Bushscapes

12/06/2024

JUNE SPECIAL!

MAVELA GAME LODGE - Manyoni Private Game Reserve
From R3 835 per person sharing per night (normal price: R5 900 pps/n - SAVE 35%!)
INCLUDES DRINKS!
Special is valid until 30 June 2024.

With their light oak wooden floors and wood-panelled feature walls, the new tented suites at Mavela Game Lodge are wonderfully stylish, airy and contemporary, not to mention refreshingly different from the styling of most other tented lodges which are often far more traditional and dark in their furnishings and fittings.

Check out the link below for more info on Mavela Game Lodge:
https://bushscapes.co.za/accommodation/mavela-game-lodge/

19/04/2024

𝐇𝐎𝐓 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤!

TANDA TULA - Timbavati
from R6 857 per person sharing per night (normal price: R25 000 pps/n - SAVE 73%!) INCLUDES DRINKS!
Book within 21 days of travel.

After over 4 decades operating as a charming rustic tented camp, the owners of this near-legendary property in the Timbavati made the decision to re-imagine and modernise the camp - and the results are quite simply breath-taking! The old simple canvas tents have been replaced by ultra-contemporary, luxurious, and hugely spacious Suites.

Check out the link below for more info on Tanda Tula:
https://bushscapes.co.za/accommodation/tanda-tula/

22/03/2024

𝗟𝗨𝗫𝗨𝗥𝗬 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗦!

𝘚𝘐𝘓𝘝𝘈𝘕 𝘚𝘈𝘍𝘈𝘙𝘐 - 𝘚𝘢𝘣𝘪 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴
from R8 740 per person sharing per night (normal price R35 550 pps/n - SAVE 75%!)

(Book by 5 April for travel before 30 June - must be paid in full within 7 days of booking)

Here's your chance to experience one of South Africa's most luxurious game lodges - the fabulous Silvan Safari located in the country's prime game reserve, the Sabi Sand reserve! But you'll need to move fast - this special must be booked by 5 April for travel up to 30 June. For more details check out our lodge profile!
https://bushscapes.co.za/accommodation/silvan-safari/

15/03/2024

𝗚𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 - 𝗝𝗔𝗕𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗜 𝗦𝗔𝗙𝗔𝗥𝗜 - 𝗞𝗔𝗣𝗔𝗠𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲

Jabulani Safari, a luxurious lodge which is renowned for its unique elephant experience, has just received a rave review from some of our recent clients Shaun and Diana. Check out their feedback down below.

Price from R6 500 pp/night sharing (normally R19 500). For more info, look at our full lodge profile here: https://bushscapes.co.za/accommodation/jabulani-safari/

“Dear Zoe,

Thank you for checking in. The honeymoon was fantastic. I have been to many reserves and many lodges in my life and by far this experience was top of the pile.

The food was excellent, the staff very professional and friendly. Tylor, our guide was just perfect in all respects. He waited on us hand and foot, was clear in communications and went out of his way to ensure some truly excellent game viewing. We saw it all.

The lodge itself including the room was just stunningly beautiful and comfortable. The attention to detail, décor and cleanliness was just outstanding.

The support staff were great too. The reserve itself has great diversity with different ‘types’ of bush.

Honestly the best trip I have done and my new wife agrees.

10/10 is our vote. No negative comments or suggestions to be made.”

15/03/2024

𝐇𝐎𝐓 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊!

𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐎𝐃𝐆𝐄 𝟒 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐘 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋!

Are you feeling like a bush getaway? There is a superb offer to be found in Abelana Game Reserve this autumn. 𝗔𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗔 𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗟𝗢𝗗𝗚𝗘 is offering a 4 night stay special from just R2 850 per person per night sharing, and it’s valid from the 1st of March until the 31st of May 2024.

