Questions guests ask before they book

A five-star nature lodge in Hazyview with one- and two-bedroom private pool villas, Thai-Balinese décor, a daily-changing kitchen and in-villa wellness treatments, set above the Sabie Valley, close to Kruger.

Scale. Large safari resorts do volume; we do five villas. Each has its own pool and its own carved teak doors leading in to a private garden, the kitchen cooks only for guests staying with us, and the service is personal because there are not many of you.

We welcome guests over the age of 18. The retreat is designed to be tranquil and romantic, so we keep it adults only.

No. We are outside Hazyview, about twenty minutes from the Phabeni Gate. That means you go into the park for game drives and come back to a villa with its own pool, rather than staying inside a fenced camp.

The lodge sits within Shiloh Wildlife Estate, so you will see game around you. Nothing dangerous. The lodge pathways are lit at night, but the rest of the estate is not, so take a torch if you are walking further after dark.

Outside only, in your own villa garden and in the designated areas around the lodge.

Yes. A generator runs from 7am to 11pm, so a stay is not disrupted by load shedding.

Yes. All villas have their own rim-flow pool with views over the Sabie Valley.

Air conditioning and a ceiling fan, an extra-length king bed, a stocked minibar, a Nespresso machine, complimentary Wi-Fi, luxury toiletries, a laptop safe, satellite TV, a fireplace, and a private deck with loungers.

Yes. Daily, and around your privacy rather than through it.

No, they are not heated. They are comfortable from September through to April, still pleasant in April and May, and after that only if you are feeling brave.

Yes. Each villa has its own pool in its own garden, and the villas are far enough apart that you are not overlooked by the next one or by the lodge.

One villa has only three small steps and is the easiest to move around. Tell us when you book and we will hold it for you.

Usually, yes. It is complimentary throughout the villas and the lodge. We are fairly remote, though, so it can be patchy at times, and we would not want you to plan a week of video calls around it.

Dinner and breakfast, taken either in the restaurant or in your villa.

Breakfast is still included. If we arrange your safari, you’ll stop for breakfast at a restaurant inside Kruger National Park partway through the drive. If you’re self-driving or have booked your safari with another operator, we’ll prepare a breakfast pack for you to take along.

Five courses on a menu that changes every day, with each evening inspired by a different country. It is unhurried rather than formal, and you can eat in the restaurant or have dinner served in your villa.

Yes. It is set up in a private area of the garden under fairy lights, candles and flickering lanterns, with the evening arranged around you. Pre-booking is essential.

We lay the same dinner in a private area of the restaurant instead, so the evening still happens and it is still just the two of you.

We are very happy to accommodate any allergies or dietary requirements, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal. Tell us when you book so the kitchen can tailor the menu to your requirements.

Sometimes, subject to availability. The restaurant is small and we keep it that way, so guests staying with us come first. Ask us and we will tell you what is open.

Yes. Massages, facials and relaxation therapies, all done in your villa. Book in advance or on arrival.

Yes. Couples’ treatments can be arranged side by side in your villa.

Phabeni Gate is 17 km away, about a twenty-minute drive.

Yes. We work with trusted local partners for tailored game drives and Panorama Route day trips, and we handle the arrangements.

Yes. Private transfers and guided tours to Blyde River Canyon, God's Window and Pilgrim's Rest, plus airport transport.

April to September, the dry season, is best for game viewing. October to March is lush and green, and better for birdwatching and photography.

Phabeni, at 17 km, about twenty minutes by road. Numbi and Kruger Gate are also within easy reach if a particular route suits your day better.

Yes, and most guests do. A half day is six hours, a full day is eleven. Because the gate is so close, a morning drive means an early breakfast in the park rather than a long transfer before sunrise.

Comfortably, in three or four nights. They lie in opposite directions from us, Kruger to the east and the escarpment about an hour west, so most guests give each a full day and keep a day for the villa.

Not unless you want one. We arrange airport transfers, safaris, tours and transport to restaurants and attractions locally, and dinner and breakfast are included, so a car is optional rather than necessary.

The Lowveld and southern Kruger are classified as low risk. We encourage non-drug precautions from August to May, meaning repellent, long sleeves in the evening and the mosquito netting over your bed. Speak to your own doctor or a travel clinic about whether you want prophylaxis, since that depends on your health and your itinerary.

Yes. From Kruger Mpumalanga International (KMIA), Skukuza, Hoedspruit, or OR Tambo International in Johannesburg. Fees vary by airport.

Check in from 2pm, check out by 11am. Early check-in and late check-out can usually be arranged, subject to availability.

A 50% deposit is taken when you book. It is fully refundable up to 30 days before arrival, half refundable up to 14 days before, and not refundable after that.

Yes, complimentary throughout the villas and the lodge.

Hazyview has local shops, markets and a range of South African restaurants, though dinner here is included, so most guests eat in.

Three or four. Two nights leaves you choosing between Kruger and the Panorama Route. Three lets you do both and still have a day where you never leave the villa, which is usually the day guests talk about afterwards.

No, at any time of year.

Kruger Mpumalanga International, KMIA, for most guests. It generally offers the broadest choice of scheduled flights and is about an hour from the lodge. Skukuza is inside the park and makes a memorable arrival. Hoedspruit suits you if you are combining us with the northern reserves. OR Tambo in Johannesburg is around five hours by road.

Very much so. Adults only, five villas, private pools, dinner included every night, spa treatments in your own villa and private dining in the garden.

Yes. Tell us beforehand and we will build the evening around the moment, and make sure nobody appears at exactly the wrong time.