Rorke's Drift Lodge, Rorkes Drift | Quick Reference Fact Sheet

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Rorke’s Drift, a place of pilgrimage, a place of history, a place of culture and a place where bloody battles were won and lost. These are the reasons why visitors return to Rorke’s Drift year after year. But, what lies hidden around Rorke’s Drift is far more than just a historical site.

Rorke’s Drift Lodge lies a mere five kilometres from the actual battlefield of Rorke’s Drift and is an unspoilt treasure hidden in amongst a world of progress. The 5km farm track up to the Lodge ensures that vehicles have to travel at a sedate 20km per hour and ensures that the property maintains its rare and tranquil seclusion. No traffic noise interrupts the singing of the birds and beetles and perfect stillness pervades the night.

Accommodation

The Lodge has emerged from some existing farm buildings and the Main Lodge still maintains the air of a “home”. There is a comfortable lounge complete with DSTV, a log fireplace for the winter days, a ceiling fan for the summer and a spectacular view. Also available is a small library housing books about South Africa and the history of the area.

The Rooms

The bedrooms of the Lodge are secluded and each has their own private entrance. There are two rooms on the Main Lodge, one is a twin room with an ensuite tiled bathroom with a shower. The other room is a two bedroomed suite - very suitable for families with a separate and private bathroom and toilet.

The other two rooms are located away from the Lodge and afford guests complete privacy. Our “honeymoon” room is the only room with a double bed in a converted water tower. It boasts a wonderful wooden deck for viewing and a very spacious bathroom with a shower for two. This room is on two levels and is therefore recommended only for the young and the fit. Our other Garden Room is also a suite with a small lounge (with a sleeper couch), a spacious bedroom, a bathroom that defies description and a small stoep (as we like to call it here).

Dining

The Dining Room adjoins the lounge and guests are offered a set menu at a communal table. Fine Dining is part of the Rorke’s Drift experience. We also offer lunches on request in our informal “restaurant”. The kitchen of Rorke’s Drift Lodge is run by our International Chef, Charles Hickman, who doubles as our Host and Manager. Charles, a South African, perfected his cooking skills in the United States of America where he learned to conjure up desserts to die for. His menus are varied and seldom will you see the same dish appearing twice.

Facilities

On the front of the Main Lodge building is a large viewing deck that houses a pool and an open fire pit area. Guests can while away their evenings lounging around on the deck enjoying the spectacular view.

Cell phone reception is not good at the Lodge but we have had a signal booster put in place to try to improve the situation. The Internet is available in the Main Lodge and we also accept all major credit cards. Parking is in the Lodge grounds and cars are perfectly safe.

Private Conservancy

The Lodge grounds are a mighty 1000 acres of natural garden. A small, private conservancy where animals are left to roam at will. Kudu, Rhebuck, Grey Duiker, Blesbuck, Warthogs, Bushpigs, Porcupines, Leopard, Lynx, Servals, Spotted Gennets, African Wildcats and the Blackback Jackal roam freely on the property and can be spotted by the patient viewer. 120 species of birds have been spotted in the Lodge grounds and birding enthusiasts can expect to see a quick flash of blue and brown as a Paradise Flycatcher flits around. A few very lucky guests have seen our breeding flock of Ground Hornbills who have religiously produced a chick every year for the past four years.

Child Policy

We welcome children at Rorke’s Drift Lodge but parents must take into account that the facilities cannot be considered as being “child friendly”. The pool area is open and the terrain around the Lodge is not even. We also have Max (Ridgeback/Boerboel cross) and Bubbles (Dalmatian) our two dogs who roam free on the property and are part of our security network.

Attractions and Activities

Rorke’s Drift Lodge also offers to organise activities for guests in the area. The legendary storytellers of Rorke’s Drift can regale guests with the recounting of the Battles of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift. There are another eight battlefields of significance close by and we can organise for a guided tour to all of these sites. Birding is another area of speciality and our guide can take guests to the best spots. There is a San Rock Art Painting site at Rorke’s Drift and there are many areas for walks. The most significant of these is the hike between Isandlwana and Fugitives Drift.

Rorke’s Drift Lodge ascribes to green policies and we have endeavoured to put many “green” policies into place. We are concerned about our carbon footprint and therefore have limited “mod cons” in place. Despite these limitations we have still managed to be graded as a Four Star Establishment with the Grading Council of South Africa and we also have an AA Highly Recommended rating.

It is important to us that our guests arrive safely, feel welcome when they get here and depart safely. We go the extra mile to ensure a comfortable stay and we endeavour to show that South African hospitality is amongst the best in the world.