Umlilo Lodge, St Lucia, Kwa Zulu Natal

You seldom see road signs in a town warning that Hippo may be encountered.  St Lucia in Kwa Zulu Natal has this distinction and Hippo do indeed fairly regularly wander through town at night.  Although I did not encounter a hippo on the streets we saw many on a boat trip on the estuary.

I would so love to live in St Lucia it is not overdeveloped, has beaches, the iSimangaliso Wetland park and so much more.  Staying at Umlilo Lodge, felt like slipping between the pages of a ‘Famous Five’ book.  A network of running water, wooden walkways, and balconies set in a jungle of a garden feel magical and stir imagination.  The owner Lourens and his family were great hosts, we would love to return again.