Accommodation type: Safari lodge

Location: Southern Kruger National Park

Nearest Kruger gate: Paul Kruger Gate 174km)

Food: All-inclusive

Budget: $$$$$

Perfect for… Unparalleled luxury overlooking the mighty Sabie River 

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A sophisticated safari experience in nine waterside havens, capturing the romance of the pioneer era, in considerably more comfort.

 

The Lion Sands Tinga Lodge’s exclusive accommodations are set apart on a high bank up from the Sabie River. Your suite feels utterly private with its own plunge pool and deck overlooking the water, making the most of a view that often sees wildlife passing through.

 

Stepping out through your suite’s glass sliding doors, your deck is for pool lounger safaris, dining experiences set up just for you, and al fresco showers under the stars. Indulge in the spoils beyond your bedroom in the spa sala, at the poolside, or wherever else you choose to put your feet up.

 

From the suites, elevated wooden pathways lead off to a spa sala and the main lodge – with its bar lounge, library, poolside and boma offering spaces to share good company or spend some quiet moments on your own.

 

When you’re right on the Sabie River, watching the animals, surrounded by bush and sky, you really feel like you’ve escaped from the world. With 5,000ha of wilderness in this private concession within the world-renowned Kruger National Park, you can go exploring off-road, follow in the footsteps of a leopard, track down a herd of elephant, or simply wait for them to come to you.

 

Lion Sands Tinga Lodge has a wonderful sense of remoteness and peace. Being entirely private, the Lion Sands concession offers you an intimate safari experience. With only six guests to a game viewer and exclusive traversing on our reserve, you’ll have minimal encounters with other people. Though compelling sightings do attract more attention, the number of vehicles here is also limited. This ensures the animals aren’t put under stress and you are able to spend more time with them, observing their natural behaviour. While you are out exploring, you will by no means be roughing it. Your game viewer has cushioned bucket seats, waterproof device holders, blankets and ponchos – and stops off in a scenic spot for drinks and snacks.

 

In addition, the Tinyeleti Treehouse, which translates to ‘Many Stars’, is not merely a vantage point from where to observe the splendour that is the Sabie River and all the life it sustains, but rather an open-air invitation to take your place and become part of it.

 

Tinyeleti Treehouse is fully equipped for your relaxation and you can expect all the comforts of a luxury stay. Enjoy your choice of tapas or a full meal, and then settle in with a cocktail as the animals come to drink at sunset. The 50m2 deck can accommodate 4 people, and children are welcome. We will provide you with a torch, and, even though there is no electricity, you will find a few bars of cell phone signal.

 

Expect to hear the constant rush of life from the Sabie River on your doorstep, as well as a few animals, night predators and birds chiming in.

 

Tinyeleti is an uninterrupted overnight experience that cannot be replicated, but that will most definitely be re-told. That is, if you can find the words to describe it. For us who have come here many times over, well, we’re still at a loss.