Lokovhela Mountain Lodge Louis Trichardt

Photographs of Lokovhela Mountain Lodge

Lokovhela Mountain Lodge Prices

Lokovhela Mountain Lodge Room Facilities

Search Places to stay in
South Africa

Click for Interactive map

Email Lokovhela Mountain Lodge Reservations: booksa@madbookings.com

A 1-day Venda Culture or Venda Arts and Crafts Tour can be organised, which are fascinating and well worth the experience. Once you have ventured into this area you will always return.

Lokovhela Mountain Lodge Accommodation

Chalet x 4
Includes: Room Only
Spacious and comfortable Chalets with en-suite bathrooms. The bedrooms have either single beds or double beds and meals are available at an extra cost.

Languages Spoken
· English
· Afrikaans

Lokovhela Mountain Lodge Facilities and Services

Activities and Attractions

Nature Walks
Explore and investigate the diverse fauna and flora of this magnificently beautiful natural heritage site on foot. Marked trails take you across scenic valleys, along sparkling streams and through indigenous forests.

Guided Walks and Scenic Drives
Let our guide bring the bush alive whilst sharing his knowledge on the natural wonders of the bush and the use thereof to man.

Venda Dancing
The African night gets filled with the beat of drums and singing by our local Venda dancers.

Venda Village Visit
Experience day to day life in an authentic Venda village, buy crafts directly from the craftsman and learn about local beer making.

Venda Cultural Tour
Visiting Venda is a truly captivating experience filled with mystical forests, sacred lakes, water spirits, stunning scenery and world famous crafts. Our one-day tour guided by a professional guide takes in a number of attractions in the area.

Venda Arts & Crafts Tour
The Venda culture is steeped in the spirit world and finds expression in their arts and crafts. Being highly creative people the Venda people produce many fascinating works and many of the craftsmen being well known worldwide.

Star Gazing
Our reserve is the ideal setting for an out of this world stellar experience whether you are a seasoned observer, starting out or just want to enjoy the night sky.

Horse Trails
From a local Venda village the trail heads up a beautiful Soutpansberg Valley to the sacred Mashovhela rock pool.

Hammock Camp
Away from the lodge is our hammock camp which allows for a unique experience to sleep under the amazing southern night sky.

Birding
With over 540 recorded species, and the majority residents, the Soutpansberg Mountains makes for an all year round birders paradise.


1-Day Venda Arts & Crafts Tour
The Venda culture is steeped in the spirit world and finds expression in their arts and crafts. Being highly creative people the Venda people produce many fascinating works and many of the craftsmen being well known worldwide. The best known of these arts and crafts are clay pots distinctively marked with angular designs in graphite silver and ochre.

Also growing in status are woodcarvings which range from abstract to practical. Our Arts & Crafts day tour is an adventure as craft villages are scattered and some roads poor, so Venda life in general can be experienced in between visiting some of the area's best craftsman.

The one day Venda Arts & Crafts tour includes:

· A visit to Elim market to experience vibrant rural life of the Venda and Tsonga people: taxi busses arrive and leave for rural villages; there is a bustling fruit and vegetable market, a hair dresser, local eating places and many other fascinating places to explore.

· Leaving Elim we head out to Twananani Textiles, where women make stunning batiks with traditional patterns, bead work and embroidery.

· John Baloy’s rural art gallery is the next port of call. John was a famous wood carver who passed away by a car accident some years ago. His gallery is still in place and houses his artwork and sculptures from other wood carvers in the area.

· From there it is on to another wood carver, Thomas Kubayi, who makes traditional music instruments such as drums and mariba, as well as carving traditional and contemporary sculptures. At his workshop, Thomas also teaches young people woodcarving skills. This is also the ideal spot to stop for a light lunch as there is a good chance that you will be treated to youngsters in the village making music.

· We then visit the Mashamba potters, which is a huge workshop where 50 women make traditional Venda pots and more contemporary pots. All of these pots are naturally fired.

· Depending on time and interest you can include Hlamarisa Vuma who is well known for her bead work; David Murathi a woodcarver; Noria Mbasa; or Johannes Maswanganyi and sons who are Tsonga woodcarvers with a completely different style to the Venda.

The Surounding Area
From sacred lakes, mythical forests and the world's largest Baobab to Mapungubwe and Kruger National Parks this un-commercialised area is wonderful to explore and an experience that you will always return to.

Reserves and Farms
Northern Kruger National Park: The Kruger National Park is world known and its northern reaches are arguably the most beautiful and least commercialised. This area offers outstanding birding and it is often described as the "botanical garden" of the Kruger.

Mapungubwe National Park & World Heritage Site
Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site is rich in biodiversity, great scenic beauty and the cultural importance of the archaeological treasures of Mapungubwe.

Musina Baobab Nature Reserve
Famous for its high number of Baobab trees.

Wild Dog tracking
Track down this endangered animal at Venetia Mine Nature Reserve.

Ratho & Parma Crocodile Farms
An operational crocodile farm with on average 4,000 - 5000 crocodiles on the farm, including a very rare 'White Crocodile'. They have a Croc Shop where croc meat and hand made crocodile and other leather items are sold.
Blouberg Nature Reserve: View the largest colony of Cape Vulture.

Nzhelele Dam
This beautiful dam is surrounded by a nature reserve plentiful in plains game. It is also recognised as an excellent fishing area.

Muthavhasindi Nature Reserve
This nature reserve has been established to protect the Brakenridgia zanzibarica trees or ‘Magic Tree’. It is the only place in South Africa where these trees are found and its bark is used by traditional healers. There is usually a local guide that can give you an informative talk.

Gundani Brachystegia Woodland
This is the only known patch of Miombo (Brachystegia) woodland in South Africa. Miombo woodland is common in Zimbabwe and further north and are considered to be rich in biodiversity and most rural communities depend on their resources.

Nwanedi Nature Reserve & Waterfall
This beautiful reserve surrounding the Nwanedi Dam is well stocked with game and boasts an impressive waterfall.

Historical Sites.......

Bergpans Salt Pans
The Soutpansberg Mountains derived its name from these large salt-pans, which have probably been used by game since time immemorial, and whose salt has been exploited from Stone Age time’s right up to the present.

Tshipise Hot Springs
Relax in the hot waters that bubble out of the earth’s crust.

Big Tree at Sagole Spa
The world’s oldest and largest Baobab tree, estimated at 3000 years and with a circumference of 43 meters. Sagole Spa also features a natural hot spring. Tshikovha, a local herbalist and diviner of international repute, can be visited by arrangement.

Phiphidi Waterfall
The Phiphidi Waterfall is believed in the Venda culture to be inhabited by the zidutwane (“water spirits”). These beings are only half-visible; they only have one eye, one leg, and one arm. One half can be seen in this world and the other half in the spirit world. The Venda would take offerings of food to them because the zwidutwane cannot grow things underwater.

Tshatshingo Potholes
The waters of the Mutale River fall into a naturally formed pothole and disappear for some distance before reappearing and continuing on its course.

Email Lokovhela Mountain Lodge Reservations: booksa@madbookings.com