Accommodation at Jatinga Country Lodge, Mpumalanga, South Africa

Safari Lodges and Accommodation in South Africa

Accommodation at Jatinga Country Lodge, Mpumalanga, South Africa

JATINGA COUNTRY LODGE

Deluxe country lodge
Near the Kruger National Park
10 intimate rooms and four suites
A la carte restaurant and cosy bar

Jatinga Country Lodge comprises 10 rooms and four suites, all tastefully decorated in Victorian, Provencal and Colonial furnishings and fabrics which offer guests luxurious comfort and secluded privacy.

JATINGA COUNTRY LODGE - MPUMALANGA:
For additional information and photos please see our Jatinga web-site: "http://AfricanAdrenalin.co.za/jatinga/index.htm"

ABOUT JATINGA:
There is poetry in the world, Jatinga....the pathway of rain and water.

The original Jatinga is a garden village located on a spur of the Haflong ridge, part of the Borail range, where nature has been bountiful - very much like at Jatinga Country Lodge in White River.

Jatinga village is centrally located at the tri-junction of the roads leading to Haflong, Lumding and Silchar and was first inhabited in 1890 under Dimasa King. The junction looks like a natural saddle with the Jatinga river flowing westwards and the Dolong river towards the north.

The village is lush and abundant with bird life and many different species of orchids and, while a trip to Haflong ridge may be out of the reach of many, very similar conditions can be experienced and enjoyed at Jatinga Country Lodge.

With a long and proud tradition of excellence in all areas - from the tantalising cuisine to the luxurious rooms and suites - this 5-star country lodge offers guests the very best of Mpumalanga.

Located in the outskirts of White River, the hotel is nestled amongst over 30 acres of magnificent rolling green lawns and lush sub-tropical gardens with some of the most impressive river frontage winding its way through the estate.

ROOMS:
* Victorian Colonial, African Colonial, French Country, Provencal, English Country, Orchard and Forest rooms and suites offer guests luxurious comfort and secluded privacy.

* Showers set in private gardens are just one of the features when checking into the Victorian rooms with .5 ton, solid concrete baths to greet guests in the Provencal bathrooms.

* The English Country suites offer guests the added luxury of open fireplaces.

* The sumptuous Colonial suite offers guests their own private sitting room, private patio leading off the bedroom and original ball-and-claw baths in the classic black and white tiled bathrooms.

* Satellite TV is available in all rooms as are well stocked mini bars together with a limited but tasty room service menu.

* Valet and laundry services are quickly and efficiently carried out with one call to reception.

* The Honeymoon suite is an experience in itself. Designed as a completely open-plan experience, the gloriously decadent four-poster bed has pride of place in the suite. A private garden and splash pool ensures complete and total privacy for newly weds.

* Showers set in private gardens are just one of the unique features that you can enjoy when staying at one of the Victorian rooms. Each room has a well stocked mini-bar, 24-hour room service menu, satellite TV, telephone, valet and laundry service.

FINE FOOD AND WINE:
* Jatinga’s A la Carte Restaurant is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner and offers a varied and tempting menu that will satisfy even the most discerning diner.
* The ‘Lord Milner’ - the lodge’s pub - is the meeting place for pre-dinner drinks. The cosy atmosphere, enhanced by the pub’s vibrant burnt orange walls, tends to ‘capture’ guests for yet another round.
* The lodge’s gourmet picnic hampers can be enjoyed in the gardens or when going game viewing in the Kruger National Park or during a day trip on the scenic Panorama route.
* Sundowners on the wooden deck down at the river are a must for guests wanting to take in some of the abundant bird life together with a breath-taking sunset.

Jatinga’s a la carte restaurant is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner and offers a varied and tempting menu that will satisfy even the most discerning diner. The Lord Milner pub is the meeting place for pre-dinner drinks. The cosy atmosphere, enhanced by the pub’s vibrant burnt-orange walls, tends to capture guests for yet another round. By crossing the small private courtyard that leads from the bar, guests will find themselves in the snooker room where a game can be enjoyed.

Sundowners on the wooden deck at the river are a must for guests wanting to take in some of the abundant bird life together with a breathtaking sunset.

OUTDOOR DELIGHTS:
Soak up the charm and tranquility of the magnificent gardens, the African sun at the poolside, the view and bird life from the elevated wooden deck overlooking the White River.

