17 Bayhill Drive, White River Country Estate, White River, 1240, Mpumalanga Mpumalanga
Jabula Lodge is a luxury self-catering home, with maid service, set in own grounds with pool. Overlooks the White River and golf course. 30 minutes from the KNP, in an area of outstanding beauty, on the Panorama Route. Famous local attractions within easy driving distance.
Jabula Lodge is on the outskirts of the delightful small town of White River. It was built for its present English owners in 2002. The entire villa is beautifully furnished with hand carved African furniture, and modern and traditional African soft furnishings.
It is beautifully placed on the low density White River Country Estate, which has a secure 24-hour controlled access. For those guests who enjoy a game of golf, it overlooks an 18-hole championship golf course, however you don’t have to be golfers to enjoy a holiday at Jabula. A walk at any time around the scenic Estate will provide bird watchers with varied sightings all year round.
One of the main attractions of Jabula must be its proximity to the world famous Kruger National Park. This is an easy 30 minute drive away, which means guests can drive for a day searching for the "Big 5", and return to White River for a well earned rest and a swim in the pool overlooking spectacular views.
The accommodation, which is all on one level, consists of:
a large open plan sitting room
a dining room area with room for 8 people
an open-plan kitchen with a pantry and a fully equipped laundry room
four double bedrooms
The property is set in its own gardens and lawns with a drive and turning area for your car(s).
Bedrooms
Each bedroom has 2 bedside tables, bedside lights, ample wardrobe and shelf space, built-in dressing tables and ceiling fans. The beds come with non-allergenic duvets and pillows. There are also fly screens on the opening windows so you can go to sleep with the windows open. All the bathrooms have shaver points.
The Master Bedroom has its own adjoining dressing room and a large en-suite bathroom with walk-in shower with seat, bath, bidet, W.C. and a sink/vanity unit. It has 2 large single beds and sliding patio doors opening out onto the front garden.
Guest Bedroom One has 2 large single beds and a slightly smaller dressing room. It has sliding patio doors opening out onto the front garden, and an en-suite bathroom with sink/vanity unit, W.C. and a walk-in shower with seat.
Guest Bedroom Two has 2 large single beds and overlooks the rear garden. It has an en-suite bathroom with sink/vanity unit, W.C. and walk-in shower with seat.
Guest Bedroom Three also overlooks the rear garden and has 2 large single beds and has an ensuite bathroom with sink, W.C. and a large walk-in shower.
Sitting Room
There is a large open plan sitting room with sofas, easy chairs and ottomans. We hide the TV behind a cupboard by the fireplace, as we rarely have time to look at it! There is a large ceiling fan for those hot evenings.
Dining Room
The dining room area has a large table which seats 8 and has a sideboard. A double sided log-burning fireplace for those sometimes chilly winter evenings separates the sitting room and dining room area. There are large sliding patio windows opening out to the veranda.
Fully Equipped Kitchen
The kitchen is open plan with a breakfast bar seating 4 separating it from the dining room area. It comes fully equipped with fridge/freezer, microwave, gas hob and electric oven with extractor fan over, and a preparation sink. Small details such as the essential teapot, electric kettle, cafetiere, electric toaster and all the equipment you would normally use in your own home, help to make staying at Jabula a relaxing experience. All the work surfaces are in granite and there are ample cupboards for storage.
Outside
This is the area we really live in all year round. There is a very large covered veranda which has a table and chairs seating 8. There are also sun loungers and cushions and the all-essential braii (barbeque). The pool comes with a pool net to protect young children, but vigilance is obviously needed at all times as the pool is open to the garden. It has built in steps/seats where you can sit and enjoy those refreshing drinks, after a hard day of sightseeing, at sunset whilst waiting for the braii or just lounging about!
Golf
Gary Player designed the course 25 years ago and it was later developed into an exciting 18 hole championship course, 6061 metres in length for a par of 71. It offers a challenge to both amateurs and professionals. The White River flowing through the parkland course brings interesting water features into play at 9 of the holes with the 7th and 11th comparable to Augusta National in their beauty, challenge and abundance of water. Non-members from overseas will pay approximately R120 per round. Caddies and carts are available for hire. If you tire of playing on this course there are about another 12 in this area of Mpumalanga varying from the most exclusive at Leopard Hills Creek to the Skukuza Golf Course inside the Kruger Park that you share with the wildlife! 'In the rough' takes on a whole new meaning because there be lion, hippo and crocodiles...
There is a sign at the Skukuza golf curse that reads: "Be careful, Dangerous Animals". And they are not kidding. "This is one of the best tales, and its all true," insists Zulu Cason, president of the Lowveld Golf Association.
