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Game Lodge Reviews<br />
Game Lodge Reviews<br />
GO BUSH!<br />
Sumptuous safari stops in the<br />
Sabi <strong>Sand</strong>s<br />
Luring scores of travellers to vast and beautiful landscapes, the Sabi <strong>Sand</strong><br />
Game Reserve incorporates several privately owned game reserves collectively<br />
spanning some 65 000 hectares of savannah thornveld.<br />
Reviewed by Exclusive Getaways www.getaways.co.za<br />
This treasured wildlife sanctuary<br />
forms part of the greater 2.3 million<br />
hectare Kruger National Park, and<br />
the two reserves share a common<br />
50km unfenced boundary across which animals<br />
roam unhindered. The perennial <strong>Sand</strong> <strong>River</strong><br />
and the Sabie <strong>River</strong> flow through the reserve,<br />
sustaining one of the most bio-diverse wildlife<br />
populations in Africa. Hundreds of species occur<br />
in abundance, and visitors who come to the Sabi<br />
<strong>Sand</strong> in search of the Big Five are very likely to<br />
be gratified. The reserve is also home to South<br />
Africa’s most opulent and luxurious safari lodges,<br />
some rubbing shoulders with the very best<br />
establishments in the world.<br />
Chitwa Chitwa<br />
Set on the edge of one of the largest lakes in the<br />
Sabi <strong>Sand</strong>, Chitwa Chitwa has a location that’s hard<br />
to beat. Soak up seamless views of the lake and<br />
open plains from the wide sundeck and rim-flow<br />
pool, where you have the luxury of continuous<br />
game viewing without moving a toe. Of course,<br />
there are also more active game viewing options,<br />
in the form of twice daily drives out into the<br />
wilderness and optional guided walks.<br />
The lodge is a blend of African design and<br />
European elegance. Accommodation options<br />
include air-conditioned chalets, luxury suites<br />
and family units. Boulders is the most extravagant<br />
of the chalets, incorporating a private patio and<br />
plunge pool, separate dressing room and stylish<br />
lounge area.<br />
Timbavati<br />
R<br />
531<br />
R<br />
536<br />
Phabeni<br />
Gate<br />
Sabie<br />
Maroela<br />
Orpen<br />
Orpen<br />
Gate<br />
Leopard<br />
Hills<br />
Nwa<br />
Newington<br />
Gate<br />
s<br />
witsonto<br />
Ulusaba<br />
Kruger<br />
Gate<br />
Tamboti<br />
Shaws<br />
Gate<br />
Talamati<br />
Manyeleti<br />
Game Reserve<br />
Gowrie<br />
Gate<br />
Idube<br />
Singita<br />
Savanna<br />
Chitwa<br />
Chitwa<br />
<strong>Sand</strong><br />
Sabi <strong>Sand</strong><br />
Game Reserve<br />
Sabi Sabi<br />
Ripape<br />
Nottens<br />
Bush Camp<br />
Kruger<br />
National<br />
Park<br />
Skukuza<br />
The cuisine reflects a fusion of Afro-Mediterranean flavours. Lunches are<br />
leisurely buffet feasts, taken outdoors under a thatched lapa near the pool.<br />
Dinners are enjoyed around an open fire in the boma, or served in an elegant<br />
restaurant.<br />
Website: www.chitwa.co.za<br />
Idube<br />
A comfy home-away-from-home, Idube is the kind of place where you feel<br />
you’re part of the family. The staff are friendly and well trained, and they go the<br />
extra mile to take care of their guests. An easy-going, no-fuss ambience allows<br />
visitors to settle in and enjoy the bush and its big game without unnecessary ado.<br />
Resting beneath the overhang of giant old jackalberry and knobthorn<br />
trees, the lodge overlooks a river bed and dam, and nearby there’s a sparkling<br />
boulder pool. Warthogs and nyala graze away contentedly on the lawns<br />
