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South Africa Safari

Royal Malewane Lodge & Spa

Thornybush Game Reserve, South Africa

Male Cheetah calling, Royal Malewane, Thornybush Game Reserve, South Africa
Return to Map of Lowveld Game Reserves

View images of Royal Malewane: Royal Malewane Images

ROYAL MALEWANE LODGE & SPA RATES: Royal Malewane Lodge Rates

ROYAL MALEWANE - THORNYBUSH GAME RESERVE
Royal Malewane Lodge and Spa in South Africa's Thornybush Game Reserve
Royal Malewane is an advance on the senses. On the Western fringe of the Kruger National Park, in the heart of Southern Africa's "Big-Five" territory, Royal Malewane balances an exquisite synthesis of nature's wild pulse with the quiet and sophisticated sublimity of colonial comfort, elegance and style.

Come find your self in Africa, where lions drink and impala dance under the drift of clouds that cruise like the seamless dreamings of hills.

Luxury, in its purest form, transcends both the material and the sensual. It is a pannier for the soul, suspended quietly in space and time, high above life's familiar course.

Repose, refresh and rediscover yourself in the company of all things wild.

Royal Malewane is for those who would like to escape the constraints of modern life to experience a synthesis of wildest Africa and age-old colonial splendour. As the suites are set deep in the African bush - this unspoilt paradise may not suit those who seek a tame, sterile environment. Rather, it suits the more adventurous traveller who wants to experience true Africa.

The joys of a bygone era await you at Royal Malewane, situated within the greater Kruger National Park in South Africa. Accommodating a maximum of 16 guests in the utmost colonial splendour, Royal Malewane is an exclusive getaway for those who value privacy, personalised service and the best game viewing Africa has to offer.

Accommodations            For images of Royal Malewane, click Royal Malewane Images
Each of the six freestanding and private suites rests in harmony with its magnificent surroundings with a rich deck wood terrace, thatched gazebo and spillway pool finding easy residence in nature.

The colonial style of the lodge is especially visible inside the suites, which feature a palatial air-conditioned bedroom/sitting room with a fireplace, antique furniture and a canopied, king-size bed as well as an extravagant bathroom with a window-side Victorian bath and indoor and outdoor showers. The suites' luxurious interior appointments draw inspiration from the grand colonial ethos; neo-classical refuge in the raw uncompromising bush. Here, after a long day of exhilarating game viewing, you can journey into dream's domain draped in Ralph Lauren linen, soft mohair rugs as light as thistle down and quilted comforters from the South of France, as the lion-roars echo through your window of stars.

Elevated walkways link the suites to the main camp with the African sky your ceiling.

Royal Malewane's luxurious accommodations redefine the concept of solitude.

The Royal and Malewane Suite
The plains of Africa are stage to an age-old drama; the perpetual tale of the hunter and the hunted. Watch this gripping epic unfold before your eyes from the bushveld’s ultimate vantage point – Royal Malewane’s Royal Suite.

Stretching out majestically in the shade of Acacia thorn and boasting panoramic views, the Royal Suite is the pinnacle of refinement and opulence and is the largest in Africa at 210 square meters. This ultra-luxurious private hideaway accommodates four guests in two en-suite rooms, private lounge and dining facilities. Complimentary services include a private butler and chef, masseuse and private game drives. Dining is a grand affair with the very best china, silver and crystal set against crisp white napery. Only the wildlife witnesses guests relaxing in the private Jacuzzi and pool.

Guests wishing to arrive incognito may request the use of a helicopter or executive jet.

Facilities
The main camp complex is the heart of Royal Malewane. African thatched-roof buildings house the library, shop, dining and reception areas. Furnished with rich antiques and Persian carpets, every fitting creates the feel of original colonial elegance.

The Royal Malewane Spa
The Royal Malewane Spa is the perfect refuge for guests seeking relaxation or rejuvenation. This sanctuary for the senses in the heart of wildest Africa offers guests an indoor and outdoor treatment area, gym, steam room and, of course, the highest level of personalized service.

Staffed by two internationally qualified therapists, who are on hand to provide a vast array of massage, aromatherapy, skin care and hydrotherapy treatments, the spa offers all that’s needed to reawaken and pamper the senses.

The indoor treatment room has sliding glass doors that can open completely on either side of the room. This ensures those who prefer their treatments indoors don’t miss out on the melodic bird calls, scents of the wild, and passing animals such as nyala, impala and the occasional buffalo or elephant.

For those who like to get closer to nature, the outdoor area consists of a Vichy shower and palatial spa bath. The Vichy shower has seven heads which can be positioned to simultaneously achieve different therapeutic effects on specific areas of the body.

The spa bath, also boasting a bird’s eye view over the surrounding bush, provides enough space for two people to comfortably enjoy treatments together while marvelling at the breathtaking scenery Africa has to offer.

Guests may also enjoy the treatment of their choice at Royal Malewane’s spectacular open-air sala. Nestled between the branches of Lantern Bush and Acacia Thorn, here one can indulge the senses while surrounded entirely by the sights and sounds of the wilds. Alternatively, guests may relax with a treatment in the complete privacy of their own suite.

The Royal Malewane gym also overlooks the bush, and sliding doors ensure guests can enjoy the fresh bushveld air while exercising. The gym contains a treadmill, bicycle, weight station, stepper and free weights. For those requiring assistance with their workout, the spa staff are also internationally qualified gym instructors.

