5 Day Two Luxury Lodges Safari

Guests are met at a location of their choice in Johannesburg and transferred to the airport for a flight into the Greater Kruger area, continuing by road to the Sabi Sabi Game Reserve within the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve. Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge is one of the region’s flagship properties, known for relaxed yet refined luxury and excellent hospitality in a classic Big Five area bordering the Kruger National Park. After arrival and check-in, there is time to settle into your suite and take in the views over the surrounding bush.

Later in the afternoon you depart on your first open 4x4 safari with an experienced ranger and tracker team. The Sabi Sand is famous for its leopard sightings and for frequent encounters with lion, elephant, buffalo and rhino, thanks to its unfenced boundary with Kruger and long history of conservation-focused tourism. As the sun sets you pause for sundowners before continuing the drive into the early evening, when spotlights are used to search for nocturnal animals on the way back to Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge.

Coffee and snacks are served shortly after sunrise, followed by a morning game drive when many predators and grazers are most active. The bush comes alive with birdsong and movement as plains game emerge from cover after the night, when they are most vulnerable to hunting lions, leopards and hyenas. Your ranger and tracker use their field skills to locate tracks and fresh signs, greatly improving the chances of memorable sightings across the varied habitats of the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve.

On returning to Bush Lodge you enjoy a generous breakfast and some time to relax, perhaps at the pool or viewing deck overlooking the surrounding bush. During the late morning or early afternoon, an optional guided bush walk may be offered, providing a closer look at tracks, plants, insects and birdlife, and a deeper understanding of how the ecosystem functions. The late afternoon is again devoted to an open 4x4 safari in search of Africa’s iconic mammals, with the drive extending into early evening before you return for dinner under the stars.

Your third day begins with a final morning game drive from Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge, offering one more opportunity to encounter the Big Five and other wildlife that roam freely across the Sabi Sand and adjacent Kruger National Park. After breakfast back at the lodge, you bid farewell to the Sabi Sabi team and prepare for your transfer deeper into the reserve. A road transfer takes you across the Sabi Sand to Lion Sands River Lodge, situated on its own private concession with access to the Sabie River, one of the most productive wildlife areas in the region.

On arrival at Lion Sands River Lodge you check in and have time to appreciate the lodge’s contemporary design, river-facing decks and serene setting on the Sabie River. In the late afternoon you join your first safari at Lion Sands, exploring the concession’s mixture of riverine forest, open clearings and woodland. The presence of permanent water along the Sabie River draws a high concentration of animals, and with an expert ranger and tracker leading the way, you can look forward to quality sightings as daylight fades and the nocturnal world awakens.

An early wake-up call and a warm beverage start your full day of safari from Lion Sands River Lodge. The morning game drive takes advantage of the cool temperatures and soft light, ideal for photography and for observing predators that may still be active after a night of hunting. The Greater Kruger ecosystem is home to an exceptional diversity of mammal species, and the combination of river frontage and productive bushveld makes the Lion Sands concession especially rewarding for Big Five viewing and general game.

You return to the lodge for breakfast and a leisurely break during the late morning and midday hours. Guests may choose to relax by the pool, watch for animals along the Sabie River from the main deck, or simply enjoy the peace of the bush from their suite. In the afternoon you set out on your final full safari drive of the trip, with your guide focusing on any species or behaviors you are still hoping to see. As the sun sets and the stars appear, the drive may continue into the evening for a chance to observe nocturnal wildlife before you return to a final dinner at Lion Sands River Lodge.

On the last morning of your Two Luxury Lodges Safari, you have the option of joining one final game drive from Lion Sands River Lodge, savoring the early light and the atmosphere of the Sabi Sand one more time. After the drive you return to the lodge for breakfast and a relaxed checkout, with time to say goodbye to the staff and perhaps enjoy a final glimpse of wildlife along the river from the lodge’s viewing areas.

You then transfer back to Skukuza Airport for your flight to Johannesburg, retracing your route from the Sabi Sand to the city. On arrival at O.R. Tambo International Airport, you are either assisted with check-in for a connecting flight or transferred to a chosen location in Johannesburg or Pretoria. Your luxury safari in the Greater Kruger National Park area, combining Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge and Lion Sands River Lodge, comes to an end with lasting memories of superb wildlife encounters and the comforts of two of the Sabi Sand’s most highly regarded lodges.