Earth Lodge of Sabi Sabi in the Sabi Sands, one of the best safari lodges in Africa

Earth Lodge at Sabi Sabi in South Africa

This post is about Earth Lodge of Sabi Sabi, one of the best safari lodges in Africa.

Earth Lodge at Sabi Sabi in the Sabi Sands of South Africa
The Earth Lodge of the Sabi Sabi Game Reserve was exactly as I remembered it from my first visit two-and-a-half years ago, living a #Travelife.

There are many truly beautiful safari lodges all over Africa, including some jaw-dropping luxury camps in remote places and some authentically retro camps that instantly take you back in time over 100 years ago.

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EARTH LODGE OF SABI SABI:ONE OF THE BEST SAFARI LODGES IN AFRICA

But perhaps none are as innovative and record-breaking in terms of design and style as Earth Lodge, which has a futuristic theme and is all about modern and yet earth glamour. Earth Lodge of Sabi Sabi is truly one of the best safari lodges in Africa.

This is the pet project of the owners of the Sabi Sabi Game Reserve.

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Sabi Sabi has three other camps.

While Earth Lodge is all about “tomorrow,” Selati Camp is about “yesterday,” and Little Bush Camp and Bush Lodge, which is the family-friendly accommodations, is themed as “today.”

Earth Lodge at Sabi Sabi in South Africa

REMEMBERING EVERYTHINGIN “TOMORROW”AS IF IT WAS YESTERDAY

Bush Lodge is contemporary in feel while making use of local materials and natural materials for an atmosphere that is both stylish and yet warm.

Walking into Earth Lodge again a few days ago made me recall one of my funniest memories from my first stay there.

Earth Lodge at Sabi Sabi in South Africa

THE STANDARD QUESTIONSBEFORE A GAME DRIVE

The Travel Companion and I were going out on our first game drive with a very nice and lovely girl named Moira, one of the rangers from Earth Lodge.

At Selati Camp, where we’d stayed prior to moving to Bush Camp, we’d had a different team of rangers and trackers to take us out on game drives.

As always, we were asked the standard question posed by proper safari rangers when taking guests out on a game drive for the first time.

DEPRESSION IN AFRICA,STILL LIVING A #TRAVELIFE

Earth Lodge at Sabi Sabi in South Africa

I remember that we were already seated in the jeep when she turned around to us before driving and asked brightly: “Any serious physical conditions I need to be aware of? High blood pressure? Any major surgeries or illnesses?“

I then pointed to the Travel Companion and said with a sober face: “Depression.“

She burst out laughing so hard, thus breaking the ice, on just another wonderful trip on my never-ending, and never-endingly eventful #Travelife.

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Champagne cocktails right in the bush after our afternoon safari drive at the Sabi Sabi Game Reserve

The other day, on safari in Sabi Sabi, one of South Africa’s top private game reserves offering one of the best safari luxury experiences in the world, a ranger asked us an interesting question while we were having champagne cocktails out in the wilderness, after an afternoon safari drive.

We’d just driven around the game reserve for about 90 minutes, and in that short span of time, we’d seen an amazing diversity of wild animals including giraffes, rhinos and springbok.

Then, our ranger found a nice spot to park and he and our tracker took out tablecloths, champagne glasses and a bottle of bubbly for a sunset drink right in the wilderness.

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Neil, who was one of our two rangers, during our stay, asked the Boss and myself: “Why did you choose Sabi Sabi?”

I guess what he meant was that, being experienced travelers with a yen for adventure and not very many constraints except time, we could have gone anywhere in the world for a luxury safari experience.

There are a couple of great safari experiences around the world, and Sabi Sabi is definitely one of them.

I answered for us as I had been in charge of choosing the best places to stay in South Africa, while the Boss had been in charge of all domestic logistics, restaurants, and sightseeing.

I replied: “I heard you have great animal sightings and excellent service.“

Our great animal tracking team from Sabi Sabi’s Selati Lodge. We went out everyday at 530 AM and 430 PM for about three hours each time.

