Ulusaba Private Game Reserve, South Africa

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Virgin Territory

New resorts at Ulusaba game reserve have the Branson touch, from wild game drives to rustic luxury accommodations

The local inhabitants named it "the place of little fear." But to visitors, Ulusaba, South Africa, is a place of peace and pleasure. This 27,000-acre wedge of savanna, flanked between Kruger National Park and the mountains of Mozambique, can be described as spectacular, but even that word fails to capture its total essence. Now, clients can experience this for themselves, thanks to Richard Branson, chairman of the Virgin Group.

Recognizing the value and beauty of Ulusaba, Branson bought the area, put two luxurious lodges on it and flew his planes to the closest international airport. Now Ulusaba is on the map as part of the Virgin Limited Edition collection with the advent of the Rock Lodge and Safari Lodge.

The Ulusaba reserve is all private land that is full of wildlife and protected from poachers, farmers, ranchers and roads. The usual spots and stripes of the jungle--lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, hippos, crocodiles and hyenas--call Ulusaba home, and the trackers that find them for safari parties can almost give them names.

Both lodges allow a limited number of guests per night, so visitors will never feel overcrowded by humans. Animals rule in this corner of the continent, and nature can be experienced from one's bedroom patio as easily as it can from an open-air offroad vehicle.

The two lodges are as different from each other in character and offerings as a leopard is from a gazelle. The Safari Lodge is a romantic tree house setting with a river running through it and rope bridges to connect rooms with lodge areas. A great savanna expanse runs behind the lodge, and elephants often wander by on their way to the hippo pool some lengths beyond. Baboons hold court each morning between the lodge areas and river rooms, running and chasing one another through the trees and along the roped paths in a daily pageant of primate machismo. The property has four Safari rooms, three Elephant rooms and three River rooms, all of which are decorated to meet the fantasy of the ultimate African experience.

Gossamer nets suspended from high wood and thatch ceilings protect beds of fine high-count cotton linens. Wood patios allow for private game viewing and contemplation. Large bathrooms with large bathtubs are the perfect place to weather an evening thunderstorm by candlelight. Rock wall showers unbridled by curtains add to the sense of freedom that Africa evokes. The Safari Lodge's entire decor is African, ranging from Mali mud cushions and textiles to handcrafted wood beds, desks and chairs. Each room has air conditioning and telephones.

Rates for the Safari Lodge range from $720 to $1,120 per couple, per night (as of 2001). Included are all meals and drinks, two game drives each day, an afternoon guided walking safari, local entertainment and the 14 percent value-added tax.

The Rock Lodge is located on a mound of rock rising out of the bush some 800 feet, providing visitors with amazing views of the surrounding area. Actually built into the rock, this lodge has 10 rooms in all: eight large Rock rooms, a master suite and a Rock suite. Each guest room differs from the next, as each is given the theme of a different African tribe, including original artifacts, textiles, paintings and traditional colors. There are private patios and complimentary binoculars in each room, adding to one's ability to pick out the wildebeest and water buffalo chomping through the trees below. As in its Safari sister, all rooms at the Rock Lodge feature air conditioning, hair dryers, quality bath amenities and phones. Both facilities have outdoor pools, as well as large lodge rooms that contain all the latest entertainment items, but Rock also offers tennis courts, a gym and a spa.

Rates at the Rock Lodge, inclusive of game drives and meals, range from $1,280 to $1,600 per couple, per night, (as of 2001) depending on the room choice. Groups of up to 20 guests can rent the entire lodge for parties or retreats for $14,000 per night. Visitors may opt to have two nights at each lodge to get a taste of the different experiences. The two lodges are only a seven-minute drive from each other by dirt roads.

Once in Johannesburg, guests have a variety of ways to get to Ulusaba. They can arrange to have a private charter service meet them and take them on the hour's flight to Ulusaba's airstrip. Local airports (Skukuza, Nelsruit and Hoedspruit) also offer access to the area. where transfers can be arranged to the lodges, about 90 minutes away. Travelers can get to Johannesburg with Virgin Atlantic.

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