Three days, two lodges, one magical experience on safari
A private game reserve in the Kruger National Park is home to the Big Five, the Little Five and four luxury lodges
Louisa Walters is Features Editor at the Jewish News and specialises in food and travel writing
It was the mosquito net that sold it to me. The sheer, utter romance of spending the night in a luxurious lodge deep in the Kruger National Park under gossamer netting. And yet, this was just one of a million magical moments, which began with landing at Skukuza, possibly the prettiest airport in the world. This triangular thatched-roof building, which looks more like a luxury hotel lobby, is so at one with the bushveld that surrounds it that it doesn’t have any doors.
As we entered the arrivals lounge we were greeted enthusiastically by Ronnie, who turned out to be our ranger for the next three days, and had our first experience of climbing into an open-sided Land Rover. “The journey will take about 40 minutes, depending on what we encounter along the way,” he said. Safari virgins that we were, we didn’t really understand what he meant, but after just 10 minutes of bumping along dirt tracks, he slowed to a stop. And right there, basking in the late afternoon sun, was a lion, gloriously golden, lazily languid and completely, mesmerisingly beautiful.
Upon arrival at Selati Camp we were warmly welcomed to our ‘home in the bush’ by camp manager Kyle, who handed us citronella-soaked flannels to freshen up and to stave off the pesky mites, showed us to our room and read us the rules – no walking around on our own at night being the only one that made me feel a little rebellious. But when I learned that there were no fences surrounding the camp and I therefore had the very real chance of coming face to face with an elephant en route to dinner (mine, but by default potentially his), I decided to play ball.
Selati Camp is one of four lodges in the Sabi Sabi private game reserve. It’s homely and intimate, with seven highly luxurious standalone cabins filled with antique furniture and artifacts that pay homage to the railway that used to run through the Kruger. Our enormous room had a four-poster bed draped with the desired netting and a wonderful bathroom with freestanding sink unit and bath. There were indoor and outdoor showers, a small plunge pool and a large veranda. We were ‘in’ Out of Africa!
I surprised myself with how quickly I settled into the routine. I leapt out of bed at 5.30 each day to have morning tea before boarding the Land Rover at 6. We said polite hellos to our fellow passengers on day one – we were best friends with them by the time we returned from the morning safari for a lavish buffet breakfast. Never have I felt so at home while being so far from home; never could I have imagined that being in the middle of absolutely nowhere would feel like being in the centre of the universe. The encyclopaedic knowledge of the rangers filled us with awe – we learnt more about animal life, insect life and nature in three days than in all our years of science and geography lessons at school.
Morning safaris are exhilarating. The air is cool before the humidity sets in. The animals have the aura of setting up for the day – light, gentle movements, impalas skipping lightly across the plains, lions padding stealthily across the roads, giraffes casually bending down to munch the leaves atop the trees. We saw a cheetah stationed on a rock seemingly staring us down, zebras standing in pairs as if put there purely for us to admire (which we did). Three hours of wonder and glory, filled with sights, sounds and smells that we’ve never experienced before, indeed couldn’t experience in our London life. The thrill each time we saw another of the so-called big five, but Ronnie encouraged us to look for the little five too – birds, dung beetles, even a tortoise one day.
Evening safari has an ethereal quality; as the sun goes down the animals rise up and the activity is thrilling. One minute we are just cantering along, the next minute Ronnie is driving us to a watering hole where two jeeps from other lodges are already there waiting for elephants. The rangers always know they are coming. We wait patiently for a buffalo to rise up from the water – and we are rewarded with him opening his jaws impossibly wide. And then it’s almost dark, and we pull up in a clearing. We get out of the vehicle (by now we have enough trust in Ronnie to do this) to stretch our legs, to make use of the bush ‘facilities’, such as they are, and sundowners are served from a ledge on front of the jeep.
We arrive back at the lodge sated yet starving, for dinner in the boma (outdoor enclosure) under the stars by a bonfire with sand underfoot. Resident chef Gift (“all my older siblings were boys so when I, a girl, was born, my mother said I was a gift”) tells us what’s on the small menu. Kyle’s wife Rebecca informs me that I can tell my readers that kosher food can be provided if requested in advance. Considering that the nearest town is a two-hour drive and it’s not exactly Golders Green, I am impressed. But here in the bush, magic happens every day.
Not all the big moments are on the game drives. Nothing I have seen on stage or screen has ever given me the thrill I experienced when I was sitting on the deck one afternoon and a herd of elephants appeared on the horizon, casually heading for the watering hole outside the camp. “Elephants!” I shouted and suddenly all residents and staff joined me, camera and binoculars at the ready, excitedly pointing and exclaiming.
We spent two nights at Selati Camp and one at Earth Lodge, a 45-minute drive away. This incredibly opulent lodge has been hewn out of the earth and everywhere you look is another ‘wow’ factor, from dramatic furniture carved out of tree trunks to dining tables set in a shallow pool. An impressive gym is glass fronted and, just the day before we were there, guests were working out to the amusement of elephants watching.
There are 13 standalone lodges, each with a plunge pool and a large deck with a hanging chair and more furniture than I have on my patio at home. Floors and walls are stone resin; furniture, furnishings and bathrooms are super luxurious and with a magnificent fully-stocked drinks cabinet and even an easel with artist materials, I didn’t want to leave. And yet the bush was calling. We returned from the evening safari to find a rose-petal bath waiting for us. Food and drink here match the opulence of the surroundings, with magnificent wines from the impressive cellar to complement the high-end cuisine. Beautifully laid tables with starched white cloths and glassware that sparkles in candlelight make for a magical setting under the inky sky. We found time between game drives to enjoy a couple’s massage in the Amani spa, another super-luxury offering.
The name-badge of the young man at the airport check-in desk on our departure read ‘Enough’. He laughingly told me that he has three siblings and he was the last child to be born, with his mother declaring that was enough. I told him I’d spent three unforgettable days on safari, but that it wasn’t enough. To be able to have an experience like this, however, is a gift.
Stay at Selati Camp from ZAR 18,000 (approximately £880) or Earth Lodge from ZAR 26,500 (approximately £1,290) per person per night. This includes vehicle safaris, walking safaris, breakfast, lunch, ‘boma’ dinner, a house selection of beverages, WiFi and transfers to & from the Sabi Sabi Airstrip. Sabi Sabi is also home to Bush Lodge (25 cabins – ideal for families) and Little Bush Camp (six lodges – ideal for small groups). www.sabisabi.com
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