ABOVE: You’ll feel on top of the world
with a stay in the Rock Lodge. INSET:
The beautifully furnished Ulusaba River
Room. BELOW: Meet some of the
local wildlife on an early morning safari.ULUSABA VIRGIN
LIMITED, SOUTH AFRICA
Want to escape to the wild for your
honeymoon? Ulusaba is Richard Branson’s
private game reserve, set on 13,500
hectares of African wilderness within the
Sabi Sand Reserve, right on the edge of
Kruger National Park. You’ll spot the Big
Five; lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards and
buffalo, on the way from the airport, but
keep an eye out for celebrities too. Will
Smith and the late Nelson Mandela are just
two big names in the guest book.
The appropriately named Rock Lodge is
bolted onto an outcrop of granite kopje, a
mini mountain rising up high enough to
have jaw dropping views across the
savannah. Its large cantilevered deck is the
prime spot for sunset drinks but a private
candlelit dinner and a spot of star-gazing
will ensure a night to remember.
Clinging to the escarpment below is Cliff
lodge, the Virgin CEO’s private residence,
but for something a little more intimate, the
rooms at Safari Lodge sit somewhere
between tree house and luxury hotel room.
Connected by rope swing bridges, the
rooms are Safari-chic, with carved,
canopied wooden beds, floor to ceiling
windows, stand alone baths and in some
cases, private plunge pools.
Safaris start nice and early, to catch
the animals at their most active, and to
beat the heat. Hop into one of the resort’s
customised Land Rovers and head out
before returning to the resort for lunch and
a swim. ulusaba.virgin.com301 | bridetobe.com.auHIDEAWAY HONEYMOONS
SOUTH AFRICAN
HOLIDAYS ARE BEST
DURING SPRING, FROM
AUGUST-OCTOBER. THE
DAYS ARE WARMING UP
AND THE ANIMALS
ARE ACTIVE.