Samara Private Game Reserve
I have been going on safari in Africa every year for 15 years, yet it was at Samara Private Game Reserve, in the middle of nowhere in the Graaff-Reinet Karoo, that I found the possibility of two elements of a safari that had so far eluded me; a yoga mat and an aardvark. ...
Bushman’s Kloof Wilderness Reserve
‘Number One Hotel in the World’ according to 2009 US Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards reader’s survey. What an accolade! This 5-star wilderness resort in the foothills of the Cederberg Mountains is one of my favourite places with a landscape like no other only 270km from Cape Town.
Grootbos Nature Reserve
Green Tourism comes naturally at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve. It's been winning Responsible and Environmental Tourism awards since 2000.
Singita Lebombo Safari Lodge
I wouldn’t mind going to Heaven if it was like Singita Lebombo. I have been here once before (Lebombo, not Heaven) but this visit had a more profound effect on me. The subtle change in décor, from touches of lime green and grey amongst a sea of white, to a palate of ripening corn through...
Singita Ebony Safari Lodge
Singita Ebony Lodge is the well loved original lodge of Singita’s small and exclusive stable of safari lodges in South Africa, with other, more exclusive safari vacation properties recently acquired in Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Ebony Lodge retains the nostalgia of its beginnings by keeping the same look and feel that it always had. It’s had...
Tintswalo Safari Lodge
You are treated at Tintswalo in the same way the owners treat their staff, like family. It’s like being a guest at a luxury villa of an old family acquaintance, except that it is deep in the African bush. I woke up in a glow, remembering yesterday as if it were a special birthday. Without...
Shibula Lodge & Bush Spa
Decor: Eclectic unresolved mix of Afro, European, Bali, Persian and the smart home décor shop in the mall. Food: Refined, inventive and very tasty. Staff: Hosts and rangers treat you like family, while the African staff tend to stay behind the scenes. Position: Perhaps one of the best placed in Welgevonden for access to...
Sediba Private Game Lodge (Letlapa and Letlapala Lodges)
Game Experience: Play hide and seek with the Big Five in this bushy, hilly reserve. Rangers: Ask for Justinus by name and you will get a top guide who’s funny too. Decor: Mediaeval heavy metal with 21st century twist – very masculine but very luxurious with private Jacuzzi sunk into each deck. Food: Fabulous in...
Ka’Ingo Private Reserve
Ka’Ingo Overview Game Experience: See lots of game like lion, rhino, buffalo and elephant, giraffe, lots of buck and snuffling warthog. Decor: Inviting beds and a bright refurbishment in progress as I left. Food: Malawian’s are renowned for being great chefs and there are two at Ka’Ingo. Taste some of the best meat in SA,...
Lion Sands Ivory Lodge
You may think that a safari lodge decorated in no other colours than black and white (and variations from rich creams to deep brown), could be monotone. But it’s not. Lion Sands Ivory Lodge in the Lion Sands Private Game Reserve adjacent to Kruger National Park, uses shades and textures to create a truly unique...
Bushman’s Kloof Wilderness Reserve
Visitors often ‘do‘ Cape Town in three days as part of a South African holiday, which is of course impossible. It also means you don’t get to venture into the further reaches of the Western Province and find special places like Bushman’s Kloof. In the Cederberg Mountains, 4 hours (168 miles) north of Cape Town,...
Royal Malewane, Thornybush Reserve
When people mention Royal Malewane, they use the kind of hushed tones often reserved for someone held in high regard. This is because Royal Malewane seems to have effortlessly created a safari lodge at the pinnacle of taste, within the boundaries of timeless, classic elegance. Simply put, it epitomizes all that is luxurious about safari...