Check out the link below for more info on Abelana River Lodge:

https://bushscapes.co.za/accommodation/abelana-river-lodge/

15/03/2024

Guest Feedback - MARATABA MOUNTAIN LODGE - Marakele National Park

This is quite simply one of the most beautiful and attractive lodges in the country with its clean, contemporary style balanced perfectly by the use of warm natural elements like gorgeous wood and stone walls. We got some feedback from Anthea about her stay recently at Marataba Mountain Lodge in the Marakele National Park (from R4 995 pp/night sharing - normally R16 380). Check out their feedback down below. For more info, look at our full lodge profile here: https://bushscapes.co.za/accommo.../marataba-mountain-lodge/

“Hi Carli,

It was my second time there and I must say it was as great as I remember. The staff, especially Jennifer the lodge manager, are absolutely amazing, our ranger Tim was super knowledgeable and an all round great guy. Food was excellent and everything about our stay was considered, everyone always had a smile. They took us on a surprise river cruise which was unexpected and a real treat, something you don’t get in most places.

All round great, thanks for checking in and thanks again for your help.”

15/03/2024

𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱!

Phew… TGIF! After a tough week, thank goodness the week is nearly over and the weekend is almost upon us. The only problem if you’re reading this, is that it probably means you failed to make a plan to get away for the weekend yourself - somewhere like one of the superb game lodges that we at Bushscapes specialize in! So don’t make that same mistake again - this weekend spend some leisurely time drooling over some of the gorgeous lodges featured on www.bushscapes.co.za and choose where you would like to spend your next weekend bushscape! We’ll be waiting for your enquiry 😊…

Pic by Dee Roelofsz - African Visions Photography

15/03/2024

𝐇𝐎𝐓 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐋 - 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐋𝐈 𝟑 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐘 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋!

The best offers in the greater Kruger right now (actually make that anywhere in the country!) are to be found in the Big 5 Makalali reserve! Valid until the end of February, 𝗠𝗔𝗞𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗟𝗜 𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗟𝗢𝗗𝗚𝗘 is offering an unbeatable 𝟯 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 from 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝟭 𝟱𝟮𝟱 per person sharing per night based on the stay falling over 𝗺𝗶𝗱-𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 (𝗥𝟭𝟴𝟬𝟬 per person per night for stays over the 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱). A similar offer is also available at gorgeous sister lodge 𝗠𝗔𝗞𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗟𝗜 𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗟𝗢𝗗𝗚𝗘 - here the rate for the 3 nights is just 𝗥𝟮 𝟲𝟲𝟱 per person per night sharing over 𝗺𝗶𝗱-𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 and 𝗥𝟮 𝟵𝟰𝟱 per person per night sharing for a stay falling over the 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱!

Check out the following links for more info on these lodges:

https://bushscapes.co.za/accommodation/makalali-main-lodge/

https://bushscapes.co.za/accommodation/makalali-river-lodge/

15/03/2024

"CLIFFTOP WAS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING."

Guest Feedback - CLIFFTOP EXCLUSIVE SAFARI HIDEAWAY - Welgevonden Reserve

A favourite of ours, the setting of this lodge must be one of the most spectacular in the country with outstanding views from its clifftop location perched over the river cutting through the ravine below the lodge. We got some great feedback from Philippa and Clint who stayed recently at Clifftop in the Welgevonden Reserve (from R4 077 pp/night sharing - normally R7 983). Check out their feedback down below. For more info, look at our full lodge profile here:
https://bushscapes.co.za/.../clifftop-exclusive-safari.../

“Hi Anzelle

Clifftop was absolutely stunning. We had the most amazing 3 nights in absolute bush paradise. The setting is out of this world, sitting on the deck for breakfast seeing the elephants drinking at the water below, to watching the waterfall on the balcony in our swing chairs, magnificent in every way.

We cannot fault a single thing - from the lodge’s beautiful bungalows which were so stocked & incredibly clean, to the incredible viewings on our game drives, to the best prawns we’ve ever had Clint still ordered more😂. It was just so lovely & I’m so grateful that we get to experience such a stunning part of our country.

The service was outstanding, everyone was so friendly & accommodating in every way.

