Photo: courtesy of The Royal Portfolio
In the Thornybush Private Nature Reserve on Kruger’s western edge, The Royal Portfolio runs four lodges and three private villas built around guiding, a serious wine and whisky cellar and a reimagined spa.
The setting
Some new safari lodges try to reinvent the genre. Royal Malewane goes the other way, refining the traditional bush camp until little is left to add. It sits in the Thornybush Private Nature Reserve, one of the private reserves along the western border of Kruger National Park, in a wilderness with no fences between it and the wider Greater Kruger. Guests have the run of the whole reserve for game drives and bush walks.
“This is the apotheosis of the luxury safari experience: eight palatial thatched-roof suites, decked out in elegant colonial style, stand on stilts above the bush of the nature reserve, connected by walkways offering an elevated view of the surrounding landscape.”
The property has grown well beyond the camp MICHELIN describes. Royal Malewane now spans four lodges, each with its own character, and three exclusive-use villas. Guiding is the core of the offer: The Royal Portfolio calls its team of guides and trackers the most experienced and qualified in Africa, and one of the camps is named after master tracker Wilson Masiya. Days follow the safari rhythm of early and late game drives, with the Big Five the usual goal.
The rooms & villas
Malewane Lodge is the original. Its six Luxury Suites each sleep two, and its two Royal Suites have two bedrooms apiece; MICHELIN counts these Royal and Malewane suites among the largest hotel suites anywhere, with plunge pools, Jacuzzis and private chef and butler service. The look is classic colonial safari: canopy beds dressed in Ralph Lauren linens, antiques, fireplaces and claw-foot baths, all air-conditioned.
The newer lodges change the mood. Farmstead has three suites. Waterside adds four suites, the Baobab Suite and its Aloe Rooms. Masiya’s Camp brings colour to canvas across six tented suites.
The three villas suit families and groups. Africa House, the original Biden family homestead, hosts up to 12 guests with its own chef, guide, tracker and vehicles, and is decorated with furniture gathered on Liz Biden’s travels. Waterside House and Farmhouse complete the set of exclusive-use villas.
Eat & drink
Meals, local drinks and house wines are included. Each lodge’s dining area looks over a waterhole, so breakfast often comes with game, and bush dinners take the table out under the sky. MICHELIN notes that meals are served with silver and crystal.
The cellar is a draw in itself. The wine list runs from flagship South African red blends to boutique producers of lesser-known varietals, with wine stewards on hand for pairings. Royal Malewane says it keeps one of the largest whisky selections of any safari lodge, hosts tastings, and stocks more than 40 boutique gins. For observant guests, Beth Din-certified kosher kitchens are available at selected lodges, and Africa House keeps strict kosher standards.
Wellness
The Royal Waters Spa was recently reimagined around a central courtyard with a 25-metre heated lap pool. It has three treatment rooms (two doubles and a single), a fitness centre, sauna, cold plunge, outdoor baths and a hair salon. Waterside has its own Reflections Spa, with three treatment rooms and a hammam. Between morning and evening drives there is real time to use them.
Beyond the resort
Most days revolve around the reserve, but the lodge’s experiences reach further. Guests can join conservation activities alongside experts working with endangered species in the Greater Kruger, and the Conservation & Research Centre on the reserve is open to anyone staying at Malewane Lodge, Farmstead or Waterside, with displays of current research and lectures by visiting scientists. Guides with the country’s top birding qualifications run dedicated birding safaris, and photographic safaris go out with guides who know where the light will fall.
Scenic flights cross what The Royal Portfolio calls the world’s largest green canyon, with the Drakensberg on one side and the savanna of the Greater Kruger on the other. Golfers can take a helicopter to Leopard Creek Country Club, a course designed by Gary Player. After dark, star safaris make the most of skies far from city lights.
When to go
The Royal Portfolio says a good sighting is possible in any month, but the seasons change the experience. Winter, from May to August, is the peak for game viewing: the bush thins out, water becomes scarce so animals gather at waterholes, days are milder, and dry ground means vehicles can more often go off road for closer sightings. Summer, from October to February, is hot and wetter, and the longer grass makes game harder to spot; vehicles stay on the tracks after more than 25mm of rain. It is the better season for birders, with migrant species arriving, and for newborn animals. Royal Malewane lies in a low-risk malaria area, and the lodge suggests asking a GP or travel clinic about prophylaxis before you go.
Who it’s for
Royal Malewane suits travellers who want the traditional safari done with every comfort: a first safari where nothing is left to chance, or a return trip for those who care about the quality of the guiding. Wine and whisky drinkers will find more to explore than at most lodges.
It works especially well for families and groups, thanks to the multi-bedroom suites, the exclusive-use villas and a dedicated children’s programme. Travellers looking for stripped-back, minimalist design should note that the original lodge leans firmly towards colonial style.
This guide was researched independently from published sources; Cosmopolitan Courier was not compensated.
