Inyati Game Lodge

Inyati Game Lodge is situated in the western sector of the Sabi Sand Wildtuin which is a private game reserve sharing a common unfenced boundary with the Kruger National Park.

It spans 50 000 hectares and is renowned for providing some of the best game viewing in Africa. The reserve is not open to the general public with each private lodge having exclusive traversing rights over their area.

Inyati’s rangers drive specially designed safari vehicles which are allowed off-road, ensuring you get exclusive and intimate game viewing opportunities. The reserve has a dense concentration of wildlife and is home to the Big 5 – elephant, lion, rhino, leopard and buffalo.

Cheetah, giraffe, zebra, wild dogs and a vast variety of antelope and other species may also be closely observed, free roaming within their own territories. Inyati is one of the best places in the world to get up close and personal with the elusive leopard.

The reserve has a hot, sub-tropical climate with two distinct seasons and game viewing activities are equally rewarding during both.

The summer season (September to March) is a time when many species breed and prey is plentiful for the lurking predators. Rainfall occurs between October and February and often results in spectacular afternoon thundershowers.

In the winter season (April to August), the animals concentrate at the perennial water sources and the grass is low, making game viewing easier. Although winter days are usually warm and clear, late afternoon and early morning temperatures are distinctly chilly.

ACCOMMODATION
Inyati can accommodate a maximum of 25 guests maintaining the family ambience it’s become renowned for. The lodge consists of three luxury family chalets and eight luxury standard chalets, all tastefully furnished with uninterrupted views of the African bush overlooking the Sand river.

The 3 larger chalets offer an extra length king-sized bed, a double bed and a single bed making it the perfect choice for families sharing.

There are 4 standard luxury chalets with extra length king-sized beds and the remaining 4 standard luxury rooms all have comfortable twin beds. All beds are protected with high quality mosquito nets.

All chalets have 24-hour temperature control – air-conditioning and overhead fans en-suite bathroom with bathroom amenities, outside showers in the standard chalets, insect repellent and hairdryers, direct dial telephones, mini bar fridge (stocked on request), tea and coffee making facilities, mini-safe and in room free Wi-Fi.

FAMILY CHALET
This elegant and spacious chalet features air conditioning and comes with a seating area, mosquito net draped over the beds and in room Wi-Fi.

DINING AT INYATI
Between the warm campfire, divine wine and delicious dishes, evenings on your safari are not just to enjoy dinner, it’s a delightful experience in itself!

THE INYATI WINE EXPERIENCE
Going on safari to witness the majesty of the big 5 free-roaming animals is a dream held by many people, but for wine lovers, there is also the question of “how is the wine on safari?” Fortunately, at Inyati, the answer is “excellent,” we get to show off the delicious and well-balanced wines of our country.

Inyati has for many years collaborated with the family-owned Vriesenhof Wine Estate (Stellenbosch) as the producer of its house wine. We have an extensive wine list showcasing a wide variety of South Africa’s finest wines.

EXPERT RANGERS AND TRACKERS
Inyati prides itself in the safari guiding team and we believe that an experienced ranger and tracker are an integral part of your game viewing experience.

All of our rangers and trackers are registered with The Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA) and have a full trails guide qualification as a minimum requirement.

These qualifications ensure guests enjoy an exceptional wildlife experience – not only while on a game drive but also on foot. Your ranger will be your dinner host, guide, and educator during your stay.

Guests are guided on specially designed safari vehicles which are allowed off-road, ensuring you get exclusive and intimate game viewing opportunities.

The tracker, who sits on a seat at the front of the bonnet, has the job of finding elusive wildlife as well as interpret nature’s subtle clues through acutely honed senses while the ranger engages with the guests.

OUR IMPACT
The majority of Inyati’s employees are from the impoverished Bushbuckridge communities. Inyati recognises the socio-economic issues of the area and we make every effort to address them in a progressive and mutually beneficial way.

