Article by Heléne Ramackers
Upscale Living Magazine | Spring 2022
There are safari lodges and then there is Serondella. Setting the benchmark for the most luxurious stay imaginable, this newly built lodge is sure to make an indelible impact on the safari industry.
Situated in the North-eastern sector of the Thornybush Game Reserve in South Africa’s Limpopo province and tucked away in a serene corner, Serondella is home to the most magnificent safari accommodation. I am collected at Hoedspruit Airport by Operations Manager & Head Guide Togara, affectionately known as TJ for my transfer through the Thornybush Reserve.
En route to the lodge, we encounter an elephant shaking a marula tree in order to feed on the fruit that has fallen on the ground. He does it with such gusto that we stop to admire him gingerly picking each fruit up with his trunk. “Will the fruit have an effect on him?” I ask TJ. “Only the fermented ones might make him slightly tipsy,” TJ responds.
As we reach Serondella, General Manager Kevin extends a hand to assist me out of the vehicle, with butler Wilfred offering me a refresher towel. Lodge anchor Faith escorts me to my two-bedroom suite named Botsotso, where I will be staying for three glorious nights. An impressive dwelling, to say the least, the interleading bedrooms are similar in size but vary in colour finishes, with a comfortable lounge and kitchenette separating them.
The suite where I’ll be sleeping is decorated in shades of whites, beiges and light grey accents. My private heated plunge pool on my verandah serves as the perfect respite from the heat, and at the end of the wooden walkway is the most beautiful bath with a view of the bushveld.