The Royal Malewane - Kruger Park

On Sunday afternoon, you certainly happen to tap on the remote control of your box: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney +… you have the impression of having seen all the series and all the films that the whole world is talking about on the social networks. Then suddenly, your gaze meets that of an elephant, the documentary is titled: “Surviving in paradise, a family story”.

The Royal Malewane

Kruger Park - South Africa

www.theroyalportfolio.com/royal-malewane

This is how the most beautiful adventures sometimes start. A few months later, your safari dream comes true, in the most beautiful way since you have booked three nights at the Royal Malewane , one of the most extraordinary lodges in the world.

Originally, this hotel is precisely the story of the Biden family. Wealthy South Africans, they have been collecting properties with a unique character for many years. But for Liz Biden, the best thing about a passion is sharing it. She then began to open her majestic houses, which she decorated with exquisite taste, to travelers from all over the world. Everything here comes from the mind of the owner, without ever overdoing it. The master paintings play with the period furniture, the fabrics with colorful patterns enhance the softness of the savannah. Objects found in the four corners of the world naturally find their place at the corner of a fireplace, on a mahogany console or a wicker coffee table.

From Hoedspruit Airport, it's a thirty-minute drive to reach the slopes of Thornybush Private Reserve. You then set off on a dirt road, as dusty as possible but which marks the perfect link between two worlds. As soon as you cross the barrier, you are greeted by dozens of buffalo, giraffes and zebras who indulge in their favorite pastime: grazing. All you have to do is carefully follow the signs to reach paradise. Destination in sight. The sun's rays still light up the smiles of our hosts at the end of the day, including Ryan Jack, one of the most experienced rangers in Africa and his tracking teammate, Mumps Mathons, whose talent for tracking animals is recognized beyond borders.

The adventure begins here. At the end of a wooden pontoon, you reach the lobby which is entirely open to nature and which offers a bird's eye view of a small lake below. What a surprise, elephants come by the dozen and take advantage of this idyllic setting here every day to cool off. It’s a unique and moving moment. The show continues when the team takes you to your private villa. Each of them overlooks the savannah and has an infinity pool in which the famous pachyderms come to drink as they pass by. Always impressive to find yourself just a few centimeters from animals that weigh several tons.

Beneath its appearance of a thatched roof cabin, the villa is a setting of luxury and voluptuousness. The pink leopard patterned armchairs next to the small fireplace, lit on demand every evening, are the ideal place for a moment of reading. The crystal carafe contains a divine brew of cooked wine. The bathroom which opens entirely onto the terrace and whose cast iron bathtub allows you to relax after a long safari of several hours has found its place perfectly. The centerpiece is the four-poster bed which invites you to a certain disconnection. Do you dream of following in the footsteps of a white rhino and discovering the territory of a family of wild dogs? Meet at 5:00 a.m., a light breakfast is served before boarding one of the 4x4s specially designed for the occasion.

You are nature's guests, not the other way around. We are in the territory of the Big Five: the lion, the elephant, the rhino, the buffalo, the leopard and many others. No aggression on their part, ever, they live their lives and just let you observe them. Around 9:30 a.m., nature awakens at the foot of your XXL car, you put your foot down and enjoy a little snack. Going on safari means learning to observe, to be very patient in discovering the traces of animals in perpetual movement. Sometimes the spectacle is grandiose, sometimes we return empty-handed. It's nature's game and it's worth the effort.

Back at the lodge, the smell of baked brioche naturally directs you towards the breakfast table, with a view of the famous little lake. You will regain your strength thanks to the vitamins of a squeezed orange juice, some red fruits and a well-deserved coffee. You are ready for a dip in the long swimming pool that the establishment offers. Do not under any circumstances miss the treatments offered by the spa, the practitioners are recognized as being the best in South Africa. A light lunch is then served in the shade of a hundred-year-old tree, you close your eyes for a nap of a few minutes then it is finally time to return to safari, the adrenaline gradually builds, they trace will you follow this afternoon?