Following an unfortunate accidental fire in July of this year, which all but completely destroyed the prestigious Ivory Suite at Sabi Sabi Selati, in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, the suite has now been rebuilt, and is open again for business. If you thought the ‘old’ suite was the epitomy of luxury and opulence, well, the new suite is even better.

A carved wooden bed dominates the room, covered in beautiful, heavy linen. Persian rugs are scattered across the floor, and antique railway memorabilia jostle for space with other equally unique antique artifacts.

The bathroom is large enough for a stand-alone chaise lounge, an oversized stone bath and a large walk-in shower. For the more adventurous, there is an outside shower, accessed by huge sliding doors.

A private patio and plunge pool complete the outside area, offering peaceful views of the surrounding bush.

If all this is not enough, guests staying here also have the services of a private Land Rover and their own ranger for their daily safaris, and they can also choose to dine in the suite if they would prefer.

Sabi Sabi’s Earth Lodge has been voted the 3rd Best Hotel in the world, and the 2nd Best on the African continent in the 2009 Travel & Leisure Magazine Best in the World rankings. The result – an astonishing 97.5% near perfect score – showed yet again that Sabi Sabi always exceeds expectations.

This is the well-respected T + L magazine’s 14th annual poll in which well-travelled readers were asked to rate international hotels on various factors including accommodation, ambience, service, food and guest experience. The voting process is tightly monitored, with readers only being permitted to vote once, and travel-industry personnel votes being eliminated. To preserve the integrity of the results, an independent research company controls the survey website.

Sabi Sabi has 4 uniquely individual luxury lodges reflecting its ‘Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’ philosophy. Yesterday is depicted by the romantic, “Out of Africa” style Selati Camp, Today by the vibrant, traditionally styled Bush Lodge and Little Bush Camp and Tomorrow by the extraordinary ground-breaking Earth Lodge - the latest award winner.

The lodges are situated within the Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, a recognised ‘hot spot’ of biodiversity which makes for an astonishing variety of wildlife – including over 200 mammal and 300 bird species. Unforgettable day and night safaris are enjoyed in open Land Rovers with close encounters with the Big 5 being a regular occurrence.

A commitment to providing excellent service, genuine South African hospitality and outstanding levels of luxury, as well as unforgettably exhilarating safaris have all reaped rewards, according to marketing director, Jacques Smit.

“Our steady presence in the Travel & Leisure Best in the World Top 10 and our 30 year unspoilt track record in the safari industry speaks for itself.

We are continually upgrading our lodges in order to deliver the ultimate guest experience, while at the same time ensuring that our unique style of warmth and welcome brings guests back time and time again.

We thank the readers of Travel and Leisure Magazine for yet another vote of confidence.”

Travel + Leisure Magazine USA has just completed its 2009 Worlds Best Service Awards, asking its readers to nominate destinations around the globe that “really deliver”.

The results were published in the magazine’s June edition, and Sabi Sabi is honoured to have been voted as 7th best hotel overall in the world, the only South African establishment in the World’s Top Ten category. Sabi Sabi’s Earth Lodge has also made the 2009 Conde Nast Traveller Gold List for Best in Ambience and Design.

In its 30 years of existence, Sabi Sabi has become renowned for succesfully balancing luxury and world class safaris, with genuine African warmth and hospitality – inviting guests to enjoy a personalised home in the bush experience. The caring management and staff play an integral part in the overall Sabi Sabi experience, offering superb service that complements the 5-Star accommodation, exciting Big 5 open Land Rover safaris and superb cuisine.

Marketing director, Jacques Smit attributes this international recognition to several factors: “People form the heart of our business. The majority of our team hail from nearby villages and they have an inherent connection with the reserve. They bring a special brand of African hospitality to our lodges that make guests feel instantly at home”.

Ask Sabi Sabi’s returning guests why they come back again and again, and the answer will be, “for the unforgettable experience made all the more memorable by the warmth and hospitality of the staff.” How true !