Monwana Villa

Monwana Villa is a private safari home for up to six guests on the Monwana property in the Thornybush Nature Reserve, which is unfenced to the Greater Kruger. It is booked on an exclusive basis, so the house, the staff and the safari vehicle are yours alone, and children of every age are welcome.

Under a high thatched roof, the villa has an open-plan living room with a stone fireplace, a kitchen, a dining area and two en-suite bedrooms, each with its own plunge pool. In all there are three temperature-controlled pools, a covered terrace and a broad open deck with a sunken fire pit, all facing a busy waterhole that can be watched from the kitchen, lounge, dining room and deck. The indoor space covers about 310 square metres.

A dedicated team looks after the house: a concierge, chef, butler and housekeeper, with a field guide and tracker on hand for game drives in the villa's private vehicle. Drives and guided walks are timed around the family rather than a lodge timetable, meals are cooked to your taste, and the pantry is stocked to your preferences.

Children can join the Mosaba Rangers programme, with archery, tracking and spoor casting, survival skills, games and pizza making with the chef, and childminding can be arranged. Like the main lodge, the villa runs almost entirely on solar power. Guests also have the use of the lodge spa and fitness centre.