Having hopped on the plane on Thursday morning (29 March 2007) to attend the Friday Indaba meeting at KMIA (Kruger Mpumulanga International Airport) I swore never again to fly Nationwide airlines. Besides the four hours it takes to fly Cape Town – Nelspruit I could not believe that at a hefty R 2 800 for a return ticket they still have the audacity to adopt the ‘low cost’ airline strategy of charging for food and drinks on board !
With the oldest aviation equipment known to man – from aircraft to the busses that transport you to and from the terminals, coupled with some of the most unfriendly air stewards I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, I was at pains to understand how this airline could possibly have won domestic airline of the year for 2006 ! Surely the judges couldn’t have actually flown.
In Mpumulanga on a Friday, I thought it the perfect opportunity to visit the Sabi Sands, and get a quick update on some of our favourite Lodges in the area. Three Cities new property in White River – Jatinga – just 5 minutes from the airport is a real gem and comes highly recommended as a stop over for those driving from Joburg to the park – the rooms are great, gardens are beautiful and the food, wine and service were superb. We will get a full description up on the site shortly.
First stop – Lion Sands – as always Rob and Nick offer an exceptional product, be it River or Ivory Lodge, it is very difficult to find fault with anything – the rooms, food, wine, and overall service was fantastic as always, and the lodges remain on my top safari lodge list. The deck at Ivory lodge is one of my favourite African spots.
Kirkman’s Kamp was my weekend surprise – gone is the yellow paint and frills – Chris Brown has done a phenomenal job of transforming this once tired old lodge into an amazing destination. What struck me about Kirkman’s is that it is an Ode to Safari in old African style. Like Vic Falls Hotel, Kirkman’s is somewhat of a museum to a Kruger Safari, a truly unique experience.
Off to Londolozi – and quick hello to Dave and Shan. Now this one is going to be interesting – we all knew Londolozi was looking a bit tired, but the Varty’s seem determined to bring this lodge – the pioneers of Safari Lodges in the Sabi Sand – back to the forefront of safari in the region. By the looks of the construction work going on at Londolozi, we are all in for a big surprise – the Granite suites are particularly impressive – I look forward to a return visit soon.
Savanna – having visited Savanna just over a year ago, I was bowled over by the changes Sherreen, Paddy, Jane and the team have implemented. This product offers exceptional value for money – the bathrooms in particular are my favourite. A more personal safari experience one would struggle to find, and as the main reason for going on safari is the game, I would go out on a limb and say Savanna has probably one of the best ranging teams in the entire Sabi Sand area.
And then there was Singita – with the new family suites at both Boulders and Ebony now open and the refurbishment of both lodges complete, Singita continues to set the Safari bench march. The lodges are looking truly magnificent and Tony and his team are doing an incredible management job. While Singita remains the most expensive lodge in Africa, it really isn’t very difficult to see why. Everything from the suites, food, wine – again and service is truly amazing. The new curio shop puts the V&A Waterfront to shame, but then again we would expect nothing less from Boyd and his team of designers. Mark the new head ranger took us out on game drive – and as always the game was phenomenal – with a full lodge – we still had the privacy of seeing a leopard on her kill, rhino, lion and much more without any other vehicles in sight – and all within a two hour afternoon drive.
So at least 3 kg heavier, I hauled myself back onto another dreadful Nationwide flight for the trip home, but not even that could dampen my spirits – all the lodges I visited have not only maintained, but upped their game in terms of service delivery and understanding our guests experience. We are proud to be associated with all these lodges and we look forward to helping you chose the safari lodge that best suites your expectations and budget.
Later this month I will be visiting the Exeter properties. Having not seen the properties since CC Africa took them over last year, I am very excited about the visit, and if Kirkman’s is anything to go by – we are certainly in for another pleasant surprise.
Wishing you all a Happy Easter and Happy Travels.