"This fellow's ball hit an impala square on the head, dropping it to the ground. He ran up to the poor animal, only to soil his pants as a fully-grown lion decided he would rather have the impala. It sauntered out of the bush, picked up the stunned buck and walked off with it.... leaving the golfer with a rather wet pair of pants, and an unbeatable story."
So if you like your golf with a bit of adrenline, you know where to go. You can also get the services of a ranger for your round if you wish!
Locality
White River is a delightful little town supplying all your basic needs. It is a 7-minute drive from the property, and has 2 supermarkets, various other food shops and liquor stores, a post office, several banks, pharmacies, doctors and dentists, butchers, and several petrol stations.
Nelspruit is the nearest large town, 30 minutes away by car, with large department stores and everything you would expect from a modern town. As you drive from White River, this side of Nelspruit, there is the Riverside Mall, a comprehensive modern shopping mall with a multi-screen cinema and a casino.
The Casterbridge Centre, which is a favourite of ours, is 5 minutes away and houses several restaurants, some lovely little shops for unusual souvenirs, a small cinema and a theatre which has performances by local and international artists. It makes a wonderful evening to go there with a picnic supper and enjoy a show. There is also a museum housing a large collection of vintage cars.
There are numerous restaurants, all within 5 to 15 minutes from Jabula, ranging from a true gourmet experience to a cheap and cheerful pasta or pizza. Whatever your tastes in food the area is very well served for eating out, and you probably won’t use the kitchen very much unless you want to barbeque! We can also give you the phone numbers of several excellent caterers who will deliver delicious ready prepared meals to order.
Sightseeing
As for sight seeing, you could easily spend a month in the area to get round everything! All of the following are easily visited in a day, but not all in the same day! Pilgrims’ Rest is a restored gold mining town, where you could try your luck and pan for gold! It makes an interesting day trip, motoring through glorious wooded countryside, and gives a fascinating insight into the gold rush era.
Bourke’s Luck Potholes are well worth a visit if just to see the incredible power of weather erosion, and you don’t have to go underground either!
God’s Window is an awe inspiring view down over the Lowveld towards the Kruger National Park, and there are many beautiful waterfalls in the area, all of these depending on the rainfall during the rainy season, the most spectacular being the Mac Mac Falls.
Blyde River Canyon is the world’s third largest canyon with spectacular views in all directions. Here there is also the rock formation called the Three Rondavels, shown in many picture postcards.
If you tire of sightseeing then there is always birding, fishing, boating, ballooning, white water rafting and horse riding available locally.
For guests who want to see more of the African continent, Mozambique and the Indian ocean is 2 hours away, and Swaziland is also a couple of hours away too.
Kruger National Park
Last, but by no means least, is the wild game viewing in the Kruger National Park. The real joy of staying in this area is to be able to get out into the wild and go on safari. If you are newcomers to this we strongly recommend that you go to one of the private game reserves for at least a couple of nights, where you will be driven around the bush in an open safari vehicle - none of your enclosed mini bus safaris here!
With any luck you will see all of the ‘Big 5’ (lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and cape buffalo), not to mention an incredible variety of bird life, plains game, reptiles and smaller mammals. We can recommend several game lodges that are not too expensive, including a couple of self catering ones, and there is really nothing like going to sleep to the sound of lion roaring - yes, you will sleep too!
Once you have experienced this and ‘have your African eyes in’ as we put it, then it is up to you to venture off into the Kruger in your own vehicle, and if you go slowly enough, with the experience you have had with a professional guide, you will, with a bit of luck, soon be spotting your own animals and birds. There is nothing to beat the experience of coming across your ‘own’ pride of lions or herd of elephants going down to a waterhole!
Terms & Conditions
What's included?
Our prices include electricity, gas, water, bed linen and towels, but exclude pool towels – please bring your own. A daily maid service is included. This includes all cleaning, washing up/stacking and unloading the dishwasher, bed making, and changing bed linen and towels on a regular basis. Our maid is a real "treasure" and if you ask very nicely she will do your personal ironing, but we do ask you to tip her accordingly if she does your ironing for you! This means that all you have to do is relax and enjoy yourself in this most beautiful area of South Africa.
Rates (You can see realtime avalability in the 'Book Now' section prior to making a booking.)
Low Season (All times of the year except high season) R1850 per night for the house
High Season (Easter 2 weeks plus Christmas - New Year 2 weeks) R2000 per night for the house.
Other Terms & Conditions
Booking is confirmed on receipt of a 50% deposit.
Full payment is required 8 weeks before arrival by Bankers Draft,direct bank transfer,credt card.
Arrival time: after 12 midday. Departure time: before 10am.
Cancellation Policy:
Within 7 days of arrival or no show... 100% of total amount
Between 7 -28 days before arrival... 50% of total amount