surrounding the lodge, apparently unruffled by the comings and goings of<br />
guests. Ten air-conditioned suites have their own timber decks and outside<br />
showers.<br />
At Idube there’s an exciting bushveld adventure in store, which includes daily<br />
drives and fascinating bush walks highlighting the many uses of lowveld plants.<br />
Website: www.idube.com<br />
22 | February-April 2008 SAinbound<br />
SAinbound February-April 2008 | 23
Game Lodge Reviews<br />
A typical day at Notten’s starts with a 5h30<br />
wake-up call, followed by tea and coffee on the<br />
deck as the sun rises, before heading out on a<br />
drive with your ranger and tracker to follow<br />
the spoor of wild animals. A second safari drive<br />
departs in the late afternoon, and this excursion<br />
includes a stop for sundowners before going in<br />
pursuit of nocturnal game. Wildlife is prolific<br />
and the chances are excellent that you’ll<br />
encounter all of the Big Five during your stay.<br />
Website: www.nottens.com<br />
Singita<br />
Epitomizing pure luxury, Singita has mastered<br />
the art of the perfect safari. Singita Ebony, the<br />
brand’s founding lodge and multiple awardwinner,<br />
rests on the banks of the <strong>Sand</strong> <strong>River</strong>,<br />
its private suites inviting exquisite views of the<br />
river and its wildlife. Here, traditional bush<br />
décor comes with a Bohemian twist, creating<br />
an earthy atmosphere and a place where guests<br />
delight in first-class cuisine, flawless personal<br />
service and loads of luxury.<br />
Idube Lodge.<br />
Waterhole at Nottens Bush Camp.<br />
Leopard Hills<br />
Anchored on a hill overlooking a much-visited waterhole, Leopard<br />
Hills offers heaps of luxury in the heart of the Sabi <strong>Sand</strong>s. Eight<br />
glass-fronted suites have private rock plunge pools and expansive,<br />
picture-perfect views of the bushveld. Intended to indulge, the airconditioned<br />
suites include cosy sitting areas, romantic bathrooms<br />
and fully-stocked refreshment fridges.<br />
Leopard Hills traverses more than 10 000 hectares of the Sabi<br />
<strong>Sand</strong>. Safari drives are likely to reveal prides of lion, elephant<br />
herds, buffalo, white rhino, cheetah, hippo, crocodile and many<br />
more. Keen photographers will have ample opportunities for<br />
getting that special shot, up real close and personal, while plant<br />
lovers will marvel at the vast variety of trees, shrubs and grasses.<br />
Between safaris, a full body massage is a huge temptation, whilst<br />
a quiet hour or two in the library offers its own kind of quietude.<br />
Dining experiences range from congenial fireside meals in the<br />
boma to grand silver-service occasions.<br />
Website: www.leopardhills.com<br />
Nottens Bush Camp<br />
Notten’s Bush Camp is a family-run lodge in the southern part of<br />
the Sabi <strong>Sand</strong>, bound to steal your heart and ensure your return.<br />
Like old friends, Gilly and Bambi Notten welcome you into their<br />
camp, where they provide abundant comfort without forfeiting the<br />
quality of an authentic bush stay.<br />
Spacious, light and very private, six suites have beautiful views<br />
of the bush. Ceiling fans provide cool respite on warm summer<br />
days, and in the purposeful absence of electric lighting, candles<br />
and lanterns create a magical atmosphere infused with a spirit<br />
of romance. (There are indeed facilities for re-charging video<br />
machines and camera batteries.)<br />
Leopard Hills suite.
