Bou Bou Lodge

17/10/2022

14/10/2022

Take a walk on the wild side and discover a hidden world on Amakhala Game Reserve.

25/09/2022

WOW!!!

What an amazing sighting that Nico and his guests had of a Lioness moving her first litter of cubs to a new den. The cubs are now just over 1 week old and starting to be very vocal.

Talk about perfect timing.

📷:

25/06/2021

Got to be done

SPECIAL OFFER

We invite you to join us on a world-class safari adventure. Locals get to enjoy a saving of 60% until 30/09/2021 when taking advantage of our SA Resident Special.

R2,476pp includes accommodation, all meals and 2 game drives per night stayed.

T&C's:
- Excludes conservation levies & beverages
- Subject to availability

Book your stay:
021 424 1530 / [email protected]

https://www.bukela.co.za/specials

17/09/2020

Another fantastic deal on Amakhala Game Reserve. Not only do you get an amazing experience but also help contribute to the wildlife protection programme

*𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗗 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗜𝗦 𝗢𝗡 𝗨𝗦*

Book your African bush escape on our PAY STAY deal and we'll give you a 3rd night completely 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘, plus two additional big 5 game drives for more safari excitement. Make sure not to miss this one! 😉

https://www.bukela.co.za/specials/pay-for-2-stay-for-3-nights

10/09/2020

Another great video showing a tiny selection of what is on offer at Amakhala

17/08/2020

09/08/2020

We offer an all-inclusive safari experience in a safe environment where the strictest COVID-19 precautionary measures are in place.

If you have any questions or special requests, please reach out to us on [email protected].

02/08/2020

Just another day for our sun-loving hippo calf; basking in the warmth of winter on the banks of the winding Bushman’s River.

📸 : Brad Louwrens

01/08/2020

12/06/2020

12/06/2020

Interesting facts here. Seen these a few times on Amakhala
Bigger than you think

12/06/2020

How great is that

24/02/2019

Extremely upsetting news from our neighbouring reserve
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2018-07-09-rhino-cow-and-her-calf-gunned-down-at-famous-shamwari-reserve/

Two rhinos were found shot dead at the Shamwari Game Reserve near Port Elizabeth at the weekend.

15/10/2018

08/10/2018

it certainly is

With Spring in full swing, with the start of the lambing season and all the beautiful flowers that have appeared around the reserve there’s no better time to come and visit us.
Please visit www.woodbury.co.za for rates

29/09/2018

So which are the fastest animals you will find on the reserve? Well most people know a cheetah is quick over short distances. Sprinting out of the gates at 70 mph. However, after long, it's speed begins waning and after one mile it needs to stop to rest. The Ostrich however can keep going.

Ostriches achieve this with their long legs which are mainly made up of tendon. This allows them to maintain high speeds for longer periods of time. Every time they land on a foot, it stretches the tendon, which recoils back to pop them back up into the air. It works almost like a pogo stick. Once the bird gets up to speed, this spring-like action pops the leg off the ground with every step, which allows it to maintain its forward momentum. The actual leg muscle is located closer to the body of the bird, which also makes the leg lighter. An Ostrich would finish a marathon in about 45 minutes hitting a high of 50mph and averaging 30mph. Poor Haile Gebrselassie can only average 12.7mph.

26/10/2017

It is officially lambing season! The seasonal breeders such as red hartebeest, blesbok, black wildebeest and impala are starting to give birth. This is the perfect time for youngsters because of the spring rains and warm weather. This red hartebeest lamb literally just took its first steps!

03/10/2017

Humans are equipped with five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. Animals possess several extra senses, including altered vision and hearing, echolocation, electric and/or magnetic field detection, and supplementary chemical detection senses. In addition to taste and smell, most vertebrates use Jacobson's organ (also termed the vomeronasal organ and vomeronasal pit) to detect trace quantities of chemicals.

This buffalo bull looks like he is posing for the camera but he is actually performing the flehmen grimace behaviour. The male will lick or breath in a females scent to see if she is in oestrus (ready to mate). This is done by using their Jacobson's organ above the roof of their mouth.

10/09/2017

Baffling whale activity is seeing humpback whales congregate in large numbers off the coast of South Africa, Usually they come to the shores solely to breed. Just a short ride away

http://goodnature.nathab.com/humpback-whales-are-gathering-in-huge-numbers-why/

In recent years, humpback whales have been observed gathering in unusually large numbers. What does it mean?

07/09/2017

This year for the first time, the Amakhala Foundation has become a supporter and facilitator for Eco-Schools.
Eco-Schools is an international programme that aims to "engage the youth of today to protect the climate of tomorrow".
With the help of Rhodes University, we are working with Sandisulwazi High School to tackle issues around waste management (reducing litter, promoting recycling, etc.) I'm very proud of our Eco-Schools Committee and all the hard work they've done so far! :)

03/09/2017

Didn't know that about drinking. However Cheetahs have also been known to swim, although they do not like to. The Cheetah is not one of the Great Cats, because it does not have a floating Hyoid bone in its neck it can not roar, therefore it is a Lesser Cat.

