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South Africa

Lion Sands will excite your spirit, revive your soul, and leave you with memories full of unforgettable experiences.

Lion Sands Ivory Lodge, awarded "Best Hotel in World 2006" by Tatler magazine, is ultra luxurious. The simple and uncluttered interiors achieve a contemporary, Afro-European elegance. The Lodge is about overriding exclusivity with complete privacy, where each suite is operated as its own private villa and where private dining, spa treatments and complete relaxation is the norm.

Lion Sands River Lodge, which is downstream of Ivory Lodge, facing due East, is nestled under a canopy of trees dating back almost 800 years, catching the sun as it rises over the Kruger National Park. The Lodge is about spirit, warmth, nature and relaxation.

Additional Activities

Ballooning - Guests leave the Lodge an hour before sunrise, arriving at the Sabie River valley launch site at sunrise. The flight is approximately 1 hour in duration and flies over the entire Sabie River valley. After the flight the guest is then taken to one of the small country lodges within the Sabie River valley for a full English breakfast. This is done outside of the reserve & is a unique way of experiencing another part of the region's natural beauty.

Clay Pigeon Shooting -Guests are taken to an open-plain were a shooting range has been set-up (25 minutes drive from River Lodge). A qualified ranger will accompany the guests to ensure that the correct safety measures are adhered to and that the shoot is correctly managed. The guest is given 4 sets of five shots each. The shots are scored and results recorded for the guest. Shooting of other calibre rifles can be arranged but only by special requests.

Golf - Skukuza Golf Course, Kruger National Park
The Kruger National Park has a very unique 9-hole golf course at Skukuza main camp. The course is unfenced, open to the reserve and it is not uncommon to have ones round interrupted by a herd of zebra or a wandering giraffe; even the occasional lion has been sited resting in the cool shade of a tree. Transfers to and from Skukuza Golf Course is included in our Golf Rate. Guests are transferred in open land rovers from Lion Sands through the Sabi Sands Reserve to the Kruger National Park. The transfer distance is 15 kilometres and takes approximately 45 minutes.

Health Spa - "Lalamuka" means unwind in Shangaan and that is exactly what it is all about. An array of body, facial & hydrotherapy treatments are available to guests to assist in getting rid of those urban stresses.

Helicopter -Blyde River Canyon & Gods Window
This must be the most spectacular way of viewing the northern Drakensburg, which is host to some of South Africa's most well known geographical landmarks.  Guests are collected from & returned to the Lion Sands helicopter pad. The helicopter flies due west towards the Drakensburg arriving at the Blyde River Canyon were one gets a close-up view of the Three Rondawels & the Blydepoort Dam. Rising out of the canyon the helicopter passes over the Berlin & Lisbon falls on route to a secluded picnic spot next to the Pinnacle. Here our guests will enjoy a delicious picnic with breath taking views stretching out as far as the Kruger National Park in the east. After lunch the helicopter flies past God's Window, Wonder View, Panorama Falls and over the town of Graskop before heading east back to Lion Sands.

Cultural Village Experience - The vibrant and friendly Shangaans are descendants of Chief Soshangana, who was sent by his brother, King Shaka Zulu to conquer the Tsonga people in the area now known as Mozambique. This tribe is now bordering the famous Kruger National Park and the Sabi Sand Reserve. The extremely proud elders of the Shangaan nation, who are intent on maintaining their rich heritage and traditions, have passed their knowledge on to the younger generations, who in turn openly share their cultural heritage with our visitors to Lion Sands Private Game Reserve.

Rooms

Ivory Lodge - The Lodge comprises six generously sized privately situated villas, each with a separate living room, heated swimming pool and an open plan en-suite bathroom with an enclosure for the outdoor shower - 6-star luxury in the middle of the bush. The colour scheme of ebony and ivory is interpreted in a modern style, while selected African accessories blend the old world with the new to create Afro-Euro chic. Breathtaking views of the Sabie River, which has flowing water all year around, can be viewed through the oversized windows of your villa or from your private viewing terrace. Baby elephants bathing in the river, zebra, gnu and the large Nile crocodile are the only neighbours you shall see.

River Lodge - The rooms at River Lodge offer respite and protection from the Lowveld heat. The interior is a tranquil cream and beige haven, cool in the summer, cosy in the winter. The bathroom, with its tranquil look and pebble-inlaid floors complements the bushveld well. There are 18 luxurious thatched bedrooms with en-suite bathroom, outdoor & inside shower & wooden viewing deck. The bedroom area is air-conditioned with an overhead fan. All rooms have mini-bar & telephone access. The rooms are linked to all areas by raised wooden walkways.