Lion Sands Ivory Lodge

Sleek black-white styling, private plunge pools and a prime river frontage set this above all other Kruger lodges, with game viewing to match

Ivory Lodge has been applauded by Tatler as one of the ‘best hotels in the world’, and a stay here really is the ultimate grand cru safari experience. Rob and Nick More had already triumphed at the amazing River Lodge. So at Ivory Lodge, instead of reworking the standard luxury-lodge formula, they opted for a Zen-inspired series of spaces with an ivory and black decorative leitmotif, just 6 luxurious suites, and an accent placed firmly on exclusivity, privacy and - best of all - exquisite beauty.

Lion Sands hugs the bank of the magnificent Sabie river. This is the only lodge in the Sabi Sands Reserve with access to the river; where you are guaranteed spectacular game viewing. Add to this the best bush cuisine imaginable, South Africa’s top trackers and a setting that is drop-dead beautiful, and you get an idea why Ivory Lodge really does deserve a spot amongst the world’s best places to stay.

Highs

• Six of Africa’s most stylish safari suites looking out to the rapids of the Sabie river
• An exquisitely beautiful main lodge wrapped around century-old trees and overlooking the river
• Fabulous food prepared by the Ivory Lodge’s team of chefs
• A state-of-the-art spa and gym shared with the adjacent River Lodge
• Great guiding and game viewing with some of the country’s top rangers and trackers

Lows

• A stay at Ivory Lodge is a very expensive treat but it is worth every last rand, and prices are all-inclusive
• Purists might argue that the style is too sleek and urban for a bush lodge (plate glass walls and air-conditioning, whatever next?)
• Staying anywhere else after Lion Sands is almost bound to be something of an anti-climax