Cemair’s sponsorship of flights made it possible for 4 Team Members to go on a site inspection to the Kruger Area. They set off on one of Cemair’s daily flights from Cape Town direct to Hoedspruit. The flight departed at 11.30 and arrived at 13.45. The 2.5 hour drive to Sabi Sabi’s Earth Lodge meant that they arrived in time for an afternoon game drive.
What a start to their trip! They were thrilled to have a leopard sighting… with a catch… in a tree! And even more surprised when game rangers rocked up to serve ice cream in the bush.
“The fact that the Lodge is built from stone means that it really blends in and has a very relaxing atmosphere. I enjoyed the fact that the restaurant has a set menu so one didn’t have to queue at a buffet;” says Nicole.
On inspection of the other Sabi Sabi properties the next day Nicole was really taken with the Ellie Camp at Bush Lodge. “Most Lodges have a no under 12 policy for shared game drives, couples now have the option of leaving their kids to have fun while they are out on game drive.”
The next stop was the Nkambeni Tented Camp, which offers a value for money alternative to a San Parks Camp. The advantage of this 3-star property is that is can accommodate xxx and has exclusive traversing areas for game viewing. Community upliftment is an important focus for this Camp and there are a number of activities on offer that provide opportunities for their local community.
The group overnighted at the Sabi River Sun, which is a 15-minute drive from the xxx gate into Kruger. This is a 3-star Tsogo Sun property catering for large groups of up to xxx. While the breakfast was lovely the team missed the personal attention they’d received at the smaller properties.
“Our visit to Ngala Safari Lodge made us all wish we could stay and stay, especially at their 4-bed, butler-serviced Villa. Ngala is an excellent 5 star, 16-roomed property!”
The group drove 2 hours back to Hoedspruit to Monditlo, where they stayed overnight. “it is a good looking lodge and the food and hospitality stand up to its 5-star rating. The bathroom configuration in some of the rooms didn’t quite work and it was disappointing to see that poor etiquette displayed by Game Rangers from other properties impacted on the overall experience!”
The visit the Kapama confirmed everything we already know about Kapama. “They are well geared up for groups and over the years it’s encouraging to see good staff retention and return guests!” The only thing to note here is that there are small alterations happening at the moment, ahead of a scheduled refurbishment in 2019.
“The 2pm departure from Hoedspruit meant that we could make the most of our last morning in the bush and still return to Cape Town by 4pm! Thank you Cemair for making this happen.”