and the endangered Palmnut Vulture. The sandy mouth offers great swimming and paddling for kids.

This trip is a full day activity and takes just over an hour to drive to the beautiful Kosi Bay Mouth. See how the sea and lakes interconnect in a wonderful swirl of colour, sand and water. There’s great snorkelling with plenty of fish to view all year round. The water is warm and almost always crystal clear. The rock pools along this protected stretch of coastline are a virtual aquarium of brilliant sub-tropical fish. Enjoy swimming in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean and soak up the sun along this beautiful stretch of beach, followed by a scrumptious picnic lunch. Limited snorkelling equipment available at the lodge.

Activities: birding, snorkelling, fishing, turtle tours, beach activities

Distance: 62km from Tembe

Ndumo Game Reserve

The Ndumu Game Reserve (area 10,000ha), is one of the most interesting and most attractive in South Africa. It is perhaps best known for its magnificent birdlife with the highest bird count in South Africa, some 430 species. It lies on the flood plain of the Pongola River, an expanse of wetland with tropical and subtropical habitats. In summer it is extremely hot in this area, with high air humidity. The rivers which flow through the reserve are lined with gallery forests. There are more than 200 species of trees, including some giant specimens of marula, wild fig trees and the fever tree. Ndumu Hill (115m/377ft) is covered with a forest of acacias.

Activities: birding, game viewing, fig forest walk

Distance: 28km from Tembe

Lake Sibaya

Lake Sibaya is the largest fresh water lake in South Africa with a surface area of 77 km² and an average depth of 13m. The lake was previously connected to the sea and with the closure of the estuary, numerous invertebrates and vertebrates were trapped in a fresh water environment. The lake abounds with hippos and crocodiles.

Activities: birding, fishing, kayaking, sundowner cruises

Distance: 61km from Tembe

Turtle Tracking

Turtle tracking is offered every night from 15 November to 15 January. These excursions (including transfers to and from the beach) can last up to 3-4hrs and may return very late. Giant Leatherback and Loggerhead turtles make their way home having swum the length of the continent in a return journey to the beach where they were born. Research has shown that eggs are often laid within meters of where the mother emerged as a hatchling years previously. Guests are able to view these magnificent creatures meters from where she is laying. Utmost precaution is taken to ensure that she is not disturbed.

Parque de Malongane

Mozambique

Activities at Parque de Malongane:

Diving – Parque de Malongane offers 24 dive reefs, which range from idyllic 8m, to extreme deep blue 40m dives. The closest reef is only 300m offshore, whilst the distance to the furthest is about 7 Km’s.

Ocean Safaris – Join an Ocean Safari to observe the beautiful landscapes and to experience the power of the ocean. If you’re lucky the dolphins might even accompany you throughout the trip.

Fishing – Fishing is a very popular activity at Parque de Malongane, and they are a spear fisherman’s dream destination. A cleaning area is provided in the dive camp for deep-sea fisherman with their own boats, they have excellent staff whom are more than willing to help…unfortunately no bottom fishing is allowed.

Activities: scuba diving, fishing, beach activities

Distance: 71km from Tembe

Lake Jozini

Lake Jozini sprawls itself across the Maputuland in Kwazulu-Natal nestled between the Obombo and Lebombo mountain ranges. Built as a dam in 1972 to be used as a holding reservoir for the water desperately needed to irrigate the surrounding areas, the dam has become a popular destination for angling enthusiasts in search of the ultimate freshwater fishing experience. During the summer months when the temperature of the water rises by a few degrees Lake Jozini is inundated with anglers eager to be able to say they have experienced tiger fishing Jozini. Tiger fishing Jozini is an experience that every serious angler must have.

Activities: birding, tiger fishing, houseboat cruises, kayaking, game viewing

Distance: 68km from Tembe

Kosi Lake

The Kosi Bay estuary system consists of a series of inter-connecting channels and four lakes that flow into the sandy estuary mouth before reaching the Indian Ocean. This subtropical paradise features spectacular wildlife, birds and plants, including interesting species of mangrove and palms. Hippo and crocodile occur in the higher reaches. Birds to tick off include Pels Fishing Owl and the endangered Palmnut Vulture.

The Kosi Lake system is a series of interconnected lakes which stretch over some 18km. The best way to see the system is by boat. Full day boat trips through various sized lakes and channels, include a walk through the famous Kosi Bay fish traps, as well as a picnic lunch and a swim in the sea at Bhanga Nek.

Activities: birding, kayaking, fishing

Distance: 50km from Tembe

Border Cave

The nearby Border Cave is a Middle Stone Age site in the Lebombo Mountains with a sheer 500metre offering spectacular views over Swaziland. It offers an interpretive centre featuring dioramas and models that tell the story of pre-historic human existence at the cave, as well as of archaeological excavations since the 1930s. One- and two-day hiking routes in the rugged mountain landscape have been mapped out for visitors. A camp operated by the local Mngomezulu community, offers guides who host visitors to the cave for a modest fee.

The first known inhabitants of the "Elephant Coast" took residence in the Border Cave, a large overhang in the remote Ingwavuma district, some 200,000 years ago. Some of the oldest evidence setting human evolution in Africa apart from that of Europe has been found at the Cave, where anatomically modern Homo sapien remains have been discovered and over a million stone artefacts excavated. Analysis of some of the 69,000 stone tool implements has helped scientists to date the introduction of tools crafted into blades and points.

In 1942 the Cave yielded the remains of infant, dating back about 100,000 years, buried in a grave with a shell ornament and red stain suggesting that the body had been painted - pointing to a people capable of abstract and symbolic thought who probably communicated in a fairly complex language. If concern with life after death is taken as a sign of religion, then this is also the oldest record of religion on earth.

Also discovered in the cave was the Lebombo Bone, the oldest known artefact linked to the basic mathematical activity of counting. Dated to 35,000 BC, the Lebombo Bone is a small piece of baboon fibula which has been carved with 29 notches, resembling the calendar sticks still used by San people in Namibia. Animal bones of 43 mammal species including elephant and three other species that are now extinct were found at the cave, indicating that these prehistoric inhabitants lived on bushpig, warthog, zebra and buffalo.

Source: Tourism KZN

Activities: anthropology, archaeology, hiking

Distance: 63km from Tembe

Ponta do Ouro

Mozambique

Ponta do Ouro is the southern-most point on the Mozambican coast. The easiest entry is through Kosi Bay border post and Ponta do Ouro is 15kms from the border. There are many dive sites and coral reefs. Ponta do Ouro is a tourist destination to please any person interested in scuba diving, deep sea fishing, snorkelling, swimming on white sand beaches.

Activities: snorkelling, surfing, fishing, beach activities

Distance: 65km from Tembe