Lodge of the Week - Dwyka Tented Lodge

Chasm of Luxury

The Dwyka Tented Lodge is a luxury tented camp in the heart of the rugged Karoo. The camp design and layout is visually spectacular. All the tented suites are situated around the fringes of a bowl-like gorge with their own private views of the cliff face straight above and dry riverbed below. The main lodge is a blend of artistically placed traditional stone and rock with internal modern furnishings throughout. The entire camp looks on to the broken cliff face of this remarkable horseshoe gorge. The nine tented suites are superbly spacious and adequately private. Intimate moments can be spent quietly on the balconies with a book while eagles nest over head. There is a decent wine collection and the lodge offers a full spa service in its Relaxation Retreat. The food and service is of a superior standard but it’s the actual rock formations around the camp that push Dwyka to higher level.

Sanbona Wildlife Reserve is a pioneering conservation effort still taking shape today. Sanbona essentially means ‘what the San (traditional bushmen) saw’ and the goal is to return the land to what it was like in their time – before commercial farming scarred the land. Indigenous wildlife has been re-introduced including the Big 5 (albeit in small numbers), cheetah and hippo. Although guests have good chances of seeing elephant, white rhino, lion and cheetah it is the smaller creatures, plants and rocks that make this reserve truly unique. The reserve has a solid and growing cheetah population and is famed for its small pride of free-roaming White Lions. Guides and research staff at Sanbona often use telemetry (satellite tracking of collared animals) to locate certain species in the vast reserve. The terrain is typically open with mountainous ridges and the flowering season during August and September is spectacular. The area is also rich in fossil and San painting sites which your guide will likely show you during the course of your stay. Although the reserve is over 54 000 hectares in size most of the game drives and walks take place in the 25 000 hectares in the north. Guests have the chance to alight from the vehicle with their guide to track animals on foot. Sanbona’s typical Karoo setting does include the odd farmhouse from a bygone era, but the evidence of its farming past is a small distraction and adds to the rich cultural history of the area.

Located roughly half way between Cape Town and George, Sanbona is a lovely addition to a Garden Route or Cape Town trip. This makes it a perfect stop over for 2 – 3 nights. Sanbona is not a conventional African safari experience, but rather something special. For those looking for a different type of safari experience or wish to experience the Karoo in its natural splendour then Sanbona is the place to get to. Dwyka Tented Lodge is ideal for couples, honeymooners and small intimate parties. It is an experience you will never forget.

Sanbona have successfully introduced free roaming white lion onto the reserve

RATINGS BREAKDOWN
Core Ratings:	Sun Rays
Lodge and Camp	7.5
Safari Experience	7.2
Service	8.3
Facilities	6.9
Unique Rating	8.3
Conservation	9.5
Social involvement	4.4
OVERALL RATING:	8.5

Read more about Dwyka Tented Lodge and other lodges on The Game Lodge Index

Best lodges for .... an affordable Big 5 experience

Photo courtesy of Richard Millar

An African Safari conjures up images for extreme luxury or a very basic, rough experience. It is possible to stay at a game lodge where there is a good chance of seeing the Big 5 without paying a fortune. We've listed 5 lodges, all under R2500 per person per night where you can expect a big 5 bush experience.

Umzolozolo Lodge

Umzolozolo Safari Lodge

The Nambiti Conservancy is an 11 000 hectare reserve which is currently home to ten private game lodges. Nambiti is situated within 30 km of Ladysmith and is located in the heart of numerous age old battle sites which took place between the Zulus, the Boers and the English over a century ago. The reserve varies tremendously in terms of habitat and geology. The undulating terrain of the south with its open acacia-clad valleys rises up to the flat open plains in the centre (which host good concentrations of plains game) which then descend again to the riverine valleys of the north where the Sundays River cuts its path through the reserve. In addition to the Sundays River the reserve has a high concentration of earth dams providing excellent aquatic refuge for birdlife and hippos. Nambiti hosts the big five although leopards are seldom seen. Read more on The Game Lodge Index

Tembe Tented Camp

Tembe Tented Camp

Tembe Tented Camp is situated on the Tembe Elephant Reserve in the far north of Kwazulu-Natal bordering on Mozambique. The camp consists of twelve tented suites situated under a forest canopy made up of five en-suite ‘Matriarch’ tents (ideal for families sleeping four people comfortably), four smaller ‘Suni’ tents (perfect for couples) which are also en-suite and three bush camp tents with shared ablution facilities. All the tented suites are simply furnished, comfortable and privately situated. The focal point of camp is the central campfire and guests can relax on beautiful wooden decks under shady pod mahogany trees. Homely meals are offered under a thatched lapa or around the open camp fire. Read more on The Game Lodge Index

