Have you ever dreamed of sitting on an elevated deck deep in the African bush, sipping a sundowner while watching the wildlife as the day fades into the night? Well, now is your chance to make this a reality.
Some of the 5-star lodges in the Kruger National Park are offering greatly reduced rates during the last quarter of 2020. With discounts of around 50%, a stay at one of these luxury lodges is within reach.
The first tourists to visit the Kruger National Park travelled by train. In 1923 the South African Railways began running a tour to the Lowveld with an overnight stop at Sabie Bridge, which today is Skukuza. There were no facilities, and the travellers slept on the train. In the evening, around a campfire, a game ranger would entertain them with wild tales of the bush.
It is hard to believe but there was little interest in the wildlife, and it took some convincing by James Stevenson-Hamilton, the Park’s first warden, before its value as a tourist destination was appreciated. Even then, in 1927 only three cars entered the park.
Today the Park attracts around a million visitors a year.
There are a handful of lodges which provide the visitor with a sense of what it was like to experience the Park in those early days. Tented accommodation nestled among the trees gives one a taste of what the early and adventurous explorers felt – but without the hardships, they had to endure.
The lodges cater to a handful of guests at a time, ensuring an exclusive and unique experience for each visitor. The well-appointed rooms offer all the comforts one would expect in a 5-star hotel and each of the meals is an experience in fine dining.
Guests are treated to game viewing from open vehicles, and experienced guides are on hand to tell guests more about the ecology, fauna and flora of this unique corner of Africa.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, so here is your chance to add a big fat tick on your bucket list.