I also liked the fact that Sabi Sabi has four different kinds of lodges, catering to all preferences, and each has a specific theme that is carried out beautifully. I stayed in the presidential lodge of the Selati Camp and that was simply an amazing Out of Africa experience.


More on this in a later blog entry.

The Sabi Sabi is part of the Greater Kruger National Park in a land area called the Sabi Sands.

This is where all the great safari lodges in this part of South Africa are, and they’re all next to each other, usually simply marked by a dirt road.

Among the top safari camps in Sabi Sands, there’s quite a bit of competition so jeeps from one safari camp don’t cross over into each other’s territories, and everyone knows where the borders are, even if we guests don’t.

So as long as you’re in Sabi Sands, the playing field is pretty even in terms of animal sightings and the animals you see will be pretty much the same.

It’s all a matter of luck, timing, and the talents of the rangers and trackers.

On the former, a lion may be on one game reserve today, but he may be in the next game reserve tomorrow.

On the latter, the talents and dedication of your ranger and tracker make all the difference in the world.

Here’s a view of Sabi Sabi from the air, by the way…

The Boss and I had two wonderful rangers and two excellent trackers, one pair each for each of the two Sabi Sabi lodges we stayed in.

Neil was our ranger during our stay at the Selati Lodge, Sabi Sabi’s intimate and nostalgic 1920s themed lodge.

He was the one who picked us up from Sabi Sabi’s private airstrip when we flew in on a small charter plane from Johannesburg.

I still remember clearly that mixture of amazement and excitement, and anticipation over a wonderful and new adventure, that I had when we flew in from Johannesburg.

Our pilot took us low and advised us to look out our windows in case we saw rhinos or giraffes running around on the game reserve — and beneath me I saw the vast expanse of beautiful Africa.

That’s our ranger Morah,  and our tracker who accompanied us throughout our stay at Sabi Sabi’s Earth Lodge.

Then Morah was our ranger during our stay at Earth Lodge, Sabi Sabi’s futuristic but environmental-friendly lodge with a wow factor.

She took us back to the airstrip on our last day, for our flight back to Johannesburg. That was done in a ten-seater plane, by the way, and we only had one pilot.

The Boss was worried that the really tiny plane would freak me out as I don’t like small enclosed spaces, but I took out my Mac for the one-hour flight and I was fine for the trip.

We took this pretty cool Pilatus plane from Johannesburg direct to Sabi Sabi’s private airstrip

We were so impressed with our rangers and trackers.

They all love animals with a passion. You can tell if the rangers love what they’re doing or whether they just think it’s a job by the way they keep photos of recent animal sightings on their mobile phones.

You just know you’re in the company of real animal lovers if they’re showing you photos of baby impalahs or colorful birds on their phone.

The table setting at Selati Lodge in Sabi Sabi in South Africa

The rangers, like almost everyone we met in the staff during our stay, paid keen attention to the quirks and preferences of each guest.

And in our case, we stayed at the smaller and more personalized Sabi Sabi lodges so we really got to know our rangers, and they got to know us.

The Boss and I both like Rooibos tea with no sugar or milk for breakfast, for instance, and just about whenever tea is offered; and I think we were only asked once about how we liked our tea, and from then on it was always served the way we liked it — one pot to share, with no milk or sugar.

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Of course, perhaps the most important reason for having excellent, top-notch rangers is the safety factor.


Your life depends on the instincts, discipline and courage of your ranger when you’re out in the bush; and both our rangers were just amazingly dedicated and professional.

A four-course dinner by lamplight at Sabi Sabi’s Selati Lodge

One night at Selati Lodge, for instance, we were all having dinner on the terrace on a long and beautifully set-up table, just like a fancy dinner table.

The Boss and I were seated across Neil — your ranger usually joins you for dinner — and we were having a wonderful meal when suddenly a lion roared in the distance.

Neil immediately ssaid: “Ssshh. Can you hear the lion roar? That’s 300 meters away.”

What a sound it made.

It also made our hearts beat faster as up till then, we were 36 hours into the Sabi Sabi safari experience and we’d already seen the Big 4 plus so much more.

This is very unusual, by the way, and we were extremely lucky. It had been a dry spell for lions recently and two couples from Selati Lodge had gone home without seeing the lion.

