Safari's seven-star treatment

An escape to Oase is nothing like the traditional African safari. You get a very cheerful-looking welcome cocktail on arrival, but you’re not expected to get up at dawn for a gruelling khaki-clad game drive, bush walk or expedition to the bird hide.

In fact, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. And whatever you do want to do, someone will sort it out — leopard tracking on foot, a picnic on the riverbank, fine dining under the stars… it’s all bespoke and utterly decadent. The seven stars refer not only to the level of service you can expect but also to the seven major stars in the Southern Cross. 

Set on a private nature reserve near Hoedspruit, one of the most luxurious things about Oase is that it brings you state-of-the-art technology deep in the heart of the Limpopo wilderness. Which may sound weird, since for most people the bush is a place to disconnect and turn off all devices, but once you get your head around it, it’s fabulous.

At first, I think I should be gearing down into bush mode, but then I’m like, “Hello, strong WiFi, big flat-screen TV, little iPad for turning on and off lights. Hello, power bank, hello, Alexaplayer home assistant next to my bed, hey there, cellphone docking station, electronic alarm clock, indoor climate-control thingy.” And the most amazing thing is that the whole place is completely off-the grid. One-hundred-percent solar. Oase is the brainchild of Australian-born David and Audra Tucker, who made their money in IT and really just wanted to share their love of the bush and of solar power and technology.

David designed everything on the property from the ground up. Water, power, networks, roads, buildings. When they bought the property in 2020, there was nothing but an old, crumbling-down building riddled with termites. They built the entire thing from scratch during the pandemic.

As I sit down to have a little technofest in the bush a waiter arrives with a cocktail, and then I hear other guests laughing and go off to play. Oase takes its guests around on an electric vehicle that looks like a camouflaged golf cart on steroids. It can’t do 4x4, but it’s quiet and unobtrusive. We glide along to see the Sleep Out Deck, designed for a romantic night under the stars. This involves giant “gintails” (that’s what the people around here call gin cocktails), a delicious snack platter, and gorgeous sunset views. The Sleep Out Deck offers Oase guests the chance to spend the night under the stars in total privacy and luxury (there’s even an electric blanket for chilly evenings) after enjoying sundowners and a private meal. And eating out at Oase is a moveable feast. Every night there’s a different place to dine and tables and lamps are set up in the bush, with guests served by a private chef and waiter.

“We are building up slowly towards what I call the ‘New Safari Traveller’,” David tell us over a delicious bush dinner. “Someone who wants the remoteness and feel of the African bush but at the same time wants all of the conveniences of a high-end modern resort without the crowds. We have a laser focus on service and the guest experience.”

While this is not a Big Five reserve, its speciality is leopards, and Oase can arrange leopard tracking, photographic safaris, signature trips to nearby attractions such as the Blyde River Canyon, and whatever else takes your fancy. Every day is an unscripted delight. We have breakfast the next morning at the Lavender Bistro, a French-café-style bistro outside in the shade, adjoining a small movie theatre. Yes — in the middle of the bush, there’s a 14-seater, solar-powered movie theatre. “I love movies,” says David, “and mainly built it for myself. When we finished it, I felt that it should be shared in a community where there isn’t a great deal of things to do.”

Oase is a wonderful new addition to the luxury-lodge market in the Hoedspruit area. It is out of the box and bending the rules, with no pleasure spared. As actress Mae West said, “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.”

087 250 2031, 7starlodges.com