Londolozi Game Reserve Celebrates a Century of Varty Family Stewardship in 2026

Londolozi Game Reserve turns 100 in 2026, a century that has stayed almost entirely within one family. The Vartys have run the Sabi Sand reserve since the 1920s, now into a fourth generation of stewardship, and Londolozi has spent much of that time building a reputation as the reserve with the world's highest density of viewable wild leopards, a distinction that drew wildlife photographers and researchers long before it drew luxury travelers.

The centennial is being marked with a renovation of Varty Camp, the reserve's original and namesake camp along the Sand River, along with a three-part documentary series tracing the family's history on the land. Londolozi was the first game reserve in the world admitted to Relais & Châteaux, in 1993, a distinction that predates most of the safari industry's current luxury positioning by decades.

Guests today choose between four camps, Varty, Founders, Pioneer, and Tree, each with its own character, from Founders' family-friendly setting to Pioneer's three interconnected suites among 500-year-old ebony trees. Meals move between each camp's dining room, boma campfire, and bush dinners under the stars, blending Varty family recipes with wider Pan-African influences, a culinary thread that runs as deep as the family's own history on the reserve.

Staying at Londolozi Game Reserve? Book your stay with me for preferred-partner perks.