KOSI FOREST LODGE AND THONGA BEACH LODGE
Forest in Eshowe

Giving Back Isibindi Africa Lodges has developed numerous small ecotourist lodges in pristine areas of South Africa. Our company’s philosophy pivots on the recognition of the following vital issues in developing ecotourism projects in rural Africa. It was while sitting on the banks of the scenic Isibindi River in KwaZulu-Natal, that Brett and Paige Gehren first started hoping that they could share their passion for protecting the pristine and precious natural wonders of Africa. Fiercely committed to conservation and making a difference, the vision for Isibindi Africa Lodges was born. With our devoted team we have created a collection of exclusive lodges to celebrate the biodiversity and cultural heritage of these areas. The Isibindi Africa family is distinctive by the nature of its people. Creative, fun-loving and knowledgeable, the hosts of our lodges and safaris are as passionate about our dream as we are. Dedicated to making your stay with us as exceptional as possible, these enthusiastic individuals with their effortless energy will share their love of the natural world and the values that Isibindi Africa Lodges holds so dear. Our goal is to give our guests unforgettable and extraordinary experiences that will stay with them forever. So whether it’s tracking rhino or elephant on foot, scuba diving on exquisite coral reefs, canoeing on shimmering lakes, encountering exhilarating Zulu dancers or sipping sundowners beneath an inky sky studded with a million stars, you too can be part of our vision to protect the wild, care for its people and educate, so that future generations can enjoy Africa’s wild and untamed splendour. Three years later he started Isibindi River Explorers and Zulu Lodge. At this time he met Paige Elliot who was working for then KZN and Eastern Cape Departments of Nature Conservation as an Environmental Economist specialising in community conservation. These days they enjoy exploring Africa with their kids Joss, Geordy, Riley and Rorke. Barbs, a Durban girl born and bred, qualified from UKZN with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree with Honours in Marketing and Management. Ever since their lives have been dedicated to the success of every lodge they have been involved with. 10 years of Lodge Management lead to Operations positions in the safari hub of Arusha, Tanzania. The desire to move back to South Africa was perfectly timed with the opportunity to become a part of the Isibindi Team. Marketing Manager Penny was literally born into the hospitality industry with parents who owned many country hotels in KZN. While studying at university she spent 6 months as a Foreign Language Exchange Student working at hotels in Germany while improving her German. After completing her BA (English & Drama) at UKZN Penny worked at a hotel in the Drakensberg supposedly for the December holiday only, however, much to the dismay of her mother ended up working there for 2 years before moving to the coast to assist in the opening of Breakers Resort in Umhlanga Rocks. It was while working at The Breakers that she was approached by an IT company to head up their training & installations division for Hospitality IT Systems. She gained invaluable experience in all areas of Hospitality Systems and eventually went on to found her own very successful IT company. After 33 stressful years in the IT industry Penny decided to take a sabbatical which led to a complete career change when she joined Isibindi Africa Lodges as Marketing Manager in 2013.