andBeyond Ngala Safari Lodge

Each of the luxurious thatched cottages features a comfortable king-size bed where guests can lie back and relax in elegant surroundings while admiring the sweeping landscape views through the glass sliding doors that lead to your private verandah with comfy outdoor seating. The spacious cottages feature a desk/dressing table, warm lighting, ceiling fans and air-conditioning for your comfort, and each has its own private en-suite bathroom with twin hand basins, a shower and a bath.

Ngala’s three Family Cottages are made up of two suites which connect via an interleading door, allowing easy access between the two suites yet total privacy. The cottages feature floor to ceiling glass windows that allow for incredible views of the verdant landscape, and spacious en-suite bathrooms with additional outdoor showers. Guests can enjoy a romantic candlelit dinner out of their private verandah, with the sounds of the wilderness accompanying their meal.

These rooms are ideal for two adults and two children.

andBeyond Ngala Safari Lodge’s Family Suite boasts two elegantly furnished bedrooms with beautiful river views. Both rooms have en-suite facilities with an outdoor shower. There is also a private swimming pool where the family can relax and enjoy a cooling dip during the hot summer afternoons.

From the comfort of the large private deck, guests can enjoy endless vistas and watch birds flit around the dense riverside greenery, and in the evenings, enjoy private dinners in your cosy dining room area. The family suite is designed to cater for a maximum of two adults and two children, and a private safari vehicle, guide and personal butler are included in your stay.

Guests at Ngala Safari Lodge can look forward to three delicious meals each day, made with fresh local ingredients. Breakfasts and lunches can be savoured outdoors, in the pleasant shade of the giant weeping boer-bean tree, and dinner is served in the candlelit courtyard on guests’ return from evening drives. Guests can also cuddle up in the open-air boma, beside a roaring fire and the lodge features a spacious thatched bar, dining and seated area.

Ngala Private Game Reserve is home to an abundance of incredible wildlife, including their famous leopard populations. Guests are likely to spot these amazing big cats as they rest after a night of hunting and exploration. Journey across the wilderness from the comfort of a specially designed 4×4 safari vehicle, along with a professional ranger and tracker team, who will help you find your favourite animals, including the legendary Big 5 and Ngala’s incredible big cat populations. The guides also know the spots where each species frequents, helping to improve the odds of finding the game you would most like to see.

Learn about the local flora and fauna, as well as how the ecosystem supports itself, and enjoy delicious refreshments in a scenic location, right in the heart of the South African bush. Get a sense of the sheer size of elephants and giraffes, and experience the thrill of chasing wild dogs across the plains as they work together to take down their prey. Private vehicles are also available for a more personal and tailored safari experience.

Enjoy a gentle stroll through the wilderness at a pace where every detail, track, plant and insect can be admired. Look out for the smaller species that often go unnoticed during drives, and listen to the gentle songs of Kruger’s 500 different species of bird without the distracting noise of an engine. An armed ranger and specialist tracking team will accompany you for your protection, and help you get up close to amazing animals such as elephants, buffalo, giraffes and zebras.

Take the thrilling and unique opportunity to track some of the Big 5 animals on foot. Without the sound of the engines, visitors can sneak up to animals and watch them acting naturally in their habitat. The undisturbed animals will be oblivious to your presence, meaning that neither you nor them will feel threatened.

Sleep out under the stars in the luxurious Ngala Treehouse, an elevated haven located in the heart of the reserve, where you can disconnect and enjoy stunning views of the dazzling sky. The treehouse includes two weatherproof sleep levels with king-size beds, a hot shower and flushing toilets.

Guests can enjoy a cosy night’s sleep under a retractable screen, keeping the rain out and allowing for magnificent views. You will also be treated to sundowner drinks and light snacks on the upper deck. There is also a stocked bar and breakfast available in the morning.

Enjoy a bird’s eye view of the stunning reserve and Kruger National Park on an amazing helicopter flight over the cascading waterfalls and escarpment to God’s Window. Soar over the Blyde River Canon and watch the game as it gathers at the water’s edge. On landing, guests can enjoy a delicious picnic in the wilderness before returning to the lodge.

This activity is available at an additional cost.

Venture out in a fully-equipped photographic safari vehicle, purposefully designed to pose minimal obstructions of the landscape and fitted with camera mounts. Guests can capture unrivalled images of the stunning Ngala landscape and the amazing wildlife that inhabits it. Look out for Ngala’s rare white lions and capture proof of your sighting to show friends and loved ones back home. The vehicle caters for a total of 4 guests at a time, allowing for a private and exclusive experience where guests can enjoy space and immerse themselves in the scenery.

Assist andBeyond in their mission to help conserve and protect rhino populations on this unique experience. Watch rhinos in their natural habitat while a specialised wildlife vet locates and darts these great creatures from the safety of a helicopter. From here, the veterinary team will notch the rhino’s ear to allow them the research and monitor it. A microchip is also inserted into the rhino’s horn (which causes no pain or detriment to the animal) so that researchers can identify all of the reserve’s different rhino.

