Hi Everyone,
People often ask me where my favorite place to photograph is. I’ve been so lucky to visit many amazing places around the world, but there is truly one place that continues to draw me back in and breathe new life into me: South Africa.
There are many reasons why South Africa is at the top of my list of places to visit. With so much history, culture, and natural beauty, I can never quite get enough. Though I have many favorite places like Cape Town, Stellenbosch, and Franschhoek (see my guide to Cape Town here), no trip to South Africa is complete without a safari.
When on safari, I truly feel transported — it is quite literally the other side of the world. The peace and rhythm of raw nature all around you grounds you and forces you to slow down and live in the moment in a way few other experiences can.
Over the last fifteen years, I have been fortunate enough to go on several safari trips and stay at some incredible lodges. The key to finding the right lodge is working with the right team to guide you. For all of my safari experiences, I have worked with the amazing duo behind Here’s My Card, Clare Rutherford and her sister Kerry Collins. Clare and Kerry are based in Cape Town and have extensive knowledge and experience with lodges throughout sub-Saharan Africa. I’ve found that having this on-the-ground team with firsthand familiarity with the lodges is essential to ensuring you are directed to the right one based on your interests, desired level of activity, and expectations for accommodations.
My favorite safaris are those with groups of family and friends. There’s something about being immersed in nature, without internet, and experiencing sometimes heart-stopping encounters on game drives that creates indelible shared memories. Whether in summer or winter, rain or shine, these all-inclusive lodges are truly the ultimate getaway.
My family and I have enjoyed every lodge we’ve been lucky enough to visit. Though each day follows a similar pattern — a pre-dawn game drive and a second afternoon-to-evening drive — each lodge in South Africa has its own unique character. It’s so very hard to choose a favorite, but I’ve narrowed my list down to four.
Royal Malewane
A true showstopper, Royal Malewane is the creation of the genius hotelier Liz Biden and her husband Phil. All of their hotels within The Royal Portfolio collection are unique and grand (particularly La Residence in Franschhoek), but the lodges at Royal Malewane mix impeccable style with unreal nature in unmatched fashion.
Liz loves to play with strong colors, specific fabrics, and curated artifacts in her décor. Proportion is also key in her design elements — sometimes the bathroom is bigger than the bedroom! Yet somehow she makes every room sync and flow seamlessly in bold fashion.
Royal Malewane is a collection of four different lodges in the Thornybush Private Game Reserve just outside of Kruger National Park. The lodges include the original Royal Malewane, Farmstead, Masiya’s Camp (brand new), and Waterside. There are also several private residences for larger parties, including the six-bedroom Africa House, which is a mini lodge in its own right.
Last year we stayed at Waterside with our kids and friends. They offered a full kids’ day camp, a game room, and plenty of activities to entertain both adults (full spa!) and children between game drives. The team here takes deep pride in guest satisfaction, and every meticulous detail reflects that. Each of the four lodges has its own distinct, engaging character. None are to be missed. If you stay at any one of the lodges, you can tour the others to experience the full range of design variety.
Tanda Tula
Also located in the greater Kruger area, Tanda Tula sits within the Timbavati Private Game Reserve. Tanda Tula feels exceptionally immersed in nature. The lodge is extremely intimate, with only seven safari suites and two two-bedroom family villas. Their two-bedroom villa was the perfect size for adults and kids to share.
The entire lodge has recently been refreshed and includes a full gym, spa, and private spaces to relax during the day next to the nearby watering hole.
Tanda Tula was exceptional for game viewing. The lodge has two master trackers, and they truly delivered for us. Of all the safari experiences we have had, this is the only one where we witnessed a real lion kill up close. Our kids were surprisingly unfazed — they simply understood it as part of the circle of life (thank you, Simba!). The guides and trackers seemed able to find nearly any animal we hoped to see simply by following their tracks.
This is also where I was able to take two helicopter rides above the bush aboard an anti-poaching flight. Timbavati is one of the few areas within the greater Kruger system (the larger fence-free network of private reserves surrounding Kruger National Park) where rhinoceros horns are not removed. While this makes for dramatic encounters with these dinosaur-like creatures, it also attracts poachers.
The anti-poaching flights help track and defend wildlife in the reserve. I was lucky enough to learn that visitors can occasionally join these flights, and hovering above the majestic open plains of the bush was a true once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Londolozi
Located in the Sabi Sands Reserve, Londolozi holds a special place in my heart. It was the first safari lodge I ever visited. I first came here with Jeff on our honeymoon and returned several years later for my 30th birthday with Jeff, my parents, my sister, and her husband.
Londolozi is one of the oldest private lodges in South Africa and this year celebrates its 100th birthday. Londolozi translates from Zulu to “protector of all living things,” a name that truly embodies the preservation-first philosophy behind its founding.
The guides at Londolozi are deeply connected to the land. On one guided bush walk, our guide suddenly sensed something nearby and calmly walked us back to our vehicle. Sure enough, when we drove back in the car, we realized we had been walking just steps from three sleeping lionesses.
Londolozi is especially renowned for its leopards. We had countless interactions with these exquisite animals — watching them chase, play, and climb trees. The staff is incredibly hospitable. For my 30th birthday, they created an entire private celebration in a dried riverbed for my family and me, complete with dancing, singing, and even a talent show. These are among the most unforgettable memories.
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Tswalu
Tswalu is entirely different from the other three lodges. Located in the Kalahari Desert in the middle of the country, Tswalu is a private game reserve owned and operated by the Oppenheimer family. It is the largest private game reserve in South Africa.
The arid terrain and red clay earth create a completely different backdrop from Kruger. Across endless rolling grasslands, wildlife can be spotted from wide-open vantage points. From a great distance, you might see a lioness stalking her prey or a cheetah sprinting at mind-boggling speed.
Tswalu offers beautifully appointed family lodges (as well as smaller accommodations for couples), each with its own dedicated staff and even a private map room where you can review plans before each game drive. During the day, you can visit the spa, enjoy a nap, or take a dip in your plunge pool surrounded by utter stillness.
In addition to incredible game drives, there are two must-do experiences at Tswalu. One morning, you must participate in the meerkat experience. At dawn, the meerkats rise from their burrows, standing on their hind legs to warm themselves and scan for danger before setting off to forage. The trackers search for their burrows in the predawn hours, as the meerkats frequently move locations. When they begin to emerge, it feels like a waterfall of action. You truly feel as though you’ve stepped into a nature documentary, observing them up close from ground level.
The other experience not to miss is dinner at Klein JAN, the brainchild of chef Jan Hendrik. I won’t give too much away — except to say you’ve never had a dinner quite like this. You are driven to an old farmstead, walking alongside giraffes before stepping into another era of South Africa’s past. Your hands are washed, you enter the historic home, explore the incredible grounds, and are taken on a culinary journey you could never imagine existing in the middle of nowhere.
So there you have it — four of my favorite picks from my favorite place on earth. I hope my new series, Gray Malin on Safari, transports you to a wild, wonderful world far removed from the realities of modern life.
For those who have been — or dream of going one day — words often fail to fully describe the feeling of being on safari. It is truly something everyone should experience.
Cheers,
Gray