Arathusa Safari Lodge

The 9 waterhole view suites are centrally located, overlooking the tranquil waterhole and offering wildlife viewing. The 4 bush view suites are more private and secluded, nestled amongst a bush setting and including their own private plunge pools on their wooden decks.

The 13 suites are all uniquely designed, with a light and airy atmosphere and their open-plan layout offers plenty of space to move about. Guests can choose from two twins or a king-size four-poster bed, draped with elegant mosquito nets and covered in soft pillows and cushions. Outside on your private deck, you will find a cosy seating area and an outdoor shower. There is an additional shower in your en-suite bathroom, as well as a relaxing bathtub. Air-conditioning is provided to help maintain a comfortable temperature and minibars and tea and coffee making facilities offer constant refreshments.

Guests at Arathusa Safari Lodge can look forward to three delicious meals each day, crafted by the lodge’s expert team of chefs. Enjoy breakfast in the bush during an exciting game drive and listen to the local wildlife as you dine. Buffet lunches are available on the plains, or guests can enjoy dining in the pleasant shade of the indoor restaurant.

In the evenings, guests can gather around the roaring boma and taste mouth-watering dishes cooking over a fire. This is the perfect setting for swapping exciting safari stories and sharing memories. Finish the night off with an indulgent dessert and a refreshing beverage while admiring the glimmering starscape.

Sabi Sand 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 guide, who will help you find your favourite animals, including the legendary Big 5. 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, 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.

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. Enjoy exploring 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 Sabi Sands 500 different species of bird without the distracting noise of an engine. An armed ranger will accompany you for your protection, and help you get up close to amazing animals such as elephants, buffalo, giraffes and zebras.

Enjoy a relaxing treatment in the comfort of the Safari Spa, overlooking the beautiful bushveld and sweeping plains. Guests can choose from a range of treatments, designed to soothe, relax and rejuvenate. Arathusa uses locally sourced spa products for their massages, facials, bath ceremony treatments, body wraps, manicures and pedicures. Treat yourself and unwind in the heart of this stunning natural paradise.

Arathusa Safari Lodge is part of Pack For a Purpose, an initiative that encourages guests to travel light and use their spare suitcase space to help local communities by bringing equipment that is desperately needed. Arathusa supports the local Hananani Primary School which gives education to 220 children aged 5-13. By donating items such as school bags, stationery, dictionaries, textbooks, maps, art supplies and sports equipment, guests are able to support the education of these students and help enrich their learning experience. Donations are accepted at the reception area and are delivered directly from the lodge to the school.

Arathusa Safari Lodge supports the local community by prioritising local people for jobs and training local people to open up employment opportunities. 40 of their staff members and from the local villages and Arathus is committed to approaching local communities to find suitable staff before anyone else. This prevents local people from having to move away from their homes to seek employment. They also invest in the Pfunanani Enterprise Development Project which offers training and support to help small independent businesses flourish.

Arathusa also sources products, and seek service and labour from local businesses. They purchase fresh vegetables from Utah Gardens, bread from Utah Bakery and Ice from the village hotel, and all casual labour is from local communities.

‘Funds are donated to the Buffelshoek Trust, which is allocated to schools, soccer teams, school holiday initiatives, and general upliftment programmes for the local communities.’

Arathusa work to conserve the land and wildlife around the safari lodge by implementing a strict vehicle/hectare and vehicle/sighting ratio control. This means that they restrict the number of vehicles in each area in order to cause as little disruption and stress to the game, and leave as small an impact on the environment as possible.

The lodges within the Sabi Sand Game Reserve also contribute both time and funds to help preserve the rhino population and prevent poaching. Anti-poaching teams work within the reserve to monitor and protect the rhino, and by offering these teams support and recording sightings, Arathusa is helping to deter poachers.