Location

Our Accommodation

Forest Rooms
Thatch, glass and canvas chalets nestled in an enchanting indigenous forest.

Bathrooms
All rooms have both romantic outdoor bathroom bomas as well as en-suite indoor showers.

Family Rooms
Two chalets each with en-suite shower, sharing a bathroom boma linked by a short walkway

Kosi Forest Lodge is the only private accommodation in Kosi Bay Nature Reserve. It is a haven of crisp, cool comfort in the sand forests and you will find that treading gently is a natural way of life in this soft sand forest. Glamping at its best, here you live amongst the trees, surrounded by birdsong. The perfect combination of thatch, tarpaulin and wood, what sets these tents apart is their unique bathrooms with an outdoor shower and deep, wide bath under a leafy canopy. Oil lamps are lit along the forest paths and in your tent as the sun sets, creating a warm glow and connection with the ancient past of this unspoilt land.

The gentle local staff are anxious to please and love to show off the beauty of this pristine part of the earth, be it gliding through a still river in a canoe, birdwatching, fishing or taking you snorkelling at the Kosi Bay river mouth. They are only too delighted to pack you a generous picnic lunch or organise a private, candle-lit dinner under the stars at the open fireside. Enjoy your favourite sundowner drink at the pool which overlooks the Lake Shengeza, where hippos grunt and Fish Eagles call.

The lodge is situated in a protected part of the Isimangaliso Wetland Park in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, famed for its diverse birdlife which includes forest, grassland and coastal birds. Palm-nut Vulture and Pel’s Fishing Owl are local delights.

As you walk lightly on this beautiful part of our earth, you too will become the gentlest version of yourself, as expressed in the words of Mary Oliver’s poem When I am Amongst the Trees:

Around me the trees stir their leaves
and call out, “Stay awhile.”
And light flows from their branches.

And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say,
“and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine.”

Forest Hideaway


Kosi Forest Lodge in the Kosi Bay Nature Reserve within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park has 6 Forest Rooms and 2 Family Rooms.

All rooms have en-suite shower, toilet and basin as well as a romantic outdoor bathroom boma with shower and bath set in soft white sand. There is a choice of double or twin rooms.

Kosi Forest Lodge in Kosi Bay Nature Reserve is an outdoor paradise for children which can easily be accommodated in the 2 Family Rooms comprising 2 chalets each with en-suite shower, basin and toilet as well as a common outdoor boma bath and shower. The 2 chalets are linked by a short walkway.

View Accommodation Gallery

Kosi Forest Lodge

Explore the remote. Engage the present.

iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Kosi Forest Lodge is nestled in a sand forest on the shores of the Kosi Lakes System in the north eastern section of the fascinating iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
Kosi Bay
Kosi Bay is a water wonderland of lakes ranging from seawater to fresh water. It is the cultural capital of the Tsonga Tembe Kingdom, and that the Tsonga Tribe have been fishing here for over 1000 years.
Honeymoon Destination
Combined with Thonga Beach Lodge and Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge makes a lovely bush, beach and lakes honeymoon.
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The Lodge
Kosi Forest Lodge is a private lodge situated in an unspoilt wilderness area. Explore this unique ecosystem by guided canoe, boat trip on the lakes, Raffia Forest walks or day excursion to Kosi Bay mouth.

Exclusive Activities


Guided canoeing, guided walks through ancient Raffia forests, day trips exploring the lakes and 4×4 excursions to Kosi Bay Mouth are among the many activities available.

More Info About Our Activities

Activities

4X4 Excursion to Kosi Mouth
This is a full day trip to the beautiful Kosi Bay Mouth where guests can enjoy snorkelling in warm waters and soak up the sun. A picnic lunch is enjoyed in the shade of palm trees. There is an additional cost for this excursion (snorkelling equipment provided).

Raffia Palm Forest Walk
Enjoy early morning or late afternoon guided walks through the magnificent raffia palm forest. Listen out for the abundant bird calls and perhaps catch a glimpse of the rare palm-nut vulture, whom we have regular sightings of in the canopy.

Canoeing
Exploring the channels of the Kosi Lakes System by guided canoe is one of the glorious past times. Early morning canoe trips along glass-like water through lush forests alive with birds is an absolute must at Kosi Forest Lodge.

Snorkelling
The Kosi River Mouth (1 hour 4x4 drive from the lodge) is known as “the aquarium” because of the clarity of the water and abundance of fish species. Guests of Kosi Forest Lodge have free use of snorkelling equipment included on the 4x4 excursion.

Fishing
Both lake and sea fishing is available as well as fly fishing and dropshot fishing. A permit is required for all fishing. Guests need to supply all their own fishing tackle and equipment. Please discuss your stay with us first should you be particularly interested in fishing.

