Leading eco-luxury safari
Mvula Villa, in South Africa’s private Sabi Sand Game Reserve, bordering the Kruger National Park, combines art, architecture and design with a luxurious safari experience.
‘Mvula’ was named after a male leopard, who was known for his hunting prowess in the Cheetah Plains wilderness area of the northern Sabi Sand. Andrew Khosa, one of Cheetah Plains’s most experienced guides of 27 years, recalls Mvula as ‘relaxed and regal, an impressively large male leopard famous for his unusual blue-green eyes and powerful hunting prowess. He is remembered by all who encountered him with deep love, respect, and awe.’ Mvula is part of a cluster of three private villas, and Andrew was involved in naming each one named after a legendary feline.
The architectural design of this luxurious eco-conscious lodge was to reflect ‘an audacious new Afro-minimalism’, while setting the bar high as the first carbon-negative lodge in the Sabi Sand. It was an ambitious project by Cape Town-based architects and designers, ARRCC.
‘Our lifestyles are modern; nature is raw and primal. It is in that honest contrast that a beautiful tension exists,’ explains architect Stefan Antoni. ‘The architecture at Cheetah Plains exists to enhance the experience of the outdoors.’
All three villas have a pool pavilion crafted in a sculptural raw-steel, cantilevered design, inspired by the canopy of the indigenous Tamboti tree, effectively shading the area without interrupting the view. In the villa, off-shutter concrete and rough stone wall custom-designed furnishings compliment a collection of art, sculpture and ceramics, curated and displayed by South Africa’s Goodman Gallery. Historically significant work by leading artists or rising talent from the African continent and its diaspora is hung across all three villas, providing a culturally rich experience.
Cheetah Plains’s long-time partnership with the Goodman Gallery lead to the launch of the satellite gallery at the lodge in 2024, in addition to existing galleries in Johannesburg, London and New York. ‘Our space at Cheetah Plains amplifies our commitment to impactful collaboration. It also recognises the important role that art plays in bringing into our consciousness the immense effect we have on many social and environmental issues and how these are connected,’ says gallery owner and director Liza Essers.
Personal, private and pampered
Each villa is set far apart, ensuring privacy. Mvula has its own host, butler, culinary team, spa therapist, field guide and tracker. This dedicated team curates your stay, ensuring that guests don’t crossover in the hair salon, gym, boutique and art gallery. Equally, every meal surprises with a new setting.
The wildlife experience is equally thoughtful: every drive is with the same experienced field guide and tracker, so that you don’t repeat routes and that every day enhances your knowledge, whether it’s the Big Five or the smallest creatures and birds of the bushveld. Mvula’s guides are masterful story tellers, with in-depth knowledge of the area, but also intuitively tailor experiences around guests’ interests and needs. The Sabi Sand Game Reserve is one of the most rewarding Big Five safari experiences.
The introduction of whisper-quiet electric game vehicles for zero-emission game viewing has been a game-changer for Cheetah Plains. A long-time commitment to sustainability, beginning with an energy efficient solar plant has set this lodge apart. Together with their recycling initiatives, these efforts translate to a reduction of 640 tons of carbon emissions a year, equivalent to the impact of planting over 20 000 trees.
And finally, besides an impressive art collection, guests are invited to spend time with a dedicated sommelier after game drives and taste some of the best wines in the land – the perfect introduction for anyone new to South African vintages or for discerning wine collectors looking a private tasting tailored to their palette.
Cheetah Plains was recently recognised as one of the ‘Top 10 Hotels in Africa’ in the 2025 Fodor’s Travel Awards and listed in Fodor’s prestigious ‘100 Most Incredible Hotels in the World’ for 2025.
What we love!
- The details: everything from luxurious amenities to Dyson hairdryers, although hairdressing and spa treatments are all inclusive.
- That the superbly curated Shari’s boutique, supports local design.
- The safari apps and your host’s contact details are preloaded for your convenience on in-room iPhones
- Japanese technology the bathrooms – a complete indulgence!
- Children are welcome and there are inter-leading suites for families with kids.
- Architecturally striking and generous spaces: Mvula villa is (640sqm/6 900 sqft).
- Safari guests can pre-book an online or in-person consultation with an art gallery expert to find out more. Many of the artists have been represented at galleries all over the world, including MoMA, New York; Tate Modern, London; Pompidou, Paris; Haus der Kunnst, Munich; Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah; National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto; Guggenheim, Abu Dhabi and Zeitz MoCAA, Cape Town.
What you need to know…
- Mvula Villa sleeps up to 8 guests. Cheetah Plains only has three villas so will never have more than 24 guests at any given time.
- Children are kept entertained with scavenger hunts, tracking, baking and crafts so that parents can indulge in tastings and pairings or enjoy wellness treatments.
- Getting there: preferably fly into the Arathusa airstrip, which is 20 minutes from the lodge. Private charters by arrangement (between 10am and 3pm daily). Daily scheduled flights are available on Federal Air from Joburg to Arathusa. Alternately fly Airlink from Joburg to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, Skukuza (inside the Kruger National Park), or to Hoedspruit and then transfer. There are direct flights from Cape Town to all the major airports.
- Cheetah Plains is closest to Gowrie Gate in the northern Sabi Sand. The private Sabi Sand Game Reserve is 65 000ha, 50km of which borders the Kruger National Park.
- There is an on-site helicopter pad available.
- If Mvula Villa isn’t available on your dates, ask us about Karula and Mpogo villas, or browse our curated collection of luxury safari lodges or private bush villas in Mpumalanga near the Kruger National Park.
Reviewed by Michelle Snaddon