Hoedspruit - The AM Lodge near Hoedspruit in Limpopo is a luxury bush escape for discerning travellers.
Set on a 1 400-hectare private game reserve in the Klaserie region at the western edge of the Greater Kruger National Park, it consists of a 16-sleeper lodge and a six-sleeper villa, with a wellness centre and a gym.
For a cost of R6 000 a person a night (R8 000 if you opt for the presidential suite with its own splash pool), well-heeled guests are treated to an upper-crust experience with a personal touch.
The six-sleeper villa, at R16 000 a night, is for families or small groups and has as its own swimming pool and lapa.
In a competitive arena bursting at the seams with five-star bush venues, AM Lodge stands out for its fresh design and decor.
The contemporary furnishings avoid the hackneyed “African” theme that makes some lodges resemble the interior of a curio shop, and the eclectic glamour includes some flamboyant chandeliers and other showpiece furnishings.
The lodge itself has eight spacious two-sleeper suites and, like the main lodge building, they’re air-conditioned and furnished in dashingly creative decor.
It’s Vogue in the bush. Each unit has a bedroom, separate lounge and large bathroom with free-standing bathtubs and an outside shower.
Guests can absorb the bushveld’s tranquillity from raised viewing decks sheltered by indigenous trees, and from several seating and dining areas along with a rim-flow pool. There are plenty of nooks and crannies to chill out in, including two viewing decks built into a giant Jackalberry tree.
With no predators on the reserve, guests are able to walk unattended to their suites, and the units are set far apart from each other to ensure privacy.
The fee includes three meals a day and the dining experience is classy. The portions are decent and the dishes tasty and well presented without going overboard with a pretentious nouvelle cuisine look.
During our stay we experienced a good variety of South African fare, including oxtail, expertly cooked to fall-off-the-bone tenderness, beef skewers with couscous, and a memorable kingklip with one of the best sauces I’ve tasted. There was even boerewors on one buffet menu if you felt like keeping it simple (I did).
Guests may dine in the thatched lounge, outside on the patio, in a communal lapa around a bonfire, or at tables in a paddle pool where they can dip their feet during summer.
For rainy-day entertainment (or if you can’t bring yourself to miss the Grand Prix), there’s DStv in the rooms and in the communal lounges. The lodge has wi-fi, but the signal was intermittent during our stay.
The wellness centre offers massage and beautifying treatments for an extra fee. There are also a heated pool and Jacuzzi and a large, well-equipped gym that guests may use at no additional cost.
A highlight of the AM Lodge experience is the friendly and attentive staff. The waiters maintain a discreet distance, but materialise out of the shadows as soon as your drink is running low.
Kudos also go to the bush ranger who made our game drives interesting in the lulls between animal sightings and held our interest with riveting facts about termites and other noble but lesser-mentioned bush creatures.
There is no set schedule, nor are there dreaded 4.30am wake-up calls, and guests get to choose what time they wish to board the open-top Land Rover and go for a game drive.
The late-afternoon drives include a sundowner at a scenic spot.
This new reserve has only two of the Big Five – buffalo and leopard – with lion to be added soon.
The leopards eluded us, but we did spot buffalo, giraffe, eland, herds of impala, vultures, wildebeest, as well as caracal – a not-often-seen wild cat.
The absence of some of the Big Five may be a turn-off for some tourists, as may the poor wi-fi reception. However, the facilities, food and service at AM Lodge are all top-notch and rate among the best I’ve experienced at a five-star bush venue, while the decor is dazzling.
To book, contact Corinna Howard at Outlook Africa at info@outlookafrica. co.za or 083 228 7182, or visit
GETTING THERE
There are daily flights to Hoedspruit Eastgate airport, which is about a 30-minute drive from AM Lodge (the lodge will provide a transport shuttle for a fee). Return flights to Hoedspruit from Joburg start at about R8 700, from Durban about R11 300 and from Cape Town about R12 100.
Alternatively, driving from Joburg or Pretoria takes about five hours via Nelspruit and White River.
Avoid the Lydenburg/Ohrigstad route because the road is full of potholes.
Denis Droppa, Saturday Star