Guests can be a part of this process, following the rhino from the safety of a safari vehicle, and even take the rare chance to touch the animal while it is anaesthetised. This activity comes at an additional cost and is only available to guests staying at Ngala for 3 nights or more.

andBeyond’s specially designed WILDchild programme is tailored to younger guests at their safari lodges and camps, offering a selection of fun and engaging activities that will teach children about the local communities, flora and fauna. Encourage your children to find out about different cultures and the reliance that humans have on the natural world.

andBeyond offers a luxurious selection of soothing spa treatments, designed to rejuvenate and relax guests. Enjoy being pampered with Healing Earth’s natural and eco-friendly spa and skincare products, inspired by the local plant life and traditional healers.

Since 1991, andBeyond’s company ethos has been ‘Care of the Land, Wildlife & People’. andBeyond is always looking for ways to contribute to wildlife spaces and local communities as well as reduce their environmental impact, without compromising the guest experience.

Each of their lodges has a sustainability champion, who looks for new ways ‘to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, recycling initiatives, conservation awareness drives, water efficiency’ and address erosion and re-greening. Exclusive experiences are created for guests whilst showing lasting benefits which are meaningful for the natural environment and the surrounding communities. Currently, andBeyond has received 59 awards recognising their sustainability impact.

andBeyond protects endangered land and marine species in the areas they operate and focus on at least 3 endangered species in each area.

In South Africa, they have been supporting Rhinos Without Borders, keeping rhinos safe from the threat posed by poachers. This has involved dehorning white rhinos in Phinda Private Game Reserve. Poachers hunt rhinos for their horns, so removing them helps to protect these amazing creatures. The process is painless, as horns are made from keratin, as are human fingernails.

Rhinos are also tagged so that they can be monitored. Foot collars have been considered as not the safest way to track rhino, and so andBeyond is researching more suitable methods such as ear tags. andBeyond also works with local communities in order to collect research and improve the security of rhino conservation efforts on Phinda.

andBeyond’s conservation policies also led to Ngala becoming the first private reserve which is incorporated into Kruger National Park. ‘Through a unique partnership with WWF SA and the SANParks Trust, Ngala’s contributions directly influence the expansion of various high biodiversity regions through the country, and assist SANParks daily in their conservation and anti-poaching initiatives.’

andBeyond maximise their ‘localised shared value opportunities through economic benefit, capacity building and social service infrastructure.” They have created 101 jobs in the communities they operate within, offering life-changing opportunities to local people. Through social service infrastructure initiatives, 56,000 people from local communities now have access to clean water through water access sites and 4724 Hippo Water Rollers, which assist in the transportation of water. 532 school students have been provided with an opportunity for higher education in 285 new or renovated classrooms.

Additionally, the Mduku Clinic in Phinda has been transformed from a mobile clinic suitable for addressing basic health needs, to a ‘permanent structure with three consulting rooms, a pharmacy, a maternity room, post-natal care room, duty room, dressing room and kitchen’. This means that the clinic can help more people and those who are sick or injured do not have to travel 70km to the nearest hospital.

‘From those early days when a nurse visited the community every two weeks, now doctors are on hand, together with other medical professionals including physiotherapists, dieticians, mental health clinicians, and a dentist who visit regularly. A staggering 1,500 community members are now helped each day.’

andBeyond has partnered with The Africa Foundation, a non-profit organisation that strives to collaborate and consult with local communities, identifying the needs of the people and finding creative solutions to fulfil these needs. The main areas in which they focus on are: education, healthcare and clean water, small business development, and environment and conservation.

‘The appropriate training, skills and resources are provided by Africa Foundation or through partner organisations to ensure projects are not only effectively implemented but remain self-sustainable long after initiation. Over 26 years, Africa Foundation has made a clear and significant impact on the health, education and economic standing of the identified communities surrounding the wildlife reserves where andBeyond operates.’

In addition, The Africa Foundation’s Community Leaders Education Fund (CLEF) bursary programme has created opportunities for youth by providing access to education. One of the biggest setbacks that young people in Africa face in terms of receiving an education is being able to afford it. This issue is particularly prevalent in rural communities. The Africa Foundation has provided bursaries for 475 CLEF students over the last 26 years, giving all of them access to education that will allow these youth to unlock a career.

The Africa Foundation also funded the Mbhedula craft market in 1997, where tourists can purchase locally-made crafts in Mduku. The Mbhedula craft market allows women in rural communities to source their own income and support their families. People living with disabilities are also able to find work here, giving them the opportunity to work and provide for themselves.

