
PROPERTY HIGHLIGHTS:
- Gorgeous old-world-esque interiors, uninterrupted bush views, luxury facilities, excellent service, and a spectacular location all come together at MalaMala Rattray’s Camp which is enviably located in a forest on the banks of the Sand River.
- Amazing game viewing area MalaMala is home to the Big 5, cheetah, and wild dog.
- Infinity pool, gym, steam room, library, and massage service.
- Luxury suites have private decks, pools, gardens, and verandahs.
- A beautifully appointed library containing rare African books and magnificent works of art.
- A large wooden safari deck where meals are served and an awesome game viewing experience in itself!.
EXCLUSIVE LUXE VOYAGER VIP BENEFITS & BEST PRICE
We negotiate rates & benefits for our clients directly with the hotels’ senior management. Our rates match or in many cases are lower than the best online rate for the property. Our clients also enjoy a suite of extra VIP privileges and recognition while staying at a partner hotel.
- Complimentary room upgrade on arrival.
- Daily complimentary buffet breakfast for two.
- Up to $100 dining or spa credit per stay, and or in-house dining / spa discounts.
- Welcome amenities (wine/chocolates/fruit) and card from the GM.
- Complimentary private airport transfers.
- Complimentary roll-away bed if required.
- Early check-in and late check-out.
- Complimentary Wi-Fi.
- Enhanced recognition through VIP status at all touch points in the guest experience.
A complete or partial suite of VIP benefits will be offered, subject to the property T&C, including availability, category of room & length of stay.
ACTIVITIES:
We are excited to advise that we now have a dedicated photographic vehicle comprising: 3 rows of 2 bucket seats, A sliding camera mount per row, Bean bags for camera stability, Storage boxes for camera equipment, Under-seat lighting, A dedicated photographic ranger.
Game drives are conducted twice a day (early morning, and late afternoon/ evening) in open 4-wheel drive safari vehicles in the 40,000 acre private reserve. The rangers are in constant radio communication with one another to keep each other informed about the location of wildlife. Headsets are used for this purpose so as not to interrupt the sounds of the African bush. The 4-wheel drive safari vehicles enable the rangers to leave the road and provide guests with close up game viewing and fantastic photographic opportunities. Night drives, with the aid of powerful spotlights, bring the bush to life at night.
Rattray’s on MalaMala offers a unique destination from which to exchange vows – one that will never be forgotten. For the couple who seeks an intimate destination, without “frills” but with a heart of warm African hospitality, beautiful sunsets, panoramic views and beautiful accommodation – MalaMala is the place for romance.Following the exhausting wedding preparations and the excitement of the “Big Day”, where better to escape to than a place buried in the wild of Africa. No cell phones, no traffic, no clutter – just pure peace, silence, and unspoiled rugged bushveld. Rattray’s on MalaMala offers equal measures of privacy, romance, good company, romantic sunsets, action-packed game drives and excellent sumptuous cuisine.
Visitors may head out on foot with their armed ranger. The perspective of the bush is entirely different to that of a vehicle, and guests will learn to read the signs of the wild, and perhaps come into close contact with the different animal species on the reserve.

Gorgeous old-world-esque interiors, uninterrupted bush views, luxury facilities, excellent service, and a spectacular location all come together at MalaMala Rattray’s Camp. Located on the banks of the Sand River, this pristine establishment is set in a lush forest in an area renowned for game viewing. Wildlife safaris are a top priority at MalaMala Rattrray’s Camp. Guests can look forward to an exclusive experience as each vehicle transports a maximum of four guests. Look out for the Big 5 — lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo — as well as cheetah and wild dog, all of which call MalaMala home. When not on safari, guests can look out for game from the deck, cool off in the infinity pool overlooking the river, browse the boutique, enjoy a massage, or make use of the fitness room. Eight luxury khayas (meaning ‘home’ in Zulu) are on offer, boasting sweeping views of the Sand River and the surrounding landscape.
All suites have private verandahs, gardens, and plunge pools as well as elegant bathrooms, outdoor showers, in and outdoor dining areas, minibars, tea/coffee facilities, safes, and optional satellite TVs. MalaMala Rattray’s Camp is the most luxurious of MalaMala’s camps, and offers a glimpse of an era long past when distant travellers to Africa married the magic of the wild with an elegance and refinement that have been immortalized in the epic tale of Karen Blixen in ‘Out of Africa’. The epitome of regal colonial safari-style, MalaMala Rattray’s Camp bears the style of crystal and leather, with beautiful furnishings that are a treat to the connoisseur of the finer things in life.
Rattray’s hosts sixteen guests in eight luxury “khayas” (the Zulu word for “home”). Each acting as an exclusive home with hand-selected furnishings, crystal and leather, Rattray’s is a treat of the finer things in life. Khaya’s boast a private verandah with grand river views and a private heated plunge pool, a private indigenous garden, en-suite bathrooms with double vanity, ball-and-claw bath and double indoor shower and outdoor shower; outdoor and indoor dining area, air-conditioning, heating, overhead fans, hairdryer, minibar, tea and coffee facilities. Satellite television, DVD player and laptop with wireless connectivity are available on request. The guest areas include an elegant African-themed air-conditioned dining room, a historic bar featuring photographs of the early days and its pioneers, a large wooden safari deck for outdoor dining and game viewing, a large infinity pool with river views, fully-stocked wine cellar, small fitness facility and well-appointed safari boutique.

