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Sabi Sabi Game Reserve
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LocationSabi Sand Reserve, Mpumalanga (Eastern Transvaal), South Africa. Ecologically and geographically linked to the world famous Kruger National Park and lies within the Sabie Sand Wildtuin.
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Accommodations Bush Lodge River Lodge Mandleve Treehouse Suite Selati Lodge |
Highlights Habitat & Wildlife Ranger Training Experience Game Viewing & Activities |
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Sabi Sabi accommodates its guests in four well located lodges. Sabi Sabi�s
commitment to conservation - Linking ecotourism, conservation and community.
Sabi Sabi�s philosophy is based on two principles. The first is the need
to conserve our rapidly dwindling wilderness areas and to provide a
sanctuary for fauna and flora as part of our heritage.
The second is the belief that the only way a wildlife sanctuary can survive
the onslaught of socio-economic pressures is by employing labor, earning
foreign currency, paying tax and promoting sustainable tourism. Failure
to do so would inevitably make it �available land� for agricultural or
commercial development.
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One of South Africa�s rare proclaimed nature reserves adjoining the world
famous Kruger National Park. Open landrover safaris by day and at night, us
ing powerful spotlights. Environmental awareness walking safaris.
Close encounters with Africa�s big game, including the big five as well as
prolific birdlife. Guests are accompanied by enthusiastic and knowledgeable
rangers and Shangaan trackers. Superb cuisine is served in Boma style
dinning. There are three luxury lodges, Bush Lodge overlooking a waterhole,
River Lodge on the banks of the perennial Sabie River and the Selati Lodge,
a turn of the century rustic Lodge on the banks of the Msuthlu River.
Bush Lodge
- 22 chalets & 5 suites Bush Lodge is set in the heart of the Sabi Sabi bushveld overlooking a waterhole where animals regularly come to drink. Both the chalets and luxury suites are air-conditioned, decorated in traditional African ethnic style and have en-suite bathrooms and showers. Between safaris, laze next to the pool, sip iced drinks and occasionally rouse yourself to watch a procession of game wander down to the waterhole or river�s edge. The lodge features artistically designed open courtyards with spectacular wooden carvings be renowned South African sculptors, created from wood salvaged from the bushveld. The decor makes abundant use of the African artifacts of educational and environmental interest. The dining, lounge, bar and reception areas are open plan under thatch. Viewing decks overlook the waterhole, which teems with game, and the Sabie River where hippo and crocodile languish. |
River Lodge- 21 chalets & 1 suite River Lodge is nestled on the banks of the Sabie river in the shade of the ancient Ebony and Leadwood trees. Each chalet or suite features delightful ethnic decor in keeping with the bushveld environment, is air-conditioned and has overhead fans. The lodge features artistically designed open courtyards with spectacular wooden carvings be renowned South African sculptors, created from wood salvaged from the bushveld. The decor makes abundant use of the African artifacts of educational and environmental interest. The dining, lounge, bar and reception areas are open plan under thatch. Viewing decks overlook the waterhole, which teems with game, and the Sabie River where hippo and crocodile languish. |
Mandleve Treehouse Suite The Mandleve Treehouse suite is the epitome of elegance, luxury and total privacy and is architecturally designed to blend into a ancient riverine forest with breathtaking views across the Sabie River and into the Kruger National Park beyond. Here you can shower �al fresco� style on the deck which skirts the suite, suspended in a huge �sausage tree� while Africa�s game browses below. Mandleve Treehouse Suite features an open plan lounge, dining room, kitchenette, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and private viewing deck. Private ranger, tracker and landrover complete the picture of unashamed exclusivity. This suite is designed for the most discerning guest accustomed to only the very best. |
Selati Lodge - 7 thatched chalets Selati Lodge, furnished with turn-of-the-century charm, meticulously created as an authentic home in the bush, with exclusive personalized service which has become little more than a memory today, is the most unforgettable of all African experiences. On the banks of the Msuthlu riverbed, Selati Lodge is strategically situated between the Sabie and Sand Rivers on the traditional game migration path from the Kruger National Park. Left deliberately without electricity, Selati is lit at night by the flicker of paraffin lamps, the warm glow of fires and the spectacular canopy of the Southern night sky. The cottages are built of stone and thatch, blending perfectly into the surrounding bush. While in camp help yourself to anything you need including a full bar service. Home cooked cuisine is served on decks built over the river bed, dinner is in the open air �boma� or in the �farmhouse kitchen�. This exquisite jewel of the bushveld is an ideal refuge for the nature lover, as well as for small groups who may reserve the entire lodge for total privacy. |
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Nkombe Tented Camp A comfortable camp for those participating in the Ranger Training Experience |
Habitat & Wildlife
This region of the Eastern Transvaal has a greater variety of game than
Kenya. So diverse is its habitat and wildlife that you have an excellent
chance of experiencing close encounters with the
�Big 5� - elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard as well as six
species of cat; twenty species of antelope,
several dog-like species including spotted hyena, cape hunting dog,
two species of jackal, as well as a variety of smaller mammals such as
genet, squirrel, mongoose, civet, honey badger, porcupine, and hare.
