The Royal Indulgence
Six Nights, Fabulous luxury, $$$$
A superbly luxurious safari that combines nature's wild pulse with quiet and sophisticated colonial comfort, and modern simplicity, elegance and style. The joys of a bygone era await you at Royal Malewane, accommodating you in the utmost of colonial splendour.
Experience an exhilarating helicopter flip, absorbing the beauty of the Mpumalanga Drakensberg escarpment, whilst staying at the secluded Cybele Forest Lodge. Venture into the heart of big game country at Singita Boulders, an awe-inspiring monolith of curving thatch and piled stone that joins seamlessly with the rocky geometry that holds it to the earth.
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Itinerary details
The Deck at Royal Malewane
Day One
You will be met upon your arrival at Johannesburg International Airport by a Kruger2Canyons representative, who will assist you to the flight transfer check-in counter and provide you with your travel pack containing all of the necessary documentation for your safari.
Your first glimpse of the Lowveld will be from the air: as you fly over the mountains the bushveld appears to stretch forever.
Your destination is Royal Malewane- luxury, in its purest form. On the western fringe of the Kruger National Park in the heart of Southern Africa, this lodge combines nature's wild pulse with quiet and sophisticated colonial comfort, elegance and style.
The joys of a bygone era await you at Royal Malewane, accommodating a maximum of 16 guests in the utmost colonial splendour. Royal Malewane is an exclusive getaway for those who value privacy, personalised service and the best game viewing Africa has to offer.
Each of the six free standing and private suites rests in harmony with its magnificent surroundings with a rich deck wood terrace, thatched gazebo and spillway pool finding easy residence in nature.
The colonial style of the lodge is especially visible inside the suites, which feature a palatial air-conditioned bed/sitting room with a fireplace, antique furniture and canopied king-size bed as well as an extravagant bathroom with a window-side Victorian bath and indoor and outdoor showers. Here, after a long day of exhilarating game viewing, you can journey into dream's domain draped in Ralph Lauren linen as the lion-roars echo through your window of stars.
Fine Dining, Royal Malewane style
Elevated walkways link the suites to the main camp with the African sky your ceiling. The main camp complex is the heart of Royal Malewane. African thatched-roof buildings house the library, shop, dining and reception areas. Furnished with rich antiques and Persian carpets, every fitting creates the feel of original colonial elegance. There is a wonderful new gym and spa facility offering you health and skincare therapy by an internationally qualified in-house therapist. Enjoy a treatment of your choice at the luxurious spa or in the sala, with only nature surrounding you. Alternatively, relax with a treatment in the complete privacy of your own suite. Royal Malewane's luxurious accommodation redefines the concept of solitude.
Elegant Royal Malewane bathroom
The order of the day: an early morning game drive is followed by a leisurely breakfast. Thereafter, enjoy the luxury of the camp before lunch is served. An afternoon game drive and sundowners follow the sumptuous high tea, culminating in a night drive in search of exciting nocturnal game. Dinner is served under the African sky or with silver and crystal in the dining areas.
Up close and intensely personal, the spirit of the wild utterly seduces your senses. Every beat of your heart rustles in thorn and thistle, every breath you take sways and bends the tall grasses. You are at one. Game viewing at Royal Malewane provides you with the best opportunities for seeing the natural abundance of big game on the 13,000 hectare Reserve, home of the Big Five– lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino. Over 300 recorded bird species are also to be found in the Reserve.
Game viewing is tailored to your individual desires, either by open Land Rover or on foot. Expert and experienced rangers and trackers accompany the guests. Royal Malewane is privileged to have the only surviving Master Tracker currently working in Southern Africa.
Overnight: Royal Malewane (two nights) on a fully inclusive basis.
Day Three
After the morning's game viewing activity you will be transferred by road to the stunning Cybele Forest Lodge.
The route to luxury!
You enter Cybele down a cool tree lined country lane, setting the tone: exclusive, secluded, quiet and gentle. Deep in forest country, and high up in the mountains you will find the forest lodge and health spa. Set on three hundred acres of African paradise, living forest, mountains and meadows. In the centre, the lodge is a charming old farmhouse with a wide veranda where you can sip sundowners whilst looking out over the magnificent gardens. The rest of the world slips away while you listen to the creaking of the bluegum trees in the forest breeze and breathe in the heady aromas of frangipani, gardenia and buddleia.
Wander down to the large secluded heated swimming pool with its comfortable sun beds.
