10 Best-value Luxury Sabi Sands Lodges & Camps

By Philip Briggs

Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve shares a 50km/31mi unfenced border with the world-famous Kruger National Park. It offers exceptional viewing of all the Big Five (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino) but is best known for incredible leopard sightings.

Sabi Sands is actually a mosaic of smaller private reserves, and while these are collectively managed as one conservation unit, each property has its own lodges. All lodges offer packages inclusive of gourmet meals and twice-daily guided game drives in an open-topped vehicle. There are no bad camps in Sabi Sands. The standard is very high throughout and you won’t be disappointed wherever you stay.

The accommodations below are not ranked in a specific quality order.

91 Sabi Sands Safaris

1. Umkumbe Safari Lodge Riverside

Umkumbe Safari Lodge Riverside Umkumbe is an intimate riverside lodge that offers good value and great wildlife viewing

Owner-managed Umkumbe Safari Lodge Riverside comprises 10 chalets set on the bank of the seasonal Sand River. It ranks among the better value lodges in Sabi Sands, with the main emphasis being on quality guiding and wildlife viewing rather than on unchecked luxury. All the same, accommodations are very comfortable, and facilities include a tempting swimming pool as well as an atmospheric outdoor boma (traditional enclosure) where dinner is served below the stars on warm evenings.

28 Umkumbe Safari Lodge Tours

2. Umkumbe Bush Lodge

Umkumbe Bush Lodge Experience life under canvas at this air-conditioned luxury tented bush camp

This rustic sister lodge to Umkumbe Riverside is a great choice for those who want to experience the African bush glamping style. It comprises 10 stilted Meru tents, each of which comes with walk-in netting, fan, air-conditioning, and a private deck with a view into the bush. As with its riverside sibling, the emphasis at Umkumbe Bush Lodge is on quality guided activities, which include game drives in an area known for its dense leopard population, as well as adventurous bush walks.

27 Umkumbe Bush Lodge Tours

3. Elephant Plains Game Lodge

Elephant Plains Game Lodge Medium-sized Elephant Plains is known as one of the best-value luxury lodges in the Sabi Sand

The owner-run Elephant Plains Game Lodge offers an unpretentious homely stay to a maximum of 24 guests. This is one of the more affordable options in Sabi Sands. The action-packed game drives are similar to what you get when staying in any of the other top Sabi Sands lodges, but the accommodations, although luxurious, are more down to earth. Dinner is usually served around an open fire in the boma, the perfect place to share your day’s highlights with other visitors.

15 Elephant Plains Tours

4. Arathusa Safari Lodge

Arathusa Safari Lodge Enjoy thatch-roofed bush luxury overlooking a waterhole that is a real wildlife magnet

Arathusa is a top-end luxury safari lodge that overlooks a large waterhole in the far west of Sabi Sand. This atmospheric location means that, in addition to twice-daily game drives, you’ll see plenty of wildlife come down to drink in front of the lodge, especially during the dry winter months. The 12 spacious and cheerfully decorated suites are kept cool by tall thatch roofs, and most of which face towards the waterhole. Amenities include a large infinity swimming pool, a professional spa and a temperature-regulated wine cellar.

Arathusa Safari Lodge Tours

5. Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge

Prestigious Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge is a luxurious safari icon founded in the 1970s

The original bush lodge on Sabi Sabi is one of South Africa’s most iconic accommodations choices. Owned and managed by the same family since it was established in 1979, this is a flagship Sabi Sand lodge set in a stand of tall woodland overlooking a seasonal watercourse. The suites here are very spacious and luxurious, and have contemporary furnishings offset by a wide mix of African decorative touches. The cuisine and service are also of the highest standard, and wildlife viewing is reliably superb in this part of Sabi Sands.

Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge Tours

6. Lion Sands River Lodge

Lion Sands River Lodge Lion Sands has a superb location on the bank of the Sabie, the reserve’s only non-seasonal river

Lion Sands River Lodge has a prime location on the bank of the Sabie River, which separates Sabi Sands from the world-renowned Kruger National Park. The lodge embraces modern sophistication while perfectly fitting into a raw bush environment. There are several tiers of accommodations, but top of the pick are the river suites where the open design creates a seamless flow between inside and out.

7. Sabi Sabi Selati Camp

Sabi Sabi Selati Camp Ultra-luxurious Selati is a small classic safari camp located on a busy wildlife corridor

Overlooking a dry riverbed functioning as a wildlife passage, Sabi Sabi Selati Camp offers a very exclusive experience. Guests are accommodated in seven luxurious suites each featuring a romantic indoor bathroom as well as an alfresco shower. The vintage decor is themed around the early-20th-century safari scene. Care is taken to make every dinner a special occasion. World-class cuisine is served around a fire in the boma, on a deck overlooking the riverbed or in the cozy farmhouse kitchen.

8. Nkorho Bush Lodge

Nkorho Bush Lodge There are only eight chalets in this relatively quiet and well-priced bush lodge

Nkorho is a small and intimate bush lodge situated in the relatively quiet north of Sabi Sand. Accommodations are in eight air-conditioned modern chalets with wooden floors, thatched roofs, walk-in nets and bright animal paintings on the walls to set the atmosphere. In addition to expertly guided game drives and bush walks, you can enjoy tasty bush cuisine, cool off in a natural rock swimming pool or book a massage at the spa.

Nkorho Bush Lodge Tours

9. &Beyond Kirkman’s Kamp

&Beyond Kirkman’s Kamp The last word in bush luxury, this famous &Beyond property is centered on a century-old family homestead

Kirkman’s Kamp, from the prestigious &Beyond group, is without a doubt one of the best Sabi Sand lodges. The historic lodge, an original homestead from the 1920s, exudes the warm hospitality and charm of a bygone era. Each of the 12 cottages offers magnificent views over the Sand River, the lifeline of the reserve. The innovative WILDchild program, designed especially for children, makes this lodge a very attractive option for families.

10. Ulusaba Safari Lodge

Ulusaba Safari Lodge With its treehouse rooms overlooking a dam, Ulusaba is among the most characterful Sabi Sand lodges

Located in Sir Richard Branson’s private game reserve in a hilly area of Sabi Sands, Ulusaba Safari Lodge features 10 units along the bank of a dry riverbed. Several swing bridges connect the tree-house-style rooms. A great feature of this lodge is the stilted viewing deck overlooking a dam; a perfect place to hang out in the heat of the day when elephants regularly come to bathe.