A new era dawns on Travel & Things as we welcome Sun Destinations.

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Sun Destinations offers a portfolio of authentic bush camps and safari lodges. Join them for the adventure of a lifetime.

For those who are observant, you might have noticed a new banner sponsor on the Travel & Things landing page…

 

 

 

We at Travel & Things welcome Sun Destinations, with whom we have had an association for several years. They have a variety of amazing properties on offer, both locally and in Botswana and this post contains images of some of those in South Africa that I have already visited.

 

 

 

This is what Courteney Blunden, co-owner of Sun Destinations, had to say about this partnership…

 

 

 

Africa on Foot offers big five Kruger Walking Safaris and game drives in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve which shares unfenced borders with the Kruger National Park.

 

 

 

 

My wife and I were concerned that this bungalow, which was to be accommodation for the duration of our stay would be too small, given the outside proportions.

However, it was an optical illusion s we were to discover once we opened the door.

We could not have been more wrong if we tried.

 

 

 

This is what awaited us when we stepped through the door. A huge and very comfortable bed that beckoned us almost immediately. But we resisted the urge to have a nap and decided instead to wander around the camp to see what was in store for us.

 

 

 

A desk! An important item of furniture for me as it became my office for the duration of our stay here. I cannot begin to count the number of lodges that I have visited where I either have to work hunched over or in a public space for lack of a table that is the correct height and a chair to match.

This might not be important for other guests, although an extra ‘surface’ when on holiday is never wasted. It always amazes me how quickly luggage can spread through accommodation. It never seems to happen at home, but on holiday…a different story.

 

 

 

The accommodation has two types of bathroom facilities…indoor and outdoor. In both, the toilet is indoors, so you don’t have to brave the chilly Lowveld nights should you need to go.

An outdoor shower when on a bush break is a must as far as I am concerned, and even though the nights were a tad chilly when we were in camp, it did not stop with of us from using the shower before going to bed.

BTW, don’t be surprised if you find a frog balanced on the frame of the mirror. We did and it added to our experience.

 

 

 

The camp, seen from our front door. The use of water-wise plants is a tribute to the landscaper who has made to campsite green.

The building on the right houses the office and a small but well-stocked curio shop. On the left, hidden behind the succulents, is the main building that comprises a dining room, lounge and bar.

 

 

 

And this is the lounge area. We spent time there before meals and waiting to go out on game drives. A very comfortable area and one built in such a way that you can have a private conversation or you can be a part of a group.

This was also the meeting point for those who wanted to experience Africa on foot, with an early morning walk.

Africa on Foot lives up to its name by offering guests morning walks in a Big 5 reserve, under the guidance of experts who know the area and can keep the guests safe and informed while experiencing the bush from a different perspective (but more about that in another post.)

 

 

 

A private area within a public space.

 

 

 

 

 

 

nThambo Tree Camp offers accommodation at eye level with the trees in the Klaserie  private Big 5 game reserve.

 

 

 

 

How does one accurately define the accommodation at nThambo Tree Camp?

If I was to use the Superman analogy; “Is it a bird? is it a plane? No, it’s Superman” then I would wonder out loud that this is not quite a tree house, nor is it the usual terrestrial type accommodation.

 

 

 

Believe it or not, this is the interior of the accommodation. A stunning layout with everything that the discerning safari-goer needs or wants in a camp of this quality. And it is partly because of this attention to detail that the camp gets a lot of return international guests.

A comfortable bed with exquisite linen and the ubiquitous mosquito net was the centrepiece of the room.

 

 

 

Plenty of shelves and hanging space for those who, like my wife, want to unpack. There was also a comfortable chair and table for me to work at that faced out over the open plain in front of the deck.

 

 

 

Attention to detail is important and it was touches like this that certainly made my wife and I say well done for adding a touch of greenery.

 

 

 

Given the fact that the accommodation is on stilts, it would be difficult to offer an outdoor shower. That being said, this had good water pressure and sufficient hot water to freshen up at the end of the day or when returning from a game drive and before heading off to breakfast.

 

 

 

This was the view from our deck. For most of the day, except when I took this picture, there were various game species wandering to and from the waterhole. Warthog, impala, a jackal or two and in the evening, elephants made their appearance under cover of darkness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At night, under the endless African sky, Chacma Bush Camp takes on an entirely different persona. Gently lit by a series of lanterns and soft light, it allows the guests to experience to joy of being outdoors enjoying good food and interesting company while at the same time being grateful just being at one with nature and all that it offers.

