About this hotel
General information
Lion Sands Ivory Lodge is the most intimate of the lodges on Lion Sands Game Reserve: just eight suites strung along the bank of the Sabie River beneath old riverine trees. The architecture is quiet and clean-lined, folding itself into the riverscape, and each suite moves freely from room to terrace. The mood is understated rather than showy, with a team that knows when to be present and when to step back and let the wilderness take over.
Lion Sands is the only private reserve that spans both the Sabi Sand and part of Kruger National Park, with 12,400 hectares of exclusive traversing between the Sabie and Sand rivers, Big Five country known above all for its leopard sightings. Stays include all meals, teas and coffees, a selection of premium-brand drinks including champagne, the in-suite bar, two game drives a day, bush walks and transfers from Skukuza Airport. Children are welcome from the age of 10.
Location
The lodge sits on the bank of the Sabie River in the Greater Kruger, in Mpumalanga province. The nearest airport is Skukuza, inside Kruger National Park, 15–20 minutes away by open safari vehicle or private transfer. Scheduled flights also serve Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, private charters land at Skukuza or the Sabi Sand airstrips, and the lodge has its own helipad for helicopter arrivals. By road, Johannesburg is about 500 km and some six hours away.
Spa
The lodge spa is open daily from 8am to 7pm. Its menu runs to massages, facials, hydrating body treatments, hand and foot rituals for skin weathered by open safari vehicles, and treatments for couples. Products come from TheraNaka and TheraVine, built on African botanicals such as shea butter and Pinotage grape extracts, with exfoliations and nourishing oils woven through the rituals. There is also a fitness centre and space for yoga, which can equally be arranged on a suite’s own terrace above the river.
Sports & leisure
Game drives leave twice a day, at sunrise and in the late afternoon, in open vehicles with an accredited field guide and tracker and never more than six guests aboard, pausing for coffee in the morning and a sundowner at dusk. Beyond the drives:
- bush walks after breakfast (1–2 hours, for guests aged 16 and over), shaped around tracks, birds, plants or geology;
- a night in an open-air treehouse with a sunset picnic dinner and sleep beneath the stars (booked together with a suite);
- private helicopter flights over the Blyde River Canyon and the Three Rondavels;
- stargazing with a field guide and photography from hides;
- the Creative Lab, a photography studio for editing and printing images with guidance from a specialist;
- the Artist Residency, where guests can meet the resident artist or commission a piece;
- visits to neighbouring rural communities with the reserve’s foundation.
For children
Younger guests have the Mack & Madi Kids’ Safari Club: tracking animals with the field guides, scavenger hunts, baking with a chef, beading, photography and milkshake sundowners. Every child is given a backpack or cap, games and small gifts, and child-friendly meals are prepared throughout the stay.
Restaurants & bars
Menus follow the seasons and local produce, and the setting changes with the day, from breakfast over the river to dinner by the fire. The lodge has an accredited kosher kitchen with separate cookware for meat and dairy, with Mashgiach supervision on request, and the chefs also cook vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal.
- The Larder — the heart of the lodge, an open pantry of house-made preserves, cured meats, artisan cheeses, fresh bread and seasonal produce for guests to taste;
- Wine Room — next to The Larder, a collection of South African wines from celebrated estates to rare cellared vintages;
- the river deck and the suites’ own terraces — breakfasts and long lunches;
- the boma — barbecue dinners around the fire under the stars (a boma is a traditional enclosure for fireside meals);
- bush breakfasts, riverside picnics and lantern-lit dinners beneath old trees.
Swimming
Every suite has its own plunge pool on a terrace overlooking the Sabie River.
Rooms
The eight suites run along the Sabie River, their floor-to-ceiling windows framing the water where waterbuck come down to drink; each has a private lounge with a fireplace, a terrace and a plunge pool.
Each suite has air conditioning, ceiling fans, a mosquito net, a fireplace, a stocked bar with snacks, a Nespresso machine, a safe, a hairdryer, a telephone, toiletries, international sockets and USB charging points, Wi-Fi and daily housekeeping.
Luxury Suite
A suite for two with a king-size bed or twin beds, a private lounge with a fireplace and an open-plan bathroom with a bath, an indoor shower and an outdoor shower. Floor-to-ceiling windows face the Sabie River, and the terrace has loungers and a private plunge pool.
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.