We like to go on a five star family holiday every year and combine the best of everything with a new adventure experience, after travelling through Vietnam the year before we did some research on South Africa for our 2011 adventure.
As we travel frequently every year we rely on advice from our agent who specializes in all things 5 star and beyond. Sabi Sabi was referred to us as the "Rolls Royce" for our SA adventure. - and it did not disappoint. There are six of us so we booked the Presidential suite and two other suites for our offspring aged 17 - 26. ( they do not take little kiddies at Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge) Sabi Sabi have 4 lodges and we chose Earth Lodge because its the flagship and it had more facilites than the others such as a day spa which came in handy after all those game drives !
The front of house culture in this place is exceptional! Obviously a well trained and focussed management team who cascade company standards of excellence in service successfully to the front of house team.
For example, you are personally greeted by the general manager of the Earth Lodge before and after each game drive ( twice a day) before you go out they make sure you have hot water bottles and blankets if its cold and they greet you with mugs of hot chocolate or cool drinks and cold face washers when you return to give you a lift. They are always excited for you when you get back from a game drive and ask you what you saw and if you were happy with the experience, very nice touches that enhanced the experience and comfort levels and made you feel like the staff genuinly cared about your comfort and the experiences you were enjoying in the bush. - Very professional and exceptional service at all times !
On our final night the management arranged a beautiful silver service dinner on the front lawn of the Presidential suite and arranged for a 24 strong choir from a local village to dance and sing traditional African songs to us dressed in their national costume for half an hour prior to dinner on the lawn next to our dinner table. This was another highlight of the resort and it made our children and us quite emotional. - It was a once in a lifetime experience.
Food was excellent and what you would expect to eat in a fine dining restaurant. They have different options for dinner to increase your experience and we tried them all, dinner in their well stocked wine cellar, dinner in the Boma, dinner at our Presidential suite, dinner in the bush ( silver service of course and dinner in their restaurant. The wine list is fantastic for all of you wine lovers out there and you will not be disappointed in the range and selection.
Accommodation was deeeeeluxe and what you would expect of a 5 star hotel. The Presidential suite has lots on nice extra goodies such as, large lounge area, outdoor showers ( in addition to the indoor ones of course!) , full size baths x 2, dining room, bar and well stocked wine cellar, private outdoor pool and lawn area ( all suites here have their own pool, but Pres suite is bigger !)
In terms of game drives, the six of us were in our own open top Land Rover with our own ranger and tracker on board. These guys were excellent and would ask us each day which animals we wanted to see and find them for us as they knew where each species was more likely to be located. So, over the five days we were there we saw the Big 5 and everything else we wanted to see as well. Another benefit of Sabi Sands private reserve is that the vehicles are permitted to off road which you cannot do in Kruger national park ( this is government owned) The boundry fence to Kruger used to be at Sabi Sands river and then several years ago the perimiter was expended over the river and now encapsulates the Sabi Sands private reserve. A lot of animals of different types use the private reserve as their habitat so you are much more likely to see all of the animals in this area than driving through the Kruger national park. - For example, We were told that Sabi Sands has at least 16 leopards in the private game reserve and that this is the largest number in one area in the whole district. So apart from the luxury aspect, it was the reputation of the much higher incedence of game spotting that inspired us to decide on Sabi Sabi and the Earth lodge.
If you want to combine a very high end luxury experience with as much game sighting as you need then this place will do the job for you. - We would be more than happy to come back again and stay at Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge.

On approaching Earth Lodge, one can already sense that there is a difference here. There is no grandiose approach as one comes near, no sweeping view of the camp with wooden walkways stretching out alongside a river bank, no sense of a human enclave pitted against the rugged wilderness.
Instead, what greets you is a perfectly normal grassy hill in the veld, dotted with a few trees and looking very much like any of the little hills surrounding it. One disembarks the vehicle quite neatly onto a raised platform, set into the side of a slight knoll in the hillside, floored with a light, sandy gravel.
Then, for the first-time visitor, begins a very mysterious descent into the hilltop via a wide, snaking, paved pathway which ends in a closed heavy wooden doorway into the darkness of the subterranean soil of the hill, which seems at that first impression to lead into some other world. The doors are then opened dramatically from the inside to reveal the most amazing sight.
Light from the other side comes streaming through the doorway, dazzling at first, and then forming the most incredible picture. We now find ourselves sheltered within an oasis set into the hillside and looking out upon a magnificent vista of pristine African landscape revealed on the other side of the hill, dotted with acacia and marula trees and with numerous indigenous grasses swaying in the breeze.
The lodge itself has an ancient feel about it, as if it has taken on some of the permanence of this hillside in the African Veld that has stood here for millennia. Everything seems to be made up of the very materials that were excavated from the hill in the first place. Earth, wood and metal in their raw, natural forms, fashion the basis of the internal structures and décor. It feels as if it had been built by some ancient civilization who were in total harmony with their surroundings and understood the bond between themselves, their environment and Mother Earth. The whole lodge fits in snugly with the hill and doesn’t perch atop it. It coalesces with the surrounding veld rather than being an autonomous human settlement.
The low ceilings and walls of bare earth throughout the lodge bear witness to this, not only emphasising the magnificent natural panorama that unfolds before you, but indicating an attitude of humility before it. The clever use of entire trees delivered by the floodwaters of the Sabie River creates some mysterious and beautiful adornment which feels just right in this instance. Water, the source of all life in Africa, forms a very focal role in the layout of the lodge, with all the communal areas radiating out from a central natural spring where reeds and bulrushes play host to a multitude of butterflies and dragonflies by day, and a chorus of reed frogs by night.
But this is no rustic hole in the ground. Instead modern, state-of-the-art architectural design with clean, striking lines, coupled with some very funky furniture and daring focus pieces make this a very 21st century structure. The detail is exceptional, and every single piece of ornamentation has been deeply thought about to blend in perfectly with the whole. No expense has been spared in making this lodge as decadently comfortable as possible with all the creature comforts one could desire: luxurious divans and couches abound in cool, air-conditioned lounges; massive, deep, free-standing baths and refreshing personal plunge pools are an invitation to wallow in; deliciously textured fine linens and smooth cream-coloured floors are a delight to the touch - these are just some of the enchantments that await you. There is also the wonderful Amani spa where you can treat yourself to an indulgent massage or your choice of a number of other treatments that will make you feel like a tribal king or queen.
The service is friendly and personal, with every member of staff always willing to attend to your needs and enquiries efficiently, and importantly, cheerfully. The food is sublime with enough unusual combinations to pique your interest, but without reaching into the bizarre. The safaris are incredible, especially the abundance of the rarer sightings like Leopard and Rhino, and guided by some very knowledgeable and obliging rangers.

