With FIFA’s 2010 World Cup soccer championships going on now, many eyes are turned toward South Africa. If you haven’t yet visited one of the country’s many luxury safari lodges, you are missing out. Hidden away in the bush, these opulent lodges rival the best European hotels in terms of service, food and wine, and sometimes even spa treatments. Of course, the real draw of any safari is the chance to get close to the “Big Five:” elephant, lion, Cape buffalo, leopard, and black rhinoceros. In most of South Africa’s game reserves, you’ll see those species as well as many others

With FIFA’s 2010 World Cup soccer championships going on now, many eyes are turned toward South Africa. If you haven’t yet visited one of the country’s many luxury safari lodges, you are missing out. Hidden away in the bush, these opulent lodges rival the best European hotels in terms of service, food and wine, and sometimes even spa treatments. Of course, the real draw of any safari is the chance to get close to the “Big Five:” elephant, lion, Cape buffalo, leopard, and black rhinoceros. In most of South Africa’s game reserves, you’ll see those species as well as many others

If the World Cup has piqued your interest in South Africa, consider these luxury lodges:

Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve

Leopard Hills
Aptly named, you often won’t have to leave camp to see leopards. The resident female is frequently seen drinking from guest plunge pools and lounging on lodge decks. She has even left her cub on property while she went off hunting. If you don’t spot a leopard at the lodge, you almost certainly will during a game drive. Leopard Hills rangers and trackers regularly lead guests to sightings of lions, elephants, Cape buffalo, giraffe, wild dogs, and occasionally even cheetahs. This intimate lodge features eight air-conditioned glass-fronted suites—each with a private plunge pool and gorgeous views of the bushveld. The spacious bathroom features a standalone tub, his and her sinks, and both an indoor and outdoor shower. The main lodge offers a spa and small gym, library, dining room and bar, deck overlooking a watering hole, and swimming pool. Per person rates are approximately $1,000/night.

Kruger National Park

Singita Sweni Lodge
Singita is one of the most recognized names when it comes to luxury safari lodges. Here at Kruger National Park, Singita—a Relais & Chateaux property—offers two options: Sweni and Lebombo lodges. (over at Sabi Sands you’ll find Singita Ebony, Boulders, and Castelton Camps). Sweni Lodge, situated next to the Sweni River, intrigues many guests since it’s built on stilts—affording you a giraffe’s-eye view of the area. There are six open-concept suites, all with the obligatory outdoor shower. The big draw is the fact that you can sleep out under the stars on the day bed on your viewing deck. Per person rates are approximately $1,450/night.

Jock Safari Lodge
If you’re traveling to South Africa with children, Jock Safari Lodge should be at the top of your list. The lodge allows children over 7 to join the daily game drives (although kids need to be over 16 to go on a walking safari). If you need several rooms for your family anyway, consider booking “Little Jock.” This trio of suites come with a chef, waitress, and ranger. This level of privacy and flexibility is appreciated by families who may need to adjust the times of daily game drives to coincide with their children’s sleep and wake schedules. Per person rates are approximately $650/night. (Children 7–11 charged 50% of nightly rate. Children 12 and older require a separate room and are charged full price.)

Timbavati Private Game Reserve

Kings Camp
Kings Camp is one of the only places in the world where you have a chance to catch a glimpse of white lions in the wild. You may assume that white lions are a subspecies of Panthera leo, but they are not. These animals actually carry a recessive gene that acts as a color inhibitor that’s responsible for pure white coats instead of the usual tawny ones. Residents of the Timbavati area have told stories of these lions over the centuries. A pride of white lions is currently traversing the area near Kings Camp, so it’s definitely worth a visit. The rangers at Kings Camp also understand all aspects of wildlife photography and are fantastic when it comes to maneuvering the game drive vehicle so you’ll get the best shot of the animals being viewed. Per person rates are approximately $560/night.

Kapama Game Reserve

Camp Jabulani
For something completely different, look no further than Camp Jabulani (another Relais & Chateaux member). Not only is this one of Africa’s most opulent game lodges, it also offers elephant-back safaris. Here you’ll be granted one-on-one encounters with a herd of trained elephants, including six babies. (Many of these elephants were rescued from Zimbabwe, where they had been tagged for slaughter.) Now these animals live a privileged life at Camp Jabulani and guests are thrilled to make their acquaintance. The accommodations are no less exhilarating. During the day, the walls of your suite can be rolled back so you are one with the great outdoors. On chilly evenings, you’re sure to use the in-suite fireplace. There’s also an on-site spa that offers a variety of massage and skin care treatments. Per person rates are approximately $1,000/night.

Madikwe Game Reserve

Madikwe Safari Lodge
For those who are a bit nervous about safari vacations in the first place, a good first step is a trip to Madikwe Private Game Reserve, because it’s located in a malaria-free region. No special health precautions are required to visit this area of South Africa. &Beyond’s Madikwe Safari Lodge is one of the best accommodations in Madikwe. At twenty suites, this is a larger lodge than those mentioned above but the rooms are distributed across three separate camps so you’ll still get the “out in the bush” vibe. Animal sightings have been very good recently and often include cheetah and wild dog in addition to the Big Five. Per person rates are approximately $400/night.

To further research safari getaways in South Africa, visit South African Tourism.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxurySafariExperts.com

Photo courtesy of Camp Jabulani

With South Africa trip planning on my mind these days, it’s no wonder I’ve become much more interested in the animals and habitats of the areas we’ll be visiting: specifically, Timbavati and Sabi Sands. When I came across Chris McBride’s book, The White Lions of Timbavati, I couldn’t wait to read it. Even though this book was published in the mid-1970s, it will be of interest to anyone who’s grappled with wildlife conservation issues.

I read this book a few days ago and, to be honest, I haven’t stopped thinking about the white lions since. Here’s the gist of the book: In the 1970s, Chris McBride was pursuing his degree in conservation management. For his thesis, he decided to document the daily life of a lion pride in the Timbavati Private Game Reserve. During his first few weeks in the bush near Kruger National Park, he tracked the pride’s movements, documented its kills, noted how the lions interacted with each other, etc.

A few weeks into the study, McBride discovered something shocking: two white lions were born to a pride lioness. These cubs were not albino lions, but true white lions. Throughout the ages, African lore has talked about white lions but very few have been documented. In fact, it has been decades since the last sighting. So, this discovery was something special. While science long ago unraveled the reason for the white coat—a recessive gene carried by one parent—seeing a white lion in the wild is no less mystical today than it was a hundred years ago.

As the cubs grew, McBride became increasingly concerned for their safety: Would they be able to hunt without the camouflage of a tawny-colored coat? Would poachers invade Timbavati to kill these white lions for their distinctive and unusual coats?

The book ends when the cubs are still quite young and McBride is still struggling with the idea that he may need to capture and relocate the white lions for their own safety.

Of course, I was curious to find out what happened to the lions so I Googled to learn more and, among other things, found that McBride followed up The White Lions of Timbavati with a second book, Operation White Lion. I tracked down a used copy and it should arrive any day. I look forward to reading McBride’s account of the events that transpired during this time period. I’ve since read many viewpoints on the Internet; some agree with McBride’s decisions while others couldn’t oppose more strongly.

Some of what I learned is heartbreaking. I won’t share it here in case you want the opportunity to read these books for yourself first. However, I will write more about these magnificent white lions once I read Operation White Lion.

In the meantime, if you’re interested in learning more, you can purchase McBride’s two books from any used book retailer (Amazon, Powells.com, AbeBooks.com, etc.).

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxurySafariExperts.com