Luxury Khaya
Each suite or khaya (Zulu for “home”) functions as an inclusive home, resplendent with hand-selected furnishings, lavish his-and-hers bathrooms, a secluded outdoor shower and a private heated plunge pool.
From sundowners in the bush to three-course meals and refreshments-on-request, food and drink is included. Bush breakfast after an early game drive is a particular pleasure with eggs, sausage and bacon cooked by the rangers over an open fire, combined with the buffet of fresh fruit, cereals, smoked salmon and croissants. Dinner is often taken on the verandah or in the boma – an atmospheric traditional round fenced enclosure with open fire where the meal is served beneath a sausage tree favoured by bush baby. Food is African-International and the springbok carpaccio is particularly tasty.


Boma
Dinners are a traditional affair. Around a blazing fire in the reed-enclosed boma (African structure), diners are exposed to the glorious night sky above.Breakfasts and lunches are served on the deck overlooking the Sand River, or in the air conditioned dining room.
Everything at Rattrays is guest-centred; the experience tailor-made. A ranger and vehicle are allocated to every four guests (or larger single group). Game drives, food and drink, time to relax in the gorgeous infinity pool overlooking the riverbed, and perhaps a massage, are all arranged around the guests’ needs and desires. Crucially, rangers are extremely knowledgeable (as well as personable) with a real understanding and concern for the animals. A maximum of three vehicles at a time is allowed at a sighting and, unlike in the public Kruger park, vehicles can also go off-road. This can hugely improve sightings, and you may even be lucky enough to see a majestic leopard from just feet away. Relax by the infinity pool or in the library, indigenous garden full of birds or historic bar featuring photographs of safari pioneers, located at the main lodge.

Pool
A large filtered infinity pool with magnificent views across the river.

Gym
A small fitness facility with stationary bicycle, treadmill, multigym machine, sit up benches, free weights, mats and a steam room.

Spa
A massage service is available on request.
Area & Location
Area, Country
Sabi Sand , South Africa
Nearest Airport
Skukuza Airport
Local Currency
South African Rand (ZAR)
Time Change
GMT +2:00
Language
Afrikaans, English
Best time to go
Best visited between September through May
Related Hotels
- Home to sweeping views of the surrounding bushveld and Sand River, warm and cosy interiors, as well as the MalaMala game, the intimate MalaMala Sable…
- Nestled between mountain and sea, the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve is a luxury eco-paradise showcasing the incredible flora and marine life of Walker Bay, located…
- In a remote valley overlooking the Bushman’s River in the Eastern Cape, Settlers Drift is the newest luxe heavenly retreat in Kariega Game Reserve, which…
- The ultimate Cape Winelands experience, Delaire Graff is dedicated to beauty in its many forms. Much like polishing a diamond to reveal its brilliance, jeweller…
- In a remote valley overlooking the Bushman’s River in the Eastern Cape, Settlers Drift is the newest luxe heavenly retreat in Kariega Game Reserve, which…
- Bordered by lush green valleys and densely wooded hills, Zuka Lodge at andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve sits in the Reserve’s western region. With just…
- Located in a remote and untouched part of the Kariega wilderness, Settlers Drift offers a unique tented safari combined with 5-star luxury. The lodge consists…
- Set in the magnificent Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa’s North West province, Jaci’s Lodges offer guests the perfect destination for unrivaled game-viewing, unique accommodation options, outstanding…
- Contemporary-Classic glamour and understated elegance meet at AtholPlace Hotel, ensuring an unforgettable stay. Situated in Atholl, one of the most beautiful parts of Johannesburg and…
- Set in the heart of the Private Reserve in thick vegetation overlooking a dense valley, Ecca Lodge offers breathtaking views onto an escarpment of steep…
- Concealed deep within the expansive bush of the Eastern Cape is a place unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before, shrouded in beauty, ensconced in history.…
- An ornately decorated, cliffside eyrie that will suit those who want mesmerising mountain and sea views, and value real privacy. With just six rooms, it's…
- More than a luxury lodge, more than a dream safari destination, more than an African escape… Thanda Safari offers an authentically South African wildlife experience…
- Situated in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, Kings Camp faces an open savanna plain with a waterhole, which is frequented by a wide variety of…
- Grande Provence Heritage Wine Estate is nestled within the Franschhoek Valley in the Western Cape, surrounded by mature oak trees and 30 hectares of lush…