After all the talking about Fifa 2010, the world cup, available accommodation near a soccer stadium, places to stay and see, international and domestic flights, etc. that’s going on all over the world, we thought to tell you a bit more about Abangane Guest Lodge.
The Lodge is located just outside Hazyview, app. 1.5 km from Perry’s Bridge on the Road to Sabie. Right opposite of our main gate is the Sabie River Sun Hotel with a beautiful 18 hole golf course, open to play for visitors.
We offer B&B (Bed and Breakfast) as well as dinner, a 3 course set menu, to be ordered in advance for your day of arrival. Should you opt to go out for dinner, there is a number of very nice and good quality restaurants not more than 2-3 km from the Lodge as well as cultural entertainment close by.
The surrounding, scenery and ambience is quiet and relaxing with beautiful views giving you the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere. From the pool and garden you will often have the opportunity to observe Zebras, Impalas, Giraffes and more, right at our fence as our 22 hectare property is on one side bordering a private game farm. Click here to visit our photo gallery.
With only 5 rooms and owner run, we ensure the service and personal attention you can expect from a 4 star graded Guest Lodge/Guesthouse/B&B. We always try to over achieve your expectations and make your stay not just a so called “bums in beds” experience.
There is no need to mention a 15 km distance to the Phabeni gate access to the Kruger National Park.
If you like to know more, just contact us.

Activites and attractions

Besides the obvious, "The" Kruger National Park, there are activities from A-Z on offer in and around Hazyview. Here are some in no particular order:

Activities:

game drives, hot air ballooning, quad biking, abseiling, river rafting, aerial cable trail, horse back riding, elephant back ride, canoeing, microlight flights, helicopter flights, geckoing, tubing, big swing/high wire, Golf course (Sabie River Sun, KPL, Skukuza, White River, Nelspruit)....

Attractions:

Kruger National Park, Sabie Sand Game Reserve, Panorama tour, Blyde River Canyon, Bourke's Luck Potholes, Three Rondavels, God's Window, The Pinnacle, Mac Mac Falls, Lisbon and Berlin Falls, Pilgrim's Rest, Sudwala Caves, Reptile Park, Botanical Garden Nelspruit....

There is so much to do, that your holiday can just not be long enough (and your wallet not full enough)!

All is easily reachable within comfortable driving distance from Abangane Guest Lodge.

Mbombela Stadium, Gateway to Kruger National Park

The Mbombela Stadium a 2010 FIFA Stadium in or near Nelspruit.

The Mbombela Stadium is one of the new stadiums to be constructed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Located just 8 km north of Nelspruit, the closest venue to the hugely popular Kruger National Park, it promises to be a popular and convenient location for a football safari. The brand new elevated stadium will be able to seat 40,000 people and have excellent views from all positions.

Gateway to Kruger National Park! The bustling boom town of Nelspruit in the heart of Mpumalanga is a busy commercial centre with excellent facilities, shopping malls and air links with e.g. Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban. It’s a major stopover for traffic along the N4 for people en route to Kruger National Park, Swaziland and Mozambique. It promises to be a popular venue for a football safari, perfectly situated and close to Hazyview. With only 60km distance Nelspruit-Hazyview, Abangane Guest Lodge is the ideal base for a "football safari".

TGCSA Star Grading

To put your mind at ease, it is always recommended to book with a star graded establishment.

The TGCSA's (Tourism Grading Council of South Africa) star grading is an independent assessment of what guests can expect to find at an accommodation provider. It's based on the overall quality, but also takes into account the services and facilities you'd expect to find at that particular star graded establishment.

The higher the star rating the better you will say, but do you really know what to expect in each category? To familiarise yourself with the difference between Lodges, B&B, Guest House etc. and the requirements for each star grading, please read this link, categories and grading criteria.

By the way, the grading has to be renewed on a yearly basis to be allowed to advertise accordingly. If in doubt, ask your establishment for the latest grading certificate or check it on the TGCSA's website

QE2 to be moved to South Africa

The QE2 owners are in final talks to move the ship to Cape Town in South Africa to become a hotel in time for the 2010 football World Cup.
Cunard sold the Southampton-based liner for £50m to the United Arab Emirates real estate developer Nakheel. It had planned to refurbish the ship and open it as a floating hotel in Dubai but that has been put on hold. The QE2 will now go to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town, where there is a shortage of hotel rooms. To read the full story click here.

