Manyeleti
The 23,000 hectare Manyeleti Private Game Reserve is located between the Timbavati and Sabi Sands Game Reserves and borders the world famous Kruger National Park. This is an absolutely prime game viewing destination, and with very few lodges in this pristine bush area you can be sure to experience the best of South Africa far away from mainstream tourist areas. Manyeleti is one of those very few remaining ‘secret places’.
Manyeleti means ‘place of the stars’ in the local language, and truly is a unique safari destination well off the beaten path. You can be certain not to encounter big tour groups, but rather expect a pristine bush experience in one of the world’s most beautiful places. This private game reserve borders directly to the vast Kurger National Park, as well as the famous Sabi Sands and Timbavati Game Reserves. As such, you can be absolutely sure to only experience the best game viewing possible. As there are no fences between the national park and the private game reserves, wildlife are able to roam freely. Manyeleti is prime Big Five territory, offering exceptionally good possibilities for viewing the elusive leopard. Other Big Five animals (lion, rhino, buffalo and elephant) are also often spotted on a very regular basis. Furthermore, with more than 300 bird species present in the area, Manyeleti makes a great safari destination for wildlife enthusiasts, photographers and bird watchers alike.
Accommodation
Our camp is an intimate, authentic safari camp which brings back the essence of a true safari experience. Comfortable en-suite Meru-style tents are reminiscent of days when safaris were all about the sights, sounds and smells of the bush.
Situated in the remote and undeveloped southern portion of the Manyeleti Reserve, on the northern border of the Sabi Sand Reserve and the eastern border of the Kruger National Park. We are fortunate to have unfenced boundaries with both of these iconic reserves, allowing for free movement of animals between the three reserves. Manyeleti is renowned for its large concentrations of game and relatively low levels of development, guaranteeing exceptional game viewing with minimal vehicle densities.
If exclusivity is the true definition of luxury then, with only 4 en-suite Meru-style tents, our camp offers the kind of intimacy one only finds in a truly authentic safari camp. The thatched roofs over each of the large tents ensures that the interiors remain cool in summer and mild in winter. The en-suite bathrooms with their free-standing hot showers, large baths, flushing toilets and intricately designed basins provide all the creature-comforts one expects. Each of the tents offers either twin or king-size options under four-poster style mosquito nets, providing protection and an ambience reminiscent of a by-gone era, further enhanced by the soft glow of lanterns. Food is wholesome and often cooked over an open fire using locally sourced fresh produce.
Our small size and off-the-grid status ensures that the camp has an extremely light ecological footprint. All lighting is provided by lanterns, cooking is done either on an open fire or on gas appliances and refrigeration comes courtesy of solar power. The fact that we encourage our guests to walk further reduces our impact on the environment. Our camp is about the bush, the animals, the unique experiences and the subsequent regaling of these by the iconic fireside. Welcome and feel the roar of the lion, the throaty cough of a leopard and the fiery-necked nightjar celebrating the night.