A new deluxe safari lodge with a focus on sustainability has opened up in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, The Tengile River Lodge in the Greater Kruger National Park offers guests a tailor-made experience of the South African bush.
&Beyond, a luxury safaris and tours company, has opened the new lodge in the heart of the thriving game reserve located in the Greater Kruger National Park.
‘Tengile’, which means ‘tranquil’ in the local Tsonga language, is an apt name for the lodge, which provides guests with an idyllic, relaxing hideaway nestled in riverine forest, by the Sabi river.
The restaurant and dining area at the Tengile River Lodge
With nine exclusive guest suites, it is a premier experience combining wilderness with home comforts. Each room offers 180-degree views over the river and one of South Africa’s most wildlife rich conservation areas.
&Beyond CEO Joss Kent explains what makes the lodge stand out, aside from its stunning location.
‘Tengile River Lodge boasts a fresh design that gives our guests what they crave the most – space,’ he says.
Each room is over 200 square metres in size, some of the largest rooms to be found in Sabi Sands lodges.
The lodge focuses on privacy and comfort, and each room is designed to mirror Tengile’s natural surroundings, with materials and designs that reflect the colours and textures of the bush and have in some instances even been collected from the reserve and repurposed.
One of the ensuite bedrooms available at Tengile River Lodge, with its own private deck area
This natural, wild design aesthetic and the use of local bush materials can be seen not just inside the suites but throughout the lodge: stone from the Selati Railway that runs through the game reserve has been used to create the lodge’s terrazzo floors, for example.
Each stone has been carefully laid to create a colour palette of dark greens, rusty shades and black hues.
The lodge has a rustic yet modern feel
The use of slatted raw wood on the ceilings create a cabin-like feel to the lodge.
Wide, high windows allow for natural light to filter in, illuminating the rich interiors.
Unwind in the suites’ lounge areas
&Beyond prides itself on creating sustainable, eco-conscious accommodations, and has certainly succeeded on this front with Tengile River Lodge.
In order to leave a minimal imprint on the area, a state-of-the-art waste water and sewer treatment system has been implemented at Tengile along with thermal efficiency mechanisms.
The lodge has undergone strict environmental auditing to ensure that it complies with sustainable measures.
Local designers were employed to created unique decor pieces which are found in and around the lodge.
The lights, couches, beds, and chairs here are also locally designed. The fabrics used for the curtains and upholstery have been individually hand-painted by a group of artists in Cape Town, and feature wildlife prints and elements of nature.
The colours and fabrics of the interiors mirror the bush outside
Guests can take in expansive views of nature and watch an African sunset as they enjoy a meal in the open air dining area.
The dining area at Tengile
A Wellness Centre is available at Tengile River Lodge, and features a gym, pool, massage rooms, and a sunken deck where guests can relax while waiting for their treatments.
The open deck area at the lodge’s Wellness Centre where guests can unwind
Safari game drives are provided for guests to explore the game reserve and get up-close to the reserve’s wild residents.
For bookings, contact: 011 809 4300
Website: www.andbeyond.com/our-lodges/africa/south-africa/sabi-sand-game-reserve/andbeyond-tengile-river-lodge/
Picture: andBeyond, The Tengile River Lodge
