Ultimate Guide to Sabi Sands African Safari
The one thing most people want to do when they visit South Africa is go on a safari. It was definitely the thing we were most excited for and our safari truly exceeded our expectations. We saw so many animals on our game drives and we had the experience of lifetime, all due to the amazing accommodation we stayed in. A safari is a must when visiting South Africa and no one does it like Sabi Sabi.
How to Get to Kruger National Park
Sabi Sands is located in Kruger National Park. To get to there, you will most likely fly domestically into Skukuza Airport, which is literally inside the park. Whatever accommodation you book should pick you up from the airport and take you to where you need to go. Since we were staying at Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge, they were at the airport waiting for us when we landed. The drive from the airport to Sabi Sabi was about 45 minutes and we saw a bunch of animals along the way like giraffes, impalas, & buffaloes!
Where to Stay in Kruger National Park
There are a ton of place to stay inside Kruger National Park, but we stayed at the Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge. Sabi Sabi has a few accommodations inside the park, but what’s great about them is they actually have their own private game reserve inside the National Park called the Sabi Sands. This reserve is only for people staying at any of the Sabi Sabi accommodations which makes your safari experience that much more intimate.
If you book at Sabi Sabi, your game