Hotel Review • Kruger National Park • South Africa • Africa
Singita Lebombo: Glass Suites and Wild Encounters in Kruger
Remote, sleek, and impossibly luxurious, Singita Lebombo redefines the safari lodge experience in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
By Luke Abrahams
Why it works
Oh, look, perfection does indeed exist in the mighty bush, and it comes courtesy of Singita. While it is a bit of a schlep to get to—a mighty long international flight from the States into Johannesburg and a breezy (and choppy) internal flight into the lodge’s Satara airstrip—it is all totally worth it once you lay eyes on perhaps, the luxest safari digs on planet earth. The design is, in a word, astounding. Considering you are quite virtually in the middle of nowhere on the fringes of the Mozambique border, the fact that this lodge is even able to operate the way it does is pure magic. It’s incredibly modern, slick, and effortlessly cool.
In a single swishing panorama, an infinity pool crowns the main space, flecked by a medley of loungers that spy into the bush. Between it all, a massive open kitchen and glorious wine studio wows, and yet despite its 21st-century credentials, it does not impede on the landscape whatsoever. The rooms are just as knockout. 13 glass open-plan palaces and one private use villa are up for grabs and are all built into the craggy outcrops that lurch over the N’wanetsi River. Day and night, you are exposed to the elements with the indoor-outdoor aesthetic: the canvas bed and huge tub both look out onto the plains, and if you are brave enough, a full-sized day divan for zzzs under the stars, complete with open shower (and the odd pesky baboon) awaits on the terrace.
Beyond all the glam, however, there is a purpose. Singita is one of those rare brands where positive-impact tourism is built into its DNA. The critical conservation work the lodge carries out alongside non-profit Funds & Trusts is all aimed at restoring and protecting the ecosystems the lodge operates in—in other words, your hard-earned dollars are making a difference behind the scenes in the 33,000-acre private concession of the Kruger Lebombo calls home. And because you are in the most remote part of the park, the wildlife sightings are extra special. You are trawling the best of the best ecozones the park has to offer, and as its all exclusively owned by Singita, you won’t see another soul but your fellow guests at Lebombo and sister lodge Singita Sweni.
What do you see? Everything from lion cubs to black rhino, bull elephants, Nile crocodiles, and, if you are seriously lucky like me, wild dogs on thrill-seeking game drives from dusk until dawn. The eagle-eyed guides and trackers (the vast majority local) are the best in the biz, so you will leave satisfied, as well as humbled and educated. There’s a rawness to going on safari. The smells, the constant feeling of vulnerability, the pure ecstasy of being privy to Mother Nature’s mercy. Here, out in the wild, you learn the art of liberation, and while it’s all expectedly on the flashy side, this place is special, and one that remains so etched in my memory I’ll remember my time here to the day I die.
Fast Facts
Location: Kruger National Park, South Africa
Rating: Five-star
The vibe: The safari of your wildest dreams
Room count: 13
Starting Rate: Rates from around 2000 USD per night, dependent on season.
Dining: Farm-to-table excellence featuring balanced and nutritional menus designed to make you feel good. Or just order chicken and chips like me. The wines are particularly excellent, too.
Amenities: Bar, pool, restaurant, gym, boutique, wellness spa
Our favourite thing about the place: The people. They are warm, exceptionally friendly, and you will want to take them home with you.
What’s nearby: The bush. Don’t leave unattended.
Closest International airport: Johannesburg
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