Zaagkuilsdrift Bird Sanctuary And Lodge — Attraction in Bela Bela Local Municipality

The lodge/bird sanctuary is surrounded by indigenous vegetation. I loved the prolific birdlife around the lodge and on the Zaagkuilsdrift road. (I visited to attend a birding course.) Two accommodation options: camping, and rooms built around the central lawn and pool. The rooms are spotless and have the basics. There is enough storage space, and the beds are comfy. Room 7 is accessible: extra space and handrailings in the bathroom. The lodge is off the grid, and to conserve energy, rooms do not have electric kettles, hair dryers, bar fridges, etc. Ours did not have bedside lamps; best to bring a torch or LED lamp. That said, with no generator, it's serene and peaceful - 100% worth it. The staff are wonderful: genuinely interested, friendly, and helpful. They make guests feel welcome, comfortable, and at home - think the extra mile and beyond. Meals: We enjoyed the cheese burger & chips, and the salad was exceptional. The salad dressing is for sale; I can recommend buying a bottle or two. Zaagies is certainly worth a visit, and I will return for the peace, tranquility, wonderful staff, and, of course, the birding...

Zaagkuil Lodge is within 2 hours of Johannesburg (just before Bela Bela), with easy access to the lodge; the last part of the journey is on sand roads. The birding along the way is excellent. Gerrie and Jaco are wonderful hosts who do everything possible to accommodate guests. It's a small bush lodge which is totally off grid and powered by solar electricity. The food is excellent - a full breakfast and 3 course dinner is included in the overnight price. The rooms are great; the only occasional snag is that the gas showers don't always work well (as Jaco to check the settings before you jump into the shower!).||||GO to Zaagkuil if you want peace and quiet, a relaxing bush break, if you want to walk, cycle, read and reconnect with yourself; we regularly do scrapbooking weekends at Zaagkuil, and it would also be a great venue for knitting / crochet groups and other crafts. The owners easily convert the reception area into a conference room||DON'T GO if you expect entertainment and bright lights||MUST SEE is the nearby...

Camped here March 6 - 9, 2025. Wow, it was so amazing to camp somewhere so quiet & hear so many bird species! At night, heard Western Barn Owl, White-faced Owl (a lifer for us), Fiery-necked Nighjar & jackals crying. We clocked 122 species over the 3 days, which I feel is amazing considering we weren't able to do day drives around the area due to the high water levels & mud, as we have a Suzuki Grand Vitara Dune 2.4. So we'll just have to come back to see our lifers: African Crake, Striped Crake, Temminck's Courser & Pied Babler! It was so peaceful & beautiful. So grateful for places like this that people still feel the need to invest in! We treated ourselves to a burger & chips for lunch the one day & it was absolutely delish!

Thank you for a wonderful time & for the incredible hospitality! Curtis was a champ with the tractor service for our wannabe 4x4 & he is hilarious :-). Steegs made us feel so welcomed & right at home in this little birding paradise. We will definately...