Luxury safari holidays to South Africa will take you to places like the Sabi Sand Reserve which is a privately-owned game reserve adjacent to the Kruger National Park. Together the two areas are renowned for high concentrations of big game and frequent leopard sightings. Tucked away in this carefully protected part of South Africa, Singita Castleton is an exclusive lodge overlooking a regularly frequented waterhole where wild animals gather to drink in the bushveld.
Singita Castleton has been designed to combine the best elements of a private safari lodge with the rustic charms of a country farmhouse, The lodge consists of a main house with communal living spaces, and accommodation located in six individual cottages within the grounds, catering for up to 12 people. With individual cottages you get to retreat to the privacy of your own space as and when it’s needed. Additional amenities include complimentary Wi-Fi, hair dryers and electricity converters.
Singita Castleton comes with a private staff including a house manager, a personal chef, a housekeeper and your own experienced field guide and tracker with a private Land Rover. With a vast sunny garden overlooking the Castleton dam and the open grassland you can lounge around a sparkling blue swimming pool or get active with a game of tennis on your very own tennis court. A trampoline will provide hours of fun for children and adults alike and while a workout in the gym may rejuvenate some pampering in the spa treatment room will help you relax. In the evening, collapse into the sumptuous lounge chairs in the courtyard with your favourite tipple or enjoy the luxurious ambience of a private wine cellar. Gather in the country-style kitchen or dine around the fire in the traditional ‘boma’ with uninterrupted views of the watering hole. A satellite TV and DVD player are available in the main house to keep the kids entertained or for when you want to reconnect to the outside world.
The Singita Boutique & Gallery and Premier Wine Boutique is nearby. Not your regular curio shop but rather a haven for some serious retail therapy. In addition to items made by local craftsmen, the Boutique and Gallery boasts a wide range of collectable sculptures, homeware, jewelry, authentic carvings and museum quality, fine-art prints and works by some of the most respected artists on the continent. A worldwide shipping service is available so your purchases can be conveniently delivered directly to your door.
Castleton Lodge offers twice-daily game viewing expeditions with professional guides and trackers on open 4×4 Land Rover safari vehicles offering possible sightings of leopard, lion, rhino, large herds of buffalo, elephant, reedbuck, hyena, hippopotamus, nyala, cheetah, wild dogs and many types of birds. Walking safaris are an incredible way to experience the bush up close and personal and your expert guide and tracker will show you how to track animals on foot through the wilderness and explore the magnificent bushveld around you.
Wine is a key ingredient of the unique Singita experience with an extensive cellar showcasing a premium selection of wines, including some of the continent’s most sought-after private reserves. A private wine tasting within the unique ambience of the lodge’s cellar will delight as experienced sommeliers guide you through a variety of wine styles, years and cultivars to find the wines most suited to your individual taste. You can purchase wines from Singita’s Premier Wine Boutique either to be taken home at the end of your trip or conveniently delivered to straight to your door. As an addition to cellar purchases, Singita has secured allocations of highly limited, sought-after wines, including ‘Icons’, ‘Single Vineyard’ and ‘Limited Release’ wines, directly from leading wineries in South Africa. Stored in temperature-controlled cellars, these wines are unlikely to be available anywhere else.
Stargazing is an amazing experience for adults and children alike and with very little pollution and the absence of city lights to detract from the stars, your view of the heavens here will be crystal clear – nothing between you and the vast African sky above.
The country style kitchen is the heart of the home and an informal cooking lesson can be held with the chef or you may opt to just watch as the preparations for mealtime roll out.
Children of all ages are welcome. There are babysitting services available (to be booked in advance) and tailor-made activities to suit each family. In the interest of safety, children’s’ participation in game activities is at the discretion of your guide.
Baking with chefs (pizza/cookie making)
Arts and crafts
Board games
Astronomy and stargazing
Bush walks around camp
Mini Rangers' Course: This programme includes tracking animals; a cosmic safari (astronomy); learning bush survival techniques; flower-pressing (in summer); frogging; butterfly capture and release; game, tree and bird-spotting competitions; nature quizzes and a Ranger’s test. Kids are awarded a certificate to recognise their new-found knowledge and accomplishments.
The Best of South Africa Travel map displays the locations of the destinations and accommodation that we have selected and visited; for each item, hovering over or clicking the marker will display a short summary and photo of that place or hotel, and hotel pricing. Follow the links in the info box to the full page listing which has much more information.
Note that the online map offers both a satellite view (click satellite in the top right) and, for some locations, a street level view (Drag the person in the top left onto the map). These let you explore the country; and when you wish to explore in person, or if you have any questions about the places you see, give our staff a call, or request a quote. Our staff regularly visit the places and accommodation that we feature.
When you book a holiday with us we will provide full driving instructions for reaching your accommodation, where necessary; these can be used by yourself, or you could enjoy the luxury of a driver. Alternatively we will arrange private (car rather than coach) transfers for you; helicopter transfers are also possible for some destinations.
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