But if you know the Boss and I, we both don’t stop at just “okay.”

We wanted to see the Big 5 — and we wanted to see the lion.

Neil quietly got up from dinner.

Then while we were enjoying simple but lovely dishes like duck confit and steak, he’d jumped on his jeep and headed straight out into the darkness and the cold to hunt down that lion.

Dinner at Selati Lodge of Sabi Sabi

The Boss and I saw the headlights of his jeep in the distance, from the dining table.

I said to The Boss: “Look at Neil. He didn’t have to do this. He could have said, ‘Right. We’re having dinner, but let’s try and wake up early to see that lion tomorrow.”

Instead Neil came back, all flushed and excited.

He said to us: “If you’d like to see that lion, we can do so so now after the main course and you can have your dessert afterwards.”

We’re big on dessert, and on that menu that night was Malva pudding, a local specialty that had been on the wishlist of The Boss ever since David Higgs, one of South Africa’s top chefs and right at the helm of the new restaurant Five Hundred in Johannesburg, had served us malva pudding topped with foie gras for dinner in Johannesburg, a few days before our safari.

The Boss then said: “Let’s have our malva pudding before going out to see the lion.”

Yeah. Of course the lion would be willing to wait for us outside while we had dessert.

I replied: “Are we on safari to eat malva pudding or to see a lion?“

That’s a photo of our tracker and Neil at the wheel, and we’re seated at the back of the jeep. And we’re racing after a lion in the dark!

That kind of put things into perspective for him.

So we jumped into the jeep, bundled up, and had a good half hour up close and personal with a beautiful lion.

If Neil hadn’t been so dedicated — I’m sure he’d had a very long day and was dead tired ––  we might not have seen the lion at all during our Sabi Sabi stay.

Selati Lodge of Sabi Sabi in South Africa

Needless to say, the Boss and I returned to Selati Lodge feeling on top of the world. We were so happy.

What an exhilarating feeling it is to have completed seeing all the wild animals on your wish-list, in their natural habitat.

The Boss then said to me: “I can now understand why some people get addicted to the safari experience.”

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Wow. This was a terribly big statement from a guy who almost never ever admits to being floored by anything. 

But, of course, he’s on a Travelife so that makes all the difference in the world. Indeed, no one travels quite like us. Or writes like us. And that’s why we’re always going to be #1.

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On safari in Sabi Sabi, in breathtaking South Africa

The other day in Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa, living a TRAVELIFE, The Boss and I were sitting in the living room of the Selati Lodge in the Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, checking emails and having champagne cocktails while waiting for our afternoon safari drive to begin.

The lodges of Sabi Sabi are among the most luxurious safari lodges in the world, and they have over 6000 hectares of private lands to view wild animals in.

It’s really the best of both worlds as you’re not fighting over animal photo opportunities with people from other safari lodges, as only Sabi Sabi guests are on the Sabi Sabi estate.

No 10 jeeps from 10 different safari lodges trying to see the same lion, for example. This makes all the difference in a safari experience as you can really get a good and uninterrupted view of the animals in their natural environment.

The presidential suite of the Selati Lodge. This was my room…

And when you return from safari, you’re back in a beautiful and civilized world of organic toiletries, fine bed sheets, private plunge pools, and champagne cocktails.

The table setting at Sabi Sabi

We’d just had a very nice lunch at another lodge on the Sabi Sabi Game Reserve, which is called Bush Lodge, before returning to Selati Lodge, where we were staying.

The Sabi Sabi Game Reserve has four lodges and each has its own personality and attractions.

A very retro feel at the Selati Lodge

The Selati Lodge is an intimate and nostalgic retro lodge and it’s a really nice choice for those looking for an old-fashioned but luxurious safari experience.

It’s perfect for couples and those looking to socialize with other guests as there are only eight rooms — so that’s a maximum of 16 guests at the lodge. Everyone becomes friends very quickly.

When we were staying there, there were only eight guests and we all had fun together, talking about our animal sightings and comparing notes on travels. Dinner was a half-circle around a campfire, out in the open, but with fine table linen and a four-course meal.

