Sabi Sabi Selati Camp

The luxury suites at Sabi Sabi Selati Camp are nestled in indigenous woodland, surrounded by birdsong and the sound of the breeze in the trees. The suites have a traditional safari atmosphere, with thatched roofs which are exposed inside the suite. The interior of the suite is cosy and warm, with large beige curtains, white walls and textured rugs on the floor.

In the centre of the room sits a large king-size bed, covered in crisp cream bed linens and swathed romantically in mosquito netting for a bug-free sleep. The bed looks out through a large concertina door, which fills the suite with bright, natural light, and fresh air when open. A cosy sofa with a travellers chest coffee table offers a relaxing space for guests to unwind after a long day.

Each suite comes with its own ensuite bathroom which is designed in a traditional safari chic manner and comes complete with an indoor shower, and a large claw-footed bathtub. If guests wish to, stepping outside the concertina doors will lead you to a peaceful outdoor bathroom area where there is a large rainfall shower and a deep egg bathtub for an indulging dip or refreshing wash in the very heart of nature.

The Ivory Presidential Suite has a theme of old-fashioned romance running throughout with the traditional safari character still being present in the exposed thatch ceilings. Traditional traveller style furniture fills the room, from polished mahogany chests, traveller suitcases and dramatic floral curtains to an opulent chandelier hanging from the beams.

The suite is spacious, with a cosy seating area at one end of the suite with comfortable sofas, and the bed placed at the other end of the suite. The large four-poster bed is covered in crisp white bed linens and is draped in mosquito netting to keep guests protected.

Two sets of folding doors fill the space with natural light and open onto the private decking areas where guests can find a unique outdoor shower, and a private sparkling plunge pool which is perfect for cooling off in the afternoon’s heat.

All bedrooms come complete with an ensuite bathroom which continues the old-fashioned traveller interior style, with a tin style bathtub perfect for a relaxing soak after a long day, double hand basins and a walk-in rainfall shower.

This suite is perfect for honeymooners or couples looking for a romantic escape into the heart of nature. A traditional safari theme runs through the interior, with authentic art hanging on the walls, wooden furniture, Persian style and textured rugs lining the floor and an exposed thatch ceiling adding dimension and character.

An indoor seating area includes a cosy cushioned sofa, which overlooks the stretching grasslands. The bed is sat at the back of the suite with romantic lanterns hung on either side, blanketing the bed in a warm glow. Covered in crisp bed linens the bed is also romantically draped with mosquito netting to keep guests bug free while sleeping. An ensuite bathroom continues the romantic theme and is filled with candles.

A private decking sits outside the front of the suite, accessible through wall to wall concertina doors. Guests can relax here after a long day spent exploring, watching the golden sunset tones flood the rolling grasslands and breathing in the fresh evening bush air.

Guests can make their way to the main dining area of the camp for their meals. This area is built in a rotunda style, and is covered by a large thatch roof, with views over the luscious green grasslands. Food is prepared by talented and professional chefs and highlights seasonal and local flavours.

After dinner guests can make their way to the lounge area which is decorated in a vintage theme with large green velvet sofas and leather armchairs, and a feature log burner in the corner for those chillier evenings. A pub-style bar can be found here and guests can enjoy their tipple of choice while unwinding around the fire.

Adventure out on a traditional safari experience – the game drive – and travel through and around the wild Sabi Sands Game Reserve for a chance to see some of the wonderful creatures that fill it. Driving out in the early morning and the afternoon, guests can choose which time to head out – although if time allows, both times are recommended.

With a knowledgeable and friendly team of guides and trackers, guests will be driven around the bush and taken to all the best viewing spots for a chance to see a herd of elephants, galloping zebras, lions lazing in the road or hippos lounging in the lagoons.

Guests who are staying in Ivory Presidential Suite can enjoy the luxury of having their own private game vehicle.

For a more intimate exploration of the bush, guests can head out on foot and explore with an experienced guide. Find out more about the smaller workings of the reserve, keeping an eye out for micro eco-systems which may have been missed on a game drive, such as small lizards, snakes, and insect life. Your guide will be able to identify footprints and track where they came from. This is a truly immersive and exciting activity.

If guests wish then they can pre-book themselves onto a tour of the local communities of Huntington, Lillydale and Justicia. Many of Sabi Sabi’s staff come from these communities so it is a great way to see their style of life. Meet and talk to members of the community to find out about their cultures and traditions. All funds from these tours are invested straight back into the community and their current projects.

As well as exploring and immersing yourself in the surroundings, a stay at Sabi Sabi Selati Camp is about relaxing, resting and rejuvenating. Guests can head to the Amani Spa which is surrounded by vivid green trees, and enjoy one of their many treatments, from refreshing facials to a stress-relieving massage.

Sabi Sabi is an example of how ecotourism can support and protect both the surrounding nature and communities. Sustainable benefits positively impact both the environment and the people, and ‘contribute substantially to the socio-economic development of the people living on the boundaries of the protected areas.’

There are two principles that guide the Sabi Sabi Foundation’s initiatives and projects, and these are the need to conserve wilderness areas and create a sanctuary for indigenous flora and fauna, and the second is the firmly held belief that Sabi Sabi ‘must be a true example of eco-tourism effectively linking tourism with conservation and the community.’

Conservation, ecotourism, and community are all linked together in the foundation’s work, and this is a prime example of how respect for the local surroundings and working with local communities and groups can create immeasurable benefits for future generations.

Many of the staff at Sabi Sabi lodges are employed from the surrounding local rural Shangaan villages of Justicia, Huntington and Lillydale. Each employee has their own dependents who rely on their wage so the employment benefits, not just the worker but also their family, creating more financially stable family institutions and allowing younger children to afford schooling.

