There’s something undeniably humbling and otherworldly about spying wildlife in the flesh. A lion that could technically rip you to pieces, snoozing just metres from your safari jeep? Giraffes that stagger by so close that you could reach out and graze them? Surreal.
When it comes to safari, it’s common knowledge that South Africa ranks among the best destinations in the world to witness the Big Five out in the bush. While Kruger National Park may be the go-to for many first-time safari goers, it’s the exclusive Sabi Sand Game Reserve next door – separated from Kruger by an unfenced boundary so wildlife can roam freely between the two – that delivers the more rarefied version of the experience: up-close-and-personal game viewing minus the crowds.
The private reserve is accessible only to guests staying at one of its lodges, and Boulders Lodge, one of three Singita properties within the reserve, is undoubtedly one of its most exclusive sleepovers.
The Vibe
Game viewing begins before we’ve even reached the lodge: we were lucky enough to spy a cheetah chasing down a kudu on the drive in. We arrived already giddy with excitement, and were greeted by a small flurry of Singita staff: namely our personal butler (or banakeli in Shangaan – meaning someone who anticipates and cares for your every need) and the guide-and-tracker duo who would stay with us throughout our stay.
Follow the pathway down to the open-air lobby-come-living-room, dressed in earthy greys and browns, which spills out onto a terrace dangling above the mighty Sand River: you might spot hippos wallowing in the shallows or a family of giraffes crossing the riverbed while you’re sipping sundowners around the firepit. The living room’s central bar pulls guests in at all hours of the day: the ‘daily fridge’ (a Singita hallmark) is always stocked with homemade snacks that you can pillage; there’s everything from crudités and hummus to homemade flapjacks and fudge.
As is the norm across Singita’s luxury lodges, stays are all-inclusive, so whatever cocktails, coffees or snacks you fancy can be ordered at any hour. There’s also a generous swimming pool, though you’re unlikely to use it given that every suite has its own – plus a boutique gym and spa to dip into between game drives.
The Rooms
Bush-flanked walkways wind through the thicket towards the suites: there are just twelve of them, all secreted across the property and set well apart from each other to ensure complete privacy. Our suite was more akin to a villa, with a sprawling living room flowing into a just-as-spacious bedroom. Floor-to-ceiling windows opened onto a private terrace overlooking a watering hole, with a free-form pool and loungers out on the decking; we spotted an elephant rustling through the bushes as if on cue the moment we checked in.
Inside, the aesthetic is unmistakably Afro-chic: dark, treacle-coloured woods, rattan furnishings that curve in line with the stone walls, animal-skin rugs and four-posters swathed in linen. The ensuite is just as generous, with an egg-shaped tub angled towards the bush so you can bathe with a view, plus indoor and outdoor showers. Best of all? The complimentary minibar, restocked daily with jars of homemade cookies, nougat, chocolates, and a thoughtful selection of teas.
The Food + Drink
Multi-course menus champion local South African produce in simple but well-executed dishes; mains arrive feasting-style, with seasonal vegetables and fries accompanying thick cuts of meat (kudu among them). The lodge’s wine cellar houses over 12,000 bottles, most of them South African, and a private wine tasting is easy to tack on before or after dinner.
In the mornings, we’d return from game drives to tuck into hearty brunch spreads of corn waffles, scrambled eggs and homemade pastries – frankly, you can order whatever you like, and the team will whip it up for you on the spot. Lunch and snacks are served whenever you fancy, too: it’s simply impossible to go hungry here.
The Little Extras
It’s the service that really sets Singita in a league of its own: hyper-personalised to a level I’d never experienced elsewhere. We’d filled out a preference form before arriving, covering dietary notes and minibar requests (oat milk and chocolate chip cookies for me, please) – and were delighted to find every detail accounted for from the moment we arrived.
Our guide, Luke, quickly learnt our coffee orders and had oat milk lattes waiting for us each morning when we tumbled, still bleary-eyed, into the safari jeep at 6am. Blankets and hot water bottles were already on our seats to warm us up during the dawn chill, and snacks would materialise from a hidden hamper when we stopped for mid-morning coffees in the bush. When we returned to the lodge after each game drive, Gift, our banakeli, would be waiting for us with warm hand towels and a welcome hug.
The To-Do List
Morning and afternoon game drives bookend every day at Boulders, and are naturally the highlight of any stay: the thrill is in not knowing what each one will deliver. Across our time in the reserve, we spied a pride of lions basking in the glow of golden hour just metres from our jeep, a tower of giraffes stalking slowly across the open plains, a herd of elephants threading through the bush, cheetahs sprinting across grassland, and, most unexpectedly, two leopards mating right beside our jeep at dusk.
All of the Big Five were ticked off – most more than once – and the in-depth knowledge and enthusiasm of our guides was undeniably infectious. They’d spy and hear things entirely imperceptible to us, from flashes of electric-blue plumage to cheetahs camouflaged in the long grass, scanning the vast, acacia-dotted plains with uncanny precision.
We spent most of our time here gasping and gawping at the wildlife and the landscapes, which continually shifted from glistening watering holes where zebras jostled together, to dense thickets that elephants would lumber out from. None of which happens by accident: in a world where the number of five-star safari operators continues to grow alongside demand, Singita’s commitment to conservation is what really sets it apart, with a dedicated anti-poaching team patrolling the reserve, and a portion of every stay reinvested into protecting wildlife and bolstering local communities.
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