Cheetah Plains, Sabi Sands Game Reserve

WILD AT HEART

Visitors to this very special lodge in the SabiSands Game Reserve live in a bush campwhere the boundaries between luxury and the wildness of nature are blurred.Lodge guests do not simply live in an enclosed luxury resort. Instead, they reside in the heart of the SabiSands Game Reserve and feel at one with it thanks to the open-plan rooms. The transitions between living spaces and the savannah are almost indistinguishable.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH NATURE

This is made possible thanks to the architectural designof the three exclusive bush villas with their expansive cantilever roof structures, not to mention the open, seamless design of the site as a whole.The buildings have been laid out in such a way that the existing trees were kept and fully integrated into the overall lodge concept.The building interiors were also designed with one eyeon the wildness of nature while also offering the very highest luxury. Through expansive windows, all living spaces open towards the surrounding bush, and theopen spaces – such as the romantic boma fireplace,the spacious terrace and the heated pool – virtually project into the reserve. The bathrooms in the luxurybush villas can be opened up completely to over look the savannah, giving guests the feeling of almost bathing together with the hippos outside.

A NATURAL EXPERIENCE

Both indoors and outdoors, the buildings feature building materials in archaic styles and natural materials from the surrounding area. While the architecture has a primal, linear feel with its off-shutter concrete walls and elements in weathered steel, the interior design focuses on warmth and different textures. Examples include rough natural stone walls,wooden tables and expansive panes of glass that give the interior spaces a style that is simultaneously both archaicand modern.From this ambience, the reserve can be admired in an excellent way, for the guests live in the heart of the bush itself. This award-winning concept breaks awayfrom traditional lodge design and allows for an impressive and diverse interaction with the surrounding environment.On the subject of the environment – electricity is provided by solar panels that are positioned cleverly between the trees at the lodges. Meanwhile, guests are transported in electric off-road vehicles, thus allowing for an environmentally friendly, almost silent safari experience.