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Luxury Safari, Now a Family Affair: Cheetah Plains Announces
New Complimentary Kids’ Stay Offer
For the first time, Cheetah Plains invites children under 12 to stay free,
making Africa’s most exclusive safari villas a family affair.
Sabi Sand, South Africa (September 22, 2025): Cheetah Plains, the award-winning eco-luxury safari retreat in South Africa’s celebrated Sabi Sand Nature Reserve, is reimagining the safari experience for families. Long recognized for redefining sustainable luxury with its exclusive-use villas and zero-emission safaris, the lodge now invites parents to share the wonders of the African bush with their children through a new Complimentary Kids’ Stay Free Offer.
From September 2025 through May 2026, children under 12 will stay free of charge when joining their parents in either the Karula or Mvula Villas, offering families a rare opportunity to experience the wilderness together without compromising on world-class privacy or comfort.
“Safari is one of the most enriching experiences for children; it’s immersive, educational, and deeply memorable, but most camps and lodges have strict age restrictions” says NJ van der Merwe, General Manager of Cheetah Plains. “We wanted to create an opportunity that ensures families can share this transformative journey together.”
Where Luxury Meets Family Adventure
At Cheetah Plains, the bush becomes an open-air classroom, where lessons are written in paw prints, star constellations, and the calls of nocturnal wildlife. It is a place where family bonds are strengthened not by Wi-Fi signals, but by shared awe at nature’s drama unfolding.
Children are not only welcome; they are celebrated as special guests. Expert field guides lead engaging Junior Ranger programmes, where young explorers track footprints, identify bird calls, and discover the secrets of the bush through hands-on adventures. Game drives in solar-powered Land Cruiser Electric Safari Vehicles are tailored with flexibility, where drives can be shorter and more playful if needed, so that children remain captivated while still experiencing the thrill of wildlife encounters.
Beyond the drives, kids can enjoy stargazing, bush-themed storytelling, wildlife photography workshops, and even catch-and-release fishing at a local dam, all designed to make their safari experience both exciting and enriching. Surprise and delight elements enrich the safari experience as children also learn about the importance of eco-friendly initiatives and environmental conservation.
At Cheetah Plains, there are no shared spaces, no rigid schedules, and no sense of being out of place. Instead, each villa becomes a private sanctuary, complete with its own swimming pool, inter-leading suites, and a full team of dedicated staff. Villas are designed with multi-generational travel in mind, offering spacious suites for parents, adjoining rooms for kids, and private lounges and pools where families can gather.
Children dine like VIPs. Beyond the predictable kids’ menu, the chefs actively create playful, wholesome dishes tailored to young palates: think mini-biltong platters, fruit-forward mocktails, or wood-fired pizzas—created right there and then for them. All meals are customizable, catering to allergies, picky eaters, or adventurous little gourmets keen to sample South African flavours. Each villa’s private chef invites children in the kitchen, offering interactive sessions where they can bake alongside the team and create part of their own meals, while learning about local traditions and dishes.
With each villa’s exclusive-use vehicles and dedicated staff, every element of a family’s stay is flexible; wake-up calls can be later, meals earlier, drives shorter or longer, ensuring the rhythm of the day works as seamlessly for children as it does for adults. For younger travelers, complimentary child-minding ensures parents can savor moments of stillness, while nightly children’s hampers are filled with safari-inspired treats.
The Offer at a Glance
Booking Period: September 1, 2025 – May 31, 2026
Eligible Stays: September 1 – December 19, 2025 and January 11 – May 31, 2026
Villa Options: Karula and Mvula Villas
Details: Children under 12 stay free when accompanied by parents (minimum two nights, villa rates start at base pax of 4 adults)
For reservations visit www.cheetahplains.com or contact reservations@cheetahplains.com or +27 79 694 8430. For more information visit https://www.cheetahplains.com/experiences/
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About Cheetah Plains:
Opened in 2018, Cheetah Plains is home to the exclusive-use luxury villa and sustainable safari experience nestled in South Africa’s most celebrated wildlife area, the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve. The eco-luxe experience includes three private villas with four guest bush suites that accommodate up to eight guests each with its own formal lounge, living and dining areas, expansive swimming pool, and outdoor deck that operates off-grid. Each villa comes with a complete hospitality team consisting of an accomplished host, butler, culinary team, and spa therapist, as well as an expert field guide and tracker dedicated to you for the duration of your stay. Families and children of all ages are welcome to experience their own personalized safari, guided bush walks, wellness offerings, fitness gym, and tailored activities for kids. Cheetah Plains sets the standard in South Africa for zero-emission game-viewing utilizing its own fleet of solar-charged Land Cruiser Electric Safari vehicles. A luxury sustainable safari that is beyond expectations.