Dining
While the soul takes flight, the heart is well grounded in the warm hospitality and culinary eminence of Royal Malewane's creditable hosts.

World-class cuisine is the order of the day, with all meals and local beverages inclusive. Guests are treated to a full breakfast, lunch, high tea and gourmet dinner - all expertly prepared by its award-winning chef, who is on hand to cater for any special preferences or requests, be it a favourite dish for dinner under starlight in the boma or a pre-packed bush breakfast. With a staff to guest ratio of better than 2:1, Royal Malewane is able to offer expert personalised service of the highest order.

Your hosts have handpicked a selection of South Africa's finest wines. Guests are welcome to visit our underground cellar and select from these sought-after vintages. The Royal Malewane house wines originate from the world-renowned Klein Constantia wine estate. Expertly produced by winemaker Ross Gower, Klein Constantia wine is the perfect partner to the array of culinary delights.

John Jackson, Royal Malewane's Chef
John Jackson has been a name behind some of South Africa's most sought after restaurants. Some of the restaurants that he established includes the Country Restaurant, L'Orangerie, The Wild Fig and the Rosenfontein restaurants, the latter receiving a National Top Ten rating.

John Jackson also opened Jackson's and Café Bijou as two complementary restaurants at The Peninsula Hotel in Sea Point. Jackson's featured in Cape Town's Top Ten and also achieved a National Top Ten rating. Café Bijou was regularly rated as one of the Cape's top informal restaurants.

In 1999, John Jackson joined Royal Malewane delivering a culinary experience of a truly royal nature to the guests. He has also been awarded the Blazon by the Chaine des Rotisseurs.

Daily fare
An early morning pleasure at Royal Malewane is the large jugs of freshly blended chilled papino, mango or strawberry juice. Fragrant coffee brews on an open fire. Hot muffins, light golden scones and scented honey from the lowveld are passed around, the final touch to the king of bush breakfasts. While enjoying your coffee, your charming host, is there to see that your every need is catered for and chats about the activities still to come.

A table that moves harmoniously from mid-morning breakfast, set in a clearing in the bush, to a leisurely late lunch on the wide Palau Indonesian hardwood deck, perched among giant Jackalberry trees. At night, enjoy a veritable feast, warmed by blazing fires in a boma, open to the stars and the frenetic night sounds of the bush; the humming of cicadas and myriad frogs, bull frogs, reed frogs and the bubbling cassinas.

Elegant crisp white linens, crystal, silver, fine wines and a menu that combines a multitude of tastes and textures. Smooth creamy avocado, rich Macadamia nuts, sweet Mozambique crab, prawns and lobster, rare lamb, meticulously roasted duck with a dramatic passion fruit sauce, tender venison fillet combined with John's fruit preserves made with jewel coloured berries.

Late evening, on returning to your suite, you will find a single exotic fruit, a chilled prickly pear, Satsuma, a ripe purple fig or fragrant clementine each with a descriptive handwritten note and a poem.

Activities
Savage. Inspiring. Humbling. A myriad of emotions flow, as eyes and mind open to the revelations lying in wait among thicket and shadow. The Big Five. And a million more. Up close and intensely personal, the spirit of the wild utterly seduces your senses. Every beat of your heart rustles in thorn and thistle, every breath you take sways and bends the tall grasses. You are at one.

Game viewing at Royal Malewane provides guests with the best opportunities for seeing the natural abundance of big game on the 12000 ha Reserve, home of the “Big Five” – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino. Over 250 recorded bird species are also to be found in the Reserve. Game viewing is tailored to guests’ individual needs, either by open Land Rover or on foot. The expert ranger and master tracker (one of only two in South Africa) accompanies the guests.

The order of the day is usually: Early morning game drive followed by a leisurely breakfast. Thereafter, guests can enjoy the luxury of the camp before lunch is served. An afternoon game drive and sundowners follow the sumptuous high tea, culminating in a night drive in search of exciting nocturnal game. Dinner is served under the African sky or with silver & crystal in the dining areas.

Awards
Since opening in January 2000, Royal Malewane has always striven to provide its guests with a safari experience of a truly superior nature. This commitment to excellence has resulted in Royal Malewane being featured in no fewer than 35 local and international publications, and receiving international acclaim in the form of the following prestigious awards:

• Top 10 Spas of the World - Tatlers (UK) August 2003
• Top 101 Hotels - Tatlers (UK) 2001 & 2002
• Top 57 Hot Spots of the World - Condé Nast Traveller 2001
• "Hideaways of the Year 2001" Grand Award Winner - Andrew Harpers Hideaway Report
• Best Destinations for 2001 - Forbes Magazine
• One of the top 150 places in the World - Harpers & Queen Travel Awards 2003
• Chaine des Rotisseurs Blazon for Cuisine

Royal Malewane is widely recognised for serving up some of the most exciting cuisine Africa has to offer. This culinary expertise has culminated in Executive Chef John Jackson and Creator Liz Biden being invited to exhibit their skills at these international food promotions:

April 2001 – Athenaeum Hotel, London
October 2001 – Beau Rivage, Mauritius
January 2002 – Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, Dublin, Ireland and Hibernian Hotel, Dublin, Ireland
July 2002 – Athenaeum Hotel, London
October 2002 – Napoleon Hotel, Paris

Top          Return to Map of Lowveld Game Reserves          Return to Map of Limpopo Province

For tourist information and activities in the Limpopo Province, click More Limpopo
For further information about Kruger National Park, click More Kruger

For further information about South Africa, click More South Africa


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