Singita Ebony Lodge

Ebony was Singita's first lodge, and it still has the feel of a safari house under the trees by the water. There are 12 tented suites along the river, and dinner is served at the lodge, under the trees by the water.

We use it on Gorillas, Migration & Golf as the hinge between the golf and the rest of Africa. You have just played all three courses at Fancourt. Your Pilatus PC-12 flies north-east from George to the Singita airstrip, and on approach the pilot makes a low pass to scatter the impala, and sometimes elephant, grazing on the runway. Your first game drive happens from the air.

Then you have two full days in the Sabi Sand on your own timetable. Your guide and tracker follow leopard and lion across the Singita concession, and you stay with each sighting for as long as you want. Nobody is waiting for the vehicle back at camp, and nobody else is in it.

Ebony suits golfers and couples who want three nights of serious game viewing before the Mara and the gorillas, without giving up a proper bed and a good kitchen. Singita Boulders is its neighbour on the same concession if you want a second Singita lodge on another trip. From Ebony, a short flight takes you to Kruger Mpumalanga International to clear customs, and your Embraer Praetor 600 carries on north to Nairobi.

Good to know

• Malaria area. Take your doctor's advice on prophylaxis before you travel.
• The dry winter months, roughly May to September, give the easiest game viewing; Gorillas, Migration & Golf runs July to October.

Country: South Africa