A LEOPARD LAZES IN A LEADWOOD TREEMORE COLLECTION, MONWANA LODGEArriving at Monwana Game Lodge, in South Africa’s Thornybush Game Reserve, on the edge of Kruger National Park, I found myself drawn in by the lodge buildings. Not because they shouted for attention, quite the opposite in fact, but because they felt as though they had grown out of the bush. Water ran beneath walkways, trees had been preserved, glass doors slid open, leaving nothing but air between the main areas and the bush beyond. THERE'S A DEFINITE SENSE OF INDOORS CONNECTING TO THE OUTDOORS IN THE PUBLIC AREAS OF MONWANAMORE COLLECTION, MONWANA LODGEBy the time I reached the deck overlooking the waterhole, I’d become preoccupied by a question. How did somebody build this? Not simply a lodge, after all, plenty of people build lodges. But how did they create a place that feels so effortless, when every element involved must have required an extraordinary amount of effort? That question would lead me to a handful of people: Dirk and Martine, the owners; James Ord, the builder; and Sarah Ord, the interior designer. Between them lay much of the answer.The OwnersFor owners Dirk and Martine, the bush, Kruger, and Monwana in particular, has long been a special place. In 2020, they decided on lodge renovations, though perhaps "renovations" is not quite the right word for a two-year build, that saw what had once been a corporate lodge razed and rebuilt, from the ground up, into something truly special. ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS IMPORTANT IN EVERYTHING AT MONWANA. THE SWIMMING POOL DECK.MORE COLLECTION, MONWANA LODGEDirk and Martine are all about the detail. With a background in mining, geology, and ship-building, precision was applied to every aspect of the rebuild, right down to sitting in every chair, to make sure it lived up to their standards of style and comfort. This attention to detail paid off: Monwana Game Lodge was ranked Number 1 African Safari Lodge, and Number 21 of the World's Best Hotels in the 2024 Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards. THE MONWANA RESIDENCE INTERIORSMORE COLLECTION, MONWANA LODGEThe BuildersJeff Wicks and James Ord combined their skill and established Red Earth Projects in 2021. While James heads up logistics, Jeff, with over 20 years’ experience, focusses on the construction side of the business. James’ route into building was not quite so conventional, having spent years working as a superyacht captain, navigating some of the world's most remote waters."Running large yachts requires an enormous amount of planning, logistics, organization and problem-solving," he tells me. "Then, when I met my wife, I decided it was time to move home to South Africa, and build a life on land."TOP LEFT JEFF WICKS AND JAMES ORD OF RED EARTH PROJECTS. BUILDING MONWANA GAME LODGE.JAMES ORD, RED EARTH PROJECTSAt Monwana, that connection makes perfect sense. Building a luxury lodge in the Greater Kruger has a lot to do with logistics. Building in a city, if something goes wrong, you drive to a supplier. In the bush, a problem can become an expedition. "We dealt with torrential rains, flooded roads, vehicles getting stuck, cement trucks overturning, wildlife encounters and all the unpredictable challenges that come with working in a remote environment," James says quite matter-of-factly. He adds, "There were certainly occasions when elephants or lions encouraged us to leave site earlier than planned!" Monwana occupies a beautiful site, overlooking a seasonal riverbed and an active waterhole. "The site is simply spectacular," says Jeff, who handled the bulk of the construction at Monwana. "The challenge was understanding how to create something exceptional, while respecting the environment and working within the realities of building in the bush."OVERLOOKING THE SEASONAL RIVER BED, THE BUILDING GIVES A FEELING OF CONNECTION BETWEEN INDOORS AND OUTDOORSMORE COLLECTION, MONWANA LODGEWhat followed was not a traditional client-contractor relationship. Dirk and Martine, had first approached James and Jeff about renovating the existing lodge. But as conversations developed, so did the ambition. One of James’ favorite memories involves calling architect Barnaby Gunning, and telling him to get on a plane. "We all spent several days together, walking the site, sitting around a bar discussing ideas, heading back out into the bush to mark things out, then returning to refine them." There’s something wonderful about this approach - no grand presentations, no polished renders, just people wandering through the bush imagining what might be possible. "It was a very organic and collaborative process from the start," he says. That spirit remains in the buildings they’ve created.SOARING THATCHED ROOFS ARE DIVIDED BY HUGE SHEETS OF GLASSMORE COLLECTION, MONWANA LODGEINSIDE THE COMMUNAL LOUNGE, DINING AND BAR AREA THE SOARING THATCHED ROOFS AND DIVIDED BY GLASS THAT GIVES A WONDERFUL SENSE OF LIGHTMORE COLLECTION, MONWANA LODGEOne of the lodge’s defining characteristics is its extraordinary sense of volume. The double-volume steel-framed dining, lounge and bar area rises above the trees, yet somehow doesn’t overwhelm the landscape. "Dirk is a very tall man," laughs James. "One of our earliest conversations was actually about volume and scale. He wanted spaces that felt generous and expansive." The Interior DesignerIf James Ord's contribution was creating the structure, his sister Sarah Ord's was designing the interiors and the feeling. For her, Monwana arrived during an intensely personal chapter of life. "I had just survived breast cancer," she tells me. "The project happened at a very poignant time in my life, and we all just got each other." Her relationship with Dirk and Martine quickly became much more than a professional commission. "There was so much respect, laughter and mutual understanding. I will never forget what Monwana and its family did for me from a healing point of view." Perhaps that’s