Semi hidden in the African bush, Earth Lodge is the most notable architecturally of the four luxury properties in the Sabi Sabi Reserve. Although we had seen photos before arriving, we were surprised by the stark beauty of Earth Lodge and its grounds.
A family owned and managed lodge on the banks of the Sabie River across from the Kruger National Park, Ivory Lodge offered luxury accommodations, appetizing meals, Big Five game viewing, and the kind of personal service only a small property can provide. My second stay at Ivory Lodge was even more rewarding than the first. This boutique bush property ensconced within the world famous Sabi Sand Reserve is the epitome of lavish comfort in a game viewing reserve. Although we arrived at the beginning of the rainy season, Mother Nature was kind and the weather was splendid. Our bush facing two-room designer suite with dedicated butler service was magnificent. Our visit was enhanced by delicious meals and in suite spa treatments.
Guests at the Lion Sands Reserve had lots of ways to spend their time. In addition to dawn and dusk game viewing, it was also possible to work out at the property’s fitness center, visit the curio shop and enjoy a spa treatment. The spa was especially popular when we visited Ivory Lodge in the summer of 2007. Four staff members divided their time between the Reserve’s three luxury properties: Ivory Lodge, Lion Sand’s top level facility; 1933, the newly opened rental villa; and the River Lodge, where the Lalamuka Spa was housed.
Singita Boulders Lodge, situated within the coveted Sabi Sand Reserve just west of the Kruger National Park, offered understated luxury in a magnificent bush setting. Singita was named for the Shangaan word meaning “The Miracle.” Boulder’s Lodge, a distinctive luxury property with an elegant contemporary style fronting the Sand River for which the reserve is named, stood out for its fabulous adult oriented accommodations (children were welcome in a private section of the property); rustic elegant décor; tasty dishes; and varied activities options such as twice daily Big Five game viewing drives, cellar wine tastings, local village visits, shopping, work outs a the fitness center and spa treatments.
In the early 1900s, several attempts were made to substitute Mala Mala’s wildlife with cattle farming. A losing battle with lions and a constant struggle with wildlife, diseases and drought proved that it was not a viable option. Established in 1929 by Wac Campbell as a preservation area and legacy for his children, by the 1950s it had become a game viewing property. In 1964, the Rattray family purchased the property and upgraded the accommodations to a 1950s style luxury standard. Now part of a conservation gene pool of 5.5 million acres of South African lowveldt, it shares 19 kilometers (12 miles) of border with the Kruger National Park in one of the prime game viewing areas of the world.
A few months before we visited the property, the aptly named River Lodge in the Exeter Private Game Reserve joined the ranks of Conservation Corporation Africa (CC Africa), a well known African property management company. Although the child friendly property was still completing its incorporation into the new management company’s way of doing things, we heard about upcoming modifications and saw part of the Lodge transformation.
