Elephant Plains is privately owned and run. The lodge aims to be as unobtrusive as possible within the surrounding landscape, while caring for the local environment and the local peoples too.

It has been awarded a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, in recognition of high service standards! The accommodation is booked on a full-board basis, including all meals, teas and coffees, morning and evening game drives, bush walks, and Wi-Fi. Children of all ages are welcome, and overall it’s fab for families.

Permanent lodge

Essential

From $620 pp – Contact Us

High-quality and good-value accommodation in the northern region of the Sabi Sands

Lounge, library, dining area, bar, wine cellar, curio shop, gym, conference room, games room, and two swimming pools

Manyeleti Bedroom

Five rondavels, six luxury suites, and the Manyeleti honeymoon suite

Game drives, bush walks, photographic safaris, stargazing, and the Mini Tuskers children’s program

Luxury Suite 1
Our Yellow Zebra Opinion
  • One to discuss with us
Very accessible on cost – the value here makes this lodge very popular with cost-conscious travelers wanting to enjoy the exclusive Sabi Sand Game Reserve. Simpler in style, it delivers on great game viewing without the bells and whistles.
Kirsten Jonker Training Director

Activities

Elephant Plains offers an exciting mix of things to do.

Safaris

Wildlife drives

Wildlife exploration

Big Five

Big cats

Wildlife sightings

Bird sightings

Bush walks

Photographic safaris

Mini Tuskers program

Stargazing

  • Expertly guided vehicle safaris take place during the morning and the late afternoon into evening.

    Luxury Suite 1
  • Drives focus on exploring the northern region of the Sabi Sands and enjoying sightings of a wealth of wildlife!

    Luxury Suite 1
  • The area’s savanna, woodland, and water sources support an impressive range of species.

    Luxury Suite 1
  • All Big Five are in residence – lion, rhino, leopard, elephant, and buffalo.

    Luxury Suite 1
  • The big cats are particularly prolific, and you can look out for cheetah too.

    Luxury Suite 1
  • Other predators to watch out for include hyenas, jackals, and the rare wild dog, while the herbivore count features hippo, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, and oodles of antelopes!

    Luxury Suite 1
  • The reserve is also home to approximately three hundred types of bird, from raptors to songbirds to waterbirds.

    Luxury Suite 1
  • Bush walks can include birding, and they also provide opportunities to scrutinise plants and insects, and to track larger animals.

    Luxury Suite 1
  • Photographic safaris are available too.

    Luxury Suite 1
  • Where children are thought too young to participate in safari activities, they can get involved with the Mini Tuskers program, which offers drawing, painting, beading, constructing an ant farm, going on mini-bushwalks, and more!

    Luxury Suite 1
  • And everyone can have fun stargazing at the end of each day, with the knowledgeable guides on hand to point out various constellations and clusters.

    Luxury Suite 1

Access & Location

The lodge is accessed via 45 minutes’ road transfer from Sabi Sands ’ Gowrie Gate. It’s situated on the dry Manyeleti riverbed, overlooking an open area featuring a popular waterhole!

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Facilities

The communal building at Elephant Plains is made out of timber, stone, and thatch, with wood-framed windows and doors.

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Its interiors include a large lounge, with comfortable sofas and armchairs around coffee tables as well as an intimate corner bar. In the main dining area, chunky square tables and upright chairs are set up ready for delicious meals. The lodge contains a wine cellar too, as well as a curio shop that also sells some clothing. Fitness fans can enjoy a workout in the property’s separate gym, while business clients can make use of the well-equipped conference room – please note that Elephant Plains must be booked exclusively for a conference. There’s also a very pleasant library, and a games room where guests can play table tennis, table football, and snooker. Outside the lodge, there’s a spacious deck, with two swimming pools and rows of sunloungers alongside – perfect for relaxing between activities in the reserve!

* For families with children under the age of 6 years, we always request a Rondavel or a room without a balcony for safety reasons relating to balconies, decks and walkways. If you stay here with us, please ensure this is what you are given.*

Amenities

Guest accommodation consists of five rondavels, six luxury suites, and the Manyeleti Honeymoon Suite.

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Each rondavel comprises a timber, stone, and thatch roundhouse with a lovely location, within the exquisitely landscaped gardens of Elephant Plains’ original family vacation camp. A few steps lead up onto a private sundeck. Inside, you’ll find a double bed or twin beds with mosquito nets, bedside tables and lighting, and a host of amenities including air conditioning, overhead fans, tea-and-coffee station, mini-bar, and electronic safe. The en-suite washroom contains flush toilet, washbasin with mirror over, and step-in shower. The luxury suite option, which is glass fronted, benefits from all the amenities mentioned, and it also has a lounge, twin washbasins, an outside shower, and a private viewing deck. Finally, the Manyeleti Honeymoon Suite is glass fronted too, and it boasts an additional daybed and a private splash pool!

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