why the interiors feel so different from many luxury safari lodges. THE INTERIORS AT MONWANA GAME LODGEMORE COLLECTION, MONWANA LODGEThe owners had a simple ambition with Monwana. "Home," says Sarah, “not luxury, not glamour, home. They wanted people to feel they had been there before. That they were meant to be here. That they could just breathe." Of the design process for the interiors, she adds, “We had a shared love of art and antiques, so the collecting was always on the cards!”INSIDE ONE OF THE FAMILY SUITES AT MONWANA GAME LODGEMORE COLLECTION, MONWANA LODGETHE BATHROOMS IN THE SUITES OPEN UP TO PRIVATE PLUNGE POOLSMORE COLLECTION, MONWANA LODGE“After a childhood spent in Kruger and the likes, for most of my school holidays,” Sarah tells me, “my first job was working at a lodge in the bush. My role was welcoming guests at the airport with cold drinks and a sign with their names on it… Much later, after marrying a hotelier, the travel and hospitality lifestyle meant that everyone we knew was in the business too. So when my company started transitioning from residential interiors to boutique hotels and lodges, it felt entirely natural, like I’d come full circle.” A BEDROOM IN THE MONWANA RESIDENCEMORE COLLECTION, MONWANA LODGE“I learned on the job, making mistakes and learning the hard way. What I knew from the outset was that I had the gift of an ‘eye’ for line, form, and color, which I don't think you can teach. I’d studied art history and classical civilizations, so I’d always wanted to work with beautiful things that had a history.” Which brings us neatly back to the interiors at Monwana. THE COLORS IN THE DECOR AND DESIGN ARE INSPIRED BY THE COLORS OF THE BUSHMORE COLLECTION, MONWANA LODGETHE LOUNGE AREA IN THE MONWANA RESIDENCEMORE COLLECTION, MONWANA LODGE“The colors come from the bush itself,” Sarah says, “The pale greens of fever trees. The dusty plum of a mopane leaf. Antique pieces that sit comfortably alongside contemporary South African craftsmanship. I hate anything faux, and love the idea that many hands have crafted something beautiful, and that thought and emotion have gone into it."The LodgeThe result is something stunning. Monwana's main areas are designed as a place to come together, or to disappear into a quiet corner with a book and the view. Soaring thatched roofs are divided with large glass sections, creating incredible light-filled spaces, with clever nods to the outside, so you always feel part of the landscape. Alongside the communal dining, lounge and bar areas, is a clever subterranean wine cellar, an outdoor BBQ and dining area overlooking the riverbed, and a deck in the perfect spot for viewing the waterhole. THERE ARE COMMUNAL SPACES TO MINGLE AND SPACES TO JUST SIT WITH A BOOK, THE VIEW AND A FIREMORE COLLECTION, MONWANA LODGETHE MONWANA RESIDENCEMORE COLLECTION, MONWANA LODGEThe lodge has six spacious suites, each with private decks, outdoor showers and climate controlled plunge pools. There’s a fitness center for action, a spa for pampering, and for families or groups wanting complete privacy, the exclusive-use Monwana Residence has its own chef, butler, private safari vehicle and guide team. There’s also the most impressive ‘back of house’ setup and staff accommodation imaginable.The EnvironmentMonwana was built with the vision of being a leading eco-conscious lodge, with integrated renewable energy sources, highly efficient heating and cooling systems, and smart technology that would minimize its environmental footprint. Much has been written about sustainability in the safari industry, often in language so vague it becomes meaningless. At Monwana, sustainability is refreshingly practical. Rainwater is harvested. Borehole water is filtered through a reverse-osmosis system, eliminating the need for plastic bottles. Greywater is treated and returned to support the waterhole ecosystem. An incredible, state of the art solar installation powers everything from guest suites to plunge pools.Yet talking to the team, it becomes clear that sustainability was never viewed as a separate box to tick. It was simply common sense. "For us, sustainability is not just about technology," says James. "It is about designing and building in a way that respects the environment and remains viable for the long term."THE MONWANA SPA HAS A REAL FEELING OF CONNECTION TO THE BUSH BEYONDMORE COLLECTION, MONWANA LODGESarah adds, “Working in an environment where there’s wildlife present poses challenges too. In the often unforgiving climate of harsh light, high temperatures, dry conditions or very heavy rainfall, furnishing and fabrics have to stand up to those elements,” going on to tell me of the time that hyenas chewed on the leather chairs and mice tried to make a home in a rolled-up Persian carpet. THE BATHROOMS IN THE SUITES OPEN UP TO PRIVATE PLUNGE POOLSMORE COLLECTION, MONWANA LODGEThe PlaceOn my final morning at Monwana, I roll out my yoga mat just after sunrise. It’s chilly, so I definitely appreciate the underfloor heating. The rest of the lodge guests are either asleep or out on game drives. Beyond the veranda, a francolin calls, a woodpecker hammers on a branch just out of sight, and a pair of hornbills investigate the room’s thatched roof. I sit for a while, and look up through the branches. I find myself returning to that original question. How do you build a luxury safari lodge here, in the Greater Kruger? After spending time with the people behind Monwana, I think the answer is surprisingly simple. You begin by focusing less on the building itself and more on the surrounding landscape. You spend years listening. You build slowly. You solve a thousand problems nobody will ever see. You surround yourself with people who challenge and trust each other. And, if you’re very lucky, somewhere along the way, you create a place that feels less like a destination and more like returning home. Which is exactly what Dirk, Martine, James, Sarah, and the rest of the team have achieved.