Vuyani Safari Lodge

While many elements of the African safari have, for good reason, gone largely unchanged over the past few decades, the price tag accompanying the timeless travel experience has had little trouble keeping up with the times. The fortunate among us will recognize the familiar safari-lodge charms of the Vuyani — a private South African game reserve adjacent to a world-famous park (Kruger), two daily game drives led by expert local trackers, three over-the-top meals a day, accommodations that look rustic on the outside but contain such features as marble bathrooms within. Yet looking at the cost of a stay, we may think we’ve entered a time warp.

Fortunately, the secret to time-travel is not a matter of corner-cutting. The bedrooms in the Vuyani’s three luxury suites are spacious and full of natural light, and those marble bathrooms contain a large glass shower, a separate bathtub with a rim that begs to hold a drink, and modern double vanities. Add to all that a private patio with an outdoor Jacuzzi in the two honeymoon suites. Tempting as it is to hole up in the room and enjoy private candlelit dinners on your own patio, the lodge’s intimate scale makes it easy to socialize, too. The warmly lit, partially open-air lounge with a fireplace and big leather armchairs calls for lingering over drinks and comparing wildlife sightings, while the nearly forty-foot infinity pool with views of the bush and the Drakensberg Mountains offers an opportunity to add some sightings to your list while taking a dip.

For all the comforts of the lodge, the point, of course, is to get out and explore the reserve. The Vuyani makes its home in the Moditio Private Game Reserve, where it’s the only place to stay. The Moditio is adjacent to the 36,000-acre Blue Canyon Conservancy and, again, Kruger National Park, itself one of the largest, oldest and most wildlife-rich reserves in the world. (Blue Canyon and Kruger can each easily be visited on day trips.) The area is home to lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants and hippos, to name the stars of a very big cast of creatures, as well as rare wild dogs and brown hyenas. Since the one lodge on the reserve holds fewer guests than there are lions in a typical pride, there’s no danger of encountering those growling packs of four-by-fours around every big cat.

How to get there:
Vuyani Safari Lodge offers a direct road transfer (at a fee) from the Johannesburg airport (or any other location in Johannesburg) to the lodge. Vuyani Safari Lodge also offers a free transfer service between Hoedspruit local Airport and the lodge.