At Elephant Plains guests and families can choose from traditional thatched rondavels (circular rooms) set in the beautifully landscaped garden, or book into one of the six glass-fronted luxury suites each decorated in earthy tones and with a private viewing deck overlooking the riverbed. Honeymooners favour the romantic Manyeleti: an elegantly appointed suite that is both private and luxurious, with its own splash pool and outdoor sala. After an early rise for morning game drives, many guests enjoy some well-deserved pampering at the African Health Spa or try the well-equipped health and fitness centre. Others simply choose a spot at the pool watch while elephants often wander in close,
giving ample photographic opportunities. Elephant Plains is also home to the endangered wild dog and cheetah, so energetic guests who feel like a close encounter with nature can book a bush walk with a professional ranger.#paragraph#There’s time to track footprints, watch tok tokkie beetles moving balls of dung, or learn about the trees, grasses and medicinal plants of the bushveld, or simply stop and listen quietly to the birdlife. The heat of the afternoon is siesta time, but game drives begin again as the sun cools and sundowners are packed for a stop along the way with delicious snacks to keep you going on the night drive.
Back at Elephant Plains, there’s an eight-inch Orion Intelli telescope to view the stars in the evening sky – one of the joys of being so far from city life. Each of the rangers has completed a star-gazing course and can guide you through the night skies of the southern hemisphere.
Elephant Plains also affords guests the opportunity to join well-known wildlife photographers from the Outdoor Photo Team to learn how to master their techniques and record an African safari of a lifetime.
