An Update from Northern Kruger
Update from Northern Kruger after the devastating flooding in the area
To all our trade partners - please see the below release shared by Rare Earth Retreats today regarding Pel’s Post and The Outpost.
11.02.2026
Following our recent updates regarding the flooding in the northern Kruger, we would like to share a further and more detailed update on the status of The Outpost and Pel’s Post.
After gaining limited access to the concession and completing an interim assessment with professional engineering and infrastructure teams, it has become clear that the extent of the damage is more significant than initially anticipated.
As a result, we are unable at this stage to confirm a reopening date but we do know it will take several months. The scope of work required means that the lodges will remain closed during this period. A clearer understanding of the full closure period is expected only once further assessments are completed over the coming weeks.
We appreciate that this uncertainty is difficult, particularly for guests and partners with upcoming travel plans. Our reservations team will be in direct contact with all guests scheduled to arrive in the months ahead to assist with alternative arrangements. Our priority is to make this process as smooth, flexible and supportive as possible, whether that involves postponement, alternative accommodation within our portfolio based on availability or refunds where preferred.
While this situation is undeniably challenging, we are choosing to approach it with the long-term care and intention it deserves. This allows us the opportunity not only to repair what has been damaged, but to ensure that when we do reopen, we do so with the highest possible standards of safety, comfort and guest experience firmly in place, as is our ethos at Rare Earth.
The safety of our guests and staff remains our foremost priority and we are committed to reopening only when it is safe, responsible and true to the experience we promise.
We are deeply grateful for the understanding, patience, and support we have received from our guests and trade partners during this time. We will continue to communicate openly and provide further updates as soon as we have greater clarity on timelines and progress.
An African Safari First: The Outpost launches Sound Safaris
The Outpost launches a first for African Safari experiences - with their Sound Safari in South Africa’s Northern Kruger Park
Tucked away in the untouched Makuleke Concession of Northern Kruger National Park, lies The Outpost Lodge.
This remote getaway, with its surrounding patchwork landscape of lush forests, towering baobabs, rugged cliffs, and sweeping savannahs — all teeming with life and beauty.
Taking up a small portion of the Greater Kruger National Park - you will be amazed to know that 80% of the park's species call this area home. The area offers an exceptional safari experience without the bustle of crowds. It’s a haven for adventurers and anyone who loves immersing themselves in nature.
The Outpost introduces unique sound safaris
‘Think of the smell of the first rains, the sight of the African sunset, and now The Outpost is bringing you the sounds of Africa.’
No matter what language you speak or culture you belong to, the sounds of nature connect us all.
A first to market safari experience using specialised sound equipment, the guests at The Outpost are taken on a fascinating auditory journey that engages the active skill of listening to enhance the traditional game drive experience.
The region’s rich biodiversity also creates opportunities to delve deeper into nature; beyond sightings of animals and birds, our new Sound Safari unearths the hidden world of wildlife calls, rumbles, squawks and grunts.
Whether to attract the opposite sex, defending territory or just a caring way of saying hello to their fellow friends, nature is awe inspiring when it comes to sound. Imagine the dawn chorus in the fever tree forest, or the sound of hundreds of elephants communicating with one another, the call of the jackal as the sun sets on the horizon – where you aren’t separated by technology or a screen but given the advantage of a surround sound microphone bolted to the front of the vehicle with head phones to really enhance the listening experience.
This microphone amplifies the sound, and is so sensitive it can pick up sounds up to 5km away. Truly zoning into, which is often a forgotten sense, listening. Everything you know about the sounds of the African Bushveld, we are going to challenge it all, in our world first sound safari.
It is also a vivid and captivating way for guests with visual impairments to experience the bush, using this powerful new format to bring to life creatures great and small.
From infrasonic conversations between elephants and hippos to insect communication and mating calls, there are dozens of sounds to discover that are usually inaudible to the human ear.
While we try and err on the side of digital detox, technology can facilitate a richer connection to nature, especially in a world where AI dominates. The authenticity of nature can never be replaced.
The Sound Safari is a world first extension of the guest experience at The Outpost, complementing our existing approach which seeks to highlight the diversity of the area while drawing attention to all the “little things” that make the Makuleke concession so special.
We encourage our guests to truly slow down, take moments for themselves and to limit distractions; to be fully immersed in nature and to sharpen their senses to the stories it whispers when one finds the time and space to listen.
Rare Earth Retreats - Wrapping up a year of growth
Rare Earth Retreats rounds off another year of growth across its 5 lodges, boutique hotels & wine estate.
It has been a productive and eventful year for RARE EARTH RETREATS, with much growth and many positive changes. Having hosted an inspiring management conference, finalised their new Brand Strategy and upgraded their trade resources, they have also welcomed lots of new team members to the family in recent months.
Summer has finally arrived and a bumper season across all properties has begun, thanks in no small part to you, our trade family and your wonderful clients! We are so grateful for your support and look forward to a long, hot summer of sharing our soul-stirring safari lodges, award-winning wine estate and exquisite heritage hotel.
MAKULEKE, KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, THE OUTPOST:
Things are heating up in the northern Kruger and we don't just mean the temperatures! It has been an extremely busy season at The Outpost and Pel's Post, with exciting refurbishments, external training, a new fleet of game vehicles, lots of new faces and installation of a solar energy facility to improve the lodge's eco-credentials as well as the guest experience…
PLETTENBERG BAY, WESTERN CAPE, THE OLD RECTORY:
Drum roll please! The Old Rectory gained a well deserved, hugely respected, international award – a place in the Top 10 of the Condé Nast Traveller Readers Choice Awards 2023 – we are delighted that the team’s efforts have been recognised on the international stage. As the hotel gears up for a very busy summer, we have welcomed a new GM and front-of-house team, converted the hotel to solar power, and are celebrating Plettenberg Bay's latest accolade as the no. 1 whale-watching destination in the country! …
WELGEVONDEN GAME RESERVE, TSHWENE LODGE & EKUTHULENI LODGE:
Our lodges in the Welgevonden have been extremely busy this year, keeping Sindy and her extremely hard-working team on their toes! In addition to a soft refurb of both Tshwene Lodge and Ekuthuleni Lodge, changes at the properties include a new spa menu and external training from Healing Earth – our wellness partner across the group. There is also lots of exciting conservation news from the management team at the reserve, covering everything from orphaned rhinos to newborn cheetahs.
“Remember our special offers including Stay4/Pay3 at all Lodges and either Stay3/Pay2 or Stay4/Pay3 in Plettenberg as well as Honeymoon Offers. ”