Elite Traveler Summer 2022

etr li at ve eler SUMMER 2022 137

Expect intimate encounters with the Big Five, including lion cubs if you’re very lucky

class school: While you learn to rustle up some of the best traditional South African cuisine, the buzz stems from the fact that your time (and your pennies) are helping to support a community development project that apprentices promising young adults from disadvantaged communities. Speaking of culinary delights, the food here truly is excellent. Liam Tomlin, the acclaimed Cape Town chef behind Chef’s Warehouse and Thali, is the man behind Singita’s sophisticated array of contemporary bites. As the brand preaches a staunch sustainability philosophy, the menu changes according to what is in season, but expect everything from posh ostrich, fancy burrata, tender asparagus, and a knockout breakfast of eggs cooked in any style. Plus, if you want to try something more local, just ask. The kitchen will rustle up a special menu of South African delights at your request. Wines? All from down south, naturally.

eco-wins from protecting the land, to supporting Singita’s anti-poaching units and nonpro fi t partners. Perched on a hill overlooking the N’wanetsi River and Lebombo Mountains, two lodges — Lebombo and Sweni — share exclusive use of 33,000 acres of wilderness bordering Mozambique’s Parque Nacional do Limpopo. The vibe is remote, wild luxury. Think tin-shack propeller plane rides that land on dirt-track runways, unshared and extremely intimate Big Five sightings, and wondrously lush fl ora that stretches for miles along the horizon. The place really is the Lion King of safari dreams, featuring all the big names from lowly hyenas to wild dogs, cheetahs, rhinos — with cocktails in between. Then there are the unbelievably chic lodges. The work of GAPP architects, with interiors from Cecile & Boyd, it’s swish Hollywood pad meets the jungle. Lebombo is the more contemporary of the two. Taupes, grays and browns dominate the muted palette, with egg-shaped tubs, outside showers, love seats, wide balconies (deck chairs and outside bed included) and grand beds crowning the deluxe space. Sweni, hanging just o ff the river, is a more intimate a ff air. Within a minute or two of pining over our new kaleidoscopically colorful digs, a group of monkeys charged the deck demanding a bite of my half-eaten mango ball from the well-stocked, planet-friendly mini-bar. The setup, much the same as Lebombo, is a little more like Jane’s plush version of Tarzan’s earthy hinterland — with the exception of both indoor and outdoor showers, as well as an extra bathroom which, after a four-hour morning game drive, really does come in handy. There’s more than just plush digs and safari, though. In between all the 5am wake-up calls, lazy hazy days were spent by the two lap pools staggered on the edges of the reserve with knockout views over to the hills atop Mozambique. Cooks (wannabe ones too) will love the cooking

On our fi nal game drive, we’re confronted by the sight of three large male elephant bulls. Their trunks loll; their leathery skin folds; their eyes rage at us fi xedly, as they glare at us in total suspicion. The serenity of this tender, intimate moment is broken only by one very bittersweet realization: This might be about as good as life gets. I am healed. I am free, I whisper as we watch the sunset over the horizon. By Luke Abrahams From $10,400 per person based on a four-night safari. Contact +44 208 682 5070, scottdunn.com

From top Singita Sweni

Lodge’s main pool; early morning game drives

Photos CrookesAndJackson, Ross Couper