Our commitment to transformation extends beyond our employees through our community programmes. We assist local schools and are a major partner in establishing a digital learning centre with Good Work Foundation (GWF) in the Dumphries community on the border of Inyati.

GWF provides learning opportunities to school children, adult learning programmes and connects young rural South Africans to the huge opportunities in the growing economy of wildlife.

We invite guests to join us as we visit The Dumphries Digital Learning Campus, which is about a 15 minute drive from the main lodge. You are welcome to donate towards an item on the wish list or take a gift with you (we have gift packs of necessities available to purchase from our curio shop for your convenience).

Please note that the school is closed during school holidays, if requested in advance we may be able to arrange for guests to view the school premises at times when the school is closed.

INYATI EXPERIENCE
Inyati Game Lodge is situated in the western sector of the Sabi Sand Wildtuin which is a private game reserve sharing a common unfenced boundary with the Kruger National Park. It spans 50 000 hectares and is renowned for providing some of the best game viewing in Africa.

The reserve is not open to the general public with each private lodge having exclusive traversing rights over their area. Our qualified guiding team delivers an unrivaled wildlife experience providing fascinating insights into the complex bio networks of the South African bushveld.

The reserve has a dense concentration of wildlife and is home to the Big 5 – elephant, lion, rhino, leopard, and buffalo.

Cheetah, giraffe, zebra, wild dogs, and a vast variety of antelope and other species may also be closely observed, free-roaming within their own territories. Inyati is one of the best places in the world to get up close and personal with the elusive leopard.

BUSH WALK
Experience the wonders of Africa’s elusive wildlife up-close on Inyati’s bush walks. Walk among the Big 5 and connect with the African bushveld even more intimately than before.

Your knowledge of the bush will also be boosted by the plethora of fascinating facts that can be imparted on a safari walk – the medicinal use of plants bush survival skills, tracking, geology , local folklore and historical info to mention but a few.

The safety of our guests and our wildlife is of utmost importance and all our rangers at Inyati hold, as a minimum, a professional trails guide certification. Please note that the minimum walking age of participants across all bush walks is 16 years old.

GAME DRIVES
Game drives at Inyati Game Lodge are tailored to suit your interests, so you can track your favourite animal or see the birds, flowers, or trees that you love most. To engage with the landscape even more intimately, explore the bush on foot with our expert guides and trackers at your side.

Inyati has been recognised by the Lilizela Tourism Awards for the best “Visitor’s Experience Award for the Best Wildlife Encounters”. All our rangers are specially trained in vehicle handling and maintenance.

There is a special ‘trackers seat’ fitted to the front of the vehicle. With over 9,000 hectares of traversing wilderness, no two game drives are ever the same.

SEASONAL SAFARI TIMING
Game drives are planned for mornings and evenings as this is the time when the animals are most active. The game drives last for about three hours and include a coffee stop for the morning drive and a sundowner stop in the evening.

Inyati generally adjusts safari times accordingly to the seasons to maximise game-viewing opportunities and ensure that guests enjoy a comfortable experience. We suggest that guests arrive in time for lunch on their day of arrival not to miss out on any game drives during their stay.

PRIVATE SAFARI VEHICLES
Exclusive use of a safari vehicle can be arranged upon request but is subject to availability. Only a limited number of exclusive safari vehicles can be guaranteed at any one time. Prices available on request

FISHING
Inyati offers fishing as an extra activity between game drive times. All fishing equipment is supplied by the lodge and is done in the Sand River which is home to over 37 species of fish. Safety is paramount so guests are always accompanied by a ranger or tracker.

KIDS ON SAFARI
Parents travelling with young kids can book them on our fun and educational Young Rangers Programme. Children will be taught how to use their full range of senses to fully appreciate the wonder of nature.

At the end of their stay, children will be issued with an Inyati Young Rangers certificate and will have learnt some of the following:

• How to do tricky bird calls and how plants use offensive smells to deter unwanted predators
• How to use the sense of touch to help identify some of the distinct tree species
• How to track and identify spoor (animal tracks) in order to find animals and avoid danger
• How to use the night sky as a map to find your way home
• How to use plants for everyday activities like brushing teeth, toothpaste, soap, food, toilet paper and even medicine.

