Well-heeled wanderers.
The Sabi Sands Game Reserve.
The designers at Singita Ebony have perfected a style all too rare in safari lodges. The suites are luxurious and stuffed with modern comforts, but thanks to the fire-places and riot of glorious colour, they have real character and are very cosy. Outside you can have an alfresco shower, or cool off in your private plunge pool.
As with elsewhere in South Africa, food and wine are excellent. Breakfast is taken out on the deck overlooking the river bed – when we visited we saw a leopard peeking out at us from the reeds below! Lunches are slow and relaxed, while the evening meal is a more formal affair. In keeping with the rest of the lodge, facilities at Singita Ebony are excellent. There’s a large wine cellar, gym, spa, and for the shopaholics out there, the boutique is one of the largest and best we’ve ever seen in a safari lodge.
Game drives are a real focus here, and even with 10 years of safari behind us, we were very impressed by the quality of game viewing around Singita. For more active types (and particularly recommended for repeat safari-goers) there are walking safaris, and archery is also on offer. Singita Ebony is also one of the small, but growing, bands of African lodges which can arrange mountain bike rides through the bush. A more involved experience than a game drive, and easier to get close to the animals than on a walking safari, we’re a huge fan of this way of exploring the wilderness.
When you’re eating breakfast, keep a beady eye out for the monkeys - they love the fresh tropical fruit slices just as much as we do!