Each team member is encouraged to explore and gain skills whilst working at Sabi Sabi, with ‘ongoing training in all areas’ of the business which empowers the employees and helps them improve on their skills. Many aspects of the running of Sabi Sabi lodges are outsourced from the surrounding communities, such as gardening, thatching and washing businesses helping to further support the local people and small businesses.

All Sabi Sabi properties offer guests a community tour, led by Clerence Mkansi, who is a second-generation Sabi Sabi family member, his father being ‘one of Sabi Sabi’s long-standing stalwart trackers.’ As well as allowing guests an insight into the local way of life these tours are also vital for the Sabi Sabi Foundation as the fees from the tour are sent straight to the Sabi Sabi Foundation, which then uses the money to fund their many community projects.

Since its opening in 2002, the Mazinyane Pre-School has gone from strength to strength with the help of both the Sabi Sabi Foundation and Reservations Africa. As a pre-school their aim is to prepare children for the school years ahead, and also has a strong focus on supplying healthy school meals to the children. With a joint belief that children represent the future, Reservations Africa and the Sabi Sabi Foundation have helped Mazinyane Pre-School go from 85 children to 450 children, ‘with 5 classrooms and a total of 18 staff.’

Another project the Sabi Sabi Foundation is involved in is the Lilydale Digital Learning Centre. They have understood the growing gap between rural life and the ever-growing need to know and understand digital skills in today’s economy. Partnered with the Good Work Foundation, Sabi Sabi Foundation have helped reach over 400 students who wished to ‘improve their knowledge in this technological age and determine career paths to which they are suited and well prepared’ through the Lilydale Digital Learning Centre. Programmes are also run by the Sabi Sabi Foundation to train teachers, with over 120 teachers from neighbouring communities being trained to this date.

The Swa Vana Care Centre is another initiative that the Sabi Sabi Foundation supports. This centre provides meals and care to vulnerable children and youth, as well as looking after orphans, creating a safe space for children after school and distributing ‘clothing donations and hygiene items.’ When this project began there were only six children and now they can support up to 390 children.

Over 30 staff members help with the running of the care centre and help to organise the games the children play, as well as counselling and home visits. The overarching aim of the Swa Vana Care Centre is to give the children involved a sense of self-worth, purpose and ‘becoming employable, self-sustainable and valued members of their community.’

Partnering with Dreamfields in 2008 the Sabi Sabi Foundation has aimed to offer opportunities to local children through the sports of football and netball. To help the children develop strong characters and to stop them from being drawn into bad environments both a netball and football league were created in 2008. To make the games as professional and fair as possible this project also encompasses coach training and referee training. This initiative ‘is about building dreams, building relationships and fostering a healthy outlook on life.’

To aid with conservation efforts Sabi Sabi has a detailed guide and ranger training programme. Future guides are taken through a training camp before being involved in on-site training which helps them find their feet in the surrounding areas and habitats. The training is intensive to best prepare the guides for their role as ‘environmental educators’. The trackers also go through the same intensive training procedures, and many of them are local Shangaan people allowing for an ‘innate appreciation and deep knowledge of the bush.’

Beginning in 2015 the Sabi Sabi Chef Mentorship Programme has been implemented by the head chef at Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge. Creating a fully functional training school that provides students with housing, transport and uniforms, successful students are registered with the South African Chefs Association before taking part in ‘week long kitchen courses.’ After these courses students then complete internships at Sabi Sabi lodges, giving them first-hand experience in a working kitchen. At the end of the course, students can either find employment at a Sabi Sabi lodge or are in a much better position to be able to find skilled employment elsewhere.

For many of the local communities, there is no easy access to fresh water. Sabi Sabi’s not-for-profit company ‘Innovation: Africa’ has created the technology to be able to ‘supply sustainable portable water to a sizeable part of the Huntington community.’ When the water pumps are constructed local empowerment companies are used, which employ 5 local men and women for the project. These employees remain after the completion of the pumps and help to ensure that any issues are resolved quickly to maintain the water supply for the community.

Sabi Sabi has their own habitat management team, which help to develop and implement a ‘competent management programme’ with help from ‘qualified ecological consultants.’ The programme is continually assessed to make sure that all the practices are working in a way that helps protect and preserve the local surroundings.

One practice is the controlled burning of sections of the reserve. This burning helps to promote the growth of new, fresh grass and to help nutrient recycling when the native herbivores come to the new open areas. Another practice is the rotation of manmade waterholes and water resources. To stop vegetation from being impacted in one area of the reserve the waterholes are rotated meaning the animals have to travel on different routes, allowing the vegetation to grow back in the areas where it has recently been in the path of the animals.

If any roads need to be placed within the reserve, the habitat management programme helps to make sure that they are placed in a way that ‘minimises water run-off’ and erosion. All roads are sensitively placed so as not to disrupt the animals and to follow the natural drainage lines. Erosion is not just managed by the placement of roads, but by planting shrubs on highly grazed areas to maintain a high level of biodiversity within the reserve. The habitat management team also work to remove harmful alien plants which threaten the indigenous species of the reserve.

All Sabi Sabi properties work to separate and recycle as much of their solid waste as they can. All their lodges have ‘specially constructed wetland systems’ which mean they can recycle wastewater and sewage which is then purified, finishing the recycling process as clean water. Any plastic that is used at the lodges are returned to the suppliers and they use all wet waste as compost.

To protect the wildlife within the reserve Sabi Sabi have their own specialised anti-poaching unit. There are specialised conservation units as part of this APU that help to enhance the programme and the anti-poaching activities.