I Saw the Big Five Within 24 Hours of Arriving at This Newly Reopened South African Safari Lodge

Last December, a fire broke out at South Africa’s Lion Sands Ivory Lodge. Everyone was safely evacuated, but the main area was destroyed. Nearly a year later, the lodge reopened after a rebuild and a stylish overhaul, with eight suites along the banks of the Sabie River. The new property is more elevated—literally—as the main area is now perched high above the river.

The lodge is in the private Sabi Sands Game Reserve, on the edge of South Africa’s Kruger National Park, one of the best places on the continent to see iconic wildlife. (I saw the Big Five within 24 hours, which is relatively common.) A highlight of my stay was finding two fluffy leopard cubs clumsily clambering all over their mother. A female leopard even wandered right through camp one afternoon, such is these animals’ level of unbotheredness.

South African lodges usually have tracker-and-guide teams (in other countries, it’s more common to have only a guide). Sometimes the dynamic has obvious tensions, but on this trip, I was relieved to be with a duo that seemed to genuinely like each other. One evening, our tracker found a skinny tree snake with his spotlight as we drove back to the lodge after sundowners, and a trainee, who was shadowing our guide Gustav “Gus” Thomas, pointed out the nests of baboon spiders as we had our morning coffee in the bush.

And then the rest: a white rhino mother grazing with her calf; two old elephant bulls effortlessly uprooting a tree to access the leafy higher branches; a coalition of male lions munching on a recently-killed buffalo; kudus—large antelopes with big ears and spiral horns on the males—barking at a leopard to shoo her out of their space.

It’s not all about guiding and wildlife, though—the food and spa treatments are equally exquisite. Below, my full review of Lion Sands Ivory Lodge.

The Rooms

Ivory Lodge has eight 1,500-square-foot one-bedroom suites lining a wooden walkway. They’re named after birds; I stayed in Sandpiper, which was a short walk from the main area (it’s the third suite along), but far enough to not catch any noise.

The design favors clean lines, with lots of natural light and materials in neutral tones and a range of textures: smooth floors, knotted wool rugs, brass lamps, and walls of rough stone or tiles. A couple of large abstract artworks add splashes of color.

Coming through the hefty wooden door, there’s an entrance area, with the bedroom and bathroom to one side and the living area to the other. The elevated deck stretches across the entire front of the suite and features shaded seating and a temperature-controlled plunge pool, perfect for watching the hippos in the river below.

In the bedroom, privacy curtains slide over the French doors, but the window above remains uncovered, letting in plenty of natural light. The bathroom, stocked with TheraNaka toiletries, has indoor and outdoor showers, plus a standalone bathtub.

Food and Drink

Meals at Ivory Lodge are served either inside the main dining area or on the deck, weather permitting.

The suites have a little hatch through which a smoothie and a muffin are quietly delivered half an hour before morning game drives, so guests can have a quick bite before heading out. Coffee is served out in the bush. There’s a proper breakfast back at the lodge, with a choice of lighter bites like fresh fruit, chia seed pudding, and muesli, or something more substantial, such as eggs Florentine.

Lunch was my favorite meal—a selection of light tapas, perfect for hot days. My butler suggested I try all five dish options on the menu, but I stuck to three: a peach caprese salad with balsamic glaze, a Waldorf salad, and blackened salmon skewers.

There’s a pickling room, with jars of pickled produce, dried meat, and cheeses to sample. The pre-game drive afternoon tea has a savory and sweet option. (Scotch eggs and baklava cake were served on my first day). Dinner is a little heartier—think tomato carpaccio, followed by chicken supreme, and an apple mille-feuille for dessert.

There’s a variety of excellent South African wines on offer, such as Donkiesbaai cinsault, Storm Wines pinot noir, Holden Manz Hiro rosé, and David & Nadia chenin blanc. However, there’s nothing like a gin and tonic to end the day in the bush.

The suite’s minibar is stocked with wines, beers, spirits, and soft drinks, all included in the nightly rate. Snacks include dried mangos, jerked biltong meat, and cookies. In between game drives, guests often spend much of the time in their suites, so there’s an in-room snack menu consisting of a charcuterie platter and cheese board. A cocktail guide with all the ingredients, stirrers, and shakers is also supplied.