THE BIG 5
The term “Big Five” originally referred to the difficulty in hunting the lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and African buffalo. These five large African mammal species were known to be dangerous, and it was considered a feat by trophy hunters to bring them home.

Today, however, the expression takes on a gentler form, referring to seeing the Big Five—not shooting them—during wildlife safaris on the African continent.

BIRDING SAFARIS
The Sand River, which flows in-front of Inyati Game lodge, is a source of a number of rarities including the secretive African Finfoot, Whitebacked Night-heron, Blackcrowned Night-heron, Purple Heron, African Black Duck, Half Collared and Malachite Kingfishers and African Crake.

There are 108 families of birds in Africa, 17 of these unique to the continent. Among the endemic families are mousebirds, turacos, woodhoopoes, sugarbirds, whydahs and guineafowl as well as the Secretary bird and Hamerkop, which are sole representatives of their families.

PHOTOGRAPHY
Inyati is a photographer’s paradise. The ever-changing skies at dawn and dusk, the fast-moving lightning storms in the afternoon and the myriad of fascinating animals, birds and insects keep aspiring and professional photographers alike permanently captivated.

GOOD WORK FOUNDATION
GWF believes in a future where rural African people are confident participants of the fourth industrial revolution. They are agents of change seamlessly plugged into local communities and global networks.

Together with those who are reimagining education with us, GWF will continue to create innovative digital learning campuses, responsive programmes and demand-led social enterprises, all working together to create an accessible, opportunity-packed world for our next generation of rural Africans.

Our goal is for each regional cluster of campuses to deliver wonder-filled 21st-century learning opportunities to rural and marginalised communities. Each cluster will be 80% self-funded, 100% community-powered and 75% women-led. The world is changing fast and the future will not exclude us. In fact, the future needs us.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Through a voluntary Guest Conservation Contribution, every visitor has the opportunity to protect the reserve’s endangered rhino population.

Contributions will be collected from the Inyati guests on departure and are distributed through prescribed channels to the Sabi Sand Nature Conservation Trust. All transactions are independently audited by KPMG, and a section 18A certificate is available on request.

The Sabi Sand Nature Conservation Trust is a Non Profit, Public Benefit Organisation established to engage in conservation, rehabilitation and protection of the natural environment.

Funds raised through Inyati will be allocated directly to the rhino-related expenses of the anti-poaching and response teams both in the air and on the ground. Please help us to ensure that future generations do not look at ours and say that a species vanished from the earth on our watch.

COMMUNITY
The majority of Inyati’s employees are from the impoverished Bushbuckridge communities. Inyati recognises the socio-economic issues of the area and we make every effort to address them in a progressive and mutually beneficial way.

Our commitment to transformation extends beyond our employees through our community programmes. We assist local schools and are a major partner in establishing a digital learning centre with Good Work Foundation (GWF) in the Dumphries community on the border of Inyati.

GWF provides learning opportunities to school children, adult learning programmes and connects young rural South Africans to the huge opportunities in the growing economy of wildlife. We are able to organise cultural tours of local villages or a tour to the GWF digital learning centre in Dumphries.

THE INYATI FAMILY
Inyati is committed to long-term sustainability and to respecting the local community and environment in which we live. We care about our people and ensuring a representative workforce. Inyati employs about 45 permanent staff, most of which are from the local community.

Many of our staff have been with Inyati for more than 10 years making Inyati their home and creating that family atmosphere that the lodge has become renowned for.

We were the first reserve to create a staff share scheme back in 2013 which ensures our staff, as owners, get to participate in the success of our business. Our employment equity certificate demonstrates our commitment to transformation in South Africa.

Rooms: 11

Price: from 1.309 EUR per night

Source: www.inyati.co.za