​Expert Reviews – Sabi Sands

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Expert
Stephen Cunliffe   –  
South Africa ZA
Visited: Multiple times

Stephen is a travel writer and avid conservationist whose work appears in prestigious magazines such as Africa Geographic and Travel Africa.

10 people found this review helpful.

Big Five Bonanza
Overall rating
5/5

Flanking the unfenced western boundary of the Kruger National Park, the Sabi Sand Game Reserve is Southern Africa’s most exclusive and famous wildlife safari destinations. It is also one of the oldest private nature reserves and the birthplace of sustainable wildlife tourism in South Africa. Occupying 70,000 hectares of prime wildlife real estate, Africa’s premier private park is home to a diverse assortment of wildlife, including 145 mammal species and the most consistently reliable Big Five sightings on the continent.

While sightings in the southern parts of the reserve can get overcrowded at times, I really like the less touristy northern section with its relatively lower density of lodges and game drive vehicles. But, that said, only the harshest critics of this wildlife wonderland would be heard condemning it as a ‘glorified zoo’. I concede that it’s a commercial machine and the land has been developed to its fullest potential, but the animals remain totally wild – if well-habituated. And the fact that all the wildlife, including its world renowned leopard population, is so relaxed around the open-top vehicles should be considered the ultimate bonus for wildlife enthusiasts who will get to enjoy incredible up-close-and-personal sightings of all the Big Five (and more) in action.

The Sabi Sands is magnificent and safari aficionados and budding nature photographers will not want to miss out on a visit to this pricey but highly rewarding private reserve.

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Expert
Emma Gregg   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: September

Emma is an award-winning travel writer for Rough Guides, National Geographic Traveller, Travel Africa magazine and The Independent.

8 people found this review helpful.

Classic Big Five safaris, with superb leopard-watching
Overall rating
5/5

Sabi Sands delivers the classic safari experience on a plate. It’s a prime chunk of wildlife-watching territory tucked up against the southern section of Kruger National Park, with no fences between the two. This feast doesn’t come cheap, but if your idea of heaven is heading out on a morning bushwalk then, in the afternoon, spending an hour or two watching big cats before retreating to the comfort of one of Africa’s most romantic luxury lodges, I can highly recommend Sabi Sands. The reserve is divided into numerous privately-owned concessions, most of which are aimed firmly at the top of the market and cater for people who prefer the idea of staying in a comfortable lodge rather than sleeping under canvas. The best (and priciest) include Exeter, Lion Sands, Londolozi and Sabi Sabi, which have cool, contemporary accommodation, and MalaMala and Singita, whose lodges have a more traditional feel.

Watered by the Sand and Sabie rivers, the woodlands and grasslands of Sabi Sands include some of the very best places to see leopards in the continent. I’ve had some superb sightings here. The resident cats have never been unduly hassled by vehicles and are therefore pretty relaxed. There are strict rules limiting the number of vehicles attending each sighting, and while some feel that off-road driving should be controlled too, I’ve found the reserve’s drivers, trackers and guides to be highly responsible. The only downside is that in areas covered by vehicles from several lodges, you may sometimes have less time than you’d like at each sighting, in order to give other vehicles a chance. The drivers are all in constant radio contact. To have acres of pristine wilderness more or less to yourself, you’ll need to opt for one of the ultra-expensive options such as those mentioned above.

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Expert
Dale R Morris   –  
South Africa ZA
Visited: March

Dale is a multi-award-winning writer and photographer with more than 500 published magazine articles featured in magazines such as National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, Travel Africa, and CNN Travel.

2 people found this review helpful.

Habituated wildlife galore
Overall rating
5/5

Imagine for a moment, if you will, a world where humans do not pose a threat to wildlife. A world where you can drive around and see all sorts of animals that have no reason to be afraid of you. In this world, lions would go about their daily routines and not even notice you were there watching them. Elephants would saunter through the trees, oblivious to you following in your safari jeep. Leopards wouldn’t bother to glance at you, and even skittish animals like antelopes would not run away when you stopped to take their picture. It sounds a bit far-fetched, doesn’t it? Like a scene from Disney’s Snow White movie. But this is more or less what South Africa’s Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve is like.

For the countless generations of animals that call Sabi their home, humans and our wildlife-viewing vehicles are simply a benign part of the environment, a bit like a cloud or a familiar rock in the landscape.

Of course, this level of entire ecosystem habituation makes for an amazing safari experience; in fact, one of the best you could ever hope for across the entirety of the continent. I have been lucky enough to have visited many times, and I love that feeling of being a fly-on-the-wall in the house of so many of Africa’s most iconic animals.

However, this sort of thing doesn’t come cheap. But if you do have the budget to stay at one of Sabi Sand’s many five-star luxury lodges, you are in for the treat of a lifetime.

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Average Expert Rating

  • 4.4/5
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding

Rating Breakdown

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