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Dining Made Different

on Dec 19, 2014

News update: 3rd April

Nights in the bushveld are always magical. Without the interference of city lights a dazzling canopy of stars and constellations is visible, blanketing the skies and shedding a glorious natural glow onto the land below. To enhance the mellow atmosphere, dinners at Sabi Sabi are mainly lit by the gentle glow of oil lamps. At the end of March, for Earth Hour, electric lighting at the lodges was extinguished.

Every year Sabi Sabi joins in to show its support of the World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour - and this year was no exception. On the 29th of March all electric lights on the reserve were switched off - and as usual this "lights-out" lasted for more than an hour. We united with the 7000 cities and towns around the world who have engaged in the campaign. According to the official Earth Hour website, 'hundreds of millions of people, businesses and governments around the world unite each year to support the largest environmental event in history - Earth Hour'.

Earth Hour Bush Braai Rich

There is something particularly appealing about delicious meals enjoyed outdoors, close to nature in Africa's untamed bushveld. At Sabi Sabi, dinners are generally served in outdoor bomas, protective enclosures warmed by fires and cloaked by the night sky. Each lodge has its own unique character with the various executive chefs presenting their personal, distinctive style of delectable, freshly prepared cuisine.

Little Bush Camp's covered outdoor dining area overlooks a riverbed and is the ideal venue for a delicious breakfast before the heat of the day sets in. The al fresco boma with its unexpected chandelier and unique basketware lighting is perfect for a traditional South African barbeque complete with fresh venison and coal roasted vegetables enjoyed around a roaring fire. The riverbed in front of the lodge is a lovely setting for private dining experiences, with the quietude only broken by the myriad sounds of a bushveld evening.

Tuli Breakfast

Bush Lodge breakfasts are usually enjoyed in the spacious indoor / outdoor dining area overlooking a busy waterhole. Guests are hard-pressed to sit at their tables to enjoy the plentiful food choices, while there are animals slaking their thirst at the very active pan. There is as much clicking of camera shutters as there is clattering of cutlery. For dinner, the reed enclosed boma is transformed into a haven of comfort with braziers, a roaring central log fire and twinkling chandelier overhead. Delicious aromas emanate from the buffet preparation area and everyone pays rapt attention as the chef visits each table to explain the anticipated menu for the 4-course dinner to be served.

Selati Camp's traditional farmhouse dining-room is known the world over for its intimate warm atmosphere and memorabilia filled décor. This is a wonderful venue for special occasion dinners. The resident chef will oversee every detail to ensure a memorable and mouth-watering experience. A recent major refurbishment and extension of the bar area opened this beautiful reception room out to the boma. This has created a truly delightful outdoor dinner area, a gorgeous intimate boma to add to the romance of Selati Camp.

WineCellar2

Earth Lodge is synonymous with fine dining, offering a truly gourmet experience. A unique 'day bar', an extension of the comfortable lounge where high teas are served, is a wonderful venue to view the parade of animals drinking at the waterhole beyond. Guests can relax on comfortable chairs alongside the stone topped tables right inside the pool, cooling their feet in filtered ankle-deep water and dine on the chef's dish of the day. The underground wine cellar is another ambience filled venue for gourmet meals - massive candelabras on an exquisite hand-hewn wooden table illuminate the vast arrange of wines that line the walls, resting in their wooden racks. But as at all the lodges, the boma remains a dinner-time favourite. Surrounded and protected by an enclosure of immense roots of trees toppled by elephants, this beautiful outdoor venue is gently lit by lanterns and braziers, which create a soft glow and warmth in the boma. And of course, the evening meal will be delicious, delectable and simply mouth-watering. Guests looking for a little privacy can also choose to eat in the meditation garden or in the luxury of their suite.

Whichever the lodge, whatever the venue, there is always a wonderful variety of meal choices for every taste, for every dietary requirement and for every discerning palate.

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