Located in South Africa’s famend Sabi Sand Sport Reserve, Lion Sands River, and Ivory Lodge provide one of the best of nature that friends can probably expertise.
Lion Sands River Lodge
The gorgeous Lion Sands River Lodge is situated within the Lion Sands Non-public Sport Reserve and is the best place for households or associates who require a safari wealthy in connection. After a fireplace in 2017, the properties’ rebuild was designed to be open to pure gentle, embodying a conventional safari lodge, with modern décor, including attention-grabbing and fashionable parts.
Arriving earlier than check-in time, my butler Clifford is at hand to make sure that I’m properly taken care of, whipping up probably the most scrumptious latte for my enjoyment. He enquires from the chef whether or not they can put together an early lunch for me and informs me that I’m welcome to decide on a desk – the tables all face the magnificent Sabie River. Taking within the sights and sounds of my environment is completely unimaginable: to my proper on the prime of the tree, an African Fish Eagle is asking, and strolling upstream within the river is a lone hippopotamus. My lunch is scrumptious, as is all of the delicacies on the Lion Sands properties in Sabi Sand. I go for the superbly cooked beef fillet, egg, and thick hand-cut fries, concluded with the melt-in-my-mouth vanilla ice cream.
I’m staying in Suite quantity 9, a brief stroll from the primary space. Clear traces kind an ethereal house, and the dreamy bed room has views of the river from my mattress and my personal terrace. With interiors finished by Cape City-based inside designer Caline Williams-Wynn, proprietor of Artichoke Inside Design, the end result was excellent. “All through the interiors of River Lodge, we used totally different mediums, similar to tiles, string gentle pendants, leather-based, terrazzo, and clay bricks to create totally different sensory parts,” Caline tells me. “Friends transfer from one house to the opposite, experiencing outsized visible parts that create a theatrical really feel. The colours used are earth tones which are all impressed by nature.”
A keep at a safari lodge contains twice day by day recreation drives, and this afternoon, area guides Ozy and Tracker Heavy are excited to point out us what’s on the market within the bush. The personal concession of 30,600 acres is a playground for a wide range of species, and we are able to hardly comprise our delight after we discover the Southern pleasure of lions resting within the shade. The are three lovely cubs, aged eight months and we sit with them for some time earlier than persevering with on our seek for the subsequent sighting.
Lion Sands Ivory Lodge
The undisputed jewel within the Lion Sands crown, Lion Sands Ivory Lodge is an architectural marvel. Solely eight one-bedroom suites are spaced far aside for absolute privateness and exclusivity with views of the Sabie River. Inspiring deep connections to nature and each other, the lodge is the essence of luxurious.
With the usage of pure supplies for the exteriors, the inspiration for Ivory Lodge was Mom Nature, and cleverly incorporating the rawness of the encompassing bush surroundings was Marneweck Swart Architects. The fusion of metal, wooden, thatch, glass, water, and sand resulted in a trendy mid-century theme and a timeless design.
For the interiors, daring furnishings, edgy décor, ambient lighting, and interpretations of tribal design had been used to disclose a uniquely tactile expertise. Custodian and CEO Robert Extra is hands-on throughout all features of the MORE Household Assortment properties and was concerned with each the inside and exterior course of at Ivory Lodge from begin to end.
“With Ivory Lodge being our flagship property, we introduced glamor to the bush,” Robert says. “We used outsized photographic photos of fowl feathers to carry shade into the lodge. The areas had been designed to be uncluttered and spacious.” Staying within the Bateleur suite, it’s clear to see the impact of outsized images, doorways, and floor-to-ceiling home windows. Creating a real feeling of house, I hardly wish to go away my luxurious surroundings.
However a recreation drive beckons, and I’m at all times eager to see what the bush has to supply. Subject information Syd and tracker Joyce spherical us up for our morning safari. I can simply decipher what Syd is saying on his two-way radio to a different information, and it’s clear that we’re on our method to one thing worthwhile. As he comes into view, I catch my breath as he is among the most opulent animals I’ve seen shortly. His identify is Hanyile, which implies survivor in Shangaan, and he’s the dominant male of Lion Sands. An ideal conclusion to a unprecedented keep – seeing my favourite animal on safari whereas luxuriating in one of the best lodges in Sabi Sand!
Learn how to Get There
Airlink is a privately owned, unbiased premier regional airline providing the widest route community and connectivity to greater than 45 locations in 15 international locations in Southern Africa.
With greater than 60 regional jetliners within the fleet, Airlink has been ranked as South Africa’s most punctual airline, primarily based on its 97% common on-time efficiency yr to this point. This can be a clear indication of their dedication and dedication to stay synonymous with buyer centricity, punctuality, service excellence, and reliability.
Vacationers also can get pleasure from the advantage of their intra-continental type enterprise class service on choose routes working our magnificent Embraer E-195 / E-190 / E-170 / E-jets.
Learn how to get there: Airlink operates direct flights from Cape City and Johannesburg to Iconic Skukuza Airport within the coronary heart of the Kruger Nationwide Park.
Guide straight on the FlyAirlink app or along with your Journey agent.
