The sun is setting in South Africa, and I’m swimming in a waterfall while a troop of curious baboons watches from a towering cliffside. Here in the Soutpansberg Mountains, travelers aren’t exactly a common sight. Until recently, the remote slice of wilderness was so rarely visited it was nicknamed “The Forgotten Mountains.” Set within UNESCO’s Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, the region is now beginning to claim its place as a destination for sustainable safari and purpose-driven travel.
Leading the charge is Few & Far Luvhondo, a new eco-lodge redefining not just the safari, but what it means to travel sustainably in South Africa. The property opened in January 2025 with just six cliffside suites powered entirely by renewable energy, and now offers immersive, ultra-private adventures across 62,000 acres. You won’t find dozens of Land Rovers circling the same pride of lions. Instead, there are rugged hikes to spot rhinos, conservation-focused leopard tracking excursions, and sundowners with a side of wild swimming. In May, the property will debut the Solfari, the world’s first solar-powered cable car system. Gliding silently above the rocky landscape, the six-seat gondola gives guests a bird’s-eye view of the giraffes, zebras, and other species that call the reserve home.
“The word ‘safari’ means ‘journey’. A journey to experience new things, a journey outside of your comfort zone,” says Sarah Dusek, who launched Few & Far with her husband Jacob Dusek. “Of course, we expect to see incredible wildlife, but the emphasis here is on having unique experiences in the bush. That’s the real magic—it’s about finding ways to surprise you, day in and day out.”
Before Few & Far, the husband-and-wife team founded Under Canvas. After selling the U.S. glamping company in 2018, they moved to Cape Town to start a private investment fund for women entrepreneurs in Africa. The move eventually led them to dive back into their passion for wilderness hospitality.
The surprises begin the moment I arrive, with a thrilling drive up Luvhondo Mountain to the biophilic masterpiece that feels like an extension of the landscape. Local materials were a priority for the Duseks and South Africa-based Nicholas Plewman Architects and Ohkre Collective, who they designed the lodge in collaboration with. Stones were sourced directly from the mountain, and instead of relying on imported Brazilian hardwood from the Amazon Rainforest (as some South African lodges do), they utilized local eucalyptus trees—an invasive species in South Africa—to develop an innovative heat treatment process that makes the wood resilient enough to withstand the region’s shifting green and gold seasons. The expansive tented suites feature large decks overlooking the valley, private plunge pools, outdoor showers, and tactile interiors enclosed by screen doors, allowing the sounds of the wild to lull guests to sleep.
The outdoors also play a role in almost every dining experience. On the first night, we gather around a bonfire for a boma braai, or a South African bush barbecu). “You break bread—it’s tearing and sharing, it’s small plates, it’s outside, it’s boma eating,” says chef Nhlakanipho Sokhela—chef Sox for short—as he sets down a tapas board and garlic roosterkoek bread buns. A spread of paprika hummus, tzatziki, and beetroot carpaccio with charred capsicum emulsion and a micro herb salad showcases produce grown on the on-site farm. Other days unfold with bush breakfasts, multi-course tasting menus, and riverside picnics. Dining is followed by more decadent spa treatments, infused with nourishing baobab oil.
Before Few & Far Luvhondo, no five-star accommodations existed on the mountain. Now, with a registered carbon sequestering project, the Duseks are aiming to regenerate over 200,000 acres of the Soutpansberg and establish the region as a haven for wildlife and conservation-minded luxury travelers. It helps that the Rovos Rail, an Orient Express-style sleeper train, runs from Victoria Falls to the property, making it easy for guests to plan a multi-stop adventure.
On a game drive, we pass some of the largest baobab trees in Southern Africa, where guide Mzwandile Ntloko—Zwa for short—points to deep scars along its ancient bark. “These marks are evidence that elephants once roamed here,” he says. It’s estimated that these magnificent creatures disappeared from the region nearly 100 years ago. Through reforestation, grassland restoration, carbon sequestering and the opening of wildlife corridors, the hope now for the sustainable safari vision is that the elephants as well as other apex species like lions will one day return. For now, the bush still teems with life. Our game drives reveal an abundance of giraffes, zebras, kudus, nyalas, hippos, waterbucks, rare birds, and butterflies.
On my final morning, we hike up the Sengi Trail, one of the many routes established by the lodge based on pathways already trodden by wildlife. “The baboons love this path,” says Dawn Booyens, the lodge’s conservation manager and lead ecologist. “They’re part of the maintenance crew.” Along the way, our guide, Moses—who is also a local healer—points out medicinal plants, including spekboom, a succulent with natural antiseptic properties. We stop at a rocky outcrop to enjoy steaming cups of coffee and buttermilk rusks, a traditional twice-baked biscuit invented to preserve bread during long treks across the country.
While this short journey offers just a glimpse of what the vast Forgotten Mountains offer, its magic thrives in the little moments. As we take in the panoramic views, a low growl reverberates through the valley—it’s a leopard calling in the distance. Baboons respond with sharp warning cries that echo through the ravine. Sitting on the rocks, listening to nature’s conversation, I’m reminded that this is what a safari is truly about. From waterfall swims to nights beneath a celestial canopy, the most unforgettable journeys are the ones that immerse you completely.
Vogue
