Mists rise off the savannah to reveal the mountains and sunsets glow against mud-brick walls to bookend days at this luxe outpost on the Marataba Game Reserve. People have lived here since the Stone Age, but the 15 tent suites, alfresco showers, wildlife-viewing terraces, and local wine selection are decidedly modern comforts. This awe-inspiring landscape is a 90-minute flight from Johannesburg.

Spot the big 5—along with endangered bird species and rare plants—on year-round guided safaris through the reserve’s 23,000 malaria-free hectares. The qualified guides will tell you all about the flora and fauna you’re seeing, and the lodge’s chefs will arrange surprise refreshment stops for coffee at sunrise and hors d’oeuvres at sunset. With only 6 people per safari vehicle and 7 vehicles crossing the reserve at any time, you’ll be able to have close encounters with the wild.

The reserve is on the border of the drier western and wetter eastern regions of South Africa, so you’ll also see a wider variety of game here. Get closer to the landscape on a guided Marataba Trails bush walk and see it from a different angle on a water safari aboard the Miss Mara. 

Kids are welcome on the water safari, on special children’s game drives, and at bug hunts and marshmallow roasts with the children’s program. For families with older kids, a night in a treehouse, offered at extra cost to lodge accommodations, is a chance to spot animals over a picnic and fall asleep under the stars.

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Tented Suites

Family Tented Suites

Included:

At Extra Cost (advance notice may be required):