Ulusaba Cliff Lodge

Cliff Lodge 1 includes 2 bedrooms, a spacious lounge area, and a mosaic-tiled bathroom. With a maximum occupancy of 3 adults and 2 children, this lodge is perfect for a small family. The lodge is decorated in a modern, safari chic style with polished wooden floors, wooden furniture, and exposed thatch ceilings. A muted colour palette helps bright, natural light to flow through the rooms through wide glass sliding doors, which can completely open the front of the master bedroom and lounge.

The master bedroom includes a large king-size bed which sits opposite the sliding doors, and is covered in crisp white bed linen with plump cushions. A curtain of mosquito netting is available to be pulled around the bed to allow guests to have a bug free night’s sleep. The bathroom sits to the side of the master bedroom and includes a deep bathtub which sits next to a wide window, allowing guests to have a relaxing soak with a view. A large tiled walk-in shower is also included in the bathroom.

The second bedroom is down a floor from the master bedroom and comes complete with two palette style beds, which face towards doors which open out onto the decking. The lounge area comes complete with large, comfortable sofas which sit opposite sliding doors which also open onto the decking. This area offers guests a place to gather and unwind if the weather is chilly or rainy. When the weather is bright and sunny, guests will want to spend all their time on the decking.

From its perch on the cliff, this lodge offers picturesque panoramic views of endless stretches of rolling grassland and vivid shrubbery. Guests will get lost gazing at the vast horizons while grabbing a refreshing dip in the large private sparkling swimming pool or while enjoying a drink from the in-room minibar.

Cliff Lodge 2 includes one bedroom and can accommodate up to two adults and two children. Decorated in a similar style to Cliff Lodge 1, this lodge is modern and comfortable, with splashes of red colour in the armchairs and cushions. Polished wooden floors and exposed thatch ceilings add a touch of safari character and dimension to the lodge.

Sweeping views of the horizon can be enjoyed from the comfort of the king-size bed, which sits in the centre of the room, and is covered in crisp bed linens and plush pillows. Mosquito netting is available if guests wish to draw this around the bed to make sure no pesky bugs visit them at night. Two single palette style beds can be pulled out from underneath the bed, creating a sleeping room for two children.

The bath and shower areas are open plan, with a deep bathtub sitting in a concave window, next to a wide window, and a walk-in shower behind the king-size bed. A separate flush toilet sits behind unique wooden doors. A comfortable seating area at the front of the lodge offers guests a place to unwind with a drink from the mini-bar before guests go to bed.

The lodge is filled with bright, natural light which fills the room through sliding glass doors and fresh breezes flow around the room when these doors are open. They open onto the private decking area where guests will find a large turquoise swimming pool and sweeping views across the vast and vivid plains.

Guests can make their way to the main dining room for their meals and can enjoy delicious freshly made food in the ambience of a safari lodge which is lit with a warm glow by a feature chandelier and large candelabras sat on the tables. Guests can also feast on their food on the expansive decking outside the dining room, where they can enjoy a feast for their senses surrounded by sweeping views of the far-away plains.

Guests can head to the boma for their dinners and can immerse themselves in their surroundings while dining on food which is inspired by pan-African cuisine, and created by talented and internationally renowned chefs. Glasses of fine wine, refreshing beers, and creative cocktails are all available from the bar and can be ordered to pair beautifully with your food.

Journey through the bush in the comfort of a 4×4 safari vehicle for the opportunity to see some of the amazing animals of the bush up close and personal, in their natural habitat on the classic safari activity. An expert guide and tracker will be able to take you to all the best viewing spots and will be able to point out animals lurking in the grasses.

With a friendly and knowledgeable guide explore the Ulusaba Private Game Reserve on foot. Immerse yourself in the wild surroundings, and get up close and personal with some of the smaller workings of the reserve. Your guide will be able to point out things which may be missed by the untrained eye, such as micro-ecosystems and animal tracks.

Guests of Cliff Lodge can be visited by a massage therapist from Aroma Boma Spa who will be able to trade you in Cliff Lodge’s own spa room. Enjoy a stress-relieving massage or refreshing facial with Africology products which use local active ingredients to pamper you in the most natural way. All spa treatments are available at an additional cost.

Guests can make their way to the wine cellar at Rock Lodge for an evening spent wine tasting in the ambiently lit cellar. Taste some of the finest wines that South Africa has to offer.

Spend the evening in Ulusaba’s very own observatory in the bush. Gaze up at the unpolluted night sky and marvel at the ethereal beauty of it. There is no experience like looking up at the sky and seeing it blanketed with stars and far away planets. See if you can spot the centre of the milky way, which is visible in the Southern hemisphere, or the southern pointers.

There is a fully equipped private gym at Ulusaba Cliff Lodge which guests can use to get in an early morning workout before the day begins, or if guests so wish then they can enjoy a game of tennis – with equipment provided – on the floodlit tennis courts.

Organised by Pride ‘n Purpose, which is Ulusaba’s charity, are community tours where guests can engage with the local people, and learn more about their culture and their life. There are three types of tour on offer to guests; the ‘Justicia Village Tour’ which has a focus on the local culture, the ‘Day in the Life Village Tour’ which looks at the charitable programmes which are currently being completed, and the ‘It’s Child Play Tour’ which involves more hands-on activities for guests to take part in.

All profits which are made from these excursions are directed straight back into these communities.

Guests can explore the wonders of the natural world in this region on a canyons, cultures, and contrasts tour. On this tour guests will visit local villages and towns, as well as natural wonders such as Blyde River Canyon, God’s Window, Lisbon Waterfalls, and Bourke’s Luck Potholes. This is a full-day excursion, and lunch is enjoyed at Harries Original Pancake Restaurant.