Boat Trip on the Lakes
This full day boat trip is a wonderful way to explore the fascinating lakes and channels, learn about Tsonga fish traps, enjoy a picnic and walk to pristine Bhanga Nek Beach. There is an additional charge for this activity and is weather dependant.

Birding
Kosi Forest Lodge focuses on birding and has access to some of Zululand’s best birding areas and can provide guided tours. With over 420 Species recorded in the area, one can be assured of some great birding in one of South Africa's most bio-diverse areas.

Tread Gently


Kosi Forest Lodge, an Isibindi Africa Lodge near Kosi Bay, is fiercely committed to conservation and making a difference, a vision that was born in the African savannah.

View Our Conservation Information

Contact Us

CONTACT INFO

  • GPS Co-ordinates:

    S27° 01’43.00”

    E32° 47’13.00”

  • 27 (0) 35 474 1473
  • [email protected]
  • www.isibindi.co.za/
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

What Our Guests Say

What our guests have had to say about Kosi Forest Lodge



  • We stayed for two nights and totally loved Kosi Forest Lodge! The setting is tranquil, romantic and a nature-lovers paradise. Beautiful cabins set in private seclusion, nestled under beautiful trees where the sound of birds and the occasional hippo is all that can be heard for miles. The interior of the cabin is comfortable and spacious with hot showers, electricity and a kettle for morning coffee in your room. The outdoor shower and bath was perfect after our day trip on the lakes and to the beach. What a highlight the boat trip was - from our delightful guides, George & Phaqa, to the diverse bird life and numerous hippo sightings, to learning about the man-made fishing traps and a bit of snorkeling before the best swim in the Indian Ocean from a secluded beach!! I will treasure the memories for a long time and will make a point to come out this way again. Thanks to Zack and Blessing and the polite and helpful staff for a lovely stay, good food and an all round wonderful getaway. Stayed April 2016, travelled as a couple JOHANNESBURG
    Testimonial
  •   Like others we left our vehicle at a nearby village and had a pick up to take us over the sand to the lodge. All worked like clockwork. We found the staff very friendly and helpful, giving us lots of tips including illuminating the night sky for us. Our activities were tremendous, made even better by the super guiding staff. The day on the boat was a highlight for us all, superb. We enjoyed every moment of the whole experience. Vowed to return. Room Tip: Wifi only in bar area. Make sure you have sundowners by the pool. Heathraven, England
    Testimonial
  • We had an incredible time @ Kosi Bay Forest Lodge and believe that the facility is doing an amazing job to be environmentally friendly and educative in the process not only about this but also at the human interface i.e cultural and historical interaction with the environment. We have given this request much thought, and can only commend the Lodge's efforts - keep striving for the excellence you already provide! Thank you for a superb experience. We will be back.
  • Worth the 7-8 hour drive from Johannesburg to enjoy Kosi Bay in the borders with Mozambique, one of Isimangaliso Wetland Park jewels, a world heritage site. Cosy, clean, neat, with a wide range of activities, Kosi Forest Lodge is everything you can dream of a beach holiday in a wild, untouched African Coast and more where simplicity is luxury. Don’t be surprised when you get nostalgic on check out day, you will miss all the wonderful, committed and devoted employees, born and raised in the local community, who will ensure that your stay at this immaculate and exclusive beach lodge is a once in a lifetime experience. Every day at Kosi Forest Lodge is different. Blessing and Thulani will make sure you get the best choices of activities, from the ones included in your rate, like guided canoeing on the narrow channels of Kosi lakes and forest walks, to the extras ones, like turtle tracking (our guide for this excursion was Agripa , a real success story of determination) and boat trips along the 18 kilometers of lake system , home of the traditional Thonga fish traps. George will look after you and make sure that the sandy 4 x 4 roads are safe and as pleasant as possible on your way to the day excursions, he is also the best skipper ever! Food is delicious. Lindhelani, Happiness and Thimbisile looked after us during meal times, making us feel at home and always welcome. My family has been deeply touched by every person whose work and passion helped make our experience extra special. Thandiwe, thanks for those lovely turndowns and for taking care of our cottage. Undoubtedly this has been one of our best South African family holidays ever, thank you beautiful people! Siyabonga, gracias!
    Love The Planet Family
  • My full-house of "Strongly Agree's' says it all. This was my third visit to Kosi Bay, the first to Kosi Forest and it perfectly complemented the earlier times. The staff were superb and what particularly pleased me was to be out on walks and a canoe trip with a guide who not only knew and understood the environment but could communicate very well. George took trouble to find small animals and plants - spiders, ants and then describe how they fitted into the ecosystem. Memorable features were the bath under the stars, the huts being far apart with flares spaced so that on could just see the way back, the deck for meals, the bird hide though I learnt of its existence only just before we had to leave.

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