South Africa Fam with Travel Beyond Nov 2015

South Africa offers so many diverse options for Safari experiences to meet many the needs of various clients budget needs.  We stayed in the Greater Kruger Area that borders the amazing Kruger National Park. November is the beginning of South Africa's spring/summer and  rainy season. However, they had  no rain so  it was very dry and most of the rivers were sand beds. Of the 12 days we were there we only had 3 days of rain so they are in a severe drought. The temperatures ranged from a very unusual 105 degrees to 50’s and 60’s when the rains came in. The topography varies depending on the location of the camp. The animal viewing was out of this world!

We stayed for 1 night at each property staying the first night  in Johannesburg before starting on our safari trip at the various camps:

FAIRLAWN BOUTIQUE HOTEL, VILLA RESIDENCE & SPA, JOHANNESBURG, http://fairlawns.co.za/, :

Gorgeous, Victorian style, 5-Star property that caters to high end clients looking for luxury accommodations. Located 40 minutes from JNB airport. I loved this property. Nice option for a one night stay before going on safari or for a short stay to explore JNB. Rooms were lovely with beautiful furnishings, upscale amenities. Bathroom gorgeous but a bit tired and needs a facelift which they will be receiving soon as they are under new ownership.  Dinner and breakfast were excellent and the staff fabulous. Lovely reception area, beautiful grounds with a very South African feel. I stayed in a Grand Chateau Suite which was amazing. They also offer Villa Suites with private pools.

&BEYOND NGALA TENTED CAMP, http://www.andbeyond.com/ngala-tented-camp/, :

Located along the banks of the Timbavati River, this property is perfect for the traveler that wants to be immersed in the safari experience. The accommodations very chic,  simple but elegant and sophisticated. They offer 9 tented camps as well as a lodge that is a great for families  complete with a great kids program. Animal viewing here was plentiful on safari  and there is actually  wildlife right in the camp. This includes residence warthogs, as there are no fences around the camp so animals roam freely. On safari we saw the following: a leap of leopard feeding on  a kill(3 of them) which is unheard of as leopard are usually very illusive; impala; cape buffalo; vervet monkeys; a pack of 27 African wild dogs which are becoming extinct (only 200 in Kruger Park) ; porcupine; kudu; a pride of 12 lions with cubs; wildebeest; baboons; zebra;  herds of elephant including youngsters. And this was the first day!  The food was outstanding and the staff fabulous.

ROYAL MALEWANE LODGE, : http://www.royalmalewane.com/,  :

This gorgeous lodge is located on Thornybush Private Game reserve adjacent to the Kruger National Park. It offers the romance and beauty of old Africa with modern luxury. There are three options for accommodations;  six double suites, two, 4-person suites and a 6-Bedroom Africa house which where we stayed. The Africa house  and Royal Suites offer a full kitchen with a  private Butler and wild game right outside the beautiful pool area. The food was wonderful  and we experienced our first African Boma for dinner, which is  and outdoor buffet complete with singing & drums by the staff and fabulous African food. We saw all of the game we saw previously and in addition, white rhino and spotted hyena. Wonderful guide, tracker and staff.

CAMP JABULANI, : http://campjabulani.com/safaris/, :

This camp was amazing and really focused on the famous Jabulani Elephants. They are made up of orphaned elephants that are not related and are now a very cohesive family. I loved this camp and that the accommodations were very understated yet still very luxurious. The luxury suites with expansive windows offer amazing views of the surrounding bush and welcome children 12 and over.  There are also under 12 years, kid friendly accommodations at The Zindoga Villa. The food was excellent, the staff wonderful and I really enjoyed the Camp Jabulani Elephants experience. Game drives were not very productive as the other camps as it poured t rained during both. We also had the opportunity to visit to the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre which concentrates on the conservation of rare, vulnerable or endangered animals with emphasis on the Cheetah.

TINTSWALO SAFARI LODGE, : http://www.tintswalo.com/safari/gallery/suites-gallery/,  :

This lodge is situated on the Private Manyleti Game Reserve concession within the Greater Kruger national Park in Mpumalanga. It’s situated along a seasonal river bed and shares the unfenced borders of the Kruger National Park, the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve on the north and the Sabi Sand Reserve on the south. Loved this property; especially the elephants who came up to the pool area to drink the water! The suites were beautiful and gave the feeling of old Africa. The food was excellent and, our guide, was amazing; knowledgeable, personable and passionate about what he does. Game viewing was pretty good considering the rain.   

 MALA MALA MAIN CAMP GAME RESERVE, : http://www.malamala.com/malacamp.htm, :

This camp is the oldest and most historical game reserve in South Africa and  used to be a game hunting  camp.  Although I felt this camp was a step down from the others I liked the small, intimate feel of this property. The accommodations and amenities were more basic and the accommodations needed a face lift, which we were told was going to happen soon. However, the excellent game viewing made up for what it lacked in luxury. And there was great animal viewing from the deck of the lodge! All of the meals were buffet which did not excite me personally and I did not feel the Boma was very good.  Would only  put REALLY high end clients here if animal viewing was their number one priority and they did not care about all of the fancy amenities and outstanding food.

RATTRAYS’S ON MALA MALA, : http://www.malamala.com/gallery_RROM.html, :

This property was one of my very favorites as it was very luxurious and exclusive, much different from Mala Mala Main Camp. The rooms were gorgeous with all of the finest in luxury and amenities.. The animal viewing from the rooms and the deck was amazing. The game drives were pretty good but again, rain ruined our morning drive. Lunch & breakfast were good but dinner, not as good as some other options.

SINGITA CASTLETON, http://singita.com/castleton/, :

Located in the Sabi Sands this  exclusive lodge is a family home and is only available for 2 weeks out of every month as the owners stay for the other 2 weeks. There is a main house with communal living spaces as well as 6 individual cottages for up to 2 people per cottage. We stayed in the fabulous cottages which offered pure luxury with no expenses spared and privacy. The facilities were fabulous with everything, including games and activities for children, making this property a very family friendly option. The food was outstanding and the game drives and guide were great! This was another one of my favorites.

SINGITA EBONY, : http://singita.com/ebony-lodge/, :

This is the original of the Singita lodges and is overlooking the banks of the Sand River in what is know as “big cat country”. It is a combination of the classic safari lodge combined with the tented camp and bush lodge style. The property sits way up high over the river and there were elephants, lion, rhino and cape buffalo just hanging out in the dry river bed. Our rooms were beautiful and luxurious with all of the high end amenities. The food was good and the game drives plentiful.

Singita Sweni Lodge, http://singita.com/sweni-lodge/, :

Located inside of the Kruger National Park at the edge of the Sweni River,  this unique camp offers very rustic but contemporary accommodations. The suites have decks that overlook hundreds of trees with the option to sleep outdoors on a bed with a mosquito net offering an amazing view. I especially appreciated the beautiful, huge, luxurious bathroom with an indoor and outdoor shower.  The food was very good as was the game viewing and guide and the staff was very  friendly staff. . 

Singita Lebombo Lodge, : http://singita.com/lebombo-lodge/, :

Walking distance from Sweni Lodge this property is on a cliff overlooking the N’wanetsi River and offers 15 loft style suites.–The suites were basically the same as Sweni. This is a VERY large property and requires  lots of walking and sometimes a bit uphill so must qualify clients. The food was very good and the Boma dinner was excellent. The service overall was inconsistent although everyone was very friendly. Game drives overall were good as were the guide and tracker.

Both Sweni & Lebombo shared a VERY nice gift shop and spa.