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John Bragg of Oregon
Visited:
September 2014
Reviewed: May 16, 2015
Sabi Sands is a hidden door to the Africa of my dreams.
Before I left Oregon, people who had been to Kenya and Tanzania told me I would be disappointed in South Africa because of all the brush: you can't see anything, they declared. To be fair, there might be a point there, in summer, when everything is green and growing, but in September winter is at its end; the bush is dry, the animals are hungry for fresh growth, and the grass and brush has been nibbled and gnawed to bare twigs. I loved the bushveldt! It has a feeling a mystery and awe, a sense of closeness, and it evokes powerful feelings especially at sunset, when the heat and dust of the day filter the
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sunlight.I selected Tydon African Safaris, a small, family-operated safari business that offers extremely good value for a more than fair price. Although I'd signed on for a shared safari vehicle, in nearly every game drive I shared the vehicle with no more than two companions and a driver. We had fabulous rides, plentiful sightings of game, and very knowledgeable guides.
I took a walking safari and learned a tremendous amount about bushveldt ecology which happens to dovetail nicely with aspects of my professional work. A walk in the African bush is in someways better than riding around looking for animals; the difference is, on a bush walk, you are mostly interested in learning about the poop that all of the animals leave around. It's all part of the ecology!
September is a good time to travel to South Africa and Kruger NP region if you want to avoid malaria. Most of South Africa is out of the malaria zone, but KwaZulu-Natal Province, and Mpumalanga Province (Kruger-Sabi Sands) are in the malaria zone. Mosquitoes become active as soon as the rains begin. That's what I learned from the locals.
kushalas
Visited:
February 2014
Reviewed: May 13, 2015
In Sabi Sand Game Reserve, you really do get what you pay for!
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seen the other 4 in Kruger). I would recommend Sabi Sand for anyone who has the ability to pocket the price you would be paying for it, but once that staged is past, be prepared to have a thrilling, luxurious and very pleasant time in Sabi Sand.
Diriye Amey
Visited:
January 2014
Reviewed: Apr 24, 2015
Excellent!
Very nice place, to make a safari, beautiful landscapes and a lot of animals.
Amy
Visited:
July 2014
Reviewed: Apr 20, 2015
We had great wildlife sightings in Sabi Sands, including a very close encounter with a pair of mating leopards! Incredible!
We did find that we saw more people and safari trucks than in Timbavati, and therefore the "bush vibe" is not the same. We felt more "in the wild" in Timbavati.
The game viewing was fantastic. We had close encounters with elephants, lions eating a kill, rhinos with a calf, and even saw a pair of leopards mating - right beside the Land Rover! We did have one quiet game drive, which goes to show you that the animals are wildlife, and nature is unpredictable. But our guide was determined to get us a close encounter with a leopard, and during the last hour of hour final drive, we sure did!!! Other highlights included sundowners (cocktails at sunset in the bush), and wild life viewing right from the dining area (some a little too close!!).
Kitty & Tony Jackson
AU
Visited:
August 2014
Reviewed: Apr 17, 2015
Email Kitty & Tony Jackson | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The great private lodges and the big five are all here. Savanna Lodge was where we stayed and loved.
Jerry T - Newcastle
AU
Visited:
November 2014
Reviewed: Apr 16, 2015
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I could not imagine a better safari experience than that provided to us at Arathusa - just superb.
The accommodation was very comfortable and spotlessly clean. We had a hut on the edge of the waterhole, this meant that in the rest periods between game drives we did not get much rest - too many animals visiting the waterhole to keep us entertained !!
The game drives - early morning and late afternoon each day - were well organised. Our guide Rein and Tracker DeBeer really knew their stuff. The wildlife was abundant - we had not realised just how close we got to all of the animals. We had been told that on a 3 day safari, if you saw all of the Big 5, as well as the other numerous animals, you did well. We actually had a 5 day safari, but on day 2 we saw the Big 5 in about 90 minutes !!! There were 3 vehicles leaving the lodge each drive, and all kept in close touch on the two-ways, to ensure that if one group saw a particular sight, the others were informed so they could get there too. On the last day we even saw a pack of African Wild dogs
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with a kill, which is extremely rare.The food was excellent - only about 30 guests, with the most enthusiastic chef - Malcolm - announcing full details of each meal before it was served. Other facilities were good as well - pool overlooking the waterhole, good bar, massage and beauty salon (excellent massages by the way). Everything was very well organised and always on time.
Would recommend this resort to anybody without qualification - but definitely get a hut on the edge of the waterhole.
L W
Visited:
December 2014
Reviewed: Apr 16, 2015
Rich wildlife viewing
Spent only 3 days on safari at one of the beautiful intimate lodges in the Sabi Sand but was treated to a tremendous number of sightings! Apart from the Big 5 (on least 3 occasions each, elephants on every game drive!), we'd also seen the cheetah (albeit from a distance due to a fire causing the ground to be temporarily restricted) and the highly endangered African Wild Dog. Saw zebra as well even though they are usually rare in this wooded bush. Had also seen lion cubs, leopard cubs, lions mating and a fight over a wildebeest calf. Extremely exciting! The sunsets during the evening sundowners were gorgeous too and there is a real rugged beauty in the bush. You'd need a good and experienced ranger-tracker team though, and we're lucky we had a really good one!
kimmy
GB
Visited:
September 2014
Reviewed: Apr 16, 2015
Email kimmy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everyone should visit here at least once in a lifetime
What an amazing time we had in Sabi Sand. It was our first time on safari and wow, what an incredible experience we had! We did not expect to see so many beautiful animals so close up. We loved the off-roading too tracking cheetahs, leopards and lions. What an adrenalin rush that gives you! It was the springtime when we visited so it was very easy to spot the animals. The river beds were dry and we enjoyed our morning bush mix stops there with the vervet monkeys and baboons overhead in the trees. One night we watched the sun set on the river whilst the elephants played in the puddles. Early one morning we tracked a hippo moving from one water hole to another. So many wonderful memories of the most beautiful animals will be forever imprinted on our minds. We have already booked to return again as four days did not seem enough!
Nicky & John Galer
Visited:
February 2015
Reviewed: Mar 14, 2015
Unforgettable Experience
Everything about our stay at Nottens was superb. We saw so many different animals every time we went on a drive. Both our driver and spotter were really good. The food was amazing and so much of it. The camp itself was lovely, especially our rooms with candles and hurricane lamps, so much nicer than electric lights. We couldn't fault anything about this safari, as it was everything we wanted and more. The staff were all lovely and very helpful.
The best game reserve experience I've ever had!
Within 24 hours we had seen the big 5 and within 48 hours we had seen the big 7 including a wild dog kill. What more could you ask for?
The accomodation was absolutely stunning with an outdoor shower and a huge dining area that looked out over the water hole.
Each game drive consisted of coffee & rusks in the morning and G&T's in the evening as we watched the beautiful African sunset go down.
The wildlife was absolutely incredible with new things to see around every bend. Being able to see these wild animals up close, in their natural habitat was a once in a life experience that cannot compare to anything else. The beauty of Sabi Sands is that it's a huge area that enables the animals to cross over from other parks, but it isn't crowded at all. In our total time there (one week) we probably only saw two or three other tourists.
I cannot recommend Sabi Sands highly enough!