Savanna Private Game Reserve

The exclusive 5-star safari lodge, Savanna Private Game Reserve, is in the internationally acclaimed Sabi Sand Reserve within the greater Kruger National Park Conservancy.

Our internationally acclaimed Savanna Lodge offers our guests an exclusive, personalized, and intimate safari experience, with a unique style of tented accommodation.

Our lodge lies in an area where ‘Big 5’ sightings are so frequent, that it is not unusual to see lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino in a single game drive.  

Our specially designed game-viewing vehicles and highly trained guides with a vast knowledge of the African bushveld, take guests on close and intimate encounters with a large variety of wildlife. Numerous nearby dams and a series of waterholes in front of the lodge attract many species, especially in the dry winter months when elephants are daily visitors.

Accommodation at Savanna Private Game Reserve:

Our five-star luxury lodge offers nine exquisite suites.

Seven of our suites have tented roofs, blending the elegance of a bygone colonial era with all the convenience of modern facilities.

Each suite offers guests private patios, plunge pools, and outdoor showers, as well as air-conditioned interiors, minibars stocked with inviting treats, a coffee machine, and décor that epitomizes the elegance of understated luxury. 

The Savanna Suite is an opulent home away from home under thatch.

Two large, beautifully furnished bedrooms lie on either side of an interconnecting lounge.

Each has an outsized bathroom with a free-standing bath, double vanities, a double shower, and a toilet.

The bathrooms open onto paved outdoor showers.

The bedrooms have glass doors with screens leading out onto covered patios, heated plunge pools, and private waterholes in the bush.

The lounge is a harmonious blend of elegance and comfort with couches grouped around a television and DVD center, and a cosy reading nook in front of the fireplace.

Step through sliding glass doors onto a large covered patio where candle-lit dinners or private pre-dinner cocktails may be enjoyed.

An attached fully equipped kitchen and guest restroom complete the impression of being in one’s own exquisite home.

The Savanna Suite’s unique facilities are much in demand by families who would like to have their children under the same roof but not in the same bedroom, or groups of friends wishing to spend quality time together.

A butler in attendance at dinner and a private game-viewing vehicle with a dedicated ranger and tracker to take care of all their needs complete the Savanna Suite package. 

The three large Executive Suites have canvas roofs for an authentic safari ambiance and the romance of sleeping in Bedouin-style tents.

Canvas roofs are set above solid walls for comfort, privacy, and security as well as efficient air-conditioning and fans.

Each Executive Suite has an outsized bathroom with a freestanding bath, double vanities, double shower, and toilet as well as an outdoor shower atrium.

The bedrooms have plush sitting areas and glass doors that open onto covered patios with private plunge heated pools facing waterholes in the bush.

Quiet and secluded, they offer a sanctuary of peaceful relaxation after the adrenalin rush of an exciting game drive.

Four Luxury Suites under canvas nestle amid beautiful indigenous trees that attract a variety of birds. They have the same facilities as the larger suites in a more compact space and are furnished and decorated to the same superb standard.

The bedrooms have draped ceilings creating an atmosphere of romance and intimacy.

Tented roofs blend into the African bush while solid walls provide quiet and security, ensuring a restful night’s sleep.

Each Luxury Suite has an en-suite bathroom with a freestanding bath, double vanities, both indoor and outdoor showers, a deck, and a private heated plunge pool.

The bedrooms open onto private decks with sweeping views of the bush and waterholes.

Tucked away with large stands of natural shrubbery separating them, the luxury suites are the ultimate in cosy, private hideaways.

Exclusive Facilities at Savanna Private Game Reserve:

Relaxing in the comfort of the public lounge with its spacious patio, or at the main pool looking out over lush gardens and floodlit waterhole, our guests are frequently treated to fantastic views of birds and game drinking and bathing.

The loft above the lounge makes a pleasant nook for a quiet game of chess as well as a bird’s eye view of the waterhole, while an adjoining library provides wireless broadband internet access and offers guests the means to transfer digital photographs, freshly captured on their safari, onto CD or DVD.

