The people behind the planning
Sian Loehrer
Co-founder. She runs the planning desk, and writes the guides and the lodge reviews, one property at a time.
Her beat Guides, Journeys & reviews
A note from Sian
Vikki writes about why you should go. I write about how. The month that makes or breaks a water-based lodge, and the quote that looks light until you read what it leaves out.
I was born and bred South African, so the bush was never a discovery, just home. I know the reserves by season and the lodges by feel. When we recommend a property, it's because we would send our own family there. When we don't, I'll tell you why.
If you write to us about a trip, you are probably writing to me first, and I am the one who turns a long email about your hopes into a proposal with the right lodges, the right rooms and the right weeks. Bring me the tricky briefs: the honeymoon that has to be quietly perfect, or the grandmother who wants the whole family under one roof.
Sian
Co-founder, Marula Hill
From the journal
Everything Sian has written
Latest
Walking safari: why you see Africa differently on foot
You cover less ground on foot, and somehow you see much more.
What we would tell a young woman starting out in safari travel
Both of us came out of corporate, one of us with travel experience already. This is the advice we give when a young woman writes and asks how to build a career in luxury safari travel.
18 On The Hill review: a luxury tented safari in the Greater Kruger
Read our 18 On The Hill review, a luxury tented safari lodge in Greater Kruger, with excellent food, beautiful scenery and memorable wildlife.
We run on solar and we have not printed since 2019
Vikki and Sian on solar power, paper, and what a small safari company can honestly claim.
Sandringham Private Game Reserve: should you go early, or wait?
Greater Kruger's newest reserve opens in August 2026. Our honest take on who should book Sandringham early, and who should give it a few seasons.
South Africa's online traveller declaration: what it means for your safari (and what it doesn't)
A five-minute customs form now stands between you and the arrivals hall. Here's what it is, who needs it, and what nothing to declare actually means for a normal safari guest.
The Mozambique dhow: a slow boat at the end of a fast trip
Why we put a dhow afternoon into almost every Mozambique trip. Sail, salt water and the long breath out after safari.
Why we built the Antarctica page
A short note from Sian on why an African safari business added Antarctica to its destination map, and how we handle a trip neither founder has yet made.
What Singita Lebombo's 2026 redesign tells us
Lebombo reopened March 2026 warmer, quieter, more art-led
Do you need travel insurance for a safari
What safari travel insurance must cover, and why standard policies fall short
How two women from outside the travel industry built a luxury safari brand from Africa
We are the two women behind Marula Hill. One of us came from IBM, the other from MARS Southern Africa. Here is the long version of how a private safari business gets built from outside the travel industry.
Sole-use villa safaris in Africa
What sole-use villa safaris mean in practice, who they suit, and what to ask
A family vacation in Cape Town that works for all ages
Cape Town suits kids and grown-ups equally well: beaches, penguins, aquariums, and a city that's easy to move around.
How a wellness safari itinerary actually works
A wellness safari isn't just yoga with a view. Here's what a real day looks like.
A family horseback safari in South Africa
Riding through the Waterberg on horseback, with kids in the saddle and giraffes in the distance.
AtholPlace Hotel and Villa in Sandton, Johannesburg: our review
We spent a night at AtholPlace Hotel and Villa in Sandton, and it turned out to be a far better start to a safari trip than we expected.
Kapama Karula: our review of the Greater Kruger's flagship lodge
Kapama Karula is the flagship lodge in the Kapama Private Game Reserve, positioned on the Klaserie River with its own airstrip, 12 villas, and serious Big Five game viewing.
Choosing a gay-friendly travel agent in South Africa
We plan LGBTQ+-friendly trips across South Africa, from Cape Town to the Winelands and beyond.
Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge: our review
Our honest take on Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge, the architecturally remarkable, art-filled camp buried in a Sabi Sand hillside.
Madikwe Safari Lodge: our review
We spent time at Madikwe Safari Lodge in South Africa's malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve. Here is what the lodge does well, who it suits, and why the conservation story matters.
