Mdluli Safari Lodge

Mdluli Safari Lodge sits inside Kruger National Park itself, on 850 hectares of land near Pretoriuskop Rest Camp in the park's south-western section — not a private reserve bordering Kruger, but the real thing. It opened in January 2020 in partnership with the Mdluli Community, who hold freehold title to the land under a land-reform agreement that has been cited as a model for community development projects in South Africa; more than 90% of the lodge's staff are Mdluli Community members.

The lodge's 50 custom-designed tents are built around a signature infinity pool and a granite rock viewpoint with 360-degree views over the bush. Each 70 sqm tent has a king or twin bed, an oversized patio and a private indoor/outdoor shower, and four are fully wheelchair accessible — as is the rest of the lodge.

Guests choose between a self-drive package or one with one or two guided game drives a day, and can add bush walks, boma dinners, gin tastings or a bush braai. Being inside the park's fence line rather than outside it means game can be encountered from the moment you leave the lodge gate.