, though cheetahs are the fastest land mammal they only need to drink every 3-4 days.

01/09/2017

We have finally gotten some much needed rain on Amakhala Game Reserve. Our elephants sure do love mud puddles, especially the little ones. They will cover themselves with mud to protect their skin from the sun; their version of sunscreen!

24/08/2017

Over the coming months we are going to be releasing some common and interesting facts about the animals that can be seen regularly on Amakhala Game Reserve. We will start with the Yellow Mongoose and what makes it a unique.

24/08/2017

Thanks to the Amakhala Foundation for continually helping us to understand the origins of some of the varied and unique features of the Amakhala Game Reserve.

Amakhala Game Reserve was once vast farmland that has been converted back into a single wilderness area. This unique gully feature was formed by erosion down cattle paths that lead to an old drinking trough at the bottom of the canyon. It is a beautiful part of the reserve that the vegetation is reclaiming and reminds us of how far the landscape has come to restore itself back to it's natural state.

14/08/2017

Brown Hyenas often visit Bou Bou Lodge during the evenings and can be heard on the walkways that snake through the grounds. Their mane and neck fur stands erect to make them look bigger when threatened They leave white secretions on the tips of grass to mark their territory. The Amakhala Foundation continues to monitor these animals to ensure they will be lodge visitors for many years to come.

Brown hyenas are nocturnal, solitary species -they are only active at night and forage alone. It is very rare to see these animals during the day. They will sleep in a deserted aardvark burrow or dense thickets during the day. This individual was captured on a camera trap set on Amakhala in a highly trafficked game path early one morning. They are mostly scavengers, feeding from a carcass killed by other predators. They have such strong jaws, they can break bones and feed on the marrow inside. Such a sight to see this rare beauty.

13/08/2017

A new study has shown that female mosquitoes (the ones that bite) are more attracted to those who drink beer than those that don't. Pleased to say that Bou Bou Lodge has no mosquitoes and that the ones that do occur on the reserve are malaria free. So beers all around

https://the-scorpion-and-the-frog.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/drinking-beer-makes-you-more-attractive.html

Summer is a time of backyard bar-b-ques, camping, baseball games, beer, and mosquitoes. Ugh, mosquitoes! Have you ever noticed that when a ...

31/07/2017

Normally we use our night vision camera to see what animals are visiting our lodge at night Leopold, Porcupine, Brown Hyena. But in England a friend asked me to investigate why his bird feeder was always empty. And this is what we found. Rats were climbing the aluminium pole with ease to have a nightly feast. It wen all night - dozens of them.

31/07/2017

Yup even the Amakhala lions take a bit of time choosing a lodge to visit

Not an average member of staff doing check ins, no petting please 😆
Thank you to Dr William Fowlds for this great image

22/07/2017

Endangered cheetahs thriving on Amakhala Game Reserve

Over the last week our guests have been having some incredible sightings of our cheetah Mom and four cubs😁

12/07/2017

Interesting to read that one of the earliest bird fossils was found recently in New Mexico. The age is between 62.2 and 62.5 million years ago, just a geological blink of the eye after the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. It was old, very small with zany little feet. The was able to flip its fourth toe backwards as Owls now do. Its closest relatives are Mousebirds which are now only found in Africa - and of course on Amakhala Game Reserve

27/06/2017

A lovely site to wake up to.

Winter mornings can give us the most amazing views :)

Photo - Nikki Ferry

20/06/2017

The Born Free Foundation is just across the road from Bou Bou Lodge and offers another interesting ''thing to do' when in our area.

09/05/2017

The elephant in the photo is Norman who was the dominant bull elephant who lost his tusks we believe in a fight. Now he spends most of his time in a corner of the reserve in water washing the holes. Very vulnerable bull elephants without tusks. Can easily be killed by other bulls.

The view from the suites and lounge area at Amakhala-Safari Lodge is of the waterhole, where you will witness the playfulness of the monkeys and the antelope, giraffe and elephant come to quench their thirst.
http://www.amakhala.co.za/lodges/safari-lodge

06/05/2017

The Born Free Foundation is situated across the road from our lodge in the Amakhala Game Reserve. Trips can be easily organised for our guests and you can see the great work the foundation is doing

They're home! Today, former zoo lion, Nelson, and confiscated ‘exotic pet’, Ciam, are starting new lives in their ancestral home of Africa.
"The lyric goes 'life is worth living when you're born free' but for Nelson and Ciam, who were not born free and never lived free, life is now, at last, worth living. Seeing them take their first steps into their huge natural enclosures was utterly joyful. At last they are free to live where lions belong and will be treated with the care and respect they deserve. How lucky I was to be there to share the moment." - Virginia McKenna
http://www.bornfree.org.uk/give/send-this-lion-home/