Upon arriving at the Royal Suite we were greeted by a warm, crackling fire and beautiful platter of fruit, cheese and champagne. We decided to wind down after a long day spent walking amongst the Big 5 with Matt and Shadow. The walking trails at the Royal Malewane are an amazing way to interact with wildlife and experience the finer details of nature which one can’t truly experience from the comfort of a safari vehicle.

Matt and Shadow carefully guided us by foot and we were lucky enough to stumble across a rhino, which is an incredibly rare experience. Very few lodges are able to offer such walks due to the additional qualifications required to lead them. Each of the Royal Malewane rangers is well qualified to lead walking trails. Initially I was a little hesitant to walk in the wild, however, I got comfortable very quickly and felt very safe with my team. I’d highly recommend giving this two hour walk a go, which also includes a little coffee-pitt-stop mid way. Please note that the minimum walking age of participants across all walking trails is 16 years old.

Walking trails truly give a different perspective to the African bush and unique insights into animal behaviour.

The newly renovated luxury Royal suite - owner Liz Biden has worked her magic and made it the most Instagrammable sanctuary with the addition of a beautiful deck & fire place in the bush.

Walking Trail

GUEST SAFETY
Being on foot in the African bush is exhilarating, but can also be somewhat daunting. The safety of our guests and our wildlife is of utmost importance.
All our guides at Royal Malewane hold, as a minimum, a professional trails guide certification. This qualification is obtained after the culmination of extensive experience and a host of related qualifications, which include:

An Advanced Rifle Handling qualification
Advanced Wilderness First Aid qualification
A Level 2 Tracker qualification
600 Hours of active guiding on foot
300 encounters of potentially dangerous animals on foot

Halfway during our bush walk we made a quick pitt stop and were greeted by the beautiful staff of the Royal Malewane. They had set up the most thoughtful spread of pastries and prepared Amarula hot chocolate/coffee for us all. This was such a treat and gave us enough energy to finish the walk.

(I’d like to thank all the beautiful staff for preparing this delectable spread of food.)

Royal Malewane Bush Spa

I was excited to pay this world-renowned spa a visit to refresh and restore my mind and spirit. I was extremely surprised at the facilities upon arrival. From the fully equipped gym to the lap pool through to the private casitas for relaxation. I decided to spend a few hours catching up on the treadmill and booked a ninety minute treatment thereafter.

The Royal Malewane Spa is open to the public subject to availability but kindly note that hotel guests take preference.

Should you wish to book a treatment please contact:
email: spa@royalmalewane.com
Tel: +27 (0) 15 793 0150 | Spa Manager: Emma Souris

Bath in the Bush

The Royal Suite’s latest addition to their renovations include this beautiful Victorian bath set amongst the dense foilage of the African bush. Kevin and I decided to run a warm, bubble bath and enjoyed the tranquility and sounds of the birds chirping in the background. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the evening.