About this hotel
General information
Jabulani Safari is an intimate six-suite lodge in the private Kapama reserve, and its whole life turns on elephants. It began with a calf called Jabulani, found injured, abandoned and stuck in mud in 1997; he was nursed back to health but never accepted by a wild herd. In 2002 a group of rescued orphaned elephants was brought to South Africa from Zimbabwe, the calf joined them, and the Jabulani herd was born. It now numbers 16 elephants, looked after by the lodge’s own carers.
The main lodge, with its dining room, lounge and cocktail bar, opens onto a wooden deck above a waterhole, and a suspension bridge crosses the riverbed to the suites. Jabulani is a member of Relais & Châteaux and runs on an all-inclusive basis: meals, snacks, a wide choice of drinks, game drives and time with the herd are part of the stay. Children from the age of six are welcome in the suites.
Location
The lodge lies within the 16,000-hectare Kapama Private Game Reserve in the Greater Kruger, about 15 km from Hoedspruit. The nearest airport is Hoedspruit (Eastgate), with daily flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town; guests are met there and driven to the lodge free of charge in around 30 minutes. Private charters can land on Kapama’s own airstrip, and short charter hops link Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport with Hoedspruit every day. By road it is about 450 km, almost six hours, from Johannesburg’s international airport, and around 50 km to Kruger National Park’s Orpen Gate.
Spa
The Bush Spa sits in the bush beneath a canopy of trees. Its menu runs from massages, including the African Wood Massage, to African mud and aloe ferox gel wraps, body exfoliation, facials and hand and foot care, using Theranaka products made with African herbs and TheraVine skincare built on grape antioxidants. Treatments can also be taken in the suite. Nearby, an open-air thatched sauna looks out over the bush.
Sports & leisure
Twice a day, at dawn and late afternoon, rangers take guests out on game drives in open vehicles: the reserve holds all of the Big Five, leopard sightings are frequent, and the after-dark drives use a spotlight to find nocturnal animals. A separate programme is built around the Jabulani herd, based on watching rather than riding or close contact. Guests can also enjoy:
- watching the herd forage with its carers;
- Signature Sunsets, sundowners and canapés while waiting for the elephants to come home;
- the seasonal Elephant Swim, the herd’s midday bathe, and Meet the Bulls, an introduction to three of its males;
- research outings with a ranger to collect elephant dung for scientific study;
- walking safaris with a ranger, and birdwatching among more than 350 species;
- visits to the aquaponics system and the wormery, and to rhino conservation work;
- a sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the Blyde River and a helicopter flight to the Blyde River Canyon;
- an open-air gym and a boutique.
For children
JabuJuniors is open to children from six. Its Conservationists strand covers aquaponics, elephant anatomy and paper made from elephant dung; the Ranger Academy teaches orienteering, track identification, birdwatching and stargazing; Creative Kids means decorating elephant biscuits, painting T-shirts and casting animal spoor. Young participants receive personalised certificates, and carers are available when parents want time to themselves.
Restaurants & bars
The kitchen follows the Relais & Châteaux tradition: the menu changes daily, some seasonal produce is grown in the lodge’s own aquaponics system, dishes are tailored to each guest, and kosher cuisine can be arranged.
- main dining room — multi-course dinners;
- main lodge deck — lunch in the shade of leadwood trees above the waterhole;
- cocktail bar and lounge — drinks before dinner;
- boma — candlelit dinners around a fire under the stars, with food cooked over open flames;
- Wine Cellar — a glass-panelled cellar with an intimate table for food and South African wine pairings;
- bush breakfasts and picnics, sundowner canapés and private dinners on the suite deck or by its fireplace.
Swimming
There is no shared pool: each suite has its own plunge pool on a wooden deck overlooking the riverbed.
Rooms
The six suites are spaced some 30 m apart along the riverbed, so each feels secluded. Every one has a separate lounge with a fireplace, an open-plan bathroom with a freestanding stone bath and a semi-outdoor shower, and a deck with a plunge pool.
Each suite has air conditioning and a fan, a stocked minibar, a Nespresso machine with tea and coffee, a safe, mosquito nets, locally made bath products, Wi-Fi and complimentary room service.
Superior Suite
A suite with a king-size bed or twin beds, a lounge with a fireplace and an open-plan bathroom with a freestanding stone bath, double basins and a semi-outdoor shower. The deck and private plunge pool face the riverbed; sleeps two adults and one child aged six or over.
Superior King Suite
One of three adults-only suites (18 and over, two guests at most), with a king-size bed, a separate sitting room with a fireplace and a bathroom with a freestanding bath, a glass shower and an outdoor shower; its private deck and plunge pool face the bush. It sits close to the Wellness Centre, reserved for guests of these three suites, within walking distance of the main lodge.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.