Londolozi

Londolozi began in 1926, when Charles Boyd-Varty bought worn-out cattle land west of the Kruger, and in 2026 the Varty family marks a century on this bend of the Sand River in the Sabi Sand. Its name comes from a Zulu word meaning protector of all living things, and the reserve became a model for conservation that Nelson Mandela endorsed after his visit; in 1993 it was the first game reserve in the world admitted to Relais & Châteaux. The designer Yvonne O'Brien gave the camps their characters with Shan Varty: Varty Camp, the heart of the place; Founders Camp, clean-lined and modern; Pioneer Camp, the most secluded; and Tree Camp, six suites in the leadwood canopy. Londolozi is known above all for its leopards, followed by rangers and trackers for more than four decades. A photographic studio lends lenses and teaches editing, and the Healing House offers massage and other therapies. The Private Granite Suites are three suites on the Sand River, each with a heated pool and an outdoor bath, which can be taken as a private camp for six; children under 16 are not accepted there.