Sabi Sabi boasts the world�s largest land mammal (elephant), tallest
(giraffe), fastest (cheetah) and smallest (dwarf shrew) and a wondrous
array of some 350 bird species. Botanically too, this is wonderland.
At Sabi Sabi there is a greater variety of plant life than in the whole of Europe. With its unique 10km frontage on the perennial Sabie River, the reserve is blessed with great diversity of habitat, from acacia woodland to riverine forest.
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Game Viewing & Activities You can still observe at close quarters the natural relationship between predator and prey. Big game abounds and roams freely through this pristine part of our ancient African continent. A soft knock on your door awakens you to a new bushveld day. After coffee and snacks, your armed and knowledgeable ranger escorts you to his four-wheel drive open Land Rover and heads off into the reserve. You will be enthralled by the magic and absorb the peace of the bush. Every sound becomes relevant, every movement captures your attention. Not even your Shangaan tracker, who can read the veld like a book, knows what lies in store. The tracker always sits up front to scan the bush and look for spoor in the sand. Rangers alert one another by radio if they see one of the �Big 5� or one of the two rarer predators, cheetah or wild dog. After a hearty breakfast you can sit at any of the hides overlooking the waterholes or built into tall sycamore fig trees along the banks of the Sabie River or, for the more energetic, go on a bush walk. The safari walks at Sabi Sabi are legendary. Walk single file behind your ranger and feel the pulse of Africa through the soles of your feet! You will be fascinated by his detailed knowledge of various aspects of conservation, ecology and the environment. As evening approaches enjoy your favorite sundowner as the sun sinks below the horizon. Now the bush takes on a different mantle, and your African safari continues into the night. The bush never sleeps. There are numerous nocturnal hunters and you may be lucky enough to spot a lion or leopard, porcupine or civet. The tracker�s spotlight, scanning the bush, picks up the reflections of the various animals� eyes. Night scenes will evoke life-long memories of your adventure. Elephants moving heavily, but silently in the moonlight; the shine of the lion�s eyes as he looks up from his kill, the flying leaps of the nagapies (bush babies) in the treetops and the sinuous movements of a leopard stalking its prey. Later in the evening, you return to the lodge for dinner, heralded by the blasts of a kudu horn. Join your ranger in the �boma�, an open air reed fenced enclosure lit by paraffin lamps, where you will savor a sumptuous bushveld feast under the incomparable star-studded African night sky. The sounds of the animated conversation about your day�s highlights soon join the muted sounds of the bush. Thoughts of city life disappear... |
| Sabi Sabi also offers a Ranger Training Experience. Sabi Sabi�s professional ranger training program, well respected in the industry, has been extended to guests keen to live and learn the life of the game ranger for a few days. There is a growing desire by people from all walks of life to get away from all the daily stresses and pressures of the rat race and live the life of a game ranger in the bush. This course is an opportunity for corporate groups, sales teams, family units or friends to experience the team building and enjoyment that these unique days in the bush will provide. Absorb the sounds, smells and sights which portray the interdependence of all living things in the bush and feel the pulse of wild Africa through the soles of the feet. Being in a wilderness area is a spiritual experience. Self-realization and a new attitude to life are often the result. Apart from the pure joy of being in the wild country, the experience is highly therapeutic and a conscious lowering of stress levels will be sensed. The training course is offered for a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 7 participants and is held in the Nkombe Tented Camp deep in the bush. Although the camp is rustic, spacious meru safari tents, excellent food, comfortable beds, reed enclosed �bush� showers and toilet are provided. Participants will be lectured to and instructed by experienced training officers, game rangers and trackers with a wealth of knowledge. During the course, some of the subjects covered will be: Mammal, bird and reptile identification and habits; Identification of tree and vegetation types and their medicinal uses; Edible plant identification; Spoor identification and tracking skills; Orienteering; Bush survival techniques; Concepts of ecology and habitat management; Treatment of snake bite and first aid; Astronomy of the southern skies; Four-wheel drive handling; The role of ecotourism in the context of a private game reserve. Visits to secluded hides overlooking waterholes or the Sabie River and safaris in open landrovers by day and at night will also be experienced. Lecturers will emphasize that Sabi Sabi is a rare unspoilt pristine area where man is the intruder in the animals� domain. At the end of the course participants will be presented with a certificate specifying all subjects covered. Participation is guaranteed to be an unforgettable and unparalleled experience, culminating in a deeper understanding of oneself, one�s origin and one�s place in nature. |
