We spent 4 luxurious nights at the Protea Hotel Kruger Gate for our babymoon and were absolutely blown away! This 4 star, lodge-style hotel was our first ever taste of a ‘Luxury Safari’. Right on the border of the Kruger National Park, this bush break was one to remember!
The Executive Suite
We stayed in the Executive Suite which is a very spacious apartment. We have often found that “African Safari” inspired decor is quite old fashioned and even cringey at times (catering for “the tourists”. Walking into our suite for the first time took us by complete surprise! We were really impressed with how modern and tasteful this suite was! A 5 star experience in our opinion!
The Infinity Pool
The sun rises directly in front of their renown infinity pool. We spent most of our time here, just basking in that golden Kruger glow. This made for some of our most memorable mornings we’ve ever spent “in the bush”.
Initially we came here at sunrise because it was the best time to get a photograph (offering us both stillness and sunrise lighting). We ended up coming every morning after that, without our camera!
We really can’t encourage this experience enough! The sunrise creates the most spectacular glow that glistens across the pool. Noises from the bush compete with our excited whispers as we point out passing birds and buck across the horizon. It gives us chills just thinking about these swims.
The pool during the day is much busier (and more noisy) as it fills up with other guests. We spent a lot of time here sunbathing, ordering lunch from the Pool Bar and sipping on cocktails/mocktails. There is limited seating here so get a spot early.
There is a larger pool and a kiddies pool just behind for those who didn’t manage to snag a “view seat”.
Game Drives
This hotel is located right on the border of the Kruger National Park, next to the Paul Kruger Gate. We would self-drive into the park most days. The nearby Rest Camps to visit include Skakuza, Pretoriuskop and Lower Sabie.
At the hotel travel desk they advertise a ‘Sabi Sands Sunset Drive‘ from 3:30pm to 7pm. It takes 2 to 6 guests and is R1700 per person (these details may have changed). Sabi Sands borders both the hotel’s gates and Kruger National Park and is a truly phenomenal private game reserve to visit. We cannot emphasise how much we enjoyed this game drive! We saw lions and leopards right next to our open vehicle – without the company of any other passing guests. The pristine landscapes and raw, wild beauty viewed from their dirt roads offers a more “wild” experience compared to that of the Kruger – and hence the price difference.
The Food
We ate dinner every evening under the stars at their Lapa Restaurant. The set up of this canopy / open air buffet gave us a warm African welcome every evening. The food was hearty and plentiful. *I wasn’t able to truly enjoy this due my constant evening “morning sickness” – but Rudolph can confirm ;).
Romantic Moments
The spa was another big highlight for us! They offer couple’s treatments in exclusive treehouses overlooking the park. We dozed off slightly from all the relaxation only to open our eyes to an elephant walking RIGHT BELOW US! *Our most memorable spa experience to date!!
The Nkanyi Suite
We had the privilege of spending some time in the Nkanyi Suite – the presidential villa. High ceilings, private pools, endless nooks to entertain – this is the high life! If you’re travelling as a group then try to encourage one couple to book this suite so you can all enjoy the large entertainment features together.
Book your stay here: Kruger Gate Protea Hotel
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