South African Lodges

Sanbona Game Reserve, Montague South Africa

The Sanbona Game Reserve has opened its new Family Lodge: Gondwana Lodge

The Gondwana Lodge at the Sanbona Game Reserve offers endless views over the plains of Bellair Dam and onto Anysberg-mountains. Children of all ages will are entertained with its exciting “ Kids on Safari ” program.

The rooms/suites at Sanbona’s Gondwana Lodge feature:
total of 12 rooms/suites
8 King Bedded and 4 Twin bedded
Interleading Rooms available
Indoor showers
Private mini bars
Private Patio / Balcony
Underfloor heating
Air conditioning or Comfort cooling/heating
International dial telephone
Tea/Coffee making facilities
En-suite bathroom
Electronic safe
Hairdryer
Fitted international adaptors

Facilities at Gondwana Lodge:
Bar/Lounge with fire place
Dining area with fire place
Relaxation Retreat with 2 x therapy rooms & steam room
Gift Boutique
Swimming Pool with shallow area
Perimetre electric fence
Children’s playroom with TV
Open Air Boma

Shamwari Game Reserve recognised by the USA ‘Travel + Leisure’ magazine in the top 100 World’s Best Hotels

The Big Five, malaria free Shamwari Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape of South Africa has been listed in the Top “100 World’s Best Hotels” in the latest issue of Travel + Leisure, monthly lifestyle magazine in the United States. Travel + Leisure magazine explores vacation and business travel destinations, leisure time pursuits, hotels, restaurants, wine and spirits, hobbies and entertainment.

It focuses on discerning travelers who are interested in the people, places, and trends that define modern global culture. With a circulation of 967, 215 readers, Travel + Leisure is one of the best known travel magazines in the United States.

Based on the quality of accommodation, location, service, food, and value, Travel + Leisure subscribers voted the game reserve 27th in the world and 11th in Africa and the Middle East, with a score of 93 percent.

The Jock Safari Lodge shines at the 2009 Kudu Awards

The five star Jock Safari Lodge which nestles in the heart of the Kruger National Park in South Africa was recently honoured with the Concession Partner of the Year at this years’ 2009 Kudu Awards at a ‘Green Tie Event’ hosted by South African National Parks at Gallagher Estate in Johannesburg.

It is the second time that the luxurious Jock Safari Game Lodge has been awarded a Kudu Award. In 2007, Jock was awarded with the Business Partner of the Year award.
The Kudu Awards, running for the fifth year, recognise external stakeholders for their contributions and efforts to conservation as well their assistance in making SANParks a premier conservation agency in South Africa.

The beautiful new Amani Spas at Earth Lodge and Bush Lodge offer a full range of treatments and therapies. They complement Sabi Sabi’s ethos of creating a space at one with nature, where all things exist in harmony. Just weeks after opening, the spa at Earth Lodge has been named as a finalist in the annual South African Spa Awards, presented by Les Nouvelles Esthetiques. Winners will be announced in July.
On offer are holistic body, skin and beauty rituals, rejuvenating massages and soothing treatments designed to relax, harmonise and heal body and soul. Sessions are tailored to individual needs, and a popular option is a ‘couple’s package’ where guests enjoy treatments simultaneously in a special suite. Amani means ‘Peace’ in Swahili, and the new spas reflect this throughout each treatment.
At Earth Lodge, the Pango Room (‘cave’ in Ki-Swahili) offers a fabulous ‘rasul‘ treatment – a cleansing mud treatment combined with heat, steam and shower. All the other spa treatment rooms are beautifully crafted in Earth Lodge’s distinctive style and offer a full range of spa therapies.
The Bush Lodge treatment suites all have breathtaking views of the unending bushveld. There is also an outdoor treatment area and shower.
Amani’s philosophy is “to create the ultimate African Bush Spa experience that is pampering, unique and memorable, by creating an enchanting ambience of absolute tranquillity that reflects the soul of Africa with its natural elements & textures.”

A Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and Animal Hospital has been opened at Shamwari Game Reserve to improve conservational and wildlife efforts in the Eastern Cape region.

Dr Johan Joubert, Wildlife Director based at Shamwari says, “At present there are many wildlife veterinarians with the knowledge to treat injured or orphaned wildlife, however continuously nursing and rehabilitation is impractical, in the absence of proper accommodation facilities. Our focus is to assist injured or orphaned wildlife and raptors due to human induced causes such a bird of prey injuries caused by power line or road accidents. The objective is to rehabilitate incoming patients and release them back into the wild.”

Wildlife patron Ms Sandi Tollman who generously assisted the Born Free Foundation at Shamwari Game Reserve with the relocation of the two leopards donated by Prince Albert of Monaco last year, heard of Johan’s plight and generous contributed towards this valuable cause.

Bushmans Kloof has now been taken to a new dimension with the opening of Bushmans Kloof Wellness Spa. The first phase is the outdoor Spa Gazebo and introducing their first healing and wellness programmes which includes new energy revitalising treatment ranges.

The Spa uses Africology, an anti-ageing body and skincare treatment range that is enriched with indigenous herb and plant extracts from the fertile African soil.
During this restorative escape you will be guided toward timing into the rhythms of nature with pampering spa treatments and enjoy optimal nutritional choices that will include recipes using indigenous fynbos plants and Rooibos.

We therefore invite you to do self discovery, renewal and the attainment of inner peace.

Sabi Sabi Top 10 Best Hotels in the World

Travel + Leisure Magazine has just completed its 2009 Worlds Best Service Awards, asking its readers to nominate destinations around the globe that “really deliver”. The results were published in the magazine’s June edition, and the Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve in the Kruger Naional Park in South Africa is honoured to have been voted as 7th best hotel overall in the world, the only South African establishment in the World’s Top Ten category. In the regional category Sabi Sabi was voted 2nd best on the African continent.

A measure of any hotel’s success is the number of repeat visitors that come through its doors. Ask Sabi Sabi’s returning guests why they come back again and again, and the answer will be, “for the unforgettable experience made all the more memorable by the warmth and hospitality of the staff.”

In its 30 years of existence, Sabi Sabi has become renowned for succesfully balancing luxury and world class safaris, with genuine African warmth and hospitality – inviting guests to enjoy a personalised home in the bush experience. The caring management and staff play an integral part in the overall Sabi Sabi experience, offering superb service that complements the 5-Star accommodation, exciting Big 5 open Land Rover safaris and superb cuisine.

Marketing director, Jacques Smit attributes this international recognition to several factors: “People form the heart of our business. The majority of our team hail from nearby villages and they have an inherent connection with the reserve. They bring a special brand of African hospitality to our lodges that makes guests feel instantly at home.

We have also made significant investments in recent years to ensure that our lodges are on a par with the best in the world. We are especially proud that this accolade is being awarded on our 30th anniversary and thank the readers of Travel + Leisure for their stamp of approval.”