When there is no unembeza, there is a lack of the fundamentals of what makes a person a person – the Zulu word as the ethos of the eco boutique lodge
Unembeza: on the Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate greenbelt
Unembeza boutique lodge and spa is situated within the Hoedspruit Wildlife estate. The estate offers visitors the opportunity to discover the bushveld while being surrounded by animals; kudu’s, impala and warthogs roam around freely. The lodge caters to the conscious traveler and allows for the opportunity to reconnect with nature.
In July 2016 Unembeza first opened its doors. In what is known today as the main lodge, the boutique lodge employed five people and slept twelve guests. After a short while, Unembeza became the most talked about lodge in Hoedspruit and travelers arrived from all over South Africa, but also the world. In 2017 Unembeza expanded the lodge with a Private Family Villa and later in the same year the Deluxe Garden Suites were opened. In 2018 Villa Mbali followed and finally the most recent edition to the family, Villa Mhlabeni followed suit.
The ethos of Unembeza
Unembeza is the Zulu word for conscious. In the Zulu culture, a culture that currently forms part of twelve million South Africans identity, to have unembeza is the highest act of a virtuous person. Unembeza doesn’t just define what is seen as what is right, but rather defines the essence of humanity. When there is no unembeza, there is a lack of the fundamentals of what makes a person a person.
Consciousness, connectedness and commitment to the people and the environment is what Unembeza is rooted in. A mutual respect is found within Unembeza and this translates through the boutique lodge when one arrives at the property.
The Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate
The residential estate is located on the outskirts of Hoedspruit and is home to several wildlife. While the whole big five is not present here, allowing for visitors to be able to explore by foot, there are often some sightings of leopards. The animals are not enclosed within the estate and roam freely, meaning a Kudu could be eating from the tree on your front porch, or some bush babies can be seen jumping from tree to tree when dusk falls. Some other animals that can be spotted in the park include giraffe, duiker, impala, waterbuck, wildebeest, zebra, kudu, nyala and bushbuck.
Villa Mhlabeni
With warm towels and a non-alcoholic beverage in hand, Caroline emanates the Unembeza ethos once arriving at Villa Mhlabeni. The boutique lodge design is a combination of modern and classic bushveld. Decorated in Zulu motifs without culturally appropriating, the lodge strikes a balance. The modern open plan kitchen allows for a homely feel, but the outside boma and pool emanates a bushveld lodge.
Within the standalone cottage at Villa Mhlabeni, one finds a soft king size bed with draped mosquito netting as well as a couch that can be used as an extra bed. Unembeza allows for children only over the age of six to visit the lodge. The room is also equipped with two showers – one on the inside and one directly across, on the outside. Guests can take a shower under the african sun, in complete privacy. The room is also furnished with modern furniture, but has an influence of the Zulu culture that feels authentic and thought out.
Activities at Unembeza
Unembeza offers a range of activities to their clientele. While the easiest and most convenient would be a stroll within the Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate, one can also book a day trip to the Kruger National Park, less than 100km away, where guests will be on a guided safari tour and have the possibility to potentially see the big five, as well as all other animals that roam the park. As the Kruger National Park is 19,485 km² and divided into fourteen eco zones, guests need to keep in mind that there is no guarantee of seeing anything. Animals roam here freely, in a non enclosed atmosphere and people are entering their natural habitat – not the other way around. It is however unlikely that no animals will be seen.
The boutique lodge also has a full spa available on the property, allowing guests to relax. They offer treatments of various kinds and the spa is named TheraNaka – better known as ‘Beauty of Africa’. The ThereNaka spa provides sensory experiences based on Africa’s heritage and to connect the body back to mother earth and reconnect one with the grounds of life. ThereNaka only uses natural ingredients and aims to honor the ecosystem. The scents, oils and products used during the treatments are reminiscent of Africa.
Furthermore Unembeza offers guests a guided tour of the Panorama Route – one of South Africa’s secrets. The scenic route along the Blyde River Canyon, the biggest green canyon in the world, offers views of waterfalls, mountain ranges and the well known Burke Luck’s potholes. Guests also have the opportunity to attend a guided nature walk or afternoon drive within the Hoedspruit Nature Reserve, a visit to the wildlife rehabilitation center or even a hot air balloon over the Blyde River Canyon.
Unembeza: giving back to the community
The lodge is also committed to furthering the community and supports a well known organization in the Hoedspruit area called Hlokomela. The charity focuses on HIV and AIDS education, an ongoing epidemic in South Africa, as well as running a breast cancer awareness program and a reusable sanitary pads program. In South Africa, seven million girls are reported to be absent from school each month due to lack of sanitary pads, which results in them missing twenty-five percent of learning during the school year.
Hlokomela provides washable, reusable sanitary pads to these girls so that they can stay in school. Long-term, they help limit the ecological damage caused by disposable pads being thrown into rivers and on the streets in rural areas where there is no municipal trash collection. This project furthermore creates jobs and seamstress training for local women in the Sewing Project to make these reusable sanitary pads.
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Limited knowledge around breast cancer, long travel times, and unaffordable or unavailable tools for detection and treatment mean that women in this part of South Africa are often not diagnosed with breast cancer until it is too late to treat.
Unembeza
288 Wildlife Estate, Hoedspruit, 1380, South Africa. Unembeza boutique lodge and spa is situated on the greenbelt of the Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate. It caters for the conscious traveler looking to reconnect with nature.