Our fully-stocked wine cellar and bar ensure your thirst is always quenched.

Enjoy a meal whilst sitting around our traditional Shangaan boma, and purchase a precious memento of your experience at our well-stocked curio shop.

Work up a sweat in our fully-equipped gym with the bush right at your doorstep, or enjoy an exquisite massage treatment in the privacy of your suite.

Dining at Savanna Private Game Reserve:

Superb South African cuisine combined with varied dining venues, is an essential component of the Savanna safari experience.

Dining at Savanna is more than just a meal, it’s a way for us to come together and celebrate life.

Menus are hearty, decadent, and deliciously different.

Breakfasts provide full English fare plus fresh fruits, yogurts, pastries, homemade mueslis, and Savanna’s famous ‘smoothies’.

An innovative late lunch buffet offers a large variety of salads, hot meat and vegetable dishes, and cheeses, as well as a kiddies’ menu for youngsters who prefer simpler meals.
Most dietary requirements can be catered for with advanced notice.

Candle-lit dinners, with traditional local dishes adding spice to the best international fare, are served on the deck of the main lodge.

On balmy nights, sumptuous barbecues are enjoyed under the stars around a blazing fire in an open-air ‘boma’ or in a candle-lit clearing in the bush.

Guests are often treated to the stirring voices of a local choir that entertains during dinner.

Cuisine is of the highest standard, with much emphasis on quality and presentation, complemented by superb local South African wines from Savanna’s well-stocked wine cellar.

Safari & Game Drives at Savanna Private Game Reserve:

Experienced and dedicated career guides and trackers impart their amazing knowledge of the natural world, allowing guests to unobtrusively enter the lives of the largest and smallest creatures.

From the mist shrouding the bush at dawn till the blazing sun sets behind distant mountains, the magic of a Savanna safari will provide incredible photographs and unforgettable memories.

Our safari vehicles have been specially modified for guests’ comfort and safety with bucket seats separated by large storage boxes.

To maximize photographic opportunities, there are never more than two people in a row, or 6 guests per vehicle, unless guests request otherwise.

In addition, there are never more than two vehicles at a sighting, except with very relaxed animals in open terrain, in which case three cars are allowed.

The afternoon game drive includes a stop for sundowners while marveling at the splendour of an African sunset, and the absolute tranquility of the bush.

On the morning drive, there is a tea/coffee stop with the famous Savanna Amarula hot chocolate or coffee, a highly recommended alternative for the more adventurous at heart.

Game Walks at Savanna Private Game Reserve:

Optional game walks are offered to guests who would like to experience the fauna and flora on foot.

Led by an armed guide and tracker, they provide a fascinating insight into the geology and botany of the area.

Trackers who have grown up in local villages impart a wealth of information on the uses of bushveld trees and plants in tribal customs and rituals, as well as their herbal and medicinal properties and practical applications.

A peeled twig from one tree, for instance, makes a good toothbrush while the silky leaves of another provide the softest toilet paper.

Walks generally take place in the area around Savanna Lodge in between game drives and meals but if guests prefer, a longer walk can replace a drive or be incorporated as part of a drive.

The thrill of quietly approaching the game while on foot, of close encounters with the smaller creatures and the myriads of wildflowers and beautiful butterflies they attract in summer, brings an added dimension to the magic of an African safari.

Community Projects at Savanna Private Game Reserve:

The villages surrounding the Sabi Sand suffer from incredibly high rates of unemployment, and limited access to quality healthcare support, and opportunities to overcome poverty are scarce.

Savanna has always been committed to supporting our neighbours to secure better futures and employs 90% of our staff from these communities.

We have also set up The Savanna Trust as a non-profit organization, allowing us to collaborate with various community partners and support locally-owned projects that focus on improving the lives of the area’s most vulnerable individuals.

The overall goal of the Savanna Trust is to help build more resilient communities, that empower vulnerable individuals, especially young and elderly people, to meet their basic needs and secure a better future for themselves.