WEDDINGS:
Whether it’s a small and intimate affair for 30 close friends or a lavish wedding banquet for 150 guests, Jatinga Country Lodge is able to offer a tailor-made wedding package that will fulfil your dreams and meet all your needs.

LOCATION:
Follow the N4 from Johannesburg to Nelspruit (approximately 320 km). As you come into Nelspruit turn left onto the R40 to White River/Hazyview.

Thereafter you have two options:

* Travel along the R40 for approximately 14 km, turn right onto the Plaston Road. Travel for 9 km until you come to a turn off to the left to White River, the R538. Turn left, travel for approximately 800 m and turn left onto the Jatinga Road (dirt road). Travel up the road for 900 metres to the Jatinga Gate.

* Travel from Nelspruit to White River (approximately 20 km) and proceed through town. Continue straight along the R538 to Karino/Plaston for 4.3 km, from the last traffic light, crossing over two railway lines. Turn right onto the Jatinga Road (dirt road). Travel for 199 km to the Jatinga gate.

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WHITE RIVER:
Set in the densely cultivated and important agricultural and forestry area, the town of White River lies some 20 km north of Nelspruit, which is the capital of this frost-free, subtropical region of Mpumalanga. Fruit, timber, tobacco and vegetables are the most important crops, while the shady streets of the town are alive with flowering trees.

The name ‘White River’ comes from the stream which waters the productive farming area, known by the local people as Amazehlope (white waters). Originally settled in the 1890's, development really took off when the government launched a settlement scheme for demobilised soldiers from the ex-Indian army. The 40 ha plots they farmed were found to be too small for viable farming , and in 1914 were bought by a syndicate which planted more than 60 000 citrus trees. A local winery, some 4 km south of the town on the Nelspruit road, is noted for the production of an annual - and highly sought-after - orange wine (a liqueur rather than a true wine), and is open to visitors on weekdays.

There are several good country hotels, guest farms and holiday resorts in the area, as well as a number of flourishing craft centres. Three large dams nearby afford good fishing and water recreation facilities.

NELSPRUIT:
Situated in the lush valley of the Crocodile River, Nelspruit is the thriving centre of the Mpumalanga lowveld. The town’s busy streets are lined with jacaranda and flamboyant trees, while the suburbs and gardens abound with flowing subtropical plants and shrubs. Surrounding the town are the fruits of the bounteous lowveld - orchards of citrus, avocados, bananas, granadilla, mangoes, pawpaws, litchis and nuts - many which are on sale on street corners and at numerous roadside farmstalls.

It was fruit that first put Nelspruit on the map, when in 1890 Hugh Lanion Hall arrived in the area and recognised the potential for growing subtropical plants. When plans were set in motion for the construction of the NZASM railway between Pretoria and Delagoa Bay, the railhead that was built here was named after the three Nel brothers who were well known in the area. Later, the citrus estate of HL Hall & Sons played an important part in the town’s development, particularly after Nelspruit’s proclamation in 1905.

In those early years, Nelspruit was notorious for malaria - and it was not until the authorities began eradicating the disease in the 1930s that the area was able to prosper.

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK:
The world-renowned Kruger National Park offers a wildlife experience that ranks with the best in Africa. Established in 1898 to protect the wildlife of the South African Lowveld, this national park of nearly 2 million hectares, SANParks - Kruger National Park is unrivalled in the diversity of its life forms and a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies.

Truly the flagship of the South African national parks, Kruger is home to an impressive number of species: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals. Man's interaction with the Lowveld environment over many centuries - from bushman rock paintings to majestic archaeological sites like Masorini and Thulamela - is very evident in the Kruger National Park. These treasures represent the cultures, persons and events that played a role in the history of the Kruger National Park and are conserved along with the park's natural assets.

The Kruger National Park is the primary destination in South Africa for many international tourists. Each year more than half a million visitors are registered.

The National Park was opened in 1898 at the instigation of then-president Paul Kruger. After hunters had considerably decimated the originally rich game stock, all the land between the Sabie and the Crocodile Rivers was put under the protection of Nature Conservation to ensure the survival of the remaining animals. Only as recently as 1961 was the extended Kruger Park fenced in.

The park stretches from the Crocodile River in the south up to the Limpopo River, which is the international border in the north. Altogether it is 350 km long, 65 km wide and comprises an area of about 20,000 sq km.

