South Africa, Greater Kruger Park, Kruger National Park
Includes: Accommodation, all meals, teas & coffees, afternoon tea, two game drives daily in open landrovers and a safari walk
Excludes: Drinks, telephone and fax calls, health spa facilities, curios, gratuities, items of a personal nature and entrance fees into the Kruger Park
Cedarberg Rating: Luxury
Malaria Rating: Seasonal high risk - Sept-May
Family Suitability: Very child-friendly
Number Of People: 32
• Very child friendly lodge with a specialized programme of activities
• Excellent cuisine served in a variety of settings
• Playroom with supervision so parents can join morning game walk
• Guided walks and game drives with a highly qualified ranger and tracker
• Helicopter flights to other places of interest outside the park
Lukimbi Game Lodge is a 15,000ha private game concession in the Kruger National Park. It lies in the southern part of the Kruger between Malelane and Crocodile Bridge areas.
The main lodge is beautifully designed with high ceilings, dramatic fireplaces but also plenty of places to relax in solitude. Below the lodge there's a beautiful pool with a waterfall and Jacuzzi rock pool, a library with a selection of books and internet access, a wine cellar, gym and a separate children's playroom. Raised teak walkways connect the 16 spacious suites. All suites are extremely spacious with a sunken sitting room, luxurious bathroom with a huge oval stone bath offering glorious bushveld views as well as an outside shower. There's also a private deck offering the perfect place to relax and enjoy some bird-spotting or game-viewing. Other facilities include air-conditioning, fans, minibars and tea/coffee facilities. The huge Giant Eagle Owl suite and King Cheetah suite also have private plunge pools, dining room and second bathroom.
Lukimbi doesn't focus on ticking off the Big Five, though all are present at Lukimbi, but on explaining the natural cycles of the bush, the symbiotic relationships between animals as well as local uses of trees and plants. Vehicles mainly say within the concession where controlled off-road driving is permissible, but have the whole park available to give the best sightings. Another strength is their excellent cuisine served in a variety of settings: in the boma, around the pool or perhaps an intimate candlelit dinner on the deck.
Lukimbi is a very child friendly lodge with a specialized programme of activities and games and a special Children's co-ordinator. A maximum of two children under 12 may share with parents in a suite on extra beds. Lukimbi also provides some stunning cots for younger children designed as animals. All families with children will be booked into the same wing of the lodge.
Usually younger children under six will be able to accompany their parents on game drives, though this is not guaranteed unless a private vehicle is reserved at an additional cost. In practice Lukimbi tries to put two families together in a vehicle so that your children's needs can be more easily catered for. If there are several children at the lodge, they also organize special kids drives which are enjoyable for children (and parents) alike. There is a play room which is supervised from 7am to 1pm and from 4pm until you take your children to bed. Games, wildlife movies and toys are available there.
This level of child supervision and interaction enables parents to enjoy the morning bush walk at Lukimbi (which is usually not an option for parents at most game lodges), or to simply relax in your suite or by the pool.
We recommend at least a three or four night stay so that your children (ideally 7 to 12 years) can participate in the Basic Tracker programme. This takes place after breakfast and in the mid afternoon (prior to the evening game drive) and includes nature walks, target practice, tracking spoor, basic bush survival skills and children receive a Basic Tracking Certificate at the end. Please ask us to send you the full programme. Teenagers are also catered for with bush walks, astronomy evenings, special boma dinners and a Day in the Life of a ranger sessions as well as game drives of course.
Printed from www.cedarberg-travel.com.