One cold, wet, February day, Helen and Sally had had enough of the UK winter. “Let’s down tools” Helen said and Sally readily agreed so they hopped on a plane to South Africa for an adventure to Chitwa Chitwa. It had been quite a long time since they last visited the Sabi Sand, the wonderful conservancy area adjacent to the Kruger National Park. How would it compare to their more recent adventures to Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Kenya?
It was an easy and simple journey which is perfect for a short adventure for some winter sun.
The warm welcome by the team made us feel instantly at home and ready to embark on an Adventure. With little time difference, we jumped on a game drive literally the minute we arrived and had our first leopard sighting within an hour of setting off. Incredible!
What stood out for us during our entire 4-night stay was the quality of the wildlife sightings. We saw the Super Seven; leopard, lion, cheetah, elephant, rhino, buffalo and 3 separate wild dog packs. For the vast majority of these sightings, we were the only ones enjoying the sighting. The rule of a maximum of 3 vehicles at a sighting was abided by and we never felt crowded or in a queue, if we were then this was incredibly well managed by the great guides we were with. What was also amazing was how relaxed the wildlife was; wild dog mating, a pride of 14 lions squabbling over their kill, a leopard marking his territory, wild dogs on a hunt and elephant splashing and enjoying the dam in front of the lodge.
The Dam
What a unique offering. It is the largest dam in the Sabi Sand and every room and all the guest areas look out directly on to the water and an ever-changing scene. The birdlife we spotted from our room included 4 types of kingfisher, there were hippo pods snorting and cavorting both in and out of the water, plenty of plains game coming to drink and the ever-present crocs silently swimming past.
In the heat of the day, we took advantage of the small pool (is that a smool?!) on our deck which was beautifully shaded by trees which the deck was built around. For the first 2 days, it was very hot and our meetings were constantly interrupted by ‘did you see that?’ Or ‘just look at that elephant’. Mmmm…our meetings were maybe not as productive as they could have been but it was so relaxing and a rare opportunity to reboot and take in the peacefulness of having water (year-round) right in front of the room.
The Conservancy
The area that Chitwa traverses is over 7,500 hectares showcasing diverse landscapes and far-reaching views. From granite boulders to open plains, riverine to thicker bush areas and sundowners under giant jackalberry trees. We shared our game drives with a US guest who was on his 8th visit to the Sabi Sands. He particularly loved leopard, had several very serious cameras and our guide Dylan excelled in finding the best photographic angles for him. Each safari vehicle has a tracker at the front as well as exceptionally experienced guides, all of whom have been at the lodge for quite a while. We particularly enjoyed meeting Surprise (well you can imagine the endless jokes that we shared) but he started at Chitwa as a gardener/bush clearer and has worked his way to becoming a professional guide and great raconteur.
The Lodge
The team of staff are the true heroes at the lodge. They were always there, never intrusive, with a warm smile and a true sense of contentment. As a family owned and run lodge, most of the team have been there for a long time and you could feel the sense of pride and belonging. So many delightful moments included sundowners in spectacular settings and four different dining spots for dinner. Lunch was offered in the Lapa or in your room, which was a popular option. Delicious food from a contemporary menu with lighter options on offer, particularly at lunch, as well as an opportunity to sample local South African dishes. There was the boma and the ever-popular braai and Chitwa’s unique and specially adapted pizza truck. Wood fired pizza in the middle of the bush never tasted so good.
Families:
Chitwa is truly family friendly, accepting children of any age although game drives are only for ages 6 and above. The Chitwa House is ideal and comes with 2 pools, a butler, private vehicle and also a private boma. For a private family dinner option, it’s fun to arrange a pizza truck surprise stop in the bush. The Charlsey Suite, with 2 rooms, is also a good option for families and beds can also be added in the luxury suites, depending on the request.
Plans for the future:
A soft refurb of each room is already underway, one room at a time, to upgrade the rooms whilst maintaining their unique style of contemporary African. This will roll out slowly and probably continue in to 2025, due to high occupancies. Chitwa will be fully solar within the next month and are committed on removing single use plastic next. There is going to be a sunken firepit added to the front deck and decking replaced.
So, we are hooked. We had a wonderful and truly memorable Adventure and look forward to sharing our knowledge and enthusiasm for Chitwa Chitwa with you when we next meet.
