Sabi Sands Game Reserve Safari Guide
Africa's most celebrated private game reserve — legendary for its habituated leopards, exclusive lodges, and unparalleled Big Five encounters.
Top Highlights
Best Time to Visit Sabi Sands Game Reserve
May to September for peak game viewing. Leopard sightings are excellent year-round due to the habituated population. Summer months offer baby animals and migratory birds with fewer visitors.
Sabi Sands Game Reserve Safari Budget Guide
Sabi Sands is premium-priced. All-inclusive rates range from $600-3,000+ per person per night including accommodation, meals, drinks, twice-daily game drives, and bush walks. Londolozi, Singita, and MalaMala are among the most expensive and celebrated properties.
Getting to Sabi Sands Game Reserve
Private airstrips receive direct flights from Johannesburg (1 hour) via Federal Air or SA Airlink. Road access via Kruger's Paul Kruger Gate or the reserve's Shaw Gate from Hazyview. Most lodges arrange transfers from airports or nearby towns.
Sabi Sands is the gold standard of African safari luxury and wildlife encounters. This 65,000-hectare private reserve shares an unfenced 50-kilometre border with Kruger National Park, and its habituated leopard population is the most viewed and photographed on the continent — encounters of extraordinary intimacy where leopards hunt, feed, and interact just metres from open safari vehicles.
The reserve is home to some of Africa's most iconic safari lodges: Londolozi, Singita, MalaMala, and Ulusaba (owned by Sir Richard Branson). These properties combine world-class hospitality with unmatched wildlife access. Expert Shangaan trackers — among the most skilled in Africa — lead guests to the Big Five with remarkable consistency, using off-road driving and tracking skills passed down through generations.
Beyond the legendary leopards, Sabi Sands delivers the full Big Five experience with large lion prides, elephant herds, buffalo, and both black and white rhinoceros. The dense riverine vegetation along the Sand and Sabie Rivers creates prime predator habitat, and the exclusive traversing rights mean you'll rarely share a sighting with more than one or two other vehicles.
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