General Information

IMPORTANT

Getting to us
In order to preserve the natural beauty of our Parsons Nature Reserve, the Parsons section of Balule Nature Reserve is a dirt-road area, and there is a 14km, bumpy stretch from Parsons Gate to the Lodge.  Although smaller vehicles can traverse along the road, it is recommended to come in a higher-clearance vehicle, but 4x4 is not necessary. It will take you approximately 1-hour from Parsons Gate to Maninghi Lodge - so enjoy the game viewing along the way!
Please refer to the Directions which are sent via email upon booking for travel advice.

Power, Water, Signal & WiFi
Due to past loadshedding disruptions, we have installed solar energy to back us up during the loadshedding periods. Although this does cover most of our outages, please be mindful of electrical usage. Our power-points make use of Type C & Type D plugs, please ensure to bring along a travel adapter if your plugs differ.
Our water supply comes directly from the ground (borehole). Although the water is 'hard', it is tested frequently and is perfectly safe for drinking.
The lodge has limited local mobile network, although there are a few area's where you can connect to the local MTN Network if needed.
WiFi is available throughout the property, but due to the distance of the line-of-sight connection, it may be disrupted from time to time. We request that the WiFi only be used for staying in contact with family and friends, and to refrain from downloading/streaming content to your devices, as this does slow the network.
Please be resepctful of other guests around the lodge and keep your devices on silent.

Malaria
Parsons Nature Reserve is a low-risk Malaria area, however, please consult with your doctor regarding prophylaxis while travelling to Malaria areas, especially if your travels are within the Kruher National Park itself.
The lodge has mosquito screen sliding doors on all room entries, and the tents have mosquito preventative mesh on the windows. 
All rooms are equipped with mosquito room repellent and mosquito body repellent.

Health & Safety
Maninghi Lodge is unfenced: animals of all shapes and sizes do, from time-to-time, wander on the lawn.  Whilst this makes for great photo opportunities, guests are reminded never to approach any animal, and children should not be left unsupervised when outside.  Your hosts will be at the lodge at all times, and are happy to deal with any encounters that may occur.
Please ensure to inform your hosts of any medical conditions and note any requirements needed to assist you with any medical condition.
All staff have been trained and are qualified in First-Aid - the lodge has 3 basic first-aid kits available if needed. For any serious illnesses or injuries, the nearest Hospital is currently in Tzaneen (2hour drive).
For any requirements relating to food allergies/specifications, please do note this upon booking. We can cater for any dietary requirement noted in advance, but as we do have set menu's, should no advance notice be given - we may not be able to cater accordingly.

Clothing & Dress Code
Situated in the Lowveld escarpment, our weather is a lot warmer than other regions in the country.
Our winter months (May-September) can be very cool in the mornings and late evenings, so please pack longs and jackets. The days do warm up nicely, so layering your clothing is recommended.
Our summer months (October-April) are HOT! This is also our rainfall season, so it is advised to bring along a rain jacket.
Please ensure to pack a few neutral coloured clothing items and comfortable walking shoes for your activities.

Other
Payments for any extra's had at the lodge may be done in Cash, Visa/Master Card (5% processing fee added to invoice total) or Electronic Funds Transfer.

Please note our Terms and Conditions (T's & C's) displayed at the bottom of your pro-forma invoice upon booking. These T's & C's take preference over any booking platform or tour agents' T's & C's. Although we strive to maintain our guests satisfaction, our T's and C's are in place for a reason and once a deposit has been received, you automatically agree to these T's & C's.

An information document is sent to you via email upon booking. If there is any additional information you may need, please feel free to contact us.

PLEASE ENSURE YOU ARE COVERED BY A COMPREHENSIVE TRAVEL INSURANCE WHEN TRAVELLING OUTSIDE OF YOUR OWN COUNTRY

WHAT TO BRING

  • Sunscreen & Hat
  • Mosquito Repellent
  • Camera and binoculars
  • Comfortable Walking Shoes and Seasonal clothing:
    Summers are extremely hot. Temperatures range from 20°C to 40°C during the day.
    Winters are mild. Temperatures range from 8°C to 35°C, with isolated cold spells.

SELF-CATERING

Should you wish to take up the lodge on a self-catering basis, we can offer this option.

The lodge will need to be booked on a sole-use basis, sleeping a maximum of 10 guests. A once daily service of your rooms will be provided, as well as a twice daily tidy of the kitchen and common areas.

Please remember that we are 45km's (1.5hours drive) from Hoedspruit or Phalaborwa, which have well-stocked supermarkets. Note that Hoedspruit or Phalaborwa are not en-route to Maninghi, you'll pass through several towns if travelling from Gauteng that supplies could be provisioned from. The two best towns for this would be Lydenberg, or Tzaneen (depending on your route).


Refreshments are for sale at the Main Lodge, and we can stock your fridges to any requirement beforehand. Wood and Ice are available to purchase as well, please inform reservations if you would like these items available for your stay.