Camp Jabulani

This is the top lodge in Kapama -- a fenced "island" private reserve near Hoedspruit that harbors all the Big 5 but is best known for its elephant-back safaris, an activity that offers a unique giraffe's-eye view over the African bush and its inhabitants. Founded in 2003, the camp itself is a stunner, with an opulent dining area and lounge overlooking a pretty waterhole, delicious Relais & Châteaux cuisine, and accommodation in six spacious and beautifully decorated wood, stone, and thatch cottages, all with private deck and plunge pool, carved into a patch of riparian forest alive with monkeys and birds. Game drives, bush walks, and visits to the associated Hoedspruit Endangered Species Center are all on offer, but the stars of the show are the elephants, which consist of the young male Jabulani, who was hand-reared after being orphaned at the age of 4 months, and a herd of 12 adolescents rescued from Zimbabwe in 2002. The nighttime elephant-back trips below a glittering African night sky are wondrous.

Facilities:
Dining room; bar; lounge; bush walks; clay pigeon shooting (by request); elephant activities (safaris and stable visits); game drives; hot-air ballooning (by request); high-speed Internet; library; massage

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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