Cheetah Plains sits inside the Sabi Sand, the private reserve that shares an unfenced border with Kruger National Park to the east and is known above all for leopard and Big Five sightings. The lodge is three separate villas, and each one is booked by a single party. Every villa has four suites for up to eight guests, a formal lounge, a dining room, a wine gallery, a chef's kitchen, an outdoor boma and a long pool deck looking into the bush. Karula Villa takes its name from a female leopard, and the word means peace in Shangaan. Mapogo Villa faces an active waterhole, so the animals often come to you. Mvula Villa honours a male leopard whose territory once lay at the centre of the reserve. Each villa has its own guide, tracker, host, butler, kitchen team and spa therapist for the whole stay, and its own electric Land Cruiser, so the twice-daily drives run without engine noise. Walks on foot, private tastings in the villa cellar and in-suite treatments fill the hours between drives. Meals and drinks, including South African wines and spirits, are part of the stay.
- Nearest airport
- Arathusa Airstrip
- Rooms
- Three villas, each with four suites for up to eight guests
Insider tip Arathusa Airstrip only accepts landings and take-offs between 10:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., so plan the light-aircraft leg from Johannesburg around that window.
Why I choose it A whole villa, team and vehicle for one family or group, in a reserve with consistently strong leopard sightings. The quiet electric drives make a real difference out in the bush.
