Mashovhela Lodge has just opened their unique Hammock Camp on their Nature reserve situated in the scenic Soutpansberg Mountains of South Africa.

Visitors to South Africa are always amazed, when they have the opportunity to get away from the city lights, how magnificent the southern hemisphere night sky really is. It is for this reason that Mashovhela Lodge has opened a camp where guests cannot only relax and spend a night in a comfortable hammock viewing the stars but can also be introduced to the some of the planets, constellations, star clusters, nebulae and the South African mythology related to them.

Ingrid Hahn, Operations Director for Mashovhela Lodge states “I have always been amazed at the beauty of the night sky and I have often just lay staring up at the stars, but what better way to do it than in the comfort of a hammock”.

“My market research showed that there is a great interest for such an experience and strangely I couldn’t find a place any other place that offers such, so the whole concept is very unique to Mashovhela Lodge”. Hahn adds.

The lodge has a resident astronomer, Kos Coronaios, who has received various awards and accolades from the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa (ASSA) and runs the local Soutpansberg Astronomy Club.

Coronaios says “Mashovhela Lodge is the ideal setting for an out of this world stellar experience whether you are a seasoned observer, starting out or just wanting to enjoy the night sky, as the sky is unpolluted, light free and the weather is great year round.”

The Hammock Camp has been sited away from the Lodge itself, so that even the lights of the lodge do not influence a clear view of the sky. Being out in the African bush also allows guests to hear African night noises clearly; sleep patterns can be disrupted by the call of an Owl, Night Jar or Bush Baby, which just adds to the whole experience.