Safari lodges don't come much better than Royal Malewane. This is an exclusive getaway for those who value privacy, personalised service and some of the best game viewing in Africa. Helicopters and executive jets are available for VIPs wishing to arrive incognito.
Royal Malewane is on the Thornybush Game Reserve, which is home to Africa's Big-Five - Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo and Rhino. Royal Malewane boasts expert rangers and one of only 2 Master Trackers in South Africa.
A maximum of 16 guests are accommodated in utmost colonial splendour at Royal Malewane. Each suite rests in harmony with its surroundings and has its own viewing deck and plunge pools for complete privacy and solitude.
The Royal Malewane Spa and gym is the perfect refuge for rejuvenation. You can even take a spa bath while looking out over the African bush and marvelling at the breathtaking scenery. Indoor and outdoor treatments are carried out by internationally qualified therapists.
Robb Report, May 2006:
'Six years ago, South African couple Liz and Phil Biden converted their private vacation retreat near Kruger National Park into a colonial-style game lodge. The Bidens built six thatch-roofed suites on the property and transformed their house into a pair of two-bedroom accommodations (which they claim, at 2,260 square feet, are the largest in Africa).
Their lodge, Royal Malewane, today hosts no more than 20 guests at a time in a welcoming setting that, aside from the elephants roaming its backyard, feels like home. Wildlife encounters are part of the daily routine at Royal Malewane, which is set within the Thornybush private game reserve on Kruger's western fringe. A spiral-horned kudu may amble past as you enjoy a Vichy shower in the open-air spa pavilion, the roars of a pride of lions might accompany your nine course alfresco dinner, and a herd of 20 elephants may drink from your private swimming pool.
Your suite's Persian rug-covered deck offers a comfortable platform from which to view Thornybush's game. Inside the rooms (all designed by Liz), Asian antiques and South African paintings commingle with traditional colonial decor. Bronze cheetahs greet guests in the entryway of the main lodge, which is connected to the suites via elevated walkways.
If its interiors do not make you feel at home, Royal Malewane's staff will. The headwaiter listens and nods with genuine interest as you recount your day's game drive; chef John Jackson who helped establish some of South Africa's top restaurants, personally heeds special requests; and house manager Edwards Morton furthers Royal Malewane's family-like atmosphere with his fireside wit.'