In striking contrast to the vivid colours and lush greenery of the garden, the interior of the lodge is warm and inviting. Furnished throughout with antiques, original art and exquisite fabrics, the main house is a most relaxing place to read a book or to browse through one of the many current magazines from all over the world. Daydream on the veranda, or visit the bar to enjoy a drink or a special cocktail before sampling the lodge's legendary cuisine.
Situated with a stunning view over the mountains, spacious thatched suites offer great comfort and are the ultimate in luxury accommodation.
The suites have a main bedroom (with fireplace), and bathroom en-suite, with double basins, leading onto a private courtyard with hot and cold shower. There is a large sitting room, which is fitted with a fireplace, hi-fi sound system and selection of cd’s and book tapes. Most of the suites have heated floors throughout. The bedroom and sitting room looks upon a wide terrace equipped with tables, chairs and a large umbrella. A generously proportioned pool lies beneath the terrace of each suite.
Luxurious Cybele accommodation
The health spa in the forest provides a natural wellspring of health and peace, offering a wide range of treatments and therapies designed to rejuvenate the body and restore the soul. Several massage and beauty therapy rooms, including a new double treatment room enabling you to share your special experience. There are two hydrotherapy baths- one hewn from natural granite and situated in a private courtyard, a steam room and spacious showers with multiple high-pressure jets.
Day Four
On the second day of your stay at Cybele you will embark on an exhilarating flip in a helicopter, the "Mountain Magic" sightseeing trip. It is an awe-inspiring excursion and gives you a real feel for the beauty of the Escarpment.
Helicopter Flip from Cybele
Swoop over deep and mysterious gorges, through lush valleys bursting with vegetation and colour. Hover above roaring rivers and cascading waterfalls; continue through God's Window alongside the fascinating and dramatic rock formations of the Blyde River Canyon (Motlatse) and the curious Three Rondavels. Descend, landing on a remote mountain with a breathtaking view over the Mpumalanga Lowveld.
Overnight: Cybele Forest Lodge (two nights) on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.
Days Five & Six
After a leisurely morning you will be collected and transferred by road to Singita Boulders.
Boulders Lodge towers over the landscape, a monolith of curving thatch and piled stone that joins seamlessly with the rocky geometry that holds it to the earth. Senufo artefacts and bold sculpture offset smooth linen in blue and silent white, as cascading water cools the summer air. Boulders Lodge rests on the banks of the Sand River in the heart of the Singita Private Game Reserve, unlocking the senses to views that stretch to the edges of the imagination.
Singita Boulders' suites feature magnificent stone bathrooms and bedrooms that encapsulate luxury. Quiet and simple, moments spent on the vast sundecks at Boulders Lodge will leave you at the mercy of the breathtaking wild distance.
Singita Boulders
This lodge takes adventure a step further; surrounded by the natural splendour of the South African landscape it offers attention to every conceivable detail.
The highlight of every safari is of course the game viewing and it is here in the Sabi Sand that game abounds. The Reserve gets its name from the perennial Sand River that bisects the reserve and the fine, sandy substrate found throughout. Globally renowned for its diversity and concentration of big game, the Sabi Sand features broad, open savannah interspersed with acacia thornveld, rocky outcrops and riverine forest.
Herds of buffalo and elephant, large prides of lion, majestic leopard and antelope by the thousands make the 18,500 hectare Singita Private Game Reserve, at the heart of the Sabi Sands, one of the finest locations for viewing the Big Five anywhere in the world.
A trademark of every stay at Singita’s lodges is the luxurious care you can indulge in at the health spa. Your therapist offers treatments from the more conventional European massages to reflexology, manicures, facials and aromatherapy, or indulge in an uplifting body treatment. Gaze across the endless wonders of the African bush while working out in the modern fitness centre.
South Africa, a country of diverse cultures and cosmopolitan influences, inspires the unique culinary experience at Boulders. Juxtaposing global cuisine with traditional African ingredients, Singita's style combines simplicity with an abundance of flavour. Excellent produce, well prepared and presented, is accompanied by truly inspirational surroundings.
Complementing the exceptional cuisine, each Singita lodge has a unique and comprehensive wine cellar. Singita's wine program consists of approximately 35,000 bottles of the finest South African wines. Newly released red wines are matured in our temperature-controlled Cape Town cellar for up to 5 years, to ensure that they reach full potential.
Overnight: Singita Boulders (two nights) on a fully inclusive basis.
Fabulous Boulders accommodation
Day Seven
Your final morning will not be wasted, savouring the heart of the South African bush. An early rise will allow ample opportunity for a game drive or other activity before returning to the Lodge for an elegant brunch to prepare you for our parting.
We will arrange for your transfer to a waiting light aircraft for your return flight to Johannesburg International Airport in good time to make your onward connection.
