Tucked away in the foothills of Bela-Bela, you will find a luxury reserve known as Lejwe La Metsi. You may not have heard of it, but once you visit, it’s a place you won’t soon forget.
With a rich history and a heart-warming mission, Lejwe is unlike any other game lodge I’ve stayed at. In fact, it’s anything but a traditional luxury game lodge, which is what made it so appealing to me.
Located only 90 minutes from Johannesburg, the trip to Lejwe is relatively straightforward but as fate would have it, I landed up on an unplanned detour that saw me arrive at the reserve almost an hour after my expected check-in time.
By the time I pulled up to the main gate, I was a bundle of mixed emotions, but the warm welcome I received from property manager Sarita Eicker and her team instantly neutralised any travel-related anxiety I was experiencing.
As we made our way through the check-in process and the property, I was struck by how vast it was. As the only lodge on just over 2 500 hectares of breath-taking Waterberg landscape, Lejwe is redefining the term exclusive. The property features five spacious villas and only accommodates a maximum of 36 guests at a time.
We crossed the immaculately landscaped gardens and headed towards my villa as a gentle breeze passed through the trees creating the kind of sound effect you would only hear in the background of a meditation app. Across the lawn and behind some lush shrubbery stood a beautiful structure held up by columns, which looked straight out of a lost land like Atlantis or Lemuria.
A sense of home
As we stepped onto the veranda and into the villa, I was once again pleasantly surprised by the grand scale of everything. The ceiling in the living area felt as though it stretched upwards forever, which was confirmed by the fact that the biggest mirror I’ve ever seen rested comfortably on one of the walls reflecting everything in the room.
Despite the vastness of the space, it still felt cosy. Maybe this was part of the illusion with the giant mirror or maybe it was the stone fireplace and warm décor, but somehow this villa with the grandiose façade felt very homely.
If fate had been unfair earlier in the day by taking me on an unplanned detour, she made up for it as I was led to my room in the villa. Continuing the go-big-or-go-home theme, the master suite did not disappoint. The room was simply furnished with tasteful pieces that allowed you to take in the wall-to-wall lush green garden views.
My favourite features in the room were undoubtedly the palatial style bathroom and dressing room and with everything built from marble, I was very appreciative of the fact that the room included a fireplace to help keep the winter chill at bay.
It’s worth noting, however, that the villa is built from marble because marble acts as a cooling stone and therefore naturally cools the villa down during the hot Bela-Bela summers.
A custom moment
Sarita soon left me to my own devices but not for too long as lunch was on the cards. I made my way out of the villa to join the rest of the group, and we learnt that lunch would be a little different. This is where Lejwe deviates from the norm. The lodge prides itself on its ability to adapt and provide guests with custom experiences.
Where most luxury game lodges have an established offering and way of doing things, Lejwe leaves the possibilities of the stay open to the guest, which is something I found very appealing.
“Some guests check in and we don’t see them around the main area again until they check out,” Sarita explained. “It all depends on what the guests want; we often set up meals for guests at the villa or surrounds.”
With so much wide-open space, greenery and sunshine to behold, lunch indoors was not an option and my villa mate and I had a beautiful picnic style lunch under some trees in front of our villa.
We chitchatted lazily on the lawn munching away on the tasty selection of food that had been prepared especially for our picnic. We were both partial to some mushroom toast that had been included in the platter, so much so that we unsuccessfully tried to get the recipe from the chef.
Conservation in action
As our lazy lunch came to an end, our group reconvened at the main area for an afternoon game drive. We were led on our expedition by Oom Piet who has been working on the property for well over 20 years.
Piet’s house was one of the first structures to be built on the property and his love for the bush, animals and the mission of the reserve is clear in the way he speaks about the property.
From undulating hills and rocky outcrops to vast grasslands and thick bushveld, Lejwe is home to a variety of wildlife, and we were fortunate enough to have met a few curious critters on our game drive.
A standout moment for me was an encounter with a majestic male Zambezi sable antelope who put on a display of his dominance among the females in his herd. Keenly aware of the presence of visitors, he kept the curious members of the herd in line with his scimitar-shaped horns ensuring everyone knew exactly who was in charge out here.
As we watched his display, the owner explained the impact hunting has had on the species. “Many of the animals and the colour variants you’ll see on the reserve were all naturally occurring years ago, but because these specific colour variants occurred naturally in so few numbers, trophy hunters would go for them first. This essentially wiped out the bloodlines and now we’re on a mission to try and undo that damage and conserve what we have.”
“We’ve committed our space and expertise to protecting some of these unique bloodlines.” This is something the whole team is committed to and believes in. Some team members, like Oom Piet, have even become vegetarian because of their passion for protecting these animals.
After many more memorable encounters with the animals, we paused for a drink stop to watch the sun splash warm pink and orange hues across the sky as it began to set.
Rock of water
Waking up at Lejwe La Metsi in the winter was refreshing to say the least. After a luxurious start to the day, I made my way out of the villa and was met with a cool crisp blast of fresh air. Our mission for the day, for those who were keen, was a hike up the mountainside to a recently discovered waterfall.
As we meandered up the rocky terrain, Oom Piet explained that Lejwe La Metsi means Rock of Water and that the entire property sits atop underground water springs. “Throughout the property, you will find spots where water pushes up from underground. It’s 100% pure and you can drink it,” he explained.
We reached the top of the mountain and looked down at the property below. It was tiny, and for the first time I realised how high up we had gone. There was a sense of peace here, looking over what seemed like the whole of Bela-Bela.
Suddenly I thought of Oom Piet’s words, and everything started to make sense. From the moment I arrived on the property, it was as if all my worries had been washed away. All the sages of the ages will tell you that water has healing properties.
Not only does it help sustain us – healing both our minds and our bodies – but spending time in and around water can help improve our mood and reconnect us with nature. With the smell of water lingering in the air all throughout the property at Lejwe La Metsi, it’s no wonder the trip left me feeling both relaxed and reinvigorated.
