September – the month of Autumn and Spring

In the Northern Hemisphere, like in Germany and the rest of Europe, Autumn begins in September, while south of the equator it’s Spring.

It’s the best time to go on a safari in Kruger National Park. It’s still very dry, the vegetation is sparse, and you can find many animals at the waterholes.

The days and nights are slowly getting warmer, and the wildlife spotting is amazing! So, get out into the bush and discover new lodges—and that’s exactly what Elisa did in September for Ilanga Travel. She visited Sandringham Private Game Reserve and will report about it in this newsletter.

Sandringham Private Game Reserve – a place for second chances!

What was once a hunting farm is now a rehabilitated, private game reserve that focuses on getting animals used to vehicles and human voices again—without fear and running away—and helping them feel at home in their own environment once more.

The reserve covers 4,500 ha and is still fenced for now. It borders the Thornybush and Timbavati reserves, and once the boundaries come down, it will become part of the Greater Kruger National Park. It will still, however, have the entire reserve to itself, without other lodges doing their game drives here.

You can either get there by small plane with Federal Air from OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg, or by road transfer from HDS Hoedspruit Eastgate Airport, which takes about 1.5 hours.

 

Shisaka Camp

This lodge consists of 6 luxury suites and 2 villas, each with 2 bedrooms and a private Land Rover. All rooms offer a view of the river—perfect for bird lovers!

Every suite has a private deck with an infinity pool, a rooftop sala, indoor and outdoor showers, a bathtub, minibar, safe, a lounge, and much more.

N’weti Camp

The camp consists of 6 luxury suites, all with tent roofs, but underneath they are all built from stone walls. They have more of an 'Out of Africa' feel and also overlook the river.

Since these suites are more spread out and therefore further from the main lodge, you can take a golf cart to your room. Nothing is missing from the room amenities here either, and N'weti offers the same as Shisaka Camp.

Sandringham House

A 4-bedroom, 4-bathroom house, which you can book for exclusive use —perfect for families. Here, too, you have a great view of the river that runs along the entire lodge.

This villa has everything you need, and kids of all ages are welcome. The daily schedule is tailored to the guests' wishes, so you can really get that true vacation feeling.

Communal facilities at Shisaka & N’weti

Both lodges share a spa and a gym. There is a curio shop and a small museum that showcases the history of Sandringham. There’s also a boma, where sometimes dinner is served in the evenings.

There’s a small fire pit close to the water, where you can sit after the game drive and have a drink. The main focus, however, is on the bar area, where high tea is served and where people meet for a drink after the game drive, and the large dining area with a veranda, where breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served, and where check-in takes place.

Safaris & other activities

At the moment, there are still no rhino and also no cheetah, but that will change once the fences are down and everything is open.

Sandringham is a paradise for bird lovers, especially if you like vultures. It is the largest breeding colony for vultures in the region with 40 known nests. The landscape is very diverse, and you can see many elephants, impala, giraffe, kudu, nyala, and other wildlife on the game drives.

You have to search for lion and buffalo, which is why every vehicle also has a tracker. When you finally spot them, the joy is even greater.

Besides the regular morning and evening game drives, you can also go on a bush walk, go fishing, have a picnic outdoors, or stargaze and learn about the stars and constellations.

Until the next newsletter,
Your Ilanga Travel team!