Cocooned in a pristine bush setting, the four-level treehouse (lead picture) features a choice of two sleeping areas – an enclosed and weatherproof bedroom with a king-sized bed, hot running shower and flushing toilet on the third level or an elevated sleep-out platform set beneath a retractable awning on the rooftop.
Guests can choose to arrive at the Treehouse in time to toast the sunset with cocktails and snacks or after their late afternoon game drive. A tapas-style picnic dinner is set up in the safety of an enclosed boma beneath the stars. Guests are then left in luxurious solitude for the night and provided with a radio and mobile phone for use in case of inclement weather or emergencies.
While the Treehouse does not offer a full kitchen, a stocked bar and a selection of midnight and breakfast snacks, as well as a coffee station, are available for guests. The Treehouse is solar-powered, allowing guests to charge their camera batteries and other appliances.
Ngala Treehouse can cater for a maximum of two adults and two children aged between 10 and 16 in the two sleeping areas, one of which is the open sleep-out platform.
Longer stays available in lodges
Not designed for long-term stays, the Ngala Treehouse is an innovative overnight wilderness experience that complements a stay at one of &Beyond's two permanent lodges, Ngala Safari Lodge or Ngala Tented Camp (both pictured above). A room at one of the other two properties must be booked in addition to the Treehouse. Rates for a cottage at the Safari Lodge start at ZAR 10,365 per person per night.
Unfettered wildlife viewing
Situated on the border of the Kruger National Park, &Beyond Ngala Private Game Reserve shares unfenced borders with South Africa's most famous wilderness area, allowing a variety of wildlife, including the Big Five (pictured above), to wander freely through the reserve. The reserve is home to several large prides of lion, and packs of the endangered African wild dog may also be spotted moving through the reserve. Guests enjoy exclusive game drives and bush walks on 14,700 hectares of private wilderness land.
Getting there
FLY – there are daily Airlink flights from Johannesburg and Nelspruit to &Beyond Ngala Private Game Reserve airstrip, followed by an easy drive to the lodge or camp. SA Express flies daily from Cape Town to Hoedspruit Airport, then a two-hour road transfer.
DRIVE – six hours from Johannesburg on good roads.
Lodge photos: &Beyond
Wildlife photos: Judy Barford