1. 72 March 2014 www.getaway.co.za 73
In the far north of the
exclusive Sabi Sand reserve is
a slice of wildlife paradise
that won’t bust your budget.
By Claire Shortt. Photography
by Christoph Hoffmann.
Self-catering,
Tucked in the indigenous bush on the
edge of a permanent waterhole, Kaya
No 1 at Djuma Game Reserve’s luxury,
self-catering Vuyatela Camp offers
guests an opportunity to see animals
like this handsome elephant bull up
close. Bag this unit if you can.
Sabi Sand
style

2. 74 March 2014
stench hung in the air and the
buzz of bluebottles swarming
around the day-old carcass was
almost deafening. A big-bellied lioness lazed just a metre
from me, both of us keeping a watchful eye on the cubs
playing with a piece of buffalo bone. It was me, the ranger,
the lions and the sunrise. And the half-a-dozen or so
vultures perched in the nearby trees, the bush sign
that had led us to this kill.
The radio crackled to life, drowning out the flies
and interrupting the ranger’s story about the dagga
boy (an old, loner buffalo bull) that had fallen prey
to this strong, young pride. Leopard tracks had been
spotted near my camp.
We left the kill – the lions weren’t in any rush to move
off and would hang around for another day or two until
all the bones were picked clean – and made our way
through the bush. I pulled the blanket tighter around
my shoulders to ward off the early-morning chill and
watched the sky lighten a little more, anticipation build-
ing with each bump along the track. I’d never seen
a leopard before, and this was Sabi Sand, a reserve
famous for its big cat sightings (it’s believed to have one
of the highest leopard densities in the world – currently
there are between 80 and 90 sub-adult and adults on the
reserve – and frequently tops travel gurus’ lists of the
best places to spot the elusive felines). As we neared
the camp, the vehicle slowed, the ranger leaning far
over the driver’s door to spot the tracks. And there they
were, just a few hundred metres from my chalet.
Unfortunately, my prey had left by the time we arrived
– possibly chased off by the male lion I’d heard the night
before. But the beauty of Sabi Sand is that up-close-and-
personal sightings are pretty much guaranteed, thanks
to the expertise of its rangers and trackers, and I’d have
my next chance later that evening.
This kind of two-safaris-a-day bush experience is
beyond the budgets of most South African families,
especially in the Sabi Sand – by my rough calculations,
the average cost of a night in any of the reserve’s 20-odd
lodges is about R9 000 a person. Djuma Private Game Re-
serve, however, brings the Sabi experience within reach.
There’s no better
way to wake up
than with a dunk in
the private plunge
pools at two of the
chalets (above
right) – the views
from here are
among the best
at Vuyatela. If the
weather turns, or
you visit in winter,
while away an
afternoon in the
cosy, fire-warmed
lounge at Vuyatela’s
main lodge.
Galago Camp (left) has a homelier feel
than the chic Vuyatela (above right and
below left), but quirky decor details and
outdoor areas that take full advantage of
the peaceful bush setting feature strongly
in both camps. Twice-daily game drives
get you as close to the action as you can
stomach (bottom right).
www.getaway.co.za 75
Whichever
camp you
choose, your
routine
will quickly
imitate that
of the animals
you’re seeking.

3. www.getaway.co.za 7776 March 2014
Plan your trip
Getting there
Flying in to Nelspruit or Hoed-
spruit and renting a car means
your holiday gets going sooner,
but flights to these two small
airports don’t come cheap and
the drive from Nelspruit through
Bushbuckridge is hairy (don’t be
surprised when a taxi, truck or
BMW overtakes you on a solid
line, rounding a corner, on a blind
rise). The route from Joburg along
the scenic R36 is doable in about
six hours. The stretch to the
reserve from Acornhoek looks
deceptively short on a map, but
in reality it’s a slow, potholed drive
through peri-urban areas – watch
out for wandering livestock and
laden pedestrians. The condition
of the last 15-odd kilo-
metres gravel stretch
deteriorates quickly
after heavy
rains. Plan
for the
drive to
take up
to an hour
longer than
expected.