A web of roads of 1863 kilometres leads through the National Park, 697 kms of them being tarred. For the visitor there are numerous differently equipped restcamps, most of them scenically positioned. Within the park boundaries, travel is only allowed between sunrise and sunset. After dark one has to stay in one of the fenced restcamps.

The best time for observing the animals is the dry winter season. Then the grass is low and bushes and trees don't have leaves, so that one can have an unobstructed view. Because it virtually doesn't rain in winter, the animals come to the waterholes to drink in the mornings and evenings and can easily be viewed from the car.

HISTORICAL AND SCENIC ATTRACTIONS

Named after the man that discovered gold at the confluence of the Blyde and Treur Rivers, Tom Bourke, Bourke's Luck Potholes, marks the beginning of the Blyde River Canyon. The natural potholes are deep cylindrical holes formed by the action of sand and rock carried down when the rivers where in flood. Visitors can get up close and personal and view the potholes from specially constructed bridges. The visitors centre and museum are interesting and informative so take the time to go through both which are conveniently situated at the start of the 700m walk to the potholes.

The Lisbon Falls are the highest in the area and are at the point where the Blyde River splits into three and large pools are formed before the water drops off a sheer cliff to the pool 92m below.

Pilgrim’s Rest is a modern-day “living museum” and your stay in Mpumalanga will not be complete without exploring this historical village. Alluvial gold was first discovered in the stream here in 1873 by Alec Patterson and sparked off one of the biggest gold rushes of the time. Mining only ceased in 1972 and today Pilgrim’s Rest has been preserved in the exact architectural style of the gold rush period.

The magnificent views of the Blyde River Canyon and the Lowveld from God’s Window are explanation in itself as to how this viewpoint got its name. Visitors overlook a sheer 300m drop into the ravine, which houses an indigenous forest. The Kruger National Park can be seen in the distance to the west.
The Mac Mac Falls are named after the old mining camp of Mac Mac, so named because of the large number of miners of Scottish descent that came seeking their fortune. The twin 56m falls which can be seen today were originally one. Eager to get to the promised gold, miners tried to divert the flow with the help of dynamite and succeeded in creating a second fall. Close by are the Mac Mac Pools, naturally formed swimming pools.

More than 100 years old the Kruger National Park is one of South Africa’s most famous tourist attractions. Measuring 350km from north to south and approx. 60km at its widest point, the park is home to a variety of wildlife including the Big Five. Numbi entry gate is only 35 km from Jatinga. Home to 147 mammal species, 500 varieties of birds, 114 types of reptiles and an array of fascinating flora the Kruger National Park is a wildlife experience not to be missed.

Hoedspruit Cheetah Project a three hour drive from Jatinga will give you a first-hand look at the world’s fastest cat and how fragile the balance of the cheetah population is.

SHOPS GALORE!

Nearby Casterbridge Farm is a shopping and entertainment centre with a difference.

The centre is home to a variety of different shops including pottery and ceramics, original art work, designer furniture, leather and clothing boutiques and the interesting White River Motor Museum. This museum is one of the few places in South Africa where lovers of the automobile and its history can indulge in its graceful past. The Motor Museum also includes a local Historical Museum which offers visitors an interesting insight into the origins and residents of White River.

The Barnyard Theatre is another of the attractions at Casterbridge Farm and promises guests a fun-filled evening of entertainment and live theatre. The Barnyard concept encourages guests to bring their own picnic hampers (supplied by Jatinga) and enjoy a light meal in the theatre (which as the name suggests is an actual barn complete with wood shavings on the floor!) before the live show begins.

The Casterbridge Farm Cinema, a new 96-seater cinema with state-of-the-art surround sound, has also recently opened and a pleasant mix of new and art movie releases can be viewed here throughout the week.

Nelspruit’s Riverside Mall is only 20km away from Jatinga and offers a variety of stores that will satisfy just about every shopping need. Adjacent to the mall is the Emnotweni Casino where Lady Luck may just decide to bestow new fortunes upon you!

PAR EXCELLANCE

Golfing enthusiasts will be glad to learn that there are several top class golf courses close to Jatinga. White River Country Club is 10km from Jatinga and promises golfers a challenging 18-hole course in lush green surroundings while the course at Sabi River Sun Hotel in Hazeyview, 30 minutes away, offers the added “challenge” of resident hippos! Or enjoy a round of golf on the wild side at Skukuza in the Kruger National Park.