Waterside Lodge
THE ORIGINAL GUIDED SAFARIS® LUXURY SAFARI LODGES • SOUTH AFRICA
Signature Guided Safaris®
Waterside Lodge
Elegant and colorful Waterside Lodge is a tranquil family safari home with highly personalized service and year-round game viewing in South Africa. Overlooking a waterhole, the lodge is surrounded by nature outside and modern luxury with a splash of bold interiors. With the same timeless luxury of the original Royal Malewane lodge, the Waterside adds thoughtful amenities and surroundings for a contemporary luxury safari.
Waterside Lodge Safari Diaries
Owner Liz Biden reveals that she chose the site for Waterside with her husband, Phil, because the bustling waterhole and the surrounding fever tree forest instantly spoke to them. As Liz describes it, “there is something special about these ‘Nkelenga’ trees. Their traditional Tsonga name translates as “the light from afar”. The tall stands of trees around Waterside act as a beacon, calling to curious travelers and thirsty creatures alike. Fever trees are both spectral and vibrant at the same time. Their steadfast yet enigmatic presence is reassuring as well as mysterious. Come, they seem to say, and discover familiar comforts while you renew your sense of wonder.
Safari Films
A moment
in the wild
A GLIMPSE INSIDE
Waterside Lodge
Safari experience
The guiding team at Waterside is at the pinnacle of the safari industry ensuring the experiences of a lifetime on every game drive through the private reserve. Waterside features sprawling luxury suites in bright jewel tones with private plunge pools and ever-present wilderness. With just 4 Luxury Suites, a Baobab Suite with two bedrooms, 2 Aloe rooms, and a private Waterside House (four-bedroom villa). The view of the waterhole, alive with wildlife and framed by fever trees, is your first glimpse into the unforgettable safari awaiting you.
Waterside Lodge
From the moment you cross its floating entrance bridge, you’ll feel the warm embrace of the African bush and the vibrant energy that surrounds you.
A feast for the senses, Waterside enchants with its bold embrace of nature’s seasonal colors. Each room, uniquely designed by founder Liz Biden, is a vibrant mix of texture, tone, and hue, framed by thatch, glass, and steel. This bold design adds a splash of color and a spirit of celebration to Royal Malewane, enhancing the connection between the lodge and its breathtaking surroundings. Enjoy game drives with professional guides, regarded as the best rangers in South Africa.
The Waterside sleeps 16 guests with a total four luxury suites, two aloe suites and a baobab suite. Children are welcome, regardless of age making it perfect for family safaris. Waterside features dining areas, library, spa, fitness center, yoga room, outdoor bar, wine cellar, reflections spa. The private Waterside House sleeps 8 guests and features all private guided services.
Facts + Features
Waterside Lodge
The Luxury Suites are extravagantly sized, making space itself the ultimate indulgence. Each has a large en suite bathroom with a freestanding bath and both indoor and outdoor showers. Every Aloe Room offers an en suite bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers, along with a private deck and swimming pool from which to savor the splendor of nature. In the two-bedroom Baobab Suite, the comforts of home meet the rustic wilderness just beyond your private deck.
Guided Safaris®
A Day on Safari
Luxury Safari Lodges
Always Tailormade
Every detail defines an experience in your private safari.
Our custom safaris are meticulously planned journeys where nothing is left to chance, so you can enjoy unique moments with your loved ones in total luxury and privacy. Having the ultimate say in your preferences from start to finish allows you to explore our exclusive destinations in absolute freedom, whenever you want. No set dates; no groups, ever.
Waterside Lodge Reservations
Let’s plan your dream safari.
Now the time comes to make it real. And since every dream is so personal, your desires tailor how it all takes shape. No set dates, no group travel. This is how each Guided Safaris® bespoke journey is created, always custom to you.
Start by selecting your preferred travel dates below
Immersive, remote wilderness
At the very heart, the idea for the Guided Safaris® collection of experiences was to be poetic and endlessly inspiring: for you, as an explorer, to interpret your dreams with these visual stories and breathe life into each safari. We invite you to discover our Signature Journeys.
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Conservation at the
heart of every journey
30-year legacy
Official Guided Safaris®
Always tailormade
No groups, no set dates
Finest in Africa
Luxury safaris, exclusively