Activities and Experiences

The main activities at Ivory Lodge are the game drives, which take place twice a day in open-top 4×4 vehicles with a guide and a tracker. They’re shared with other guests, but private vehicles are available on request (ZAR 19,680/$1,153 per day).

During my November stay, we headed out at 5:30 a.m., while afternoon drives started at 4 p.m., arriving back in time for drinks around the firepit and dinner. Outings are typically about three hours long, with a coffee or sundowner break in the middle. Guests can also choose to go on bush walks as part of a morning game drive or after breakfast.

Photography enthusiasts can spend time at the Creative Lab at the sibling property River Lodge next door, and have their photos edited by a professional or get help choosing images to print on canvas. Cameras and lenses are also available to rent (from ZAR 750/$44 per drive), with editing services included.

There’s also a gym with a nice leafy view, offering cardio equipment and weights, as well as a spa.

And for a really special experience, you can book one of Lion Sands’ three tree houses (from ZAR 5,620/$330 per person sharing) for a night under the stars, complete with a lantern-lit dinner.

The Spa

The on-site spa has two treatment rooms, a steam room, a sauna, and an ice bath.

I had a one-hour full-body massage with a therapist, who considered all my points about where to focus and where to go easy. She used TheraNaka marula body oils, which are also for sale in the spa. I could hear an African fish eagle calling overhead as she worked out my muscle kinks. Instead of a bell or gong, she used a rain stick to signal the end of the treatment—a bamboo tube filled with rice or beans that creates a calming rain-like sound when tipped from side to side.

Other available treatments include the two-hour African Rejuvenation, which includes a body scrub, steam, massage, and a facial. Also on the spa menu: beauty treatments, including pedicures and eyebrow shaping.

Family-friendly Offerings

Kids over 10 years old are welcome at the suites at Lion Sands Ivory Lodge. Children of any age can stay at the exclusive-use Fish Eagle Residence, which is on the same site as the lodge.

There are activities for children, such as pizza-making and plaster-casting of animal tracks.

Even though kids are welcome, I didn’t feel that Ivory Lodge is the best fit for families—there are other lodges in the same area that cater more specifically to families. While Ivory Lodge is a great fit for honeymooners and couples, its larger sibling property, River Lodge, is probably a better choice for travelers with little ones.

Accessibility and Sustainability

Lion Sands Ivory Lodge is not accessible.

In terms of sustainability, the lodge avoids single-use plastics in its suites. Filtered water is supplied in reusable glass bottles; cotton wool pads and non-plastic Q-tips are stored loose in refillable containers; bathroom products are in glass bottles; and minibar drinks are in glass bottles or cans. All dining offerings are à la carte, which minimizes food waste.

Ivory Lodge has a solar plant that meets some of its energy needs; efficiency is improved by single-glazed windows and shading to keep indoor temperatures down. Materials used for the rebuild were chosen for durability in the bush, such as aluminum and timber cladding.

Location

Ivory Lodge is in the Lion Sands Game Reserve, which straddles the private Sabi Sand Game Reserve and Kruger National Park, in northeast South Africa. Being in a private reserve means fewer vehicles and experiences like off-road driving, bush walks, and nighttime safaris. Lion Sands has a limit of two vehicles per sighting in their reserve, which is better for both wildlife and visitors. (It can get busier on the edge of reserves where shared traversing rights mean vehicles from multiple lodges might be at one sighting. I saw this at a leopard sighting with about six or seven vehicles present.)

The lodge is only half an hour’s drive from Skukuza Airport (SZK), which has direct connections between Cape Town and Johannesburg with Airlink. Lodge transfers from Skukuza Airport are complimentary.

Book Now

Nightly rates at Lion Sands Ivory Lodge start from ZAR 45,990 ($2,657) per person sharing.

Every T+L hotel review is written by an editor or reporter who has stayed at the property, and each hotel selected aligns with our core values.