About Nqabara
A community lodge on an undeveloped part of the Wild Coast
A lodge built by its community
Nqabara Eco River Lodge is owned by the Nqabara community and run through the Nqabara Tourism Trust. The community wanted a lodge of its own for many years before it was built.
The lodge was made possible by a European Union grant, awarded through SURUDEC and the Eastern Cape Premier's Office, to establish a community-owned tourism lodge. The site chosen was a promontory overlooking the confluence of the Nqabara and Nqabarana rivers at their mouth, separated from the beach by 800 hectares of indigenous forest and grassland, with the Indian Ocean as a backdrop.
The lodge took three years to plan and build. It now sleeps up to 22 guests.
Off the grid, light on the land
Nqabara was designed as a low-impact lodge from the start, so that its footprint is as small as possible.
Solar power
The whole lodge runs on solar technology. There is no connection to the national grid.
Rainwater
Water is harvested from the rooftops and stored in tanks for drinking, cooking and showers.
Nothing left behind
Waste is collected and taken away for disposal in the nearby town of Willowvale.
An undeveloped corner of the Wild Coast
The Nqabara area is one of the few places on the Wild Coast that has not been developed. It is designated environmentally sensitive, and the community intends to keep it that way. The land is what brings visitors here, and the people who live on it know that.
The lodge is not completely isolated, but it is at least 3 km from the nearest village homesteads. At night you'll hear the sea and not much else.
Birders, anglers, hikers, families, and small groups or conferences are all welcome.
Plan your days
Both rivers are full of life, the forest is full of birds, and the beach stretches as far as you can see.
