Best glamping places in South Africa: Luvhondo few and far between

Our safari vehicle ascended the Soutpansberg Mountains, past 2,000-year-old acacia trees, rocky red cliffs, and striped kudu trees browsing the undergrowth. With each return trip, anticipation builds for our luxury stay in South Africa Luvhondo is few and far betweenSarah and Jakub Dusek’s big return to outdoor hospitality after selling Under Canvas in 2018. Unlike their previous model of building campsites near the most popular national parks, they chose the remote Limpopo region, the “Forgotten Mountains.”

Despite being a hotbed of biodiversity with an abundance of rare and endemic species within the UNESCO Vembe Biosphere Reserve, the Soutpansberg mountain range is quietly declining due to deforestation and mining, and faces further threats from proposed industrial development. Undertaking ecosystem restoration, not to mention mining and government bureaucracy, is no easy feat, but if you’ve read Sarah’s book, Think Big: A Simple Formula for Women Who Want to Change the World…She’s just the right person for the job.

Welcome to Short and Far

The sounds of African drums, a lychee lemonade tray, warm scented hand towels, and smiling faces welcomed us at the entrance of Few & Far Luvhondo. General Manager, Giselle, showed us to the main building, which features a fabric structure wrapped around a tree, mimicking the shape, strength, and timeless elegance of a baobab tree. Limpopo Province, and specifically this property, is home to some of the largest baobab trees in South Africa. These “Trees of Life” are a driving inspiration for Dusek’s design and Few & Far’s deep sense of place.

Behind the Scenes: The dining area’s fabric canopy didn’t fit into the hole it needed, so co-founder Jacob was tapped to make the nerve-wracking cut to fit it around the tree. Turning a design mess into a family project, finally nailed down with the help of the Dusek’s two teenage boys!

Cliff wings

Giselle guided us to our sloped pavilion, a C-curved fabric and wood structure that frames sweeping views at both ends. She pointed to the Few & Far field guide and the binoculars on the desk. “Keep an eye out for giraffes, nyalas, and zebras; they can often be seen along the valley floor,” she said. I had visions of going on safari right from the outdoor shower, clawfoot bathtub and luxurious canopy bed, and I couldn’t help but smile.

After wishing us an excellent stay, the hospitality continued with a handwritten note on the cocktail and espresso bar, “Welcome to Few & Far Luvhondo, we are so glad you have arrived in our forgotten mountains. We hope you feel at home, find a little magic in the wilderness, and perhaps carry it with you when you leave.”

Eat with purpose

Lunch was served by the infinity pool with special guest, Dr. Dawn Corey Toussaint, resident ecologist and reserve manager at Few & Far. With an ambitious vision to protect, revitalize and restore 100,000 hectares of the contiguous Soutpansberg Mountains, Dawn was among the first hires in 2021. Petite and cheerful, she’s not exactly who you’d imagine behind a backhoe clearing invasive species or hauling away hundreds of poaching traps, but like all the women in Sarah’s orbit, they should never be underestimated. While enjoying a wonderful lunch of beetroot gnocchi and brick-oven pizza with vegetables from their farm, Dawn shared the good news…

Conservation goals and achievements

Thanks to the hard work of Few & Far and the Endangered Wildlife Trust, 11,000 hectares of the Soutpansberg Mountains have recently been granted official environmental protection, with an additional 25,000 hectares on their way later this year. We raised our glasses in celebration and admiration for Few & Far’s 50-year plan to save a mountain range and sequester 100,000 tons of carbon a year.

Behind the Scenes: A $100 per person, per day conservation tax is included in a guest’s stay, which supports Few & Far’s carbon offset initiatives and ecosystem restoration efforts. For those who would like to make a financial contribution, guests can participate in the “Conservationist for a Day” program, which involves rewilding and sequestering carbon by removing invasive species and planting native trees, shrubs and grasses.

Empowering women

“Are you ready for your afternoon flight?” said a young woman in shades of green. As Sarah continues in her role as Managing Partner at Enygma Ventures, a venture fund for African women entrepreneurs, it was only fitting that she hired Lizzie as her safari guide. Lizzie grew up eating many of her meals at a soup kitchen at a nature reserve, but would stay longer each day to volunteer and learn about the environment. Her hard work and passion earned her a scholarship to guide the school. Lizzie is one of many female employees at Few & Far and part of a growing movement to empower women in the African tourism sector.

