This luxury accommodation is able to take a maximum of 12 people in six individually set rooms with full amenities. The lodge is the only privately owned and run lodge set within the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park World Heritage Site. Makakatana Bay KwaZulu-Natal Safari Lodge offers visitors luxury accommodation with private personal service. Each room is air conditioned and each has a private deck.

Makakatana Bay Lodge offers visitors an unforgettable KwaZulu Natal wildlife safari experience with its luxury game viewing rooms and excellent service. Guests are accommodated in 6 bright and spacious rooms. Three luxury game viewing rooms are set in the dune forest and are frequented by friendly warthog, red dyker, nyala, bush babies, birds and hippo! Two of the luxury game viewing rooms have stunning views onto the lake and water pans, while our popular opulent honeymoon suite has an incredible view over a wetland vlei. Large windows and terrace doors open onto private viewing decks, skillfully combining luxury and integration with the environment. There is also an additional outside shower under the stars for those more adventurous guests who want to shower closer to nature.

Activities include diving or coral reefs, boat cruises, walking for miles on golden beaches, exploring great dunes, wandering through magical coastal forests or roaming across grassy plains. You can also try your hand at canoeing, snorkeling and angling. This is the place to indulge yourself.

Facilities:
- Private Personal Service
- 5 Private Rooms
- 1 Honeymoon Suite
- 12 Bed Maximum Capacity
- Private Bush Pool On Lakes Edge
- Bar
- Dstv In Main Lounge
- Dining Room
- Outdoor Dining Deck
- Boma For Bush Dinners
- Wine Cellar 'in Old Crab House'

On 27 april 1897 Lake St Lucia was declared a game reserve. The conservation area was a 35,000 hectare lake with a 1km strip of land surrounding the lake. At a later stage other conservation areas were added. On 1 december 1999 unesco declared the lake and adjacent coastal areas a world heritage site. The 328 000 hectare reserve was south africa’s first world heritage site and encompasses 5 five major ecological zones.

Lake St. Lucia is the largest marine lake in Africa and is connected by the sea in the South by 21 km of winding channels called the Wetland Narrows. It then opens up to the main lake that is approximately 40km long and the width is between 100 metres and 21km wide. The average depth is about 1 metre and the expanse of water is about 300sq km.

It is estimated that over a hundred different species of fish utilize the St Lucia estuary as a nursery, but use the sea as the maternity ward or spawning area. Annual spawning occurs between April and August.

The oldest living species on the planet, the Coelacanth, is found in deep water off the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park. The Coelacanth was thought to be long extinct, but in 1938 the first specimen was found along the eastern coast of Africa. It has now become known that Coelacanths live in the underwater canyons offshore of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park. Scientists are trying to research these creatures and obtain an understanding of the number of these fish, their locations and habitats. They are also interested in finding out if the population of coelacanths living in these waters are resident and are breeding. Information found will feed the Greater St Lucia Wetalnd Park Coelacanth Management plan so that the species can be conserved and protected as part of the World Heritage Site.

The Greater St Lucia Wetland Park supports approximately 367 different bird species in 11 major habitats. There are only a few places in Africa that support such a concentration of bird life. About one third of the species are waterside birds. St. Lucia has the only breeding colony in South Africa of the pink backed pelican. Flocks of flamingo’s and pelican make homes on the islands when the plankton levels are high.

There has been a substantial increase of animal species within the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park Reserve. The most noticeable are the buffalo and elephant now to be seen on the Eastern and Western shores. The goal of the Conservation Park Authority is to re-habilitate the park and re-introduce animals that used to occur in this region. A Game Introduction Policy has been set out and are formulating a 5 year Game Introduction Programme whereby they will be able to determine what species will be introduced and to what areas. Although typically home to Hippopotamus and Crocodile, the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park will eventually become a Big 5 Game Reserve. As it currently stands the Park is only short of Lion. The lodge is set in dune forest that bursts out over a wetland onto the banks of the lake. Hippo and other wildlife often wander through the lodge, underneath the walkways.

Directions:

Makakatana Bay Lodge is situated within the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park Reserve, Zululand, KwaZulu Natal. Heading North on the N2 - pass the Mtubatuba / St. Lucia turnoff & keep heading North for approximately 20km. Heading South on the N2 - Pass the Hluhluwe turnoff and head south for about another 25 / 30km - pass the Nyalazi River sign and then look out for the Charters Creek / Makakatana turn-off. Follow the tar road for approximately 14km and keep going straight onto the dirt road towards Charters Creek. About 1km along the dirt road take the right fork at the Makakatana sign. Keep on the dirt road and follow the signs for another 4km.