Combined Expertise

About us - Anthony Battaliou founded Hoedspruit online with the combined expertise of 40 years in the Hospitality industry. However, after 2-years, he split the business into 2 websites, moving most of the fully inclusive Safari Lodges to Destination Africa. Coming from a family of hoteliers, his journey started back in the early 1980s working in a few hotels in Hillbrow Johannesburg.
In 1985 he started working for Protea Hotels at the then Braamforntein Protea Hotel.
Born in Zimbabwe, he moved back in 1987 and worked at the Churchill Arms Hotel in Bulawayo before moving back to South Africa
Anthony then spent 2 years a Mmabatho Sun Hotel before moving back to Protea Hotels at their Regional Office in Johannesburg, but an opportunity came up to move back to Zimbabwe with Protea Hotels who got a Management Contract in Masvingo to manage 2 hotels.

A few years later....

A few years later he moved to the Glenlivet Hotel, a small village next to Lake Mutirikwi (Kyle). Anthony leased an 11-bedroomed country hotel for 4 years where he got married to Louise. They bought a house in the area and built a 7-chalet self-catering Lodge.
In Masvingo, they opened a Tourist Information Centre for the Great Zimbabwe Ruins area. Due to the economic situation in Zimbabwe, they moved back to South Africa in May 2000 and again worked for Protea Hotels at Aventura Resorts.
Two years later they moved to Millstream Farm (trout holiday resort) in Dullstroom for 5 years, then Anthony was offered the position of Resort Manager at Magaliesburg Country Club, however, a fantastic opportunity at Umngazi River Bungalows and Spa lured them to the Eastern Cape Wild Coast after a few months.

And after that...

They stayed at Umngazi River Bungalows for 11 years before moving to Cheetah Ridge Lodge on the Nambiti Private Game Reserve for 2 years. But due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they were retrenched and decided to make Hoedspruit their new hometown.
After a short stint working in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, they decided to open a Safari Booking agency and Fern Ladies Boutique at the Kamogelo Tourist Centre, promoting Greater Kruger National Park and other private game lodges as well as private lodges in Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Tanzania. Finding you a tourist destination of choice and to find you the most suitable safari lodge accommodation for your stay in Africa