Sunrise at the Earth Lodge Sabi Sabi Game Reserve. Game drives start bright and early with coffee and danishes at 5:00 a.m. Departures at 5:30 a.m.

The tree seen silhouetted is The Marula Tree and has a history as a source of nutrition dating back to 10,000 years B.C. and it is certainly one of Africa's botanical treasures.
The multiple uses of the tree, it's bark, leaves, fruit, nut and kernels are legendary. My favorite is when the fruit ripens and drops to the ground and lightly ferments ... the elephants, giraffes, warthogs, and other animals get wasted and the party gets started safari style !
http://youtu.be/D5E5TjkDvU0

The fruits are a good food source and high in vitamin C.
The skin can be boiled to make a drink or burnt to be used as a substitute for coffee.
The wood is soft for carving
The inner bark can be used to make rope and for making dye
They produce small tasty nuts which are rich in protein.
The Oil is used as a skin cosmetic.
Their green leaves are eaten to relieve heartburn.
The bark contains antihistamines

The fruit can also be cooked to produce jam, juices and alcoholic beverages like "Amarula" a delicious South African Cream Liqueur that substrates just fine for coffee creamer any time of the day as far as I'm concerned. It also is used to brew a very tasty, potent South African moonshine known locally as "Mampoer" after a local Chief who favored it. It is said to make grown men weep.

the Venda people of Southern Africa maintain that bark infusions can be used to determine the gender of an unborn child. If a woman wants a son the male tree is used, and for a daughter, the female tree. If the child of the opposite gender is born, the child is said to be very special as it was able to defy the spirits.

Oh, and did I mention it sacred.

#treetrove #goldenhour

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Relax by the serene pool surrounded by lush greenery and trees, with lounge chairs and a wooden deck.

"Simbambili game lodge exceeded all our expectations. Nomsa who always made sure our needs were met with a smile and all the staff (Stan our wonderful Butler, Moomsa, Mathew the chef ect..) always made us feel like family. Our exciting and informative game drives were led by Kel the Ranger and Life the Tracker. They are best professional/ knowledgeable team you could have. Thx Simbambili team for such a memorable trip…If coming back to Sabi Sands…it’s gotta be Simbambili!! Chuck & Diane "

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Top Mala Mala Game Reserve Hotel Reviews

Honeyguide Khoka Moya Camp

10/10 Excellent

"The minute we arrived we were greeted by lovely staff and elephants at the pool. What followed was a once in a lifetime experience. The positives - Beds are super comfy with electric blankets for those cold nights and a fan for the warm days. The food was AMAZING. I LOVED being seated with fellow safari mates and getting to know people from across the world even though we are total introverts. Our guide Leighton was brilliant, knowledgeable and an excellent driver. And the wildlife…. Wow. I still can’t believe we saw so many lions, leopards and cheetahs, not to mention everything else. Being birders we were worried that we would be ignored and never get a moment to identify a bird but Leighton balanced the needs of the guests so well and had an excellent knowledge of all animals. The only downsides… when we arrived we were so hungry but because our flight was delayed we missed the afternoon safari and had to wait until everyone returned before we could access any food - a wait of 2 hours was really tough and no one explained what was happening. Highly recommend explaining the daily itinerary to people on arrival and having snacks available for purchase. Loved the Couples shower but unfortunately not enough hot water for 2 people. "

Kruger Shalati - Train on the Bridge and Garden Suites

10/10 Excellent

"Beautiful, we drove in and drove out, which was a great experience. make sure you book the right airport and you won’t have to drive your own car although we loved driving around ourselves in addition to the wonderful game drives. The staff and the Safari drivers were the best. The garden rooms were lovely and we saw many animals and baby hippo, newly born from the view on the train track"

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Mala Mala Game Reserve, Greater Kruger National Park hotel rooms at the Thornybush Collection

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Simbambili Game Lodge

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Honeyguide Khoka Moya Camp

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Sabie River Bush Lodge

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Elephant Point

aha Skukuza Safari Lodge

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