Located on a seasonal riverbed that attracts a plethora of elephant and buffalo herds, lies Ezulwini Billy’s Lodge. Welcome to the Balule Nature Reserve, where the big five roam freely between the Balule and the Kruger National Park which shares unfenced borders with the reserve. Billy’s Lodge has taken advantage of its position on the riverbed and created a rustic, wooden skywalk that meanders its way from the main lodge to a large, open viewing deck. The viewing deck gives rise to panoramic views of a waterhole in front of the lodge, which is best described as “wildlife central”.
Let’s talk about the thriving waterhole in front of the viewing deck at Billy’s Lodge. The deck is a place that lends itself to hours of lost time while gazing at wildlife in their natural element. What can you expect to see at the waterhole (aka wildlife central)? For starters, there are daily elephant sightings. These gentle pachyderms are often found wallowing in the mud and spraying water everywhere. They are also known for walking under the skywalk when guests are crossing. This seems to be a highlight for guests who delight at the close proximity of the elephants.
The waterhole is also littered with a variety of plains game, such as steenbok, impala, zebra and warthog. Rhino are spotted a few times a week and when buffalo herds come through to drink, you can expect to see herds of 200+. Although the waterhole is predominantly populated by elephant and buffalo, big cats do make an appearance. Lions tend to be seen in the dead of the night drinking at the dam. Guests often hear them roaring when they are trying to sleep. We suspect the lions are the Olifants West pride and the Olifants West split – they are the ones who dominate the area. Leopards are another species of cat seen at the waterhole. The Leadwood female leopard is the cat most commonly seen drinking from the dam. She often contact calls when she approaches the waterhole.
When I asked the lodge owner, Lauren, what the most memorable moment at the waterhole was, she had this to say, “The most memorable moment was when Big Boy, our old dominant male lion, had his last stand against his two sons who were trying to take over the pride. He lost the fight and was killed shortly afterwards trying to hunt buffalo on his own. Big Boy was a Balule legend!”
This is the wild. Just when you think it’s a quiet day at the waterhole, a historical moment happens right in front of the lodge !
The waterhole at Billy’s Lodge is a hub of activity and that viewing deck sounds like a paradise of game viewing. Catch you there!
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