World Safari Day invites us to pause and consider the deeper “why” behind time spent in wild places – and for us at Rare Earth, it’s an opportunity to reflect on why we do what we do.
From the beginning, Rare Earth was created with a simple intention: to offer safari experiences that go deeper. Safaris are often seen as a single idea: game drives, sightings, sunsets. But anyone who has spent time at our lodges knows that no two experiences ever feel the same. Each property sits in a landscape with its own soul, its own pace, its own way of teaching you something about the natural world.
In the far northern reaches of the Kruger National Park, The Outpost and Pel’s Post unfold across a remote, untouched wilderness shaped by floodplains, sandstone ridges and ancient baobabs. Up here, the landscape feels expansive and intimate at the same time. It’s a place where you instinctively slow down. Where stillness becomes a practice. Where the concept of a slow safari, lingering longer, paying attention, feeling instead of rushing, becomes second nature.
Three hours from Johannesburg, Ekuthuleni Lodge and Tshwene Lodge in the Welgevonden Game Reserve offers something equally powerful, yet completely different: an extraordinarily diverse landscape and wildlife experience where every drive reveals a new adventure. From lush valleys to open plains to rocky outcrops, it’s a place full of contrast – a reminder of how rich and varied South Africa’s natural beauty can be.
Why we create these spaces
To reconnect people and nature
Modern life pulls us in a thousand directions at once. We’ve become disconnected from nature and wild animals, ancient landscapes and quiet moments have become rare experiences.
Safari offers a return. It’s a chance to sit in a landscape that runs on its own rhythm, where nothing is rushed and nothing is curated. Everything – from the tiniest creatures to the wide, open spaces – just is, and there’s something incredibly grounding about being in the middle of that. It’s a reminder to let perspective settle back into your body. To realise you’re part of a much bigger story than the one playing out on your phone or laptop. And to reconnect with something we don’t often get in our everyday lives.
To protect the wilderness for generations to come
Every stay contributes to the protection of the wild spaces and wildlife that make these regions so extraordinary. Conservation fees support anti-poaching efforts, habitat protection and long-term ecological work – ensuring that the elephants, lions, rhinos, birds and fragile ecosystems that define these places remain protected well into the future.
To create spaces for connection and slowing down
Our lodges are intentionally designed as places where people can truly exhale. Spaces where time stretches, where conversations run deeper, where silence feels nourishing rather than something to be filled, and where guests can reconnect with themselves, with nature and with each other.
It’s a different way of holidaying – slower, more conscious, more spacious.
To put our guests at the heart of everything
Every detail, from a guided walk to a sound safari, from the food prepared in our kitchens to the small, intuitive touches added by our teams, is crafted with intention. Experiences are never just activities, they’re stories you step into, moments that stay with you, memories built from care.
To support the communities who call these landscapes home
Safari isn’t only about wildlife. It’s also about people. We are committed to supporting local communities through employment, training and long-term investment – ensuring that the impact of conservation of these lands serve future generations.
Our connection to the Makuleke region and its people is a great reflection of this and offers a pioneering example of how land, heritage, wildlife and community upliftment can thrive together.
If you’re longing for a safari experience that feels meaningful, grounding and entirely your own, we’d love to welcome you to one of our lodges.