Singita Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve
Expert Reviews (5)
South Africa Parks
Philip is an acclaimed travel writer and author of many guidebooks, including the Bradt guides to Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa.
5 people found this review helpful.
Sabi Sands in style
Part of the Sabi Sands complex, Singita stands out from most other reserves there in two respects – the devastatingly stylish and luxurious accommodation, which has few peers in any African setting, the world-class food (accompanied by a hand selected selection of top Cape wines) and the fact that no other reserve have traversing rights on the relatively large property. The guiding standard is also exceptional. Game viewing is typical of Sabi Sands, which pretty much as good as it gets in terms of big cats (especially leopard) and other members of the so-called Big Five (buffalo, elephant, rhino).
Stephen is a travel writer and avid conservationist whose work appears in prestigious magazines such as Africa Geographic and Travel Africa.
1 person found this review helpful.
Safari chic with a conservation vision
Ever since the opening of its first lodge, in 1994, Singita’s Ebony, Boulders and Lebombo lodges have been universally acclaimed as the gold standard for high-end, low-impact, ultra-luxury African safaris. More recently Singita’s award winning safari lodges and exceptional wildlife experiences with highly skilled nature guides have been augmented by an organizational philosophy that it is Singita’s duty and honour to take on the responsibility for protecting and preserving large tracts of African wilderness and their wildlife populations for future generations.
Spanning more than 20,000 hectares, Singita Sabi Sand is renowned for its exclusivity, high concentrations of charismatic wildlife, including all of the Big Five in abundance, and frequent leopard, cheetah and wild dog sightings. Singita – meaning place of miracles – is just that… a safari destination of the highest order, boasting a strong conservation flavour and conjuring up safari experiences that will have you addicted and coming back for more.
Emma is an award-winning travel writer for Rough Guides, National Geographic Traveller, Travel Africa magazine and The Independent.
1 person found this review helpful.
The top choice for a faultlessly stylish South African safari
Singita is a regular fixture on best-places-to-stay lists and I would agree that it’s easily one of the coolest concessions in the Sabi Sand Reserve. There are two exclusive lodges, each impeccably presented – Ebony and Boulders. Their pleasingly low-key architecture makes imaginative use of natural rock, stone, timber and thatch; private decks and inviting plunge pools are among the many gorgeously luxurious touches. Both are tremendously expensive. But Singita’s private-hire camp, Castleton, is more reasonable if there’s a group of you.
I’d recommend the wildlife-watching highly, too. As in all the top Sabi Sand lodges, the game drives are first rate, with leopard-watching a speciality. If, after you leave, you find yourself pining for more, you can catch up with news of the latest sightings online by reading reports posted by the guides.
Ariadne is a renowned African wildlife photographer whose work is featured in many well-known guidebooks and magazines.
1 person found this review helpful.
Wine tasting in Singita Game Reserve
Sabi Sands is one of the best places in Africa to see the Big Five and the leopard sightings are unrivaled. For me, who has been privileged enough to spend a lot of time in Africa’s vast wilderness areas, the experience offered in the Sabi Sands, although very productive, can sometimes feel a bit contrived. Having said that, Singita is one of the better parks in Sabi Sands. They have one of the larger sized properties and they don’t give out traversing rights to other properties. Their guides are excellent and the lodge is exquisite. You’ll receive quality service throughout. Each lodge has a sommelier that will recommend wine for your meal or guide you through a full wine tasting adventure.
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.
Leopards, Leopards, Everywhere
A stay at any of the Singita properties within their private Sabi Sands concession will reward you with the best of the best when it comes to stylish and upmarket service. You’ll pay a premium price for such opulence and excellent access to prime wildlife real estate; but you get what you pay for.
Your private chalet will be beautiful. The food they serve you will blow your mind (and taste buds). Your guide will be an encyclopedia of wildlife knowledge, and the wines will be world-class. Even the nibbles they serve on game drives are the sorts of fare that restaurant critics would gush over.
As for the game drives? Well, you won’t find better anywhere else in Africa.
With private roaming rights to over 20,000 hectares of the Greater Kruger National Park, and guides who know exactly where to find all the best wildlife, you’ll spend your game drives hanging out with leopards, lions, and cheetahs. And if predators aren’t your thing, just give your guide a wish list of species, and chances are they’ll take you right to where the animals are, and then serve you a delectable snack when you get there.