I’ve just completed my stay at Sweni Lodge, located on the banks of Sweni River in South Africa and I absolutely adored my time there. I decided to stay at Sweni Lodge because of its proximity to Kruger National Park.
My time in Kruger was very eventful. I did a night drive within hours of getting there and was lucky enough to have the rare and elusive leopard cross my path! The next day, I awoke early to do a full day safari. It was very successful. I saw two lions hunting a herd of Cape Buffalo, but they all disappeared in the brush before the kill.
I also saw monkeys, baboons, elephants, giraffes, hippos, rhinos, and basically all there is to see. Another highlight was seeing a lion that was crouching behind a bush watching some Water Buck and a young Hippo swam up, getting out of the water so that it was right in front of the lion! We waited to see what would happen, but all the lion did was lay there. I thought for sure we were about to witness an attack. The cute Hippo continued on his path and walked away.
Sweni Lodge was lovely! It is owned by Singita, a conservation organization that has multiple luxury, sustainable lodges located throughout Africa. Their conservation efforts incorporate the three pillars of “Biodiversity, Community and Sustainability.” The lodges fund their efforts to promote biodiversity by funding projects to end poaching, protect endangered species, and so much more. I talked for a long time with my safari guide about the numerous initiatives Singita has started at Kruger National Park that protect the wildlife and community.
In addition to wildlife protecting, Singita works hard to support the local community through education support, enterprise development, and raising environmental awareness. I thought it was really interesting how much Singita gave back to the community through scholarships, funding, and food. Singita also funds museums and two local culinary schools to preserve culture.
Sweni Lodge: In the Heart of Kruger National Park
Sweni Lodge is working hard towards sustainability. It is currently building solar panels for every lodge and is currently at 50% which is very impressive. The locations that do not yet have solar panels are currently doing their best to reduce their emissions, but hopefully all Singita lodges will be zero emissions soon. I was really pleased to hear that Singita has been able to reduce the water usage of its lodges. Lodges like Sweni Lodge harvest rainwater and monitor water usage daily. In Africa, water scarcity is a serious threat so it was nice to hear that Sweni Lodge was not contributing to that. Sweni Lodge was adamant about recycling and did not sell plastic bottles. Additionally, I was explicitly warned not to litter in Kruger and there were many waste bins for me to throw away my garbage so that it did not end up with the wildlife.
I found it very interesting that Sweni Lodge was built using reused stones and sustainable materials. Even the toiletries were produced locally from environmentally-friendly ingredients and packaged sustainably. Food was also locally sourced (and tasted delicious).
I was super pleased with my time at Sweni Lodge and Kruger National Park and I feel great knowing that the beautiful African wildlife is being taken care of and protected by such a wonderful organization. Hopefully, I will be able to return soon!
Score
| Component 1: Conservation of Nature | 25/30 | |
| Building materials are environment-friendly | 10/10 | |
| Noise is limited in natural areas | 5/10 | |
| The water sources are protected | 10/10 | |
| Component 2: Responsible Tourism Practices | 35/39 | |
| That water usage is limited by means of implementing, for example, showers instead of baths, water saving showerheads and dual flushing toilets | 10/10 | |
| That biodegradable products are encouraged, such as biodegradable soap | 5/5 | |
| The correct disposal of waste, including cigarette buds, into allocated waste bins is encouraged | 7/7 | |
| Solar heating systems are in place | 3/7 | |
| Paper and other materials are recyclable | 10/10 | |
| Component 3: Environmental Education | 27/31 | |
| Tourists be informed of benefits of conservation | 7/7 | |
| Tourists are aware of the impact they have on the environment | 3/7 | |
| Tourists are told not to touch or disturb birds and animals | 7/7 | |
| Tourists are encouraged to keep on the walking trails | 10/10 | |
| 87/100 |
Photos
To read more about Sweni Lodge's environmental efforts, check out its Conservation Brochure. Photographs by me.