Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge

Earth Lodge sits inside Sabi Sabi Private Reserve in Greater Kruger, its curved lines and earth-toned materials built so low into the surrounding bushveld that the structure reads as part of the ground rather than a building placed on it. The land on which it stands was bought in 1999 and the lodge followed; it is the newest of Sabi Sabi's four properties.

There are twelve suites and one villa. Each suite has a private plunge pool, a glass-fronted en-suite bathroom with a deep stone bath, an outdoor shower, and floors laid with Nguni hides. Handmade twig chandeliers with gilded metal branches hang overhead. The Amber Villa is a two-bedroom, two-bathroom space of two hundred and forty square metres, set at the edge of the lodge and comfortably sleeping four guests, with a fifth possible on request.

Game drives go out twice daily — morning and afternoon, each around three hours — with a ranger and tracker. Walking safaris are available after breakfast. The indoor-outdoor dining area looks over a waterhole; lunches are served à la carte at the Day Bar, where the water is shallow enough to sit with your feet in it. A subterranean wine cellar holds South African and international wines and can be used for private dinners.

The Amani Spa has two single treatment rooms and one double room, a Zen meditation garden, an outdoor shower, and a Pango cave used for cleansing treatments. A gym with views over the bushveld and a library are also on site. Community tours to the surrounding villages can be arranged after breakfast at an additional charge, with proceeds returned to the community.