This seamlessly close-to-nature experience, along with the otherworldly, ancient-and-modern allure of Earth Lodge, where you feel the regal presence of some bygone era, is a pleasant departure from the typical safari lodge experience, which grows on you by the day. Could this be the future of the safari lodge?

My wife and I visited Selati Camp first followed by Earth Lodge. When approaching Earth Lodge it looks as though you are stopping by an innocuous hill in bush. You walk down a winding pathway into the hill and an amazing lodge awaits through the doors. Whereas Selati Camp has a bit of a rustic feel, Earth Lodge is all elegance. It really feels like they plopped a Four Season's presidential suite in the middle of the African bush. Absolutely beautiful and luxurious.

The staff was pleasant but not particularly engaging. This is really just in comparison to the incredibly friendly and accomodating staff at Selati Camp. Earth Lodge came off as a bit stuffy in comparison.

Overall I would probably do the exact same trip (splitting time between Selati Camp and Earth Lodge). The experiences are different enough that it feels like it is two different vacations.

We visited Earth Lodge at the beginning of November for 4 days and I cried during the entire flight to the next reserve when we had to bid farewell. Earth Lodge is forever etched in our hearts and minds. it is THE BEST PLACE on this planet.

Your personal guide is waiting for you when you land at the air strip and she/he knows who you are. The drive is short to the front door where the great manager and staff are positioned to greet you. ("Boss! the plane!"...It was just like that!)You sit for a warm orientation by Zulch, the manager, and then are escorted to your suite which is really your own house. We were greeted by an elephant in our backyard as we entered our lodge. (I think they paid him in fruit for this showing.) :-) The suite is huge, modern and beautifully decorated with interesting appointments. The living area calms your weary mind...The bathroom/indoor shower and soup bowl tub room is AMAZING and huge. The outdoor shower and plunge pool are completely private and I loved being out there watching over my section of Bushveld....Everything is clean and crisp and they bend over backwards to keep you comfortable. There are unusual treats, plenty of things to drink and the even provide you with the correct electrical plug.

The safari drives are outstanding. Our guide, Brett, and our tracker, Patrick, became friends instantly. Keep in mind that we did go to another reserve after Sabi Sabi so we can do a comparison...The Land Rover is the best vehicle for these long tours, so if you have a bad back, this is your place. Brett and Patrick were extremely knowledgeable, caring, and gave 200% to get us to the wildlife while teaching us everything they know. We saw things we never thought we would see and we had a blast getting to them. Lions, kudos, water buffalo, black belly bustards, spotted hyenas, bush buck, zebras and the leopard....Memories of a lifetime. Brett took us on a private walk where we learned about the bush on a smaller level. The walk ended at the water hole where huge black catfish were mating and the resident hippo got our adrenaline flowing....We still miss Patrick and Brett who always kept us safe and gave us coffee and wine in the bush.

I do not like massages. Don't touch me please.....I had 2 massages (you have to try the Runga!), one long aromatic soak in the huge spa tub, and a complete body scrub by the lady of the spa, Manager Ashleigh. All the spa technicians are gifted and personable and I really felt comfortable being treated. All the pain mended away and my skin felt like silk. So, now, I don't like massages except at Earth Lodge Armani. I should have had that last massage before I left! the lotions and creams are remarkable. if you can handle the weight of a few tubes, take some home because you cannot get them in the US yet!

Someone said that they do not give you enough food. if that is true, I do not know how I gained 6 pounds in 4 days. The food is outstanding. I still long for breakfast after the safari. There is everything between eggs and fruit, pancakes and oatmeal, and cheese to bacon. Throw in some muffins, nuts, dried fruit and granola. Lunch has wonderful choices from normal American fare to vegetarian healthy. (I admit we did not go often because we were still full from breakfast.) Dinner was superb!!!!! We had several chefs during our visit and we could not decide who we liked best. We were given several choices of appetizers,entrees and desserts very night. Some dishes were exotic and I liked them the best. The good wine flowed and the company was as divine as the food. Our guide ate with us very night so we hear even more about his exciting adventures as we ate.

Would we go back? Tomorrow! I am still hoping for a job offer, guys! We rate Earth Lodge a 10 out of 5 and we miss you. Thank you for the trip of a lifetime!