And your service Anzelle has been absolutely wonderful from start to finish, you have been amazing so thank you.”

15/07/2020

Please share far and wide.

IT IS TIME TO SPEAK OUT AND SAVE OUR INDUSTRY, JOBS, LIVES & OUR CONSERVATION AREAS.

After careful deliberation our CEO Brett Gehren has written this letter to our President Cyril Ramaphosa in a desperate please to open up domestic leisure travel in South Africa.

We cannot stand by any longer. We need to speak out, SHARE and get action. Please share this post far and wide. Lives depend on tourism in SA!

15 July 2020
Dear Mr President

I voted for you. I also quietly encouraged others to follow. When you put us into the first three week lock down, my heart filled at your decisive leadership and commanding vision. Today we are marching towards our fourth month of lockdown. I'm not going to give airtime to the nonsensical rules that have left our nation astonished.

Walk me through this Mr President. We have the largest tourism economy in Africa, a few hundred billion rand. 10% of all people employed in this country are employed in tourism. Tourism has deep roots; I have seen again and again how it can have an immediate and substantial effect on a rural community which doesn't have many other options. This is not to be sneezed at by a country with the highest Gini coefficient in the world. And yet, I can jump into a taxi with 16 other people (a light load where I come from) and sit in skin to skin contact with strangers for half an hour, hop out at a restaurant and enjoy a long lunch - as long it's under 50 people - and then onto the casino for a night of games. But heaven forbid you try visit a wilderness game or beach lodge and enjoy outside activities, heaps of fresh air and sleep in your private room, all the time enjoying world class health and safety protocols. Traversing in open air game viewers is expressly not permitted. You can, however, drive yourselves around game reserves all squashed in a car. Our taxi industry is a fraction in size of your tourism industry Mr President. Perhaps you can explain why Promise one of our chefs, or Sthembiso, one of our guides, is not accorded the same recognition and respect? These skilled and valuable people now sit at home with hungry families, not earning a cent.

I have a few hundred employees who support a few thousand people, they are currently earning zero income. We didn't rest on our laurels when we were shut down. Thuma Mina - send me - we made the rallying call to all the people of Isibindi and they stepped forward and without hesitation gave of their time; game rangers, chefs, dive instructors, housekeepers, pool cleaners, marketeers, walking guides, barmen, laundry attendants they all stepped up. Our Isibindi Foundation raised over half a million rand for food parcels and are still distributing over and over again. I was arrested on one of these food drops because the Disaster Management officials said we were breaking the Act as they personally had to es**rt each and every one of our food parcels over vast areas. Using two 4-wheel drives (with nine officials and traffic police) to follow our game viewers who were handing out potatoes, meal and sugar beans to our starving rural communities. They drove for an hour every day just to reach the point from whence they would meet and "es**rt" our vehicles. The community saw right through this parody. They would have been better off with more beans. But that's another story for another day.

You've had some of the best brains in the country available to you for 4 months to come up with a considered rescue plan for tourism. Our bewildered tourism minister - when asked of her plans for tourism in a plenary session - said she has plans to open an online platform for promoting clothing, handcraft and art. The timeline of capricious promises, presidential website commitments and then hurried retractions and poorly drafted and misleading gazettes, are safely stored on google. You addressed our nation on Sunday night, yet declined to speak of or to the tourism industry and yet you gazetted, hours later, a very clear instruction that leisure tourism was not to be opened, indefinitely. The callousness you have shown to our industry and it's employees is staggering. This huge industry, which was to be our country's honeypot, with mining and construction tanking in recent years, has been broken in half. This will not only affect me and my staff and colleagues and friends in the industry. it will affect each and every South African.

Please reconsider the plight of our tourism sector. If intra-provincial tourism was allowed now it would help keep the industry partially intact. This would provide much needed salaries and a starting platform for when provincial and international borders open and South Africa can stand proud, once again, as a world class destination.

Vuka, Ubone. Ikati lilele eziko!