 

 

 

 

Even before the staff arrived to greet me, I noticed this young Klipspringer behind the room that I had stayed at on a previous visit.

It the offspring of a resident pair that call Chacma Bush Camp ‘home’.

 

 

 

This is the view that the staff have while waiting for arriving guests to park their cars and make their way towards the main buildings.

And speaking of parking, it is only a few meters from the accommodation, so if you forget something, you do not have to don hiking boots and a backpack to fetch whatever you left behind.

And seeing that the camp can only accommodate 6 adults,(there is accommodation for 4 children, should families wish to visit) said car park is never overfull.

Chacma Bush Camp is set within the Maseke Balule Game Reserve, an 8000-hectare private game that shares open borders with the Kruger National Park. It can be accessed via the R40 in the direction of Phalaborwa, about 45km from Hoedspruit. With flights from both Johannesburg and Cape Town flying into Eastgate airport just outside Hoedspruit, guests are able to fly in and utilize a shuttle service to get them to and from the camp.

 

 

 

Grysbok Chalet, where I would be staying in on my first night. Only a few meters from the pool and dining area, it offers family accommodation as it is the only chalet that offers separate room for children…but more of that in a moment.

It is also where I stayed on a previous visit, and the owners believe in the adage ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. It is as I remember it and opening the door was like returning home.

 

 

 

The main bedroom. It overlooks the koppie behind the camp and guests might even be lucky to see a leopard walk past after dark.

 

 

 

At night the room transforms into an intimate space with the addition of the mosquito net.

For me there is something special about sleeping under a net that harkens back to days of yore, when these nets were essential to stop the possibility of contracting malaria. With the advent of a variety of sprays and medication to ward of that dreadful sickness, the nets, certainly in the major reserves, could possibly be eradicated. But lodge owners want to make certain that the annoying and sometimes deadly mozzies are kept at bay.

 

 

 

 

 

The name Nambu means ‘river’ in the local language of IsiThonga, and this unique lodge has many ties to this natural source that flows through the traverse, from the family name to the flowing waters of the Olifant’s River nearby. Nambu Camp is built in the heart of the Balule Private Nature Reserve which is open to the Kruger National Park. From the official website

 

 

 

This is the first view that arriving guests get of the public building that makes up the major part of  Nambu Camp, a property that has been in the Drinkwater family for almost 4 decades and having been passed down through generations has retained many of the family memories and some of the décor from bygone days has been seamlessly incorporated into the more contemporary design elements.

This building is home to a lounge, dining area, kitchen and offices all sitting side by side in perfect harmony.

The wrap-around deck allows visitors to scan the bush below for signs of wildlife and more often than not, they are rewarded with a variety of different species that go about their business without even knowing that they are being observed. Or perhaps they are aware and don’t care?

Nambu Camp is easily accessed in the Balule Private Game Reserve, 16 km outside of Hoedspruit on the R40.

Did you know?

The Balule area of the Greater Kruger National Park was initially several separate fenced game farms. In early 1990, landowners decided to remove the fences separating their properties to aid conservation and increase the grazing area and diversify the animal gene pool.

 

 

 

During the heat of the day, relaxing here is not an option, it could be seen as a necessity.

You can look out over this particular portion of Balule Game Reserve from the comfort of one of the loungers or the cool water of the pool.

The birdlife in and around the camp is spectacular and I suggest that you keep a camera or binoculars close at hand if your passion is for the feathered variety as opposed to something that has teeth and claws.

 

 

 

This is what can be viewed from the deck. Elephants as far as I could see.

Never a dull moment at Nambu!

 

 

Just one of the corners of the vast and airy public space that is both the reception are as well as a dining space.

It has been immaculately furnished with a variety of new and old, thus keeping it in touch with its roots.

 

 

Simple, yet modern and stylish cuisine is served in the stunning open dining area. A light and healthy breakfast is served after your morning activity, followed by a more hearty brunch later in the afternoon. Canapés are served at sundowners in the bush then head back to camp for a delicious and elegant evening meal under the starsFrom the website.

Given the meals that I enjoyed while staying at this camp, who am I to contradict that statement from their website?

 

 

 

The lounge at night. Subtle lighting welcomes guests to sit and chat.

 

 

 

 

 

Sun Destinations also take over as the headline sponsor for In conversation with…

Check out the archived and current interviews… click on the image above.

 

 

 

 

 

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