Riverhorse Lodge – a new exclusive-use ecotourism hideaway in the privately owned Greater Cradle Nature Reserve (GCNR) just outside Johannesburg – opens its doors in September.
The exclusive luxury retreat is in the heart of the Cradle of Humankind, which was listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1999.
The lodge is situated on the shores of a lake within an indigenous forest, and surrounded by sweeping highveld landscapes with free-roaming plains animals, bird life and clear springs.
The lodge sleeps a maximum of 10 guests in five en-suite rooms, and also has a lounge with its own fireplace, and a wrap-around terrace on the lake edge. Services include a dedicated private guide and a private chef.
In charge of the food is Executive Chef Sam Ramokoka who has a wealth of experience.
The reserve boasts two world-famous active paleoanthropological sites – Gladysvale and Malapa – where ancient hominid and animal fossils have been unearthed.
An exclusive guided Human Origins Tour allows visitors to view these world-famous locations. One of the highlights is the Malapa fossil-viewing platform – designed by Krynauw Nel Associates – which has won a number of major local and international awards and is a short walk from Riverhorse Lodge.
Also on the GCNR site is the Malapa Museum, built in partnership with paleoanthropologist Lee Berger’s Foundation for Exploration, the Cradle Foundation and National Geographic.
Guests can also enjoy wildlife expeditions, bush walks, and birding hikes.