When to go to Mozambique: a month-by-month read on weather, water and wildlife
A month-by-month read on Mozambique weather, water and wildlife. Whale sharks, humpbacks, mantas, cyclones, dry season.
Mont Rochelle Hotel & Mountain Vineyard: our review
We spent a few days at Mont Rochelle in Franschhoek. Here's an honest account of the rooms, food, wine, and what makes this Richard Branson property worth the detour.
How long should a safari trip be?
The whole trip, not just the bush. Why 7 to 10 nights works, how many of them belong on safari, and when to stretch to 14.
The best gay city in South Africa for visitors
Cape Town is South Africa's most welcoming city for LGBTQ+ travellers. Here's what to know before you go.
Malaria-free safaris in South Africa
Big Five reserves in South Africa where no malaria prophylaxis is needed
Waterside at Royal Malewane: our review
Our honest review of Waterside at Royal Malewane. Six bold suites, outstanding guiding, exceptional dining in the Greater Kruger.
Hummus-stuffed broccoli with charred red pepper pesto
A plant-based main worth cooking properly. Charred broccoli steaks layered with hummus, butternut puree, charred red pepper pesto, and toasted pumpkin seeds. Serves four.
Vegan safaris in Africa: an honest look at where plant-based travel actually works
Plant-based safari travel works well across Africa when the chef has a proper brief. A composite week, the questions guests actually ask, and where vegan still requires real planning.
Family-friendly safari activities in South Africa
What a family safari in South Africa actually looks like, and the activities that bring every generation together.
Grootbos Private Nature Reserve: our review
Our first-hand review of Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, the Cape fynbos property near Hermanus that trades Big 5 for whales, sharks, and ancient Milkwood forest.
The seven meals of a safari day
Seven distinct eating moments shape every safari day. Here is what to expect.
Nine days in Sabi Sand and Cape Town for a fiftieth birthday
A couple, nine days, two halves. Five nights at Singita Boulders in the Sabi Sand and four at Ellerman House in Cape Town. The real itinerary, the real moments, and what we built around her.
Is a safari worth it? An honest answer
Honest answer for first-time safari travellers. What you actually get, when to go, and how to plan it well.
Safari activities for kids: what to expect on a family bush trip
Kids don't need screens on safari. Here's what keeps them busy, curious and out of trouble in the bush.
The Silo Hotel Cape Town: a review
A converted 1924 grain silo above Zeitz MOCAA, The Silo Hotel is one of the most architecturally striking places to stay in South Africa.
Cape Town after safari, properly paced
Most South Africa trips end in the bush. The good ones don't. How four or five nights in Cape Town finishes a safari the way it should be finished.
What a day on safari actually looks like
A real walk through the hours of a safari day, from the pre-dawn knock on your door to dinner around the fire.
Is South Africa safe for kids? A parents' guide
South Africa with kids is very doable, if you know where to go.
Three generations in the Okavango
A family of seven across grandparents, parents, and three children. Eight nights, two camps, one table. How we built a multigenerational safari in northern Botswana that worked at every age.
When to go on safari in Botswana
The Delta has two good seasons. They are completely different trips
Safari lodges are not hotels
Why the comparison falls away the moment you understand how a safari lodge actually operates
A conversation with Vikki Jackson
Vikki Jackson, co-founder of Marula Hill, on moving to South Africa with her family in 1994 and being the one who stayed, why hyenas are the ones to watch, and the small details that make a lodge actually work.
How to choose a safari lodge
What actually matters when choosing a safari lodge, and what turns out not to.
How we plan a luxury African safari (the long version)
This is how we plan a safari, from a home 40 minutes from many of the lodges we book. Not a checklist. The order we ask the questions in, what we trade off, and why we say no to certain combinations.
Nothing in this section yet.
The slow letter
A quarterly note from the bush
No noise, no marketing. Just the letter we'd write to a friend who asked what it's really like out here.
