Skip to content
Left arrow
FOUR Magazine logo
Search icon

Eco-Friendly Escapes: Discover Karkloof Safari Villas, South Africa

Travel
|
21 Jan 2019
|
3 min read

Biodegradable spa products, recycled brick buildings and truly incredible wildlife – discover a safari stay with a sustainable edge at Karkloof Safari Villas.

Looking for your next sustainable escape? Karkloof Safari Villas, a luxury South African safari lodge surrounded by stunning wildlife, provides a unique and sensational safari experience combining ultimate comfort with incredible sustainable commitment. 

Through their philosophy, ‘Development with a Gentle Hand’, guests will find themselves revitalised and pampered -whilst immersing themselves within the beauty on their doorstep. With a determination to leave the environment undisturbed, wild animals are treated kindly and considerately by their two-legged neighbours – whilst the buildings themselves have been constructed with recycled bricks and locally-quarried stone.  

Situated just 30 minutes from Pietermaritzburg, this eco-friendly hideaway is nestled in a place of spectacular beauty on a 3000-hectare reserve, surrounded by picturesque waterfalls and rivers. From the aroma of naturally hydrated greenery and gentle sounds of wildlife to culinary excellence and blissful spa relaxation, prepare to relax, recline and immerse yourself in one of the world’s most tranquil escapes.

Fascinating History
Those looking to get up close and personal with amazing creatures are certainly in luck. The wider residing area of Karkloof Safari Villas used to be known as Ihlanze Game Reserve, established in the 1850s when colonial settlement took place in the area. The region has always played host to an abundance of wildlife including buffalo, lion, hyena, African birds, hippo and even packs of wild dogs that used to roam the land.

Around this period, larger game animals and predators were hunted to extinction, as was the case in many parts of South Africa. It is only in the last 15 to 20 years that these magnificent creatures have been sighted again and they are now recognised as an asset, not a liability.   

The most significant change occurred in 2002 with the establishment of the present Ihlanze Game Reserve, leading to the consolidation of the Karkloof Valley, the Umgeni Valley and Malden-Saxony properties. Ihlanze is now considered a viable area for the conservation of biodiversity and in it is set to be the core of a large UNESCO-approved biosphere reserve under the Biodiversity Stewardship Programme, the first of its kind in KwaZulu-Natal. The region still plays host to a range of diverse and rare plant and animal species which it is committed to sustaining. 

Today, Karkloof Safari Villas still upholds this same ethos and has a very dedicated approach to eco-friendly co-habitation, whilst maintaining a high standard of luxury for guests. Created using only environmentally-friendly materials, even the spa is comprised of recycled clay bricks – whilst the lodges are made from locally quarried cladding stone and natural ingredients.

Sustainable Stays
Sustainability is at the heart of Karkloof Safari Villas – plant and tree life are encorperated into its structures. Each spacious villa is individually decorated and offers a private viewing deck from which to appreciate the free-roaming wildlife. These include 93 butterfly, 283 bird, 67 amphibian and 43 mammal species, such as Rhinos and Giraffe’s.  

Karkloof Safari Spa offers a range of treatments and therapies, all of which have been carefully crafted from a range of cultures and use organic and natural ingredients. It was integral that the design of the spa reflected this focus on sustainability and as such living roofs were fitted with planted grass in order to steady temperatures and reduce energy consumption; warthogs and antelope are often seen grazing this striking feature too.

The lodge and spa, meanwhile, uses biodegradable soaps and cleaning materials, organic body lotions, non-toxic wall paint and vanities made of wood instead of melamine. Even the sips are sustainable – cleaning and drinking waters are derived from the cool clear air of the valley below. 

Wild Gardens & Paths
The lodge and spa takes care not to manicure their gardens to a sterile and manufactured state that does not emulate their natural surroundings. Vibrant green long-grass patches and shrubby areas house birds and attract butterflies, chameleons and numerous small animals creating a buzzy, warm environment.

Similarly, the boardwalk leading to the Karkloof Falls has been designed with low impact on the natural features. The philosophy behind the architecture was to build around the environment which is already there and therefore disturb it as little as possible. As such the pathway, which is created from natural wood and recycled boards, meanders cheerfully over boulders and around trees.

Karkloof Safari Villas (www.karkloofsafarivillas.com ; +27 33 569 1321) offers the Starling package from R4,050/ £230 per night per person on a B&B basis and includes an optional game drive.

World’s best winner 2014     |     World’s best luxury lifestyle media brand 2022

About

|

Editions

|

Contact

|

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 Four magazine

|

All Rights Reserved

About

|

Contact

|

Editions

|

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 Four magazine

|

All Rights Reserved

four-magazine.com use cookies to deliver an optimised experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of all cookies used.
Cookie settingsaccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.

CookieDurationDescription
__cfduid1 monthThe cookie is used by cdn services like CloudFare to identify individual clients behind a shared IP address and apply security settings on a per-client basis. It does not correspond to any user ID in the web application and does not store any personally identifiable information.
_abck1 yearThis cookie is used to detect and defend when a client attempt to replay a cookie.This cookie manages the interaction with online bots and takes the appropriate actions.
bm_sz4 hoursThis cookie is set by the provider Akamai Bot Manager. This cookie is used to manage the interaction with the online bots. It also helps in fraud preventions
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
ts3 yearsThis cookie is provided by the PayPal. It is used to support payment service in a website.
ts_c3 yearsThis cookie is provided by PayPal when a website is in association with PayPal payment function. This cookie is used to make safe payment through PayPal.
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Functional

Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.

CookieDurationDescription
akavpau_ppsdsessionThis cookie is provided by Paypal. The cookie is used in context with transactions on the website.
nsidThis cookie is set by the provider PayPal. This cookie is used to enable the PayPal payment service in the website.
tsrce3 daysThis cookie is set by the provider PayPal. This cookie is used to enable the PayPal payment service in the website.
x-pp-ssessionThis cookie is set by the provider PayPal. This cookie is used to process payments from the site.

Performance

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

CookieDurationDescription
YSCsessionThis cookies is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos.

Analytics

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

CookieDurationDescription
_ga2 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gid1 dayThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the website is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages visted in an anonymous form.

Advertisement

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.

CookieDurationDescription
_fbp3 monthsThis cookie is set by Facebook to deliver advertisement when they are on Facebook or a digital platform powered by Facebook advertising after visiting this website.
fr3 monthsThe cookie is set by Facebook to show relevant advertisments to the users and measure and improve the advertisements. The cookie also tracks the behavior of the user across the web on sites that have Facebook pixel or Facebook social plugin.
IDE1 year 24 daysUsed by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile.
test_cookie15 minutesThis cookie is set by doubleclick.net. The purpose of the cookie is to determine if the user's browser supports cookies.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysThis cookie is set by Youtube. Used to track the information of the embedded YouTube videos on a website.

Others

Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.

CookieDurationDescription
_gat_gtag_UA_120081375_11 minuteThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_83740222_11 minuteThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_mcid1 yearNo description
ak_bmsc2 hoursNo description
CONSENT16 years 9 months 2 days 6 hoursNo description
ec_store_chameleon_fontsessionThis cookie is provided by Ecwid and it is used to save the font utilised in the website's online store.
enforce_policy1 yearNo description
l7_az30 minutesNo description
LANG9 hoursNo description
x-cdnThis cookie is provided by Paypal and is used in context with shopping transactions on the website's store.