Need to know
Djuma is in a low-risk malaria area,
but consult your doctor about
precautions before travelling,
lather on the repellent and turn
to page 36 for tips on choosing
the right malaria meds.
Carry some cash to pay the
park entrance fee at the reserve
gate – R190 a car (driver included)
and R50 a person thereafter.
There are no shops nearby
(Hoedspruit is the closest, about
an hour and a half away) so take all
the food you’re going to need or
ask the manager about the lodge’s
arrangement with two grocery
stores in Hoedspruit to have food
delivered and ready for you upon
arrival. The staff will whip up a
storm with whatever you provide
– discuss it with them in advance.
Costs
Vuyatela sleeps 10 people and
costs from R14 500 a night.
Rates include fully serviced
accommodation, two guided
game drives a day, walking safaris
and a kitchen team to cook the
food you bring in. Galago costs
R10 500 a night for up to 10 people,
but doesn’t include the services
of a chef (that’s an extra R650 a
day). To get real value for money
fill either or both these camps
with friends and family.
Contact
013-735-5555, 082-895-3670,
reservations@djuma.co.za,
www.djuma.com
MPUMALANGA
D406
R40
to Hoedspruit KRUGER
NATIONAL
PARK
to Hazyview
GOWRIE GATE
BUSHBUCKRIDGE
DJUMA
SABI SAND PRIVATE
NATURE RESERVE
ACORNHOEK
j
Spend the hours between morning and
evening game drives perusing a wall of
friendly faces honouring Djuma’s staff in
the dining room or reading in the lounge,
surrounded by art the lodge owners have
personally collected over the years.
Its two camps, Vuyatela and Galago, are
self-catering. You bring in your own food and
drinks, and while there are staff on hand to
cook and clean, you aren’t waited on hand and
foot – perfect for those who, like me, don’t mind
getting their own beer from the fridge (plus you
don’t have to pay a massive mark-up). All this
keeps costs down, and if you’re a big family or
group of friends you can get real bang for your
buck by filling either one or both camps.
Vuyatela was once a luxury bush lodge, so
separate sleeping units give you privacy and the
communal living area is designed for mingling.
The industrial-type kitchen could be intimidat-
ing, but someone will show you the way if you opt to
cook for yourself or use the helpful kitchen team, who
took my boerie and iceberg lettuce and turned it into
something almost gourmet.
Galago has its roots as a private home, which gives it a
comfy, lived-in and loved feel. Rooms are closer together,
the open-plan kitchen and lounge lead onto a big patio
that’s primed for drawn-out evening braais, and a
residential-type pool is out back to keep you cool.
Whichever camp you choose, your routine will quickly
imitate that of the animals you’re seeking.
Each morning, I woke up beneath billowing mozzie
nets to watch the first rays of sun tease through the
dense bush lining a dry riverbed (along which all of
Vuyatela’s two-sleeper units are strung). I’d drawn the
long straw and scored one of the first two units, so I
could get the day started with a quick dip in my private
plunge pool overlooking a waterhole as its resident
hippo did the same, but you could freshen up in the
outdoor shower, also overlooking the riverbed.
A tiny group of nyala kept watch over my chalet en-
trance, trotting off as I headed up to the main lodge
to meet my ranger and tracker. I spent the rest of the
hot days much as those lions did: lounging. Swimming
in the pool at the main lodge, reading on the deck, and
dozing in the lounge (I chose not to work up a sweat in
the tiny on-site gym).
With one eye on my lunch (the resident vervets and
ground squirrels don’t waste a moment in taking advan-
tage of an unwatched feast), I took time to appreciate
the quirky Coke-bottle chandeliers dangling over the
long dining table, and browsed the black-and-white
photos of staff, past and present, displayed proudly
and hinting at the fun, friendly spirit of the place.
Then another dip in the pool, a G&T to keep cool
when the day’s at its hottest, and an afternoon nap,
waking up just in time for round two in my search for
one of Sabi’s leopards…
I took time to appreciate the
quirky Coke-bottle chandeliers.
As dusk tinges the
sky in pale greys
and yellows and
bird calls are re-
placed by insect
chirruping, start
your evenings
with a post-game
drive sundowner
gathering in
Vuyatela’s boma.