Cheetah Plains Private Game Reserve

Each of the Private Villas is named after famous big cats who have lived on the reserve. The bush homes all cater for up to 8 guests, with four double bedrooms that feature king-size beds, a small lounge area, an en-suite bathroom with a rain shower and bath that offer bush views, a dressing room with dual vanity and a private deck and day bed. Each villa also has two bedrooms with a connecting door – ideal for parents travelling with young children so that you can check in on them while enjoying the privacy of your own bedrooms.

The villa’s floor to ceiling windows offer impressive landscape views that can be enjoyed from one of the two comfy lounge areas, and guests are spoiled with their own dining room and wine gallery. Enjoy a pleasant dip in your heated lap pool outside while taking in the constant breathtaking views. The outdoor deck is the perfect spot for enjoying tasty meals cooked by your own culinary team, and guests can entertain themselves with the entertainment in your TV room, or treat themselves to a relaxing spa treatment in their own suites.

Each of the luxurious villas has a fully-equipped kitchen where your very own culinary team will cook meals for you during your stay. Guests can enjoy their favourite dishes out on the sunny pool deck, the formal dining room or in the warm and cosy boma area.

The villas also feature a custom-designed wine gallery that showcases the best of South Africa’s brilliant wines. Choose from a selection of carefully curated wines, whiskeys and spirits which have been stored in a temperature-controlled wine gallery to ensure they are kept at the utmost quality. Private tastings are available at the Plains House Wine Cellar.

Enjoy amazing refreshments in the serene setting of the South African bushveld. Your field guide and tracker team will provide a selection of delicious snacks, as well as coffee with Amarula in the mornings, or a classic gin and tonic – ideal for watching the colourful sunsets that light up the evening skies.

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 electric safari vehicle, along with a private 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, 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. Twice daily game drives increase the chances of spotting some of the reserve’s more elusive species including honeybadgers and ground hornbills.

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 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.

Enjoy working out and training against the backdrop of the sweeping green lawns and Tamboti grove in a comfortable climate-controlled gym. Guests can use a selection of modern equipment to keep up with their fitness schedule while away from home.

Take some time to enjoy a soothing and restorative treatment or massage, and unwind in the beautiful setting of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve. Guests can enjoy treatments in the comfort of their own suites, being pampered with essential oils and relaxing Africology products, made from natural ingredients. Enjoy a range of treatments including manicures, pedicures, touch therapies and facials.

Young explorers aged 12 and under can enjoy a series of fun and educational activities on Cheetah Plains’ bespoke children’s safari program. Each child is provided with a backpack, filled with activities that will teach them about the wilderness and the wildlife that inhabits it. Children can also explore the grounds and participate in age-appropriate safari drives. Immerse your young ones in nature and help them build a connection to the natural world.

Take a trip to the local village, Utah, where many of the lodge’s staff live. Guests will be able to see the ways in which Cheetah Plains have supported the area and meet the people that have been impacted by sustainable tourism. Learn about Shangaan traditions and culture, and discover a different style of living than you are used to.

Lezagwa Utah Crèche was started by Miss Gabaza Angelina Mabuza, after she purchased the land from the Utah Village Chief and launched it without any government funding. The crèche provides care for around 60 children from the ages of 6 months to 5 years. Cheetah Plains is involved with the crèche, having helped during the construction and furnishing of the building.

‘Central to the construction and development of the crèche was the inclusion of a borehole and septic tank. As a result, clean water for drinking, cooking, washing and cleaning is now available at the crèche and accessible to the Utah community as a whole. The borehole is 141 metres deep and delivers 960 litres of water an hour.’

As well as aiding with the construction of the septic tank, Cheetah Plains also provides weekly food and grocery deliveries, meaning that each child has access to hygiene and can receive two meals each day and a snack before going home.

Cheetah Plains has partnered with a number of pre-eminent minds in the renewable energy industry in order to find and provide clean energy to the game reserve. The lodge uses electric safari vehicles that cause less disruption to the animals and do not produce carbon emissions, and the accommodation is off the grid, receiving all of its power from Cheetah Plains’ solar farm. The villas’ swimming pools are also heated by solar power.

Cheetah Plains uses a greywater recycling system in order to minimise their water consumption. The lodge also has initiatives in place to further reduce carbon emissions such as using single-glazed glass to reduce heat transfer through windows and keep the buildings cooler during the summer/warmer during winter to reduce the need for air-conditioning or heating.