Singita Boulders Suite.<br />
Singita Boulders.<br />
Ulusaba Game Drive.<br />
Savanna Tented Suite<br />
Dinner at Sabi Sabi Bush Camp.<br />
With its organic architecture, space and<br />
simplicity, Singita Boulders is balm for the soul.<br />
Wood and stone blend effortlessly with nature<br />
to create what some have described as African<br />
Zen. All facilities open out generously onto vast<br />
expanses of bushveld teeming with life.<br />
Singita’s guests enjoy superb game viewing,<br />
either on game drives, on a walking safari, or from<br />
the verandah of a private suite. Gym and health spa<br />
facilities are available to guests between safaris.<br />
Website: www.singita.com<br />
Ulusaba<br />
Fashionably exclusive, Ulusaba is Sir Richard<br />
Branson’s private safari lodge in the Sabi <strong>Sand</strong>.<br />
Rock Lodge is perched high on a hill, providing<br />
panoramic views over miles of bush. Safari<br />
Lodge has a wonderful sense of adventure,<br />
comprising exquisite tree-house rooms along<br />
the banks of the dry Mabrak riverbed, with<br />
swing bridges between them.<br />
At Ulusaba there is much to do between game<br />
drives, safari walks and moonlit bush dinners.<br />
Facilities include swimming pools, gymnasiums,<br />
tennis courts, a wine cellar, a bush observatory<br />
for star gazing, and the Aroma Boma spa and<br />
wellness centre, which includes the option of a<br />
treatment in your room or on your private deck.<br />
Ulusaba also has a Children’s Cubs Club<br />
Programme which makes special provision for<br />
children of all ages. Treasure hunts, educational<br />
materials, excursions in the vicinity of the lodge,<br />
kiddies’ cuisine and child-minding are some of<br />
the features of the programme.<br />
In short, Ulusaba is a wonderful place for<br />
all age groups and for any occasion. Expect<br />
impeccable personal service and a heaped dose<br />
of luxury.<br />
Website: www.ulusaba.com<br />
Sabi Sabi<br />
Known to travellers the world over, Sabi Sabi<br />
integrates an exclusive collection of four lodges in<br />
the Sabi <strong>Sand</strong>.<br />
Earth Lodge is a sanctuary sculpted deep into<br />
the earth, with thirteen heavenly suites opening<br />
out onto private plunge pools and boundless views<br />
of the wilderness. An Earth Nature Spa, meditation<br />
garden and non-smoking lounge/library add to the<br />
indulgence.<br />
Selati Camp has a special romantic charm,<br />
and consists of eight suites, including two suites<br />
designed for honeymooners.<br />
The twenty-five roomed Bush Lodge is a more<br />
traditional lodge and has great appeal for visitors<br />
seeking the excitement of the Big Five game<br />
experience. <strong>Guest</strong>s may relax on the sundeck or<br />
at the swimming pool, and view game coming to<br />
drink at the nearby waterhole.<br />
Intimate and secluded, Little Bush Camp<br />
consists of six private suites, sheltered by trees<br />
along a mostly dry riverbed.<br />
Whichever Sabi Sabi lodge you choose to visit,<br />
expect eventful wildlife experiences never to be<br />
forgotten.<br />
Website: www.sabisabi.com<br />
Savanna Private Game Reserve<br />
There’s nothing like a tented safari to create the<br />
sense of being right there, in the heart of it. If<br />
tented accommodation has appeal, visit Savanna<br />
Private Game Reserve and discover that a tented<br />
bush break can equate to a real spoil.<br />
Seven of Savanna’s nine suites have a tented roof<br />
and draped inner ceiling, along with a permanent<br />
structure to ensure luxury and privacy. Three<br />
Executive Suites have private plunge pools and<br />
indigenous gardens, while the two large Savanna<br />
Suites offer generous comforts under thatch, with<br />
a wooden deck that leads to a private plunge pool<br />
and uninterrupted views of a floodlit waterhole.<br />
These suites are ideal for families and exclusiveuse<br />
groups. All suites are air-conditioned and have<br />
well-stocked mini-bars.<br />
Central facilities include an outdoor swimming<br />
pool, and overlook a waterhole where many<br />
varieties of game gather to drink.<br />
A family-owned lodge, Savanna is committed<br />
to service and strives to make each guest’s stay a<br />
special memory. Look forward to exciting game<br />
viewing and fascinating insights into the tribal<br />
customs of the local Shangaan people.<br />
Website: www.savannalodge.com<br />
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