The wonderful African accent pieces at Sabi Sabi’s Bush Lodge

Meanwhile Bush Lodge is hip and contemporary, as well as a much bigger lodge. It’s almost like a regular hotel in a safari setting, but with great African design. We had lunch here just so we could see it, and I swear wanted to bring home the African accents displayed in almost every nook and cranny.

Bush Lodge is very nice for groups, and it has more services as well.

I’ll write more on the four lodges later, as it’s good to know for anyone considering a safari at Sabi Sabi – which we highly recommend, by the way.

Lunch at Sabi Sabi’s Bush Lodge

Sabi Sabi offers one of the best safari experiences in the world. The Boss and I have been all over the world on some pretty amazing experiences, but we were both very impressed with the overall experience of Sabi Sabi, including the services and facilities.

This is one of the restaurant venues at Sabi Sabi’s amazing and futuristic Earth Lodge

The personnel too are top-notch, and when you’re on a safari, I can’t over-emphasize just how important having top-notch personnel is.

Anyway, that afternoon, I was on my Macbook Pro writing a blog entry while The Boss was seated across me on his iPad, reading my blog, looking up information on South Africa and possibly answering emails on his phones as well.

The two Blackberries on safari in South Africa

He’s always on his two Blackberries or his iPad , by the way, so sometimes I just send him an email even if he’s just seated across me, if I want to ask him a question.

Yesterday, for example, we were having tea and he was engrossed on his phones as usual. I was just seated next to him working on my computer, and midway I asked him: “What time is it?”

No answer. He didn’t hear me at all as he was fiddling with his two Blackberries again. So I sent him an email instead, knowing it would pop up on one of those Blackberries, with text only on the subject title.

“What time is it?” I wrote.

 That’s the kind of thing I have to resort to at times, to get something across to him.

The decor at Sabi Sabi’s Bush Lodge

Anyway, back to my story. He was on his gadgets again while we were in the living room of the Selati Lodge, and I was working on my computer. While he was doing these, he was complaining that I was writing very inaccurately about him in the blog.

He said to me, although with a smile: “You should be glad I’m so nice, that I actually put up with all of these inaccuracies.” He meant that he was being such a good sport and that he was nicer than how I was describing him in this blog, when actually I think it’s the other way around.

That’s Ashley, having some fun with us, over mid-afternoon champagne cocktails at Selati Lodge.

We were having this conversation and laughing quite a bit at the same time, that Ashley and Brett, the managers of the Selati Lodge, came over to see what all the laughing was about.

The Boss explained to them: “She writes about me in her blog all the time, and it’s all inaccurate. She’s never nice to me.”

I replied: “I only write about you when you’re somehow part of my day. I write about everyone who’s part of my day in a significant way.”

Then I added:  “And I can’t make you sound nicer than you really are. I don’t make up stuff.”

There was a time, a very long time ago, when he was very nice, and I’d written about him in this way. But that was ages ago.

That’s Brett, the Selati Lodge manager and one of the Selati Lodge bartenders behind him

But then, that very moment, I had a change of heart. Life’s short and I can embellish a little if it’ll make him happy. So I said to him: “Okay, I’ll make you more of something but you’ll have to choose. I can make you sound smarter than you are, or nicer than you are. But I can’t do both. That would be impossible. So choose which one you prefer.”

Then I added: “But I think you should go with smarter. That’s easier for me to invent out of nothing.”

Of course I was just teasing him. He’s never as nice as I would like him to be, but he’s not that bad either. And this amused Brett and Ashley no end.

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So I said to Ashley: “If you can think of something nice for me to write about him. I’ll do it.”

Ashley giggled and promised to do so. But by the time we’d checked out of Selati Lodge to go on to the next Sabi Sabi lodge, she still had not come up with an answer.

And as we rode out of the Selati Lodge driveway, there was Ashley waving and giggling, but still with nothing nicer to say about The Boss. And that’s why you’re still reading about him exactly as he is, instead of as he wants to be portrayed.

Just a bit of fun in a never-ending, and never-endingly eventful Travelife.

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