Our accommodation in Hazyview, close to Kruger Park and only app. 60 km to the Mbombela Stadium is a little bit more "grounded" and available for direct bookings also during the World Cup.

Brilliant Big5 from Abangane

The guests at Abangane Guest Lodge had some brilliant days. On Thursday a couple from the UK had great Big5 sightings and the same happened to another couple, also from the UK, on Friday. The attached pictures are from 2 german business travellers who visited us for a weekend get away with 4 of our guests from Mozambique, who were as fortunate. They were taken on a night drive into the Sabie Sands Private Game Reserve by the very same guide, Andre Theunissen, who captured the video "Leopard killing Porcupine".

World Cup 2010 South Africa

There are a lot of controversial discussions around accommodation availability and rates increases for the World Cup 2010. If you have a look at the South Africa Forum of Tripadvisor you can keep yourself busy a whole night just reading what people have to say and experience.
A lot of establishements have signed up with FIFA/Match and therefore their availabilities are block booked even though the rooms are not neccessarily sold yet and can be booked only via Match
We at Abangane Guest Lodge have decided to keep 100% capacity to the individual traveller who wishes to book direct with the establishments. You can check our availability by clicking here.
Our rates have only been increased based on CPIX and for the WC time by 10% for additonal cost to be expected (extra staff, overtime payments etc.).

Cape Town, 2nd best city in the world

As most of our international guests also visit Cape Town while being in South Africa, I thought sharing the following with you:

The influential US Travel + Leisure magazine has just published their 2009 World's Best Awards compiled from reader's votes and Cape Town came second in the category cities.
Here the link to read more:
Travel + Leisure

Another good reason to spend your next holiday in South Africa.

Happy reading
Abangane

Another sunny day in Mpumalanga

Another sunny day in and around Hazyview!
Some of our guests left early morning for a full day game drive into the Kruger National Park, picked up at the Lodge. Others are using the clear winter day to explore the Panorama Route, Graskop, Harry's Pancake, the Bourkes's Luck Potholes, God's Window, the three Rondavels, the Pinnacle , Berlin and Lisbon Falls, Sabie and Pilgrim's Rest.
Winter day's are ideal for various activities offered manyfold in Hazyview and in short distance from Abangane Guest Lodge.

Black Mamba ritual combat

Something one does not see that often, not even at the Hazyview Reptile Park! These photos were taken just outside our gate by our German Guests Anne & Sven. But NOT TO WORRY, we have got boards at our gate "SNAKES, NO ENTRY"!

We are back!!!!

After 4 days of no phone and ADSL lines we are now back to "life". We hope we managed with our cell phone connection (thanks to modern technology) to satisfy all enquiries and other communication. Let us know if not!!!!!
The World Cup 2010 starts keeping us busy with bookings and enquiries. Seems a lot of soccer fans are combining their passion with our's, the Kruger Park, Wild life, Panorama Tour, Bush, game, Big5 .... etc etc.
The best would just be if Germany would play in Nelspruit, at the Mbombela Stadium (wishfull thinking?).
Fuer alle deutsch sprechenden, wir haben auch eine deutsche Website http://www.abangane.co.za/

Klaus
Abangane Guest Lodge

Telkom lines are down, please contact us on our cell phone

At the moment Telkom is letting us down badly. The phone lines as well as ADSL are down since Thursday afternoon. Luckily we could divert our landline to one of our cell phones. Should you nevertheless experience any problems getting hold of us, try our cell phone. This should work 24/7.
We will therefore also not be able to answer to all enquiries as quickly as usual. In the meantime please make us of our "check availability" function for up to date rates and availability.

Thanks
Klaus
Abangane Guest Lodge
Hazyview

inniBOS Arts festival is on again, 01 July to 05 July 2009. Please click here to see the daily programme. Should you be looking for accommodation near inniBOS Nelspruit, we may still be able to help you from the 3rd of July arriving.