There is something incredibly fulfilling and life affirming about being under the stars, in the wide-open spaces of nature and spending time with others. It is this very ideal that has shaped the evening dining experiences of the Legacy Bush Lodges, primarily held around a raging fire in one of its many bomas. Here you can enjoy the real heart of Africa in her rawest form.

The boma has become part of African culture: a fire is lit, food is prepared and good friends and family gather around to eat, drink and share their stories. There is nothing more quintessentially South African than enjoying a wonderfully prepared meal at the boma.

The word, “boma”, actually originated from Swahili, and it was used to describe an enclosure – usually where sheep and cattle were kept. These enclosures were much like the kraals we know from the various Southern African traditions. These days, a boma signifies a place where people gather to eat, to spend time together, sing, perhaps dance, and celebrate Africa.

Where better to savour the delights of dining under an African sky than at one of Legacy’s peaceful bush lodges in the Pilanesberg? Here you can sit back and enjoy the company of others while taking in the roar of a lion in the distance, the melody hoot of the Scops Owl, the maniacal laugh of the hyena or the distant cry of the jackal… This is the very essence upon which novels have been inspired.

Kwa Maritane

Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge is an exquisite testament to stylish, understated elegance. While the lodge provides the ideal venue for a break from the rat race, it also offers an opportunity to immerse oneself completely in nature and enjoy the sounds of the African Marimba.

When the sun goes down and the time comes to join in an amiable dinner and drinks, the lodge offers an excellent setting with its Boma dinners. The fires are lit and the tailor-made Kwa Maritane Sangria comes out in the summer while home-made Glühwein is provided to warm the cockles in the winter.

The pots are filled and a traditional potjie bubbles away, filled with oxtail or kudu. If something else is preferred, the coals are stoked on the grill and the house special, eland steaks, are prepared. When the decadence of dining is done there is no better place to sit and watch the embers of the fire dance enchantingly around while you drink in the haunting sounds of the African bush.

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Bakubang Bush Lodge

Legacy’s Bakubang Bush Lodge is also cradled in the Pilanesberg’s mountain range and provides exceptional views during the day time. At night, the stars provide a dazzling display as the lodge is in a natural, protected area, giving the viewer a rare glimpse of the Milky Way.

At night the whole family can gather to exchange tales of the game they’ve spotted at Bakubang’s Boma. The large, spacious outdoor area is the perfect location for a night braai, which guests can book at their leisure. The boma dinners are a truly unique experience and offer young and old a true taste of proudly South African cuisine at its finest. Find out more here: lstyl.com/yFr7Cy

The fires continue to burn long after the last morsel has been eaten and it is here where you can lie back and take in all that is the unspoilt African sky as she unravels a tapestry of stars like no other. All of which is then accompanied by the symphony of the African night with crickets, frogs, owls and the occasional distant roar of the king of beasts.

While both of the lodges do both have an in house restaurant with exquisite cuisine that caters for everyone, the experience of outdoor dining with a view of the heavens is one not to be missed and is sure to add something very special to your holiday. After all, there is indeed a star gazer in us all, and what better way to take in nature’s light show than at the Boma, in front of a captivating African fire, with a glass of wine in hand and the company of good friends and family?