From air safaris aboard a private helicopter and dining with a Gordon Ramsay-trained chef, to stargazing with a quantum physicist and teeing off at the “Million Dollar Golf Hole”, a “boys with toys” takeover of Leobo Private Reserve in South Africa is the ultimate safari experience for a boys-only adventure.
Set on a completely private 80.9-sqkm estate within the stunning Waterberg Mountains in the north of the country, the property eschews the standard game drives and programmes, instead allowing guests to venture out whenever they like – day or night.
Travelling with a large party and feel like a touch of adventure? Why not have a go at heli-paintballing, hanging out the open door of a helicopter and taking aim at your friends as they race around the vast grounds atop quad bikes?
Next, retire to the lodge and enjoy a gourmet lunch with chef Neill Anthony, who will fly from Cape Town to spoil guests with fine cuts of meat and indulgent desserts washed down with the finest South African wines from Leobo’s private cellar.
In the evenings, pay a visit to the magnificent Observatory and learn how the super-high-tech 50-cm telescope works. The dome also houses a hydrogen-alpha solar scope allowing you to view the surface of the sun in high magnification.
Local astronomer and quantum physicist, Dr. Philip Calcott, will lead an exclusive Night-Sky Safari, blowing your mind with facts about stars and constellations in the pitch-black sky.
And as a grand finale, take a helicopter to the “Million Dollar Golf Hole”, a tee at the top of a mountain in the reserve to aim for a hole-in-one on the Africa-shaped green some 400 metres below.
Rates for the ultimate five-day private takeover at Leobo Private Reserve start at AED180,885 (US$49,245). Book through Dubai-based luxury-tour operator Lightfoot Travel; www.lightfoottravel.com