We venture into the bush for a plethora of reasons. To momentarily escape a retired urban existence. To foster a yearning for nature’s indelible vibrancy. To surround ourselves with the exhilaration of the wilderness, and all of her abounding attributes. Those that soothe, pacify and invigorate simultaneously – well before dawn and long after dusk.
We’re curious about the creatures that freely roam the untamed landscapes, bringing about those life-changing encounters that take us back to something primordial.
We often find ourselves shifting perspectives, contemplating life through a different lens whilst being embraced in the bosom of the bush.
Perhaps that’s the real reason why we return to Mother Nature’s roots. The maternal call of belonging within a delicate ecosystem of uncultivated prevalence.
That’s what you feel at the luxurious safari lodge, Tanda Tula. What the custodians of this magical place have ardently extracted from the soil and soul of the Kruger’s land, and stowed it away for the future’s safe-keeping. It’s palpable and entirely evident from the moment you arrive at this serene, sustainable sanctuary in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, This safari hideaway is so much more than a vogue voyage into the bush. Tanda Tula is about its wild creatures as much as it is about its ancient cultures. Its landscapes of yesterday, today and tomorrow. From the soil, all the way up to the stars.
Nine suites tuck themselves away from the vast communal living, dining, reclining and entertaining spaces, that have been recently uplifted by the discerning architectural eye of Nicholas Plewman.
An ecologically sensitive stance on design, the lodge is totally energy sufficient with solar-powered amenities and entirely water-wise.
The interiors parlaying sentiments of the Tsonga people, all of the furnishings and frilly bits and bobs have been consciously sourced and stitched into the narrative of the lodge’s relationship with nature. Glass doors and canvas sliding doors disappear in motion, allowing the sweeping views of the wilderness to engulf every space. It’s refined and clever, yet humbling and intuitive.
The library, the private plunge pools, the expansive decks, the open-air bar, the lounging spaces and bino-grasping vantage points are areas where it can be you and your safari clan, or just you and your soliloquy with mother nature.
Set your watch to nature’s pace
Of course, at this perfect safari, there is game-viewing around the clock. The antelope and elephant, birds and mongooses that saunter around the riverbed, drinking from the watering hole and sweeping through the skies.
Game drives and walks with master-trackers and some of the best field guides in the business. Timbavati has a low-tempo, community-driven, mi-casa-su-casa kind of approach to the Kruger.
You will see leopard and walk with lion, spot black eagles and hear the hyena cackling with one another.
You’ll learn about the land protection efforts and the conservation initiatives. You are an integral cog in the wheel that’s being circumnavigated, to nurture what is and what will be of the African bush. Tanda Tula’s ethos of exchange from your experience to those that will in-turn, one day.
Aside from the unbridled beauty of Timbavati, the experiences you’ll reap from exploring this magnificent part of the world, and the memories you’ll harness of being reacquainted with that maternal embrace of the bush, those soliloquies will become a life-affirming discourse between you and your future self.
Imploring you to savour every moment in the wild, reminding you to connect with belonging and empowering you to keep it safe for all of the generations to come. What a wonderful perspective Tanda Tula provides, for the intrepid traveller.
Reviewed by Colleen Ogilvie
Edited by Dawn Kennedy