Playful luxury at Kingfisher Villa Suites

It’s not surprising that celebs escape to Kingfisher Villa Suites – a private getaway where you as the guest set the pace on how your day unfolds, from dining schedules to when you hit the tracks on your sunrise and sunset safaris.

A spacious luxury lodge and a handful of attentive staff rushing to meet guests’ expectations … it really is all about the ultimate VIP experience.

From the high thatched ceilings and gorgeous hanging chandeliers to the three-dimensional wooden artwork on the walls, interior designer Esley Georgiou made sure there was a touch of modern glamour while keeping to the neutral tones and wood finishing which complement the surrounds of the African bush.

There’s an elegant indoor dining room, a plush lounge with blankets and a wood fireplace to keep things snug.  A wooden deck wraps around the lodge with outdoor dining options, romantic swings for two and, in the centre, a rim-flow swimming pool overlooking a private watering hole – home to a vocal Pied Kingfisher chirruk chirruking while hovering over the water hunting for its next meal, and a hippo – a pleasant surprise for exploring the deck.

The lodge has a variety of suites, each uniquely designed to characteristics of various species of kingfisher. Worth boasting about is the Giant Suite – named after the Giant Kingfisher, the biggest of the species – it’s the biggest suite – an indulgent space with touches of luxe gold, a king-size bed, walk-in closet and massive bathroom with a rain shower head, his and hers wash basin and a bathtub with window views of nature. All the air-conditioned suites have everything you need to stay connected (if you must!) … working desk, TV and high-speed Wi-Fi. All face waterside with a wide-open view of Mabula Game Reserve, a view far from home where you can reset and recharge.

While there are several activities in close proximity – including spa treatments, horseback safaris and quad biking, once butler Willam Tlhoaele mixes you up a chilled cocktail and the menu comes around with drool-worthy options you might decide to stay put and indulge. We highly recommend you pack a pair of comfy pants for the day you check out because both private chefs Marco Venter and chef Flora Bunda will keep your taste buds happy … what with early morning tea, a continental platter followed by a hot breakfast, à la carte lunch and dinner menu, high tea and game drive snacks. Yes … we know you don’t have to eat it all … but it’s tough to pass on any course when there are crumbed prawn tails, ostrich carpaccio and coffee crème brulee on the menu. Chef Marco was always full of surprises and treated us to a live pasta cooking class where we got to ask him 101 questions and tuck into his blue cheese and biltong pasta.

A food and wine pairing dinner was also no sweat for Chef Marco as he set us up next to the fireplace and decked our table in white while we dined to our own playlist in the background.

Also, out of nowhere on a morning safari, he popped up in the bush flipping a few flapjacks topped with berries, banana and honey.

That was not the only sweet surprise … while we enjoyed our treat, a hippo was catching the last bit of morning sun. Brilliant bush experience!

Guide Tshepo Loni impressed, achieving his mission to show us all of the Big Five – covering a great deal of the 12 000 hectares of Mabula Game Reserve.

He also knew all of the best spots to stretch legs, refresh and have a nibble (like we needed more food).

On our drives, we experienced the playful nature of the bush … two sparring giraffes, lion cubs wrestling, the marking of a python and elephants playing hide and seek. The strong smell of fever bush, sightings of more than 50 buffalo surrounding us and meeting the famous fighting giraffe Scar make Mabula Game Reserve memorable.

The beauty of having a watering hole in front of Kingfisher Villa Suites is while you are not out on the tracks, you can be chilling by the boma and with a stroke of luck, spot something incredible like a leopard crossing by in near distance. Yes, that was us … we also sighted a young croc, impala, warthog and two Egyptian geese all together basking and grazing. While we didn’t manage to snap a shot of the leopard passing by, the other bunch stayed around long enough for us to rush for our camera to take a few pics.

While no sighting is ever guaranteed in the wild, we can assure you of a luxury safari and plenty to been seen and experience at Kingfisher Villa Suites.

This lodge is family-friendly and can be booked for exclusive use or by suite. Rates at Kingfisher Villa are inclusive of accommodation, three meals and selected beverages, and two safaris daily. Details: kingfishervilla.co.za

Compiled by Megan Brett

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