Safaris in Soutpansberg

Over the course of our three-day stay, we hiked and traveled through thousands of acres on this private preserve, from a 100-foot secret waterfall to the famous Waterpoort Gorge that remarkably cuts through their property. In all that time, we never saw another soul, but the presence of life was all around us. The Soutpansberg region is home to 3,000 species of vascular plants, 594 species of native trees, 250 species of butterflies, and 60% of Africa’s bird species.

In addition to sightings of big game, like giraffes and Cape buffalo, we saw fresh leopard prints and tusks in trees from long-lost elephants, but Few & Far is working on that, too. In collaboration with neighboring properties, they are tearing down fences to one day bring back the elephants and open wildlife corridors for an interconnected ecosystem.

Sleeping under the stars

Seeing the tracks of cheetahs and African wild dogs is always exciting, except when you’re trying to build up the courage to “sleep under the stars”, a mountaintop bed with nothing more than a mosquito net to protect you from the elements (including sharp claws)! I’ll admit I was wandering off at dusk to an unknown location. Then I saw the twinkling lanterns, the friendly bartender pouring welcome drinks, the beautifully set dinner table, the most delicate bed on a pedestal…I wanted to stay forever. As we looked up at the stars from under our linen duvet and woke up to a sunrise peaking just above our toes, we got a remarkably good night’s sleep.

Behind the Scenes: Creating a pop-up camp is no easy task. Hours before our arrival, the Few & Far team was moving furniture, setting up an outdoor kitchen, and creating outdoor living spaces with no amenities nearby. Despite adequate planning, time and coordination, they made the sleeping process seem seamless, and it became our favorite experience after two months in Africa.

Spa Hodziki

While we could have used Sleep Out’s wonderful outdoor shower with panoramic views, we would have had better shower times ahead. Under the shade of Luvhondo’s grandest baobab trees and a thatched-roof rondavel, Vhudziki Spa is inspired by the indigenous Venda culture and its natural remedies. We were welcomed by Nongo, a tribal member and wellness specialist.

A bath filled with baobab essential oils and covered in bougainvillea awaited me on the stone patio, while Mike’s foot bath was baked in the sun by a local potter and undoubtedly added minerals and good vibes to his treatment. Twisting a rain wand, she asked me to pull out a card that said: “We are all connected to everyone and everything in the universe. Therefore, everything one does as an individual affects the whole.” Even though I had never been a tarot fan before, I left feeling grateful for and responsible for this special place.

Best camping in South Africa

As travelers, we have a lot of options. By choosing luxury tourism operations and environmental conservation such as Luvhondo is few and far betweenWe lead positive change. “At Few & Far, we don’t just want to provide access to extraordinary places in nature or simply be sustainable, but to be regenerative,” says Sarah Dusek. “And by being innovative, I mean creating impact, moving the needle, and solving some of the world’s big problems.” When outfitters think this way and more people support these change makers, they are moving in the right direction.

This article originally appeared in our column for Glamping Business Americas, the premier trade publication for the outdoor hospitality industry. To stay up to date with all the great news and read our latest guest experience articles, Subscribe to the (free) magazine..

How to get to little and far Luvhondo

Train: Luxury historic train Rufus Railway It passes directly through the Few & Far property on the Victoria Fall to Pretoria journey (Watch this video from our train trip, it was epic!!). Request the secret Waterpoort stop in advance, and the F&F team will pick you up on the short ride back to the lodge.
airplane: Fly to Polokwane Airport and arrange a 1.5-hour transfer with F&F.
Charter flight: Private charter planes can land directly at the lodge’s airstrip.
car: It’s a 5-hour drive north of Johannesburg. You can turn this into a great road trip by adding more glamping spots in South Africa on the Kruger National Park or the Panorama Route to The Kingdom of Eswatini (which we loved!)

To learn more about the Few & Far Luvhondo experience, don’t miss out on our website Instagram Stories Highlights.