SABI SANDS PRIVATE NATURE RESERVE
GREATER KRUGER, SOUTH AFRICA
About Sabi Sands
Sabi Sands is often lauded as the most prestigious private reserve in South Africa, perhaps due to the reserve’s longstanding conservation efforts.
The huge 650km2 private reserve shares unfenced borders on the western boundaries of the Kruger National Park allowing animals to roam freely between the reserves. Thanks to the re-purposing of boreholes previously used for the farms into waterholes for wildlife, Sabi Sands can offer a year round water source not affected by seasonal changes. This means you’re never far away from spotting the Big Five and the hundreds of other species that make up the greater Kruger population at any time of the year.
The Sabi Sands is renowned for the Big Five (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo and Rhino). In fact it was in the Sabi Sands where the hunting concept that is the Big Five was rekindled as a photo safari term. So successful was this term marketed in the photo safari arena that today it is taken as the apex of wildlife viewing whilst on safari in Africa.
Lions roaming the open plains in their pride and rhinoceros congregating in front of your eyes are a sight to behold, but there’s one animal in particular that shares a unique bond with Sabi Sands; Leopards, the most elusive of the big cats and normally solitary creatures, are much easier to spot in the brushwood than they are in many other leopard reserves. They still favour a big tree, which they use as an observation platform or a resting place, but you can get within two metres of them before they run away. This unique, relaxed reaction is the result of the ban on hunting, which has lasted for over half a century. Several generations of leopards have never heard a gunshot, or had a reason to fear humans, so their passive attitude is a mixture of indifference and comfort.
DAY 1
The safari starts in Nelspruit where you will be met at arrivals area outside the small airport taken to a local lodge for the night. This will be the place where you will meet Sam and get to know everybody in your small group. Take the time to relax after your long flight and enjoy a dinner with new friends before getting a good night sleep. * Breakfast is included - but drinks, lunch and dinner is not included in the price.
DAY 2
After a relaxed start to the day and and a hearty breakfast, we will then start the journey to Sabi Sands. The drive is appproximately 2.5 hours and upon arrival you’ll be welcomed and have time to settle into the lodge before regrouping for lunch and our first afternoon safari. The game drive will see us exploring and being introduced to the game reserve, and after a quick drink stop, will take us into the early evening where we’ll lookfor active predators and nocturnal wildlife. We’ll get back to camp around 19:00 to enjoy drinks before dinner shared with quality conversation.
DAY 3 - 7
Game drives start early in Africa. We’ll head out around sunrise to take advantage of first light and the ensuing morning golden hour. Our focus will be on finding the best photographic subjects and wildlife experiences we can get; from looking for the large herds of elephants, occasional birding and of course, keeping on the lookout for predators. Having a private vehicle means the world is our oyster and we’ll decide as a groupwhat’s the best focus for each game drive. We’ll get back to camp in the mid to late morning for a delicious breakfast and some time to relax. This is also the perfect time to work with Sam on your photography and editing skills. Alternatively, the rooms are luxurious and cool, the pool is inviting, there’s a bar for drinksand don’t forget about lunch in the early afternoon - there’s certainly alot of food involved! Our second daily game drive will see us following up any sightings or information from previous drives - making sure that we stop at sunsets for the iconic sundowners experience. Dinner will follow as usual later in the evening upon return back to the lodge.
DAY 8
We’ll head out for our final game drive and have a short breakfast stop along the way before heading back to the lodge to pack up and check out. We aim to head out at about 9:30am so as to arrive back to Nelsoruit airport in time to catch noon flights, so it’s a good idea to pack the night before to save time and further enjoy your final hours at the lodge. After arriving back at the airport, we’ll say our goodbyes.
