Isimangaliso... A place of wonder

The world as it is today is culmination of movements and migrations. Some big, some small and most forced. The results are often devastating. But sometimes the miracle and the magic of the land is left untainted, undisturbed and forgiving.
This is how I ended up on a 7 hour road trip to the land that used to be called Maputaland. Home to the Tsonga people, who had lived there over a millennium before the area was divided by colonists in the late 1800’s between South Africa and Mozambique. The area is called Isimangaliso, which means a miracle, a wonder or something to be in awe of. How appropriate.
The last town you’ll see before Memela Bush Lodge is dusty and densely populated Manguzi. There are no real roads, just paths carved out in beach sand that lead straight into the bush. This sort of travel is not unusual to me, but I even started to get nervous when my car wheels started to spin in the sand. Luckily a few locals drove by in a bakkie, and gave us a push. And they were off as quickly as they had arrived.
Memela Bush Lodge is set deep in the wilderness of Kosi Bay. Run by a young family headed by Willis; a man who is so comfortable and content with his purpose in life, to preserve the land and provide a memorable experience for all who visit. The accommodation is private chalets based on traditional fisherman huts. They are built using local reeds with a wooden backdoor and no wall or door in front. It is like you have landed in a dream. The bathroom is en-suite, but technically it’s outside.
There is no electricity on the lodge; the owner however is an eco-friendly genius, who offers the luxuries of light and warm showers in unique ways. The evenings are spent at the main house enjoying home-made meals made by the hosts, always with dessert. On our first night before dinner, we went to the lake to spot hippos as the sun set. We drank wine, and ate popcorn and marvelled at the sky turning from blue, to orange, to pink, to purple and eventually black.
We spent our days at the Kosi Bay Mouth, which had the bluest water I have ever seen. The white beach sands were soft and hot. The water was cool and still. And the days melted away into the horizon, along with our worries and cares.
There is a peacefulness and calmness that envelopes the area. It helped me connect with myself and my fellow travellers. It is pure, without distraction. It is a wonder.