Big Five safari game drives
Sabi Sand · Kruger · Addo · Durban & KZN
7 tours
Sabi Sand & Greater Kruger
Private reserves, off-road tracking, unfenced from Kruger.
Leopard country. Exclusive lodges, expert tracker-and-ranger teams and all-inclusive luxury on unfenced private land.
Explore the tours
Sabi Sand
Ways to build a Sabi Sand trip
The private reserves on Kruger's western boundary (Sabi Sand, Timbavati, Klaserie, Manyeleti and others) share open borders with the national park, so wildlife moves freely. The difference is access: lodges here can drive off-road, limit the number of vehicles at each sighting and run walking safaris with ease.
The Sabi Sand is famous for relaxed leopards and is consistently one of the best places in Africa to see them. Stays are all-inclusive, typically two game drives a day with meals, drinks and plenty of time to do nothing at all between them.
Twice-daily game drives
Early morning and late afternoon drives, with sundowners in the bush.
Walking safaris
Guided walks to track rhino, read the signs of the bush and see the small things.
Hide time
Quiet hours in photographic hides overlooking waterholes.
Community visits
Lodge-supported schools and enterprise projects in neighbouring communities.
When to go
Best time to visit Sabi Sand.
Excellent year-round thanks to expert tracking. Peak game viewing is the dry season (May–Sep); summer (Nov–Mar) is green, with newborn animals and great value at many lodges.
- JanGood
- FebGood
- MarGood
- AprBest
- MayBest
- JunBest
- JulBest
- AugBest
- SepBest
- OctBest
- NovGood
- DecGood
Seasons are reversed from the northern hemisphere.
- Cape Town’s winter rains fall June to August
- Kruger’s dry season (May to September) is peak game viewing
- Summer rains fall November to March in the north and east
- Whale season on the Cape coast runs June to November
Highlights
- World-class leopard sightings
- Off-road tracking with ranger and tracker teams
- Maximum vehicles per sighting rules
- All-inclusive luxury lodges with private plunge pools
Practical tips
- Three nights is the minimum we recommend for a private reserve; four is better.
- Most lodges have a minimum child age for game drives (often 6+). We match family-friendly lodges.
- Light-aircraft transfers have soft-bag luggage limits (typically 20 kg).
Experiences
Things to do in Sabi Sand.
Why are private reserves more expensive?
Rates include all meals, most drinks, two guided activities a day, and low guest-to-guide ratios on exclusive traversing land. You pay for privacy and the quality of guiding.
Stays
Where to stay in Sabi Sand.
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Leadwood Ridge Lodge
From $1,150 per person · night
Timbavati, Greater Kruger
Jackalberry Plains Camp
From $780 per person · night
Tailor-made trips
Tours including Sabi Sand.
Duration
Budget
3 of 3 tours
Most requested · 12 days · Cape Town & Winelands · Kruger & private reserves
Classic South Africa
Daily breakfast, all meals on safari · 8 guided activities · All transfers & domestic flight
- Table Mountain, Cape Point and the Boulders Beach penguins
- Two nights on a Franschhoek wine estate
- Four nights in the Sabi Sand: leopard country
- Private guides throughout
From
$7,950
per person, complete package
From $15,900 for two · international flights excluded
Most requested · 7 days · Kruger & private reserves
Kruger Private Reserve Safari
All meals & drinks · 2 game drives daily + walks · Flights & transfers from Johannesburg
- Three nights tracking leopard in the Sabi Sand
- Three nights on foot and by vehicle in the Timbavati
- Light-aircraft transfers between lodges
- Private vehicle upgrade available
From
$8,400
per person, complete package
From $16,800 for two · international flights excluded
Most requested · 11 days · Cape Town & Winelands · Kruger & private reserves
Cape & Safari Honeymoon
Breakfast daily, all meals on safari · 6 private experiences · All flights & transfers in SA
- Sea-view suite in Camps Bay
- Helicopter flip over the Cape Peninsula
- Private tasting and dinner on a wine estate
- Bush dinner for two in the Sabi Sand
From
$11,200
per person, complete package
From $22,400 for two · international flights excluded
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