The dusty roads that intersect dense yet vibrant Thornybush Private Game Reserve eventually lead you to an unassuming teak boardwalk, where a single person awaits your arrival with a freshly pressed fruit drink in hand. This elegant, unpretentious, and utterly classic greeting sets the tone for the Royal Malewane – one of the continent’s most revered and coveted safari lodges.
Follow the boardwalk until the bushveld opens up into the majestic, and well, I’ll say it, jaw dropping main lounge. A massive outdoor Persian carpet flanked by stunning life-size cheetah statues only describe your first steps. Staged against the backdrop of a bustling watering hole, you wonder how it could possibly get better. Your cottage’s four-poster mahogany bed, fireplace, expansive glass windows, and the private infinity pool all surrounded by a teak deck with two lounge areas is what realy adds a sense of grandeur. The love of detail however, truly defines the place. Bowls filled with flower petals, a hot water bottle in your bed, and a sprinkling of unique colonial and global antiques begin to show the passion held by the decorator/owner, Liz Biden.
Of course, the intention of a visit to RM is an adventure through the bush. Climb into a state of the art photographic safari vehicle, and set out into this untrammeled wilderness under the guidance of some of the continent’s most skilled rangers and trackers. Knowledgeable, charismatic, and ever-adventurous, your team will lead you to a number of intimate moments with the continent’s famed species, while also taking time to teach you of the smaller critters, and the basic techniques of wildlife photography.
Meals are just as much an event as the game drives. Six course tasting menus, spectacular braais and candlelit romantic dinners under the stars only begin to describe the sheer culinary journey had at RM. Moreover, the spa – perhaps better described as a bush oasis – is, as you can imagine, just as sensational. Internationally certified professionals offer a variety of treatments that combine leading products with local specialities, including mineral-rich water sourced from a local underground reservoir.
Simply put, the RM is magical, sensational, yet somehow relaxed and comfortable.
Expert Review
The dusty roads that intersect dense yet vibrant Thornybush Private Game Reserve eventually lead you to an unassuming teak boardwalk,...
The dusty roads that intersect dense yet vibrant Thornybush Private Game Reserve eventually lead you to an unassuming teak boardwalk, where a single person awaits your arrival with a freshly pressed fruit drink in hand. This elegant, unpretentious, and utterly classic greeting sets the tone for the Royal Malewane – one of the continent’s most revered and coveted safari lodges.
Follow the boardwalk until the bushveld opens up into the majestic, and well, I’ll say it, jaw dropping main lounge. A massive outdoor Persian carpet flanked by stunning life-size cheetah statues only describe your first steps. Staged against the backdrop of a bustling watering hole, you wonder how it could possibly get better. Your cottage’s four-poster mahogany bed, fireplace, expansive glass windows, and the private infinity pool all surrounded by a teak deck with two lounge areas is what realy adds a sense of grandeur. The love of detail however, truly defines the place. Bowls filled with flower petals, a hot water bottle in your bed, and a sprinkling of unique colonial and global antiques begin to show the passion held by the decorator/owner, Liz Biden.
Of course, the intention of a visit to RM is an adventure through the bush. Climb into a state of the art photographic safari vehicle, and set out into this untrammeled wilderness under the guidance of some of the continent’s most skilled rangers and trackers. Knowledgeable, charismatic, and ever-adventurous, your team will lead you to a number of intimate moments with the continent’s famed species, while also taking time to teach you of the smaller critters, and the basic techniques of wildlife photography.
Meals are just as much an event as the game drives. Six course tasting menus, spectacular braais and candlelit romantic dinners under the stars only begin to describe the sheer culinary journey had at RM. Moreover, the spa – perhaps better described as a bush oasis – is, as you can imagine, just as sensational. Internationally certified professionals offer a variety of treatments that combine leading products with local specialities, including mineral-rich water sourced from a local underground reservoir.
Simply put, the RM is magical, sensational, yet somehow relaxed and comfortable.