With its wildlife and its luxury, Sabi Sand is the best of both worlds
With its wildlife and its luxury, Sabi Sand is the best of both worlds
| by Kate Turkington
Named for the Sabi and Sand rivers that flow through it, Sabi Sand Nature Reserve in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province is known globally not only for its abundance of wildlife, but also for its iconic luxury lodges.
If you picture a map of South Africa, you’ll see Mpumalanga and the Kruger National Park in the north-east with the provinces of Limpopo to the north, Gauteng to the west and KwaZulu-Natal to the south, cheek by jowl with Eswatini (formerly Swaziland).
Sabi Sand (sometimes incorrectly referred to as Sabi Sands) borders the western side of the Kruger for over 50km (31mi); because there are no fences between the two, game wanders freely. Together, they form part of the Greater Kruger National Park.
Sabi Sand is easily accessible on good roads from Johannesburg and allowing for comfort and food stops along the way, the 450km (279mi) drive takes about six hours. You can also fly in from Johannesburg or Cape Town to Kruger International Airport or Skukuza Airport, where your lodge will pick you up, or by charter directly to an airstrip adjacent to or near the camp of your choice.
The 65 000ha (over 160 600 acres) of African wilderness now known as Sabi Sand was established in 1934. It is home to several unfenced private game reserves, some still owned generations later by the original pioneering families, such as Londolozi, Singita and Lion Sands, to name just a few.
Image courtesy of &Beyond.
Image courtesy of Singita.
Sabi Sand is also committed to educating, giving work opportunities and fostering the local communities that live in and around the reserve. Upliftment programmes of all kinds benefit these communities, in which wildlife tourism often drives local economies.
Now you know where Sabi Sand is and how to get there, you’ll want to know just why Sabi Sand is so special. Why is it so sought after as a safari destination?
Let’s begin firstly with the wildlife. The reserve prides itself on its stated mission to “protect, preserve and promote”, and its successful conservation efforts over the decades mean that the reserve is a magnet for wildlife in all its forms. Because of the diverse vegetation from the rich grasslands along the river banks to thorny thickets and mixed woodland, there’s a wealth of creatures great and small.
Image courtesy of &Beyond.
Think 150 mammal species and over 500 bird species. The Big Five are all here: the Cape buffalo, the elephant, the leopard, the lion, and both black and white rhino. And your chances of seeing all five are very, very high.
(While you’re at it, you can also try and spot the Small Five while you’re at Sabi Sand: the buffalo weaver, elephant shrew, antlion, leopard tortoise and rhino beetle. These are best discovered on a guided walk through the bush. Read our story about these fascinating animals.)
Sabi Sand in particular is known for its leopards: you’d be very unlucky not to see at least one. Maybe on your morning game drive your tracker or ranger will spot one dozing languidly in a tree, along with the evening kill it’s been feasting on. Those photos you’ve admired of leopards nonchalantly lying on a sturdy tree branch, paws dangling, often come to life in front of your eyes. You’ll be dazzling friends and family with your own photos and recollections when you return home.
Or maybe as another memorable sunset paints the western horizon red (more photo opportunities!) you’ll spot a leopard slinking through the grasses or making its way along a river bank as it searches for an unsuspecting impala or bushbuck. Leopards are solitary hunters, with females finding dinner for themselves or their cubs, or a male looking for a good meal.
You’ll find lions, too. If it’s daytime, a pride or a couple of lions won’t be up to much, but will probably be dozing in the long grass or sleeping under a shady bush. As the shadows lengthen, however, they’ll begin to wake up, wash their whiskers, stretch their legs and prepare for the hunt. You may hear one calling as it attempts to communicate with others in its pride, or a mother calling its cubs. It’s an unforgettable sound.
Mammal sightings, especially of the most sought-after animals, are strictly controlled in Sabi Sand. No more than three vehicles at a time will ever be at a sighting, and unlike Kruger, vehicles here are allowed to drive off road through the bush to track an animal or reach a sighting.
No day visitors are allowed in the reserve, so only each lodge’s private open-sided game vehicles roam the bush and are not permitted to drive into the territory of another private reserve. You’ll be assured of both wonderful sightings and exclusivity.
Expect too, an amazing, colourful array of birdlife. For example, ask your ranger to point out a lilac-breasted roller. You’ll be captivated by its brilliantly coloured plumage and many an old bush hand will claim that sightings of these birds have given many guests the start to becoming a dedicated birder.
Sabi Sand is a treasure house of birds of every shape, size and colour, from tiny, flitting feathery arrows darting through the bush to the imposing great birds of prey solemnly perched on stout branches or circling overhead.
However, if there is a particular animal, bird, creature, tree, plant or flower that you’d love to see, then ask your ranger to try to find it. Your highly experienced rangers and trackers will do their very best to make it happen.
Image courtesy of Singita, captured by Ross Couper.
And finally, the lodges. Ah, the lodges! You’ll need deep pockets, but you’ll be assured of the highest standards of hospitality, service, luxury, food and drink. And just as the wildlife is so diverse, so too is your choice of accommodation.
You may fancy the traditional Out of Africa style, with thatch roofs, wide open verandahs, and big, cool rooms with a fan lazily turning over your four-poster bed. Or perhaps you prefer a state-of-the-art, minimalist modern chalet with a butler, personal chef and sommelier?
What about a luxury tent with its own en suite bathroom, a private deck high on the banks of a river and with hippos chortling below? Would you like a spa or a gym, a private plunge pool, a river view, or prefer to be deep in the bush?
Would you prefer to mix with other guests to swap and share stories, or is it total privacy that you’re looking for? The choice, most certainly, is yours.
Sabi Sand deserves its fine reputation, over and over. You’ll discover that when you visit and enjoy your safari of a lifetime.
If you’re ready to explore the Sabi Sand, your dedicated Travel Architect can guide you to an unforgettable experience tailored just for you.
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