Kruger visit is a perfect reminder of how lucky South Africans are

I’m something of a city creature by nature. I’m disgruntled by all but the most innocuous of insects, and I’m discomfited by how quiet and dark the nights are in the bush — I find myself missing sirens in the small hours of the morning when I can’t sleep.

But when I visited Mdluli Safari Lodge after the long lockdown, I cannot express how excited I was at the prospect of shucking off my suburban existence for a few days and spending some time in the wilderness. It felt like the most privileged sort of jailbreak, and it reminded me just how lucky South Africans are to live in such a miraculous country.

Invited by Cape Union Mart, I flew to Nelspruit with an assortment of influencers and media personalities as part of the brand’s Festive Adventure Getaway experience. It took about an hour to get from the airport to the lodge, in the southwest of the Kruger National Park. Mdluli opened at the dawn of 2020, which in retrospect must have been tremendously daunting.

The young lodge is modern and comfortable. Communal spaces converge around a magnificent infinity pool, which overlooks a beautiful, unbroken view of the park, while elevated decks provide a marvelous vantage point from which to enjoy a glass of wine.

After an ice-cold fruit juice welcome drink, I was taken — by a zippy little golf cart — to offload my bags in a cavernously spacious, tented room with an ample wooden stoep, an en-suite bathroom and — eep! — a (suitably walled-in) private outdoor shower. The bedroom and the bathroom were large and well-appointed, featuring an enormous bed, twin sinks, a writing desk, and the requisite kettle for tea and coffee. After months on end stagnating in my little apartment, I had to ward off the urge to pinch myself, so delighted was I at my new surrounds.

Mdluli has a unique and interesting history. The enterprise has been spearheaded by the Mdluli Royal Family in conjunction with finance house Grovest Corporate Advisory, a dream many years in the making. The hope is that the lodge will not only uplift the local community but also champion wildlife conservation, as well as sustainable living and building standards.

The lodge aims to be luxurious without being exclusive to the point of being inaccessible, and in this, I think, it succeeds. It is attractive and opulent without being the least bit pretentious, and it offers comparatively reasonable rates and packages. They also have a “Pay at Your Pace” option that allows guests to break down the cost into more affordable, zero-interest payments over their preferred period of time.

A lovely elephant sighting at Mdluli Safari Lodge. (Mdluli Safari Lodge)

The gorgeous infinity pool in front of the main lodge. (Mdluli Safari Lodge)

As is the case with most every bush lodge, the main draw for guests at Mdluli must be the game-sighting possibilities. Tourists of the steely, hands-on variety can opt to go on a safari walk, which I must admit is my personal idea of hell: I never want to encounter a lion or an elephant (or anything except herbivores and domestic pets) on foot.

On my late afternoon game drive, however, I was not deprived of exciting sightings. On the contrary, in addition to encounters with many, if not all, of the Big Five, we saw a

leopard, not too far away from where we were parked. It was gnawing at a kill in some branches and we almost drove right past it. I don’t remember the last time I saw a leopard — they are so hard to spot as they expertly merge with their surroundings — and I’d forgotten how moving it is to see one in the wild. They are so rare and so magnificent, even when you don’t manage to achieve proximity to them.

I was also gratified to be reminded to keep a lookout for interesting birds and insects, something I don’t think I would have had the savvy to do without guidance, which is a pity — the small and weird creatures that live in the Kruger are fascinating in their own right, particularly when one is in the company of a knowledgeable guide.

The food was unremarkable but satisfying, which I regard as an ideal set-up for lodges though I appreciate that not every foodie will share my view. Personally, I was less interested in the wholesome fare than I was in the beautiful settings. I enjoyed one meal on the deck, the next by the pool, and a fireside dinner in the boma under the stars. For now you can also have private spa treatments in your tent, and there are plans to open a gym next year.

One memorable evening we were taken for sunset cocktails at one of the lodge’s major attractions. Granite Rock is a geologically fascinating, naturally elevated lookout point with a panoramic view of the wilderness around it.

Of everything that I experienced there, that site has persistently lingered in my memory — it is striking and unique, one of those ageless, primordial locations that makes human beings feel deeply insignificant and boundlessly ancient at the same time. Sunsets in the Kruger are always astonishing in their vividness, and a welcome reminder of why city slickers like me are invariably tempted out of our comfort zones, in spite of ourselves.

A view inside a luxury tent. (Mdluli Safari Lodge)

PLAN YOUR TRIP:

Getting there: The lodge is about a five-hour drive from Gauteng and is accessed via a private road after you enter the Kruger National Park at Numbi Gate.

Rates: From R2,145 pp sharing, including dinner, bed and breakfast plus one game drive per day. You can also book the DBB and do your own drives, or book individual drives at R650 per person (R390 per child). Children under six stay and eat for free. Rates, valid for December and January, exclude the community levy and conservation fees.

More info: See mdlulisafarilodge.co.za

• Andropoulos was a guest of Cape Union Mart.