Additionally, the market allows Mduku women to sell their products locally rather than having to travel up to 300km away to Durban and be forced to sleep on the streets. As well as funding the construction of the market, the Africa Foundation also invested in street signs and improving the visibility of the craft market, bringing in more trade and supporting the people who work there.

andBeyond has 23,763 hectares of conservation land under their care, meaning that all of this land, and the nature that inhabits it, is protected. andBeyond is also working with Great Plains Conservation for their collaborative project, Rhinos Without Borders. On average, one rhino is killed every eight hours by poachers who are seeking rhino horns. To help combat this, Rhinos Without Borders relocate rhinos from high-risk poaching areas in South Africa to Botswana’s wilderness areas. At present, Rhinos Without Borders has been able to translocate 93 rhinos, who as a result will be far safer from poachers.

andBeyond recognises the threat posed to the world’s oceans and marine resources, and is working to combat the peril of ocean degradation alongside a fellow bastion of ecological awareness, the Africa Foundation. In addition to the over 3.6 million hectares (9 million acres) of protected wildlife sustained through their Care of the Wild initiative, andBeyond’s footprint now covers an additional 2,000 km (1242 miles) of Africa’s coastline, striving to conserve and enlarge Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

andBeyond seek to apply their trilogy philosophy to their marine operations in order to better care for/impart a positive ecological effect on the areas of the ocean under their jurisdiction. This philosophy comprises Protecting Reefs, Protecting Marine Species and Community Empowerment, which have thus far, through the facilitation of partnerships with like-minded institutions, has proven initial levels of success and sets optimistic targets for future projects.

andBeyond understands that to protect the land they operate on, they need to implement eco and sustainable initiatives. One of their key aims is to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030, and so far all andBeyond lodges have been audited with an average sustainability score of 88%.

Another way they are caring for the land is by sourcing and using their water sustainably. 96% of lodges use water sourced from water bottling plants and they are currently 85 litres/head better than their target of 500 l/head. andBeyond also aims to eliminate plastic water bottles in their camps, and so far 740,000 plastic water bottles have been eliminated per year.

In 2018, a solar photovoltaic (PV) plant and a Tesla Powerpack Battery-Energy Storage System (BESS) was installed at Nxabega Okavango Tented Camp. Generator time has been dramatically reduced, with 80% of Nxabega’s total energy consumption now supplied by green technology. Eco-friendly alternatives such as this facilitate a lesser dependence on environmentally detrimental energy sources such as those requiring conventional fossil fuels, resulting in a profoundly positive impact on the ecosystems, wildlife and landscapes in which these lodges are situated.

In line with andBeyond’s stance on ecological sustainability and streamlined efficiency mandate, there currently exists a wealth of initiatives and protocols designed to mediate the ecological impact on areas built upon and utilised for means of ecotourism. For instance, careful site selection ensures that the areas chosen for the construction of all andBeyond properties are compatible with the surrounding landscapes, ecosystems and wildlife.

The implementation of repurposed and recycled construction materials greatly benefits the ecology of the land, negating the need to source and haul industrial quantities of lumber and other construction materials across vast distances through otherwise undisturbed ecosystems. Minimal foundations and excavations are achieved using steel frame structures atop the designated areas of construction, minimising the imprint on the immediate environment.

Energy efficiency is maintained through the architectural use of very wide eaves, covered external terraces, cross ventilation and maximised insulation. Heat pumps have been used to heat the pools, with gas used for water heating to greatly reduce the carbon footprint. State-of-the-art wastewater and sewer treatment systems enable all wastewater to be effectively recycled for irrigation.

Above-ground wastewater treatment plants work on an environmentally friendly accelerated aerobic and anaerobic digestion process. Up to 57% of all andBeyond lodges now contain water treatment plants. Additionally, an ever-increasing number of andBeyond lodges have seen the installation of Hydraloop grey-water treatment systems, used to purify wastewater for gardens, irrigation and cleaning solar panel banks.

At andBeyond Phinda Mountain Lodge, more accurate water measurement systems have been implemented to trial more efficient water management practices that hold the potential for wide-scale implementation across all andBeyond ecotourism destinations.

Innovative water management initiatives are being rolled out across a variety of andBeyond properties. This is achieved through identifying the locations that would best benefit from these cutting-edge installations and trialling solutions to assess viability for future rollouts in equally affected areas. andBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is currently testing an above-ground wastewater treatment system that will utilise laundry water to wash safari vehicles and flush staff toilets, saving 160,000 l (42,267 gallons) of water monthly.

Energy use is tracked and reported on a monthly basis. This includes the use of wood, petrol, diesel, electricity, gas, paraffin, and charcoal. This comprehensive system of management ensures that sustainable consumption practices are adhered to present opportunities for further streamlining.

andBeyond carry out research and blood tests in order to rule out debilitating diseases in the lions and cheetahs within the Mun-Ya-Wana Conservancy. By checking for diseases such as Feline Corona Virus, Feline Leukaemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, andBeyond is able to ensure that the populations of big cats stay healthy and, in some areas, can continue to reverse local extinctions.