Yours sincerely
Brett Gehren
CEO ISIBINDI AFRICA LODGES www.isibindi.co.za

13/06/2020

Absolutely adorable! Hopefully game lodges will be opened soon so you can perhaps go and see Manyoni’s wild dogs for yourself!

https://bushscapes.co.za/destinations/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/manyoni/

29/05/2020

Lodges everywhere are trimming their rates - enquire with us for sensational specials!

www.bushscapes.co.za

28/05/2020

The hard lockdown is almost over (thank goodness!) - now all we need is for the game lodges to be allowed to re-open...

www.bushscapes.co.za

paynowstaylater

27/05/2020

Level 3 is just around the corner, so we’ll soon be able to collect too!

www.bushscapes.co.za

27/05/2020

PAY NOW STAY LATER VOUCHER
Pay before 30 June - stay within 3 month window after lodges reopen (excludes 19 Dec - 4 Jan)
Choose from Lion Sands River Lodge, Lion Sands Narina or Lion Sands Tinga!
Send an email to [email protected] or check out www.bushscapes.co.za for more info

27/05/2020

PAY NOW STAY LATER VOUCHER
Pay before 30 June - stay within 3 month window after lodges reopen (excludes 19 Dec - 4 Jan)
Choose from Lion Sands River Lodge, Lion Sands Narina or Lion Sands Tinga!
Send an email to [email protected] or check out www.bushscapes.co.za or more info

26/05/2020

It’s almost time to get out and about!

www.bushscapes.co.za

25/05/2020

There are some fantastic special offers already available for when the game lodges re-open! So save now and enjoy later!

www.bushscapes.co.za

22/05/2020

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

www.bushscapes.co.za

21/05/2020

Fancy enjoying a bushscape as soon as lockdown ends? Give us a call as there are some fantastic specials available at really top lodges!
www.bushscapes.co.za

20/05/2020

Let us book you a bush getaway!
www.bushscapes.co.za

19/05/2020

The lockdown won’t last forever - and the bush will be waiting for your visit!
www.bushscapes.co.za

18/05/2020

The bush will be ready and waiting for your visit once lockdown ends!
www.bushscapes.co.za

11/09/2019

Wow - what a wonderfully unusual sighting on a recent Pafuri Walking Trail! Truly unforgettable...💓

23/07/2019

Everyone knows that the Sabi Sand reserve is famous for its leopard sightings, but this is taking it to another level completely!!
Seen this morning at Idube lodge - call one of our consultants to enquire about the excellent rates available to South African residents here!

21/05/2019

12/09/2018

“I really hope we get to see leopards when we go on safari!”...

08/06/2018

LET'S HOPE IT RAINS IN CAPE TOWN THIS WEEKEND!

Hope you have a great weekend and enjoy the sunny weather upcountry! (Pic by Michael Nichols)

07/06/2018

“Die kos was uitstekend, die lodge en personeel was wonderlik”

Guest Feedback – NKOMAZI TENTED CAMP – from R2 133 pps/night

If you fancy the idea of staying in a wonderfully romantic tented camp just 3 hours from Gauteng, then have a look at Nkomazi Tented Camp. They have a great 3 night stay special rate this winter which works out from just R2 133 per person sharing per night – and the good news is that this also INCLUDES DRINKS! Check out some great recent feedback from our clients Ben and Rina below. For more info, look at our full lodge profile here: https://bushscapes.co.za/accommodation/nkomazi/

“Hi Lize Marie,

Baie dankie, dit was n wonderlike 3 dae in die bos. Die kos was uitstekend , die lodge en personeel was wonderlik. Die game drives was besonders. Hulle het my lekker bederf op my verjaarsdag met sjampanje wat by ons tent afgegee was en met aandete het hulle vir my gesing en ook n verjaarsdag koek gegee. Ek het baie spesiaal gevoel want almal het geweet dis my verjaarsdag. Baie dankie aan jou wat dit gereel het. Jou diens was uitstekend.”