I looked at the Cessna Caravan and then at the seven burly men checking their luggage in and swallowed hard. There were five of us already waiting to depart from Federal Air’s lovely lounge on the far side of Johannesburg International airport and it seemed to me impossible that a total of 12 would fit into the little plane. Let alone the luggage.
Welcome to the world of charter flights. And small aircraft.
There was a knot in my stomach as we boarded the little plane, but I wasn’t sure whether it was nervous anticipation at the considerable load, which, when added to by the pilot and co-pilot reached a grand total of 14, or excitement at the prospect of what lay ahead … three nights of unadulterated luxury at one of South Africa’s top private game reserves — Singita.
Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised when the Cessna took off with ease and no small amount of effortless grace considering its load. Looks are definitely deceptive and don’t let anyone tell you that this type of flight is without its attractions. For a start you can see so much more because you fly a lot lower. Yes, it’s a bit bumpy here and there, and not the quietest of things, but the advantages of flying Federal Air far outweighed any fears I’d harboured. It was a good start to the trip.
Even better was the welcome at Singita’s private airstrip — three rhinos and a lone bull elephant stood on ceremony as we came in to land, which made for a great first impression. This was followed by even better ones as ranger Khimbini Nhlungwane greeted us and loaded our luggage on to a waiting open Land Rover.
Singita is situated in the Sabi Sands reserve, north of Skukuza on the edge of the Kruger National Park. It runs two lodges here, Ebony and Boulders. In addition to this, the reserve operates a concession inside the Kruger park north-east of Satara with a further two lodges, Lebombo, after the ridge of mountains in which it nestles, and the brand-new Sweni, located on the banks of the Sweni river adjacent to Lebombo.
The Sabi Sands is made up of a group of privately owned reserves. Singita has 18 000ha adjacent to Kruger, from which it is separated only by a boundary road (the fences came down some years ago).
Ebony lodge lies elevated on the western bank of the Sand river, a five-minute drive from the airstrip. It’s a quiet drive too, thanks to Nhlungwane’s petrol Land Rover, which is 10 times more subtle than its diesel brother.
The introduction to Nhlungwane proved important as Singita groups its guests and allocates each group their own, personal rangers and trackers for the duration of their stay.
Arrival at Ebony is in itself a marvellous thing. Yvonne Samuels was there to greet us as we arrived at the disembarkation point, a short walk from the lodge’s reception. She led us down the boardwalk, through lush undergrowth and cool shade trees to waiting glasses of iced tea and an informal check-in procedure interrupted only by an obliging lioness on the opposite bank of the river — another positive sign that Singita was the place to be.
Each of Singita’s lodges is stylishly different from any other. Ebony is very much colonial Africa, with traditional overtones. It is small, with only nine double suites, guaranteeing personal service.
The reception area doubles as a comfortable lounge, with low eaves and a thatched roof leading out on to a cosy deck and adjacent bar. A small library offers a wide range of reading matter and board games for guests. There are also strategically placed wildlife and bird books throughout the lodge. Down some timber steps is another, larger deck where breakfast and lunch are served in discreet style overlooking the river. A short way up the boardwalk is a quiet rock pool with low, comfortable loungers and soft, plump cushions offering guests the chance to chill-out under the overhanging knobthorns and jackalberry trees.
So, to bed, or bedroom, to be precise. Actually, bedroom is an understatement. Even the word suite doesn’t sum up the singularly fabulous accommodation at Ebony. Apartment might just do the trick, because the suites have more space than the average one bedroomer. Strategically positioned along the Sand river, each unit has complete privacy from its neighbour. The rooms are arranged on multiple levels, from lounges with open fireplaces and cosy wingbacks and couches to vestibules with elegant crystal decanters of sherry and lime cordial and platters of fresh fruit.
The bedrooms are a grand affair, with lots of dark wood, butler trays and romantic white netting around the bed to ward off any errant mosquitoes.
The bathroom, if one can call such a space a bathroom, features his and hers basins, a huge Victorian-style pedestal bath, double volume glass shower, separate toilet with bidet and separate double dressing room. One entire wall of the bathroom is glass and overlooks the Sand river and a gorgeous private plunge pool, which is a major drawcard on a generous stoep.
Also on the stoep are plush armchairs, a desk with watercolours and sketching materials for guests to dabble with, two loungers and soft, luxurious pool towels. All the rooms open out on to the stoep and have sliding mosquito nets so that the outside becomes a feature inside.
I went into sensory overload within five minutes, sitting in every chair, exploring every nook and cranny, sipping the sherry, examining the contents of the bar fridge, flushing the loo, running the bath and shower simultaneously while trying to find my cozzie so I could test the plunge pool.
After all that frenetic energy I flopped into said pool with a bottle of wine and stayed there until it was time for the first game drive.
Guests at Singita get two game drives each day, one early in the morning (getting up at 5am for a 5.30 start is magical, even with a hangover!), returning to the lodge at around 9am for breakfast, and one in the afternoon, leaving at just after 4pm and returning in time for dinner at 7.30pm. Alternatively, you can opt for a game walk, getting out of the Land Rover with your ranger and tracker and strolling into the bush in search of adventure and lots of interesting things you’d never see from the vehicle.
Seasonal and community tours are also available, but it’s the game everyone is here to see. And there’s plenty of it. My first drive was in the afternoon. Following high tea and scones Nhlungwane herded us into the Land Rover and we made off in search of the Big Five. Five minutes later we had our first sighting, a young female leopard that kindly climbed a tree and posed for us for more than half an hour. Next up was a large male rhino who was so not fussed about our presence he promptly sat in a mud hollow and went to sleep. Then came a cheetah who had eaten half an impala and was so full he couldn’t stand let alone run away.
