Escape to an African safari lodge
The beautiful Beehive Lodge is an exclusive-use, luxurious safari hideaway overlooking the Crocodile River at the Mjejane Private Game Reserve in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province.
Architecturally striking, with it’s tall stone chimneys contrasting with thatched domed roofs, the design of this bush getaway was inspired by a traditional Zulu village cluster or umuzi with a central gathering place or cattle kraal inside the circle of huts.
This safari accommodation consists of domed beehive suites that ‘pay homage to the Mjejane community as it has strong Zulu origins,’ explains architect Chris Sparks, who turned the central courtyard into a beautifully landscaped bushveld space to give privacy to each indlu, or bedroom suite, that faces into it from the outer circle.
Today, the view from your elegant four-poster looks onto a forest of mature acacia trees underplanted with natural grasses that are particularly beautiful as they shimmer in the breeze.
In the bathrooms, curved walls of hand-packed stone give way to glass walls for an integrated and seamless transition outdoors, and all interior colours are deliberately calm and muted yet beautifully textured. The softest pure linen bedding and luxury fabrics are offset with locally commissioned works of art and beading.
Once through the umuzi, the transition to the living area and communal spaces that run along the entire 45m of river frontage is via a feature element which is best described as a grand Zimbabwe ruins-inspired silo, which quaintly does double duty as a guest loo with a towering ceiling! It’s an entrance feature that announces a series of generous spaces – on the right, a media or chill room, games room and gym with a view of the river, with steps down to the lowest level leading to the boma, pizza oven and pool.
From here the views extend across the river to the Kruger, especially beautiful as the river mists rise at dawn and when the sun streams in at sunset. Above the pool is a covered outdoor lounge, leading to an indoor living room with another conical ‘statement’ hearth open to both the dining and living area – ideal for winter nights. Beyond is the open-plan kitchen area with an equally large utility room and walk-in cold room.
Experience a chic, family friendly safari
For friends who enjoy cooking together, the slick kitchen makes this self-catering accommodation truly a dream.
Ceramics are all local (we have great talent in this country, after all!) and pod-shaped or patterned, beaded lampshades soften the contemporary space.
The lodge is luxurious yet homely, spacious yet cosy, elegant yet simple and exudes an air of barefoot luxury,’ says Chris Sparks ‘with subtle level changes to enhance the lodge’s connection to the landscape.’
For the interiors, the lodge owners worked with interior designer, Joanne Johnson of Savile Row Tailored Environments, who recently worked on refurbishments at Tswalu in the Kalahari as well as Mashatu Euphorbia Camp in the Northern Tuli in Botswana. As with all her projects, the inspiration for the raw, earthy palette and décor finishes came from the bushveld, the rough hide of a rhino and even traditional Zulu fashion elements, basket weaves and patterning.
And while the Big Five are out there, it’s likely to be the call of the fish eagle and grunts of the hippos in the water below that will stay with you forever. There’s nothing quite like the sounds of the bush and the rush of cool air after a sultry day mixed with the scent of paraffin or smoke from the boma fire to signal that it’s time to relax, take a deep breath and let go…
What we love!
- As safari experiences go, Mjejane Private Game Reserve offers a perfect balance between comfort, adventure and relaxation, making it one of the easiest game reserves to visit with family or friends. The reserve’s location within the Kruger National Park means frequent and easy game sightings from the lodge.
- As a self-catering safari, Beehive Lodge allows you to cater to everyone’s dietary preferences.
- That the organic flow of the living area at Beehive Lodge echoes the river, with every deck, dining and chill space overlooking the water and the Kruger National Park beyond.
- Beehive Lodge is spacious, with a very generous and stylish media room and games area – excellent if spending extended time in the bush with a group of teens or cousins as they need their own space. Beehive Lodge lends itself really well to families with older children – with the gym for a good workout between game drives.
- Children are welcome and well catered for at Beehive Lodge. For safety, there is a net pool cover. Two of the suites are interleading (but identical), ideal for families travelling with children.
- Game drives are in your own private game vehicle on the Mjejane reserve (4 000ha) and are likely to keep you more than busy with excellent game viewing, besides the hippos in the river and other passing game that you’ll spot daily from the deck as there are no fences between the Kruger and Mjejane. Love the extensive bird checklist in each bedroom.
- You can combine golf with a safari: three golf courses are within easy reach – 20-45 minutes’ drive away, and Skukuza Golf Club is in the heart of the Kruger, a two-hour drive away.
- Staff are available to assist with lighting fires and meal prep, if requested. Pre-shopping is offered.
What you need to know…
- Each of the bedroom suites has a view into the wild ‘courtyard’ area, which is planted with mature thorn trees and long grasses that continually bob their heads in the breeze. No view of the river exists, as each of the ‘beehives’ is placed in a circle behind the front living area of the lodge.
- Connectivity is good and the wine bar and library can also be used for business meetings.
- Getting to Mjejane is best via the Kruger at the moment (with the benefit of game viewing on the way!) as the national road to Maputo is being tarred. The Perfect Hideaways team will advise with updates. The nearest airport is Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA), usually a one-hour drive away. Transfers can be arranged.
- The lodge is next door to Ukuthula House, and the distance between the two is safe to walk as the area is fenced. This presents an excellent opportunity for multigenerational family gatherings in two lodges, side by side.
- If Beehive Lodge is unavailable to book for your dates, browse our other perfect safaris in the Mjejane Private Game Reserve, perfect hideaways in Mpumalanga, or perfect safaris in South Africa.
Edited by Dawn Kennedy
In the press
- Beehive Lodge has been featured in Dossier Annual, highlighting its Zulu-inspired design and luxurious riverside setting in Mjejane Private Game Reserve.