Guests can also go on the canyons and cascades spectacular, which is a thrilling tour that includes a magnificent helicopter ride over the surrounding gorges, valleys, and waterfalls. Fly over God’s Window and Blyde River Canyon for a unique birds-eye perspective of the stunning savannah. A picnic lunch is provided at a site with breathtaking views of the Mpumalanga Lowveld.

With an emphasis on supporting the local communities which surround their properties, Virgin Limited Edition has initiatives and programmes which help to empower the communities. One of their charity partners, Pride ‘n Purpose, spends the whole month of September creating fun projects which help to improve life in the local community. The guests of Ulusaba are encouraged to join in by planting fruit trees, which they will be kept updated on by the Virgin Limited Edition team.

Local children are invited into the Ulusaba Lodges for two days of the year, to spend time in the kitchens and learn about nutrition, healthy eating and the local produce of the communities. In their lodge in Kenya, Virgin Limited Edition encourages guests to visit the local Massai community, to gain a wider understanding of this ancient culture. 100% of the profits are divided out, with 60% going to the Maa Trust, and 40% going directly to the host families.

A selection of treatments available at the spa at Mont Rochelle goes towards supporting the Kusasa Project. A minimum of 15% of the price will help them in their work promoting life skills, both academic and sporting to underprivileged children in South Africa.

With a focus on seasonality and local ingredients in their menus, the properties of Virgin Limited Edition have a drive on resourcing their food more sustainably. A total of four Virgin Limited Edition properties are part of the ‘Sustainable Restaurant Association’ which is a not-for-profit organisation that helps businesses which serve food to be as sustainable as they possibly can be.

The properties are rewarded with star ratings, and up to three stars can be rewarded to the most sustainable practices. Both The Lodge in Verbier and all three lodges in Ulusaba Private Game Reserve have the highest reward; three stars. Mont Rochelle in South Africa, and Kasbah Tamadot in Morocco have both achieved two stars.

Pride ‘n Purpose was established in 2003 by members of the Ulusaba family to help disadvantaged communities near the Sabi Sand Reserve. Today, all the running expenses are paid for by Virgin Unite – Virgin Limited Edition’s non-profit foundation. With 100% of donations they receive going towards the projects it supports, it is estimated over 35,000 people have benefited, across six different communities. With an emphasis on sustainable initiatives, Pride ‘n Purpose aims to empower the communities to be able to continue helping themselves.

Pride ‘n Purpose has installed 29 water storage tanks, as well as drilled 4 new boreholes, and has created what they have termed the ‘fun pump’. This is designed as a merry-go-round, and whilst the children play on it, it pumps water into a water harvester which the whole community have access to. As well as this clever initiative, they also have a focus on education, particularly for pre-school and primary school children.

So far Pride ‘n Purpose has helped build 12 pre-schools, which benefits over 500 children, and they have partnered with the Good Work Foundation to build a digital learning centre, and have built 3 literacy centres.

Two partnerships, with Trees for Africa and Foundations for Farming, have helped more food gardens be built in the local communities and at the local schools. Children from the local schools are being trained in cultivation and healthy vegetables in these gardens, which produce food for 700 pupils.

With Ulusaba being a big source of employment, Virgin Limited Edition has worked out that on average each employee supports up to 10 members of their household or family. Pride ‘n Purpose has set up various entrepreneurial schemes which attempt to create more accessible jobs for members of these communities.

They have an Entrepreneur Scheme which helps support businessmen and women who have just begun a starting venture and are currently fundraising for their ‘Ku-Humelela’, which is going to be a rural lifestyle centre which will create approximately 40-50 jobs and will include a curio shop, office space for Pride ‘n Purpose, a functional garden and a craft workshop.

Virgin Limited Edition supports various charities and initiatives to help them in their commitment to community support and sustainable practices. Founded in 2004, Virgin Unite is a non-profit foundation which works to help people who have bold entrepreneurial ideas make them a reality. 100% of the donations this charity receives go directly to the projects. The Eve Branson Foundation is another charity that is ‘dedicated to enhancing living standards in some of the most impoverished rural communities in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.’ Currently, a craft house which is managed by some of the local women and a carpet workshop has been opened.

Ulusaba are part of Pack for a Purpose which is a charity and initiative where guests can pack vital supplies in their luggage, and these will be dropped off at local schools – where they are needed most. Notebooks, pencils, pens, and textbooks are all supplies needed regularly, but Ulusaba will have a list of the specifics which are needed if guests are interested. Virgin Limited Edition also has a non-for-profit based in the British Virgin Islands called Unite BVI, which aims to unite people with great ideas which will help the community and environment.

Many of Virgin Limited Edition’s properties have solar panels to generate some of their electricity. This includes Ulusaba, who use solar panels to heat their water and generate electricity in their lodges. With an aim to reduce their carbon consumption they used LEDs and various energy-saving light bulbs to reduce the usage, and they have also installed motion detectors and time devices to reduce the amount the lights are on.

None of Virgin Limited Edition’s properties uses plastic straws, all having made the switch to bamboo straws. Guests are encouraged to use a reusable water bottle and fill it up from water filter machines. There are now no Virgin Limited Edition properties which use single-use plastic water bottles. There is an eco-consciousness down to the housekeeping, guests are encouraged to not change their towels daily to help reduce water and energy consumption.

All Virgin Limited Edition Properties try to reduce the amount of waste they produce and try to recycle as much as possible. One such way they do this is with their brochures and feedback forms, which are printed on recycled paper.