I couldn’t believe the concentration of game, and all of it so used to vehicles that Nhlungwane could literally drive to within a few metres.
This is the other advantage of a private reserve — rangers can take the vehicles off road and give a truly up close and personal experience.
As the sun dipped its rays, we pulled over at a picturesque spot and the Land Rover was transformed into an instant cocktail bar, complete with canapés. A table was erected on the bull-bar, a damask table cloth thrown over it and a few seconds later I had a perfectly mixed Bloody Mary in my hand. As the sun set we all raised our glasses in the toast “Another shit day in Africa”.
A few drinks later and no one was worried whether the spotlights and tracker Christopher Ndlovu failed to pick up anything interesting on our way back to the lodge.
After a short break to freshen up, we reassembled in the lounge with Nhlungwane, who was to be our dinner host. Dinners at Ebony are a grandiose affair, with course after course of impeccably prepared and presented fare and a cellar stocked with thousands of bottles of South Africa’s best wines. And afterwards coffee and liqueurs on the deck, listening to the sounds of after-dark Africa.
It is a beautiful place for couples, and honeymooners in particular. Meals can be served in the privacy of your suite or in a secluded corner of the deck. There’s also a boma offering the full dining experience under the stars besides a roaring log fire.
It’s impossible not to relax under these circumstances, even though you try to capture every image and sensation and store it for posterity.
It’s also easy to overindulge, but no worries, there’s a health spa and gym on site ready to massage out every kink and work out every sin.
Top all of this off with the African Trading Store, which sells the lovely items on display in the suites and in the main lodge plus a range of mementoes, keepsakes and clothing.
So, what’s the catch? Well, to be honest in good old-fashioned Mail & Guardian tradition, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. As much as I love African experiences there are some for whom private reserves such as Singita mean nothing, and some would say they are elitist.
You do have to really love the whole bush thing, or at least be open to it and appreciative of it to get the most out of a break like this, because there’s very little else to do. It’s not for children either. Not because Singita is snobbish, but because it’s sensible — children under 10 or who don’t have a deep and sincere love of nature would have very little to keep them occupied.
Singita is all about being unobtrusive and genteel. It’s about refinement and relaxation, good company and conversation, especially conversation. As a guest you get to meet people from other countries and strike up friendships with them, often chatting till the wee hours over cognac and the like.
And then there’s the price. At R6 800 a person sharing, a night, it’s far from cheap. However, once you pay there’s no reason to get your wallet out again, because everything is on the house. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, game drives, game walks, drinks, wine, minibar, afternoon tea, cocktails, beers, laundry and in-room dining are included in the tariff.
If you break it up it sounds a lot less, especially when you consider that a game walk with your own ranger and tracker and an open vehicle at your disposal for two to three hours would set you back a good two or three thousand rands. Haute cuisine dinners with the finest wines money can buy also don’t come cheap these days.
So yes, it’s pricey, but there is value for the money spent. It’s not the kind of trip you’d take every month, but Singita is certainly worth it either as a once-in-a-lifetime experience or, if affordability isn’t an issue, on a regular basis.
Next week we look at Singita’s flagship Kruger Park lodge — Lebombo — which is at the cutting edge of modern African getaways and which offers an altogether different lifestyle experience.
The lowdown
Accommodation at all Singita’s lodges is priced at R6 800 a person, a night, sharing a double suite. Children under 10 are not allowed unless a lodge is block-booked by the same group or family, in which case special children’s activities can be arranged. The price includes all suite accommodation, three meals a day, all teas and coffees, two open Land Rover safaris a day accompanied by a personal game ranger and tracker, walking and spotlit night safaris, drinks while on safari, all beers, spirits, liqueurs, wines, sparkling wines, soft drinks and minibars in suites, laundry and valet services, and return transfers from the Singita airstrip to the lodges.
The price excludes telephone calls and boutique purchases, champagne and health spa treatments.
Federal Air flies to Singita daily from Johannesburg International airport at a cost of R2 950 a person, return. From January 1 2004 this price will go up to R3 570.
Scheduled flights can be taken to Kruger Mpumalanga International airport from which transfers to Singita in a single-engined turbo prop aircraft are available, or where a vehicle can be hired to drive the remainder of the distance.
Driving to Singita is a good alternative. The recommended route from Johannesburg is to take the N12/N4 to Nelspruit, the R40 from Nelspruit to Hazyview, and the R536 from Hazyview towards the Paul Kruger Gate of the Kruger National Park. After 36km pass the Lisbon Store and turn left on to a gravel road, entering the Sabi Sands reserve at the Kingston Gate. Singita is about 28km inside the reserve and is well signposted.
For more information and reservations, contact Singita’s sales department on (021) 683 3424 or visit www.singita.com
Accolades aplenty
Singita has been singled out for the third consecutive year as the best game reserve in Africa by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler (United States) magazine. Singita’s score of 94,8 outdistanced all other reserves and hotels in Africa and the Middle East.
The Readers’ Choice Awards are based on votes by readers who have stayed at a resort or hotel in the past three years. They rate properties according to the standard of rooms, food, location and service.
Singita’s achievement in the 2001 poll, as the only property ever to secure a score of 100%, remains unchallenged. Another US poll, Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report, has ranked Singita as the number one resort hideaway with less than 50 rooms.