LION SANDS TREEHOUSES

LION SANDS TREEHOUSES, SOUTH AFRICA

Legend has it that Guy Aubrey Chalkley was out inspecting his land, now a private game reserve bordering Sabi Sand and Kruger National Park, when he became aware of a pack of lions showing an interest in him. He climbed a nearby leadwood tree and stayed there all night, unwilling to shoot them.

Four generations on, his descendants built a luxury bush ‘room’ in the tree that saved their great-grandfather’s life. The Chalkley Treehouse is a two-level platform with luxurious living quarters on the top floor. You’ll eat a gourmet picnic which includes bushbuck antelope in rosemary sauce paired with South African red wine as the bushveld darkens around you.

Breathtaking by day, by night it’s full of mysterious calls. There are leopards coughing to warn other big cats off their land, impala snorting nervously and hyenas cackling as they spot a kill. If you feel uneasy, a ranger is just a radio call away but an elevation of 9m and a secure latched door will ensure you sleep soundly – if you can tear yourself away from the stars.

Two other treehouses on the reserve are furnished in a similar style, with four-poster beds, teak chests full of extra blankets and vintage oil lamps. Kingston Treehouse is best if you’re visiting in off-season as it is partially enclosed with large windows, while Tinyeleti Treehouse sleeps a family of four and has jaw-dropping views over the Sabie River.

THE DETAIL Doubles from £224 per night, including breakfast, dinner, all drinks and snacks. The nearest airport is Skukuza via Johannesburg International (3km). lionsands.com