Kapama River Lodge

Kapama River Lodge

Kapama River Lodge is the largest lodge on Kapama Game Reserve and can comfortably accommodate 128 guests in 64 suites. The lodge successfully blends high capacity and luxury in a typically stunning bush surrounds. The multi level suites offer elegant minimalist accommodation overlooking an assortment of areas for guests to relax and enjoy the setting. A large rim flow pool overlooks the surrounding bush and a small watering hole. The open plan, L-shaped lounge accommodates various relaxation areas. There are a few fire places which provide consistent warmth and ambiance in the winter months. A large bar, stocked with an excellent selection of liquor, is complimented by a generous walk in wine cellar. The lower level of the main lodge offers guests a small media room and business centre, allowing guests to stay in touch with the outside world. A short meandering walk to the nearby spa offers guests the option to enjoy a more exclusive adult pool. A state of the art gym is offered to guests complete with wall to wall windows to allow guests to enjoy the views while exercising. Read more on The Game Lodge Index

Elephant Plains Game Lodge

Elephant Plains Game Lodge

Elephant Plains Game Lodge is a family-run 4 Star camp situated on the banks of the dry Manyelethi River bed in the northern sector of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve. The camp is primarily split into 2 sections. The more affordable accommodation type is the ‘rondavel’ huts based on the setup of the original hunting camp. There are 5 rondavels set closely around each other and these are ideal for small groups of up to 10 guests. The second accommodation type consists of 6 luxury units which are set along the river bank. These units are more spacious then the original rondavels and in addition, there is a lavishly decorated honeymoon suite for those accustomed to a higher level of comfort. Read more on The Game Lodge Index 

Djuma Galago Camp

Djuma - Galago Camp
Galago is the perfect retreat for small groups looking for an exclusive safari experience in the Sabi sand Game Reserve. As the lodge is self-catering guests are expected to bring their own food and to cook for themselves in a basic kitchen, but a chef from the other Djuma camps can be hired at an additional charge. The lodge has five spacious and en-suite bedrooms, two of which have both showers and baths while the remaining three have only a shower. There is an additional room for a guide. The lodge is an old homestead and looks up on to a small waterhole in an open area. There is a small plunge pool and ample outdoor cooking space around the camp fire. Read more on The Game Lodge Index 

Read more about the and other lodges on The Game Lodge Index

Madikwe's Creche - by Grant Marcus

This is a guest post by Grant Marcus. You can view the original post as well as photos by Grant Marcus on his website, www.grantmarcus.com 

MEMBERS OF MADIKWE’S CRÈCHE

One of the things people want to see when they come to the bush is some sort of baby animal. The cute factor is just to irresistible.  The images I am going to share with you now are not from the last few days.  I thought it would be good to bring in the cute factor instead of writing on the big scary animals again. These little jackal were found in one of the open mineral hotspots in the park and their den site was in the open underneath a flat rock ledge. It is amazing that the parents knew it was fairly safe to give birth there.

In the evenings the parents will leave the den in search for food. Sometimes one of the adults will stay with the pups. Jackal is one of the few mammals that pair for life. They are monogamous

At this young age they are so vulnerable to predation especially from hyena.  Lions won’t think twice by killing the young and even the adults. They won’t kill them for food, but purely out of frustration and because they can. One of the big cats that will not pass up on a light snack is the leopard. Leopard are known for hunting and killing other predators.

You will see the adult jackal has a collar around the neck. The collar is purely for monitoring purposes. And Rob Harrison White is doing research for his predator biodiversity project. I know the collar looks terrible in the image, but it is there for the bigger picture. Jackal are scavengers, but they do hunt as well.  By the look on their little bellies they are well looked after.

With the relief of the rain there will also be anxiety mixed with happiness amongst the antelope like impala and wilde beest. We are going into the time of year where predators will be in abundance because of the flooding with baby impala and wildebeest after the first big rains. This was an extremely dry year for us. Hopefully I will have some images of new born impala to share with you soon. Baby elephants are around the whole year and with the rainy season on our doorstep we will have hours of entertainment from the babies at muddy waterholes as they try and mimic the adults.

Read more about Madikwe Game Reserve on The Game Lodge Index

Photo of the Week - Solitary Elephant - by Grant Marcus

Photo by Grant Marcus

Grant Marcus is a field guide in Madikwe Game Reserve and he is based at Tuningi Safari Lodge. More of his images can be viewed on his website www.grantmarcus.com 

Read more about Madikwe Game Reserve on The Game Lodge Index