Bulungula Lodge: Where peace is prospering

Bulungula Lodge is perched on a small hill where the Bulungula River spills into the Indian Ocean at the fringe of a remote Xhosa village, Nqileni, in the Eastern Cape. It’s part of that majestic land known as the Wild Coast.

High tide comes swiftly on the beach, but if you plan your day well, you can spend hours roaming the ocean’s edge without seeing another soul. Swathes of vibrant shells decorate the shore and farther from the water, tangled knots of trees dig into the sand, transforming the beach to forest. Occasional goats, cows, and donkeys relax in the trees’ shade.

From the lodge itself, bits of the village are visible: brightly painted rondavels (round houses) with thatched roofs nestle into the hillsides. Trees grow in clusters, from small, isolated patches to blankets of forestland inhabited by Vervet monkeys. You can see women navigating the hills on tiny winding paths, buckets of water balanced on their heads. Sheep roam the landscape freely. Dogs trot after their masters, happily attending to village business.

Dave, the founder of Bulungula Lodge, wants to preserve all of this. And since its opening in 2004, he’s been successful in doing so. Local kids wander around the lodge, playing soccer with visitors and teaching Xhosa—which employs a click unfamiliar to most tongues—to those who would like to communicate, at least on a basic level, with the people who have opened their community to the lodge. It seems to be a kind of gathering place, a haven for everyone, despite the vast difference in its admirers’ life stories.

The dynamic that exists between guests and village residents is unique and somewhat miraculous. The usual tension between relative wealth and poverty is almost non-existent. If you’re a visitor in other parts of South Africa you can expect children and even adults to ask you for money, for your hat or shoes—for almost anything that you may or may not have. Crime is so rampant that homes display burglar bars on windows and doors—if the money is available, that is. Residences in cities like Pretoria and Johannesburg generally have security systems, tall walls topped with razor wire or an electric fence, and ferocious guard dogs.

So when Dave led my friends and I to the rondavel that would be our sleeping quarters, casually stating that there was no lock on the door because it’s completely safe, my instinct was pure skepticism. Still, wanting to believe that this place truly was some kind of paradise, the next day I hesitantly left my R1,000 (the lodge doesn’t accept credit cards) in my unlocked bag in my unlocked room. Sure enough, not a thing was disrupted that day, nor during my entire week’s stay.

Bulungula Lodge was one of the first lodges in the world to be fair trade accredited; the community actually owns 40% of it. Dave has made it his priority to draw on local resources in ways that enrich the community. Guests can sign up for various activities, all of which are operated by locals independently of the lodge. Activities include canoeing, fishing, horseback riding, a woman power tour, and a tour through the forest with the natural herbalist. It’s all quite rugged, and therefore refreshing, compared to the typical structured tours—even those that attempt to give insight to the authentic way of life in South Africa.

In addition to the preservation of the community and the many ways individuals in the community are empowering themselves through Bulungula Lodge, the lodge is incredibly conscientious of natural resources and preservation of the environment. The few appliances and lights run on solar power; in the rondavels, two candles and a box of matches are provided for guests. The toilets are odorless pit latrines, and guests ensure they stay this way by pouring two cups of sand into the toilet—kind of like flushing.

Perhaps the coolest unique aspect of Bulungula is its rocket shower system. The rocket showers run on a small amount of paraffin (kerosene) poured into the base of the pipe that serves to heat the water. The bather uses a lighter to ignite the wick and start the rocket, which roars and snaps to life. You can expect hot water for about 5-7 minutes, so it’s a quick one, but it’s all you really need. The used water drains into a small garden of banana and papaya trees.

Dinner is provided by the lodge if you sign up before noon—and you should always sign up for dinner. The food is delicious—sometimes a South African dish, sometimes a taste of the exotic. Every evening, a vegetarian version of the dinner is available for those who want to forego meat. Anytime of the day or night you can help yourself to drinks or snacks available without having to pay cash up front. You simply write your name on the bar/restaurant list and tick off what you took. These expenses are tallied when you’re ready (though probably not really ready) to depart.

Needless to say, after a day at Bulungula I was already calculating ways I might be able to offer some service or skill to the lodge so that I might be able to stay for free for a very long time. I still haven’t come up with anything convincing. I suppose in the meantime I will just recommend the experience to all those with a passion for preservation, culture, empowerment, and beauty.

Bulungula Lodge: http://www.bulungula.com