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Couples South Africa Safari Retreat
Six nights at a private lodge in a malaria-free Big 5 reserve. Five couples, no more. Hosted by Stacey and Ollie.
3 to 9 October 2027. From £5,500 per couple. Flights not included.
- Six nights
- Elephant Rock Lodge, Nambiti Private Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal
- Exclusive use: the whole lodge is ours for the week
- Five couples maximum
- Malaria-free Big 5 reserve
- Hosted by Stacey and Ollie
- 3 to 9 October 2027
- From £5,500 per couple, flights not included
The place
Nambiti is a private reserve of around 23,000 acres in the hills of KwaZulu-Natal, three to four hours by road from Johannesburg or Durban. It has all of the Big 5, plus cheetah, giraffe, hippo, hyena and more than forty other species, and it is malaria-free, so there is nothing to take before you travel. The Drakensberg mountains are under an hour away.
Elephant Rock is a small lodge: five suites on a hill above a waterhole. Each suite has its own deck, an indoor and outdoor shower and a bath with a view of the bush. There is a pool, a chef, and a boma for dinners under the sky. For the week, it is ours and nobody else's.
The rhythm of a day
- Early coffee on the deck, then out on a game drive as the reserve wakes up
- Mid-morning brunch back at the lodge
- Middle of the day yours. Pool, book, nap, massage, fishing, a walk with Stacey, or nothing at all
- Late afternoon the second drive, and a sundowner wherever the guide stops
- Evening dinner together, sometimes in the boma, sometimes under the stars, and an early night if you want one
Not every day looks like this. One day we swap the drives for a walking safari. One day we go up into the mountains. One morning nobody sets an alarm.
This is not a tour. Everything is optional except the flights home. If you want to skip a drive and sleep, the guide will not mind and neither will we.
What's included, and what's not
Included
- Six nights at a private safari lodge, exclusive use, private suite for each couple
- All meals and soft drinks at the lodge, prepared by the lodge chef
- House wine and local beers with dinner
- Twice-daily game drives with a professional guide
- A guided walking safari
- Sundowners in the bush
- One bush breakfast
- A stargazing dinner in the boma
- One full day off the reserve in the Drakensberg
- Daily yoga and mindfulness with Stacey, all optional, all levels
- Group airport transfers to and from the lodge on the arrival and departure days
- A contribution to the reserve's community programme, built into the price
- Reserve conservation levy
- Two hosts on site for the whole week
- Welcome gifts in your suite
Not included
- International flights (we'll tell you which flights to book and meet you on arrival)
- Massages and treatments (a therapist comes to the lodge on a set day; book before you travel)
- Drinks outside dinner, and spirits and cocktails, charged at the lodge bar
- Travel insurance (a condition of booking)
- Anything you buy off the reserve
From £5,500 per couple (£2,750 per person)
Six nights, everything above, flights not included.
Deposit: £1,000 per couple to reserve your suite. Balance due 60 days before departure, by 4 August 2027.
We confirm the retreat on 5 July 2027. If we have not reached three couples by then, your deposit comes back in full.
Founding couples
The first three couples to hold a place on each retreat choose one of these. It is ours to give, not a discount.
- A couples massage on the deck of your suite, on the afternoon you choose.
- A framed print from the week. You pick the photograph; we frame it and send it on.
- The first sundowner, on your own. The best spot on the reserve, a cool box, the two of you, and the vehicle comes back at dark.
Founding places go in order of deposit. We will tell you at booking whether one is still open.
The maths
What it would cost to do this yourselves
We priced it, because people ask.
- Exclusive use of a five-suite lodge on a private Big 5 reserve for six nights: about £2,000 per couple before you have eaten.
- A private transfer from Johannesburg for a group with luggage: about £240 per couple.
- A guided walking safari, sundowners in the bush, a stargazing dinner in the boma and a day in the Drakensberg, arranged from the UK with suppliers you have never met: several hundred pounds and a great many emails.
- Two people who have hosted fifteen retreats and know the lodge team by name: not available.
The rest of the price is every meal, drinks with dinner, twice-daily game drives, the conservation levy, the community contribution and the two of us. We think it adds up. Ask us if you want the working.
The honest answer
If one of you is unsure
Most bookings start with one of you. So, for the other one:
This is not a yoga retreat and it is not a relationship retreat. Nobody will ask you to share anything in a circle. The yoga happens at sunrise, it is optional, and about half the group sleeps through it.
A safari does most of the work. It is difficult to be anywhere but here when a leopard walks past the vehicle. Between drives there is a pool, a book, a bar and nobody keeping score.
If the hesitation is the group: five couples, at least one of whom will have felt exactly the same, and a table you can leave whenever you like.
The practical bit
Getting there
Flights are not included. Book an overnight flight from London Heathrow to Johannesburg on Saturday 2 October, landing by 11am on Sunday 3 October. The group transfer leaves Johannesburg at midday, with the two of us on board, and the drive to the lodge is three to four hours in a private vehicle with a stop on the way. Overnight flights land in the morning and South Africa is only one or two hours ahead, so there is no jet lag to speak of. We will tell you the exact window when you book.
Passports and visas
UK passport holders currently do not need a visa for short tourist visits to South Africa. Your passport must be valid beyond your return date and have blank pages for entry stamps. Check the current requirements on gov.uk before you book flights; rules change and we are not the official source.
Health
Nambiti is malaria-free, so no antimalarials are needed. No vaccinations are required for entry from the UK; speak to your GP or a travel clinic about what they recommend. The lodge is a drive from the nearest hospital and the reserve has emergency procedures in place.
Fitness
Game drives are in an open vehicle; you sit and look. The walking safari is a couple of hours at an easy pace on uneven ground, and optional. Yoga is optional and beginner-friendly. If you have a mobility or health condition, tell us before you book and we will be honest about what will and won't work.
Food
Three meals a day, cooked at the lodge. We can cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and most allergies with notice. Tell us at booking.
Group size and minimum numbers
Five couples maximum. The retreat runs with a minimum of three couples.
We confirm the retreat on 5 July 2027. If we have not reached three couples by then, your deposit comes back in full.
Insurance
Travel insurance covering medical care, repatriation, cancellation and the activities on the retreat (game drives, walking safari, fishing, hiking) is a condition of booking. We will ask for your policy details before the balance is due.
Cancellation
Your deposit is non-refundable but can be transferred to a future OhSoTogether retreat within 12 months, subject to availability. Balances paid and then cancelled within 60 days of departure are non-refundable. Full terms are on our booking terms page.
Booking and protection
We are registering interest only for now. Before we take a deposit, your money will be protected under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations, and we will publish the provider and what it covers on this page and in the booking terms.
Questions
Ask the chat in the corner, or email hello@ohsotogether.com. A real person replies.
Who you're travelling with
Hosted by a couple, for couples
We are Stacey and Ollie. We are married, we have three boys, and we know exactly how rare a week away that is actually about the two of you can be. That is why we run these.
Stacey
Stacey founded OhSoYoga and has hosted more than fifteen retreats in Greece, Morocco, South Africa and the UK.
Ollie
Ollie has spent his career designing award-winning customer experiences for large organisations, which in practice means he is the one worrying about the transfer timings so you don't have to.
Questions about this retreat
We've never been on safari. Will we feel out of our depth?
No. The guide does the work. You sit in the vehicle, look where they point, and ask questions. By day two you will be spotting things yourself.
Is it safe?
Nambiti is a private, fenced reserve with professional guides, and the lodge has staff on site around the clock. You are never on foot in the bush without a guide. Normal travel sense applies on the road, as it does anywhere.
Do we need to be fit?
Game drives need no fitness at all. The walking safari is a gentle couple of hours and optional. If either of you has a condition we should know about, tell us and we will plan around it.
Do we have to be a couple?
Most of our guests are, and the week is built for two people who want time together. Two good friends, siblings, or a parent and grown-up child are welcome too. Tell us who you are travelling with when you register and we will sort the beds: every suite has a double, and we will tell you which can be made up as twins.
What's the food like?
Cooked at the lodge by the chef, three times a day, with South African produce and a proper braai at least once. Dietary requirements are fine with notice.
Can we drink?
Yes. House wine and local beers are included with dinner. Anything else, and drinks outside dinner, are charged at the lodge bar.
What about massages?
A therapist comes to the lodge on one set day. We send a treatment menu before you travel so you can book in advance, including couples treatments.
Which airport do we fly to?
Johannesburg. Book an overnight flight from Heathrow on Saturday 2 October, landing by 11am on Sunday 3 October, and the group transfer meets you there. We will tell you the exact window when you book.
What if we need to cancel?
Your deposit is non-refundable but can be transferred to a future OhSoTogether retreat within 12 months, subject to availability. Balances paid and then cancelled within 60 days of departure are non-refundable. That is if you cancel. If we do not reach three couples by 5 July 2027, your deposit comes back in full. Full terms are on our booking terms page.
Can you help with extra nights?
Yes. Some people add a few nights before or after, in Johannesburg, Cape Town or the Drakensberg. Tell us what you have in mind and we will help you work it out.
Also from OhSoTogether: the Couples Turquoise Coast Sailing Retreat. Or see all our retreats.
Register interest
No commitment. Tell us who you are and we will send the full itinerary, the price breakdown and the dates as soon as they are confirmed. If you want to secure a suite early, say so and we will come back to you first.
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