It shouldn’t come as a surprise that we love tech at Stuff – it’s kind of our whole shtick. But we also know that an always-connected life can get tiresome. When that happens, it’s usually a good idea to take a step back and touch some grass (or ‘go play outside’). Legacy Hotels & Resorts obviously thought we needed to spend some time outside because it invited Stuff on a three-day trip to its Elephant Point estate.
Our trip started with a rather comfortable five-hour drive from Johannesburg in the recently facelifted VW Touareg 3.0 TDI R-Line. Although we didn’t get any time behind the wheel, we certainly appreciated the spacious backseat that meant we could get some work done on the way.
Arriving at Elephant Point
The Elephant Point estate is located 6km from the Paul Kruger Gate and lies along the north bank of the Sabie River overlooking the Kruger National Park. Being so close to the main gate makes the prospect of waking up at the crack of dawn for a game drive slightly more inviting, seeing as you’ll be first in line to see nature’s finest.
The estate houses 21 private lodges and offers a range of smaller 2-sleeper units for intimate getaways, larger 8-sleeper villas for the whole family or a group of friends, and anything in between. The 8-sleeper Nambu Kruger Lodge that housed Stuff lent itself to a joint family trip or a getaway experience for up to four couples. We didn’t have four couples, but you get the general idea.
Guests have the option to stay in one of the two indoor suites (below left) or one of the two semi-detached luxury tents (below right). Whichever they choose, they’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to ablutions. We’ve never seen so many combinations of indoor and outdoor showers and baths. Whether you prefer to soak in a spacious tub or dance around in a shower, indoors or outside with nature, there is quite literally something for everyone.
There is plenty to do when you aren’t exploring the park. Our lodge included a games room and pool table, a heated infinity pool, an outdoor trampoline, and a private ‘outdoor gym’ in the enclosed garden. It also boasted an outdoor bar and braai area, plus a boma if you’re in the mood to sit around a pit of fire. If the weather makes being outside a hassle, or you find yourself habitually checking your emails, we were happy to find that the Wi-Fi at our lodge was much faster than expected. It should support at least a few 4K streams, in case the natural visuals aren’t doing it for you.
The lodge is furnished with just about every appliance or piece of catering equipment you could hope to find outside of your home kitchen, but guests also have the option to experience Elephant Point’s on-staff private chef. He and his staff saw to our first meal of the trip, which they prepared and served right in our lodge. Other services include a mobile spa, guided nature walks through the estate, and game drives in the Kruger National Park.
Getting right up in nature’s face
We sampled one of those game drives the next morning and caught, among other wildlife, a pride of lions resting only a few metres from the road after what must have been a tiring kill. At least that’s what our guide reckoned after inspecting their red maws. Following the game drive, we enjoyed a relaxed breakfast on the deck of Elephant Point’s restaurant. Like the lodges, it overlooks the Sabie River and the opposite bank of the Kruger Park, providing further opportunities to spot game or take in nature’s spectacle.
We spent the rest of the day visiting other lodges in the estate, all offering a unique experience with their own flare or attraction – an elevated viewing deck that allowed us to watch a bloat of hippos lounging on the rocks in the evening sun stands out.
The unexpected guest
For our final night, we returned to Elephant Point’s restaurant and feasted under the stars in the open-air dining area. The estate has been laid out cleverly, with three pods of lodges separated by open corridors. These grant wildlife from the park easy access to roam around between the lodges of the estate and made for a memorable encounter during our final dinner (pictured below).
If you’re looking for a new holiday experience with the family or your group of friends that doesn’t involve tech, the Nambu Lodge at Elephant Point should be on your list. Bookings for a stay at Nambu Kruger Lodge can be made here and information about the estate’s other lodges and experiences can be found here.