Savanna Private Game Reserve

There are four luxury suites at Savanna Private Game Reserve all of which are nestled in indigenous woodland and surrounded by birdsong. Inside the suite’s, draped ceilings add a touch of elegance and romance and give the room a soft, cosy atmosphere. Wooden framed doors fill the suite with bright, natural light and open onto a covered verandah and decking area, where guests will find a large glistening swimming pool.

The bed sits in the centre of the suite covered in crisp white bed linens and with a leather ottoman at the foot. All suites come with their own ensuite bathroom which includes a large freestanding bathtub for a relaxing soak, an indoor shower and a unique outdoor shower, where guests can refresh after a long day exploring, in the golden tones of the sunset.

The executive suites are spacious and luxurious, decorated in a similar style to the luxury suites, with draped canvas ceilings and solid stone walls to keep the tents private but with the edge of tented luxury. Located near the back of the room is the bed, which is large and cosy, draped romantically with mosquito netting to allow guests a bug-free night’s sleep. At the foot of the bed, sit two comfortable and traditional armchairs which look through the wide doors and out onto the expansive decking area.

Here guests will find a large turquoise swimming pool and sun loungers, perfect for those evening siestas. All the suites come complete with their own ensuite bathroom which includes an indoor shower, a deep bathtub and an outside shower, for an al-fresco showering experience.

The Savanna Suite is perfect for families or a group of friends, with two bedrooms each with its own ensuite bathroom and a connecting lounge area in the centre. The suite is modern and chic, with exposed thatch ceilings adding traditional safari character and dimension, and a natural, bright colour palette creating an elegant atmosphere.

The bedrooms both have sliding glass doors that open out onto the wilds of the Sabi Sands Game Reserve. The panoramic views of the vivid trees can be enjoyed from the comfort of your bed, which is covered in crisp white bed linens and draped in mosquito netting. The ensuite bathrooms are spacious and come complete with double walk-in showers, a deep freestanding bathtub perfect for a relaxing soak and double hand basins. A sliding door opens up onto a patio outdoor shower area, where guests can enjoy a refreshing wash al fresco.

The lounge area is the ideal place for the family to gather and catch up on their day’s adventures on the comfortable sofas or gathered around the fireplace on the colder evenings. A private sparkling plunge pool on the decking offers guests an excellent place to cool down on a warm afternoon, surrounded by the phenomenal landscape of the bush and the sounds of the birds in the trees.

Dining experiences are set up by staff around the camp in the heart of the bush. Guests can dine on delicious food while being surrounded by the sounds, sights, and smells of the Sabi Sands Game Reserve. Enjoy dining whilst being lit by the glow of lanterns and with the crackle of the boma fire pit behind you, or gaze up at the stars as you dine, marvelling at the thousands of stars which light up the night sky.

Guests can head out into the bush in the comfort of a custom-built 4×4 safari vehicle. There are two drives per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and it is recommended that guests go on both, as each time you venture into the bush a unique experience will be had. Accompanied by a friendly, trained, and experienced guide, guests will learn all about the bush and the animals that reside there, as well as be able to view many of them, undisturbed and in their natural habitat.

For a tailored experience in the bush, guests can head out after breakfast with a guide and enjoy a guided nature walk. Your guide will lead the way to some of the best places in the bush for looking at birds, insect life, and finding out more about the flora of the area. Whatever guests wish to experience can be arranged on these walks, as they are tailored to be suitable for all abilities.

A fully equipped and air-conditioned gym is available to guests who wish to start their days with a quick workout. And a private massage can be arranged in your suite to relieve any tensions and stresses, or any aches and pains from your days spent traversing in the wild surroundings.

For a chance to see the amazing community work which Savanna is a part of guests can choose to spend the day visiting the local community. This is a perfect activity for guests who wish to immerse themselves in and engage with the local cultures.

The Savanna Trust was set up as a not-for-profit organisation to help alleviate the unemployment, poverty, and limited access to healthcare that the surrounding communities face. As well as the trust collaborating with partners in the local communities and supporting local projects, they also employ 90% of their staff from these communities.

To help improve the lives of the most vulnerable communities their overall aim is to ‘build more resilient communities, which empower vulnerable individuals, especially young and elderly people, to meet their basic needs and secure a better future for them.’

In the local village of Mabarhule is a home-based care centre called Tiyimiseleni which The Savanna Trust supports. Over 300 vulnerable children and orphans affected by HIV and AIDS are cared for here by 15 women who are all trained as health and caregivers. The children have a meal provided to them and can be helped with their homework. Home visits are also conducted from Tiyimiseleni to make sure the children have a healthy food supply at home, and to take the children to school and/or the health clinic if need be.

With the help of their guests, the trust has been able to help build a hall at the care centre where the meals can be cooked and prepared in a clean environment and the children can eat their meals. All the operating costs for the care centre are currently being covered by Savanna and the trust works with the team to help them improve their sustainability by encouraging investment in income-generating initiatives.

To help “restore hope to the hopeless” Nyiko Mokoena, a nurse from the local village of Huntington partnered with the Savanna Trust to build the first nursing home in the area which also includes fully working water and electricity. With their partnership, they have approached the Department for Social Development to gain the support of the government and, due to their hard work, the Hlayisekani Nursing Home is successful, providing 24-hour care 7 days a week to all its residents, with a team of staff and a nurse available at all times.

A new extension has just been built from the generosity of guests and now all 70 residents have adequate space and amenities to live in dignity.

Savanna supports the local Youth in Action choir which employs the local choir members and keeps them safe from the substance abuse which is common among their age group. The Savanna Trust has built a youth centre in Mabarhule to ‘encourage various income-generating activities.’

To make sure that the local pets and livestock are well taken care of Khumba Ncila provides support, education and care for the locals and their animals, as well as aiding homeless animals. Care is provided one of three ways, home visits, veterinary care, and puppy classes where the focus is on education. A better quality of life for the animals is given by educating the locals on proper animal care.

Vet care is provided to these communities for vaccinations, sterilisations, injuries, ticks infestations and diseases. The overall aim is to spread this awareness and aid to other villages and hopefully to eradicate the homeless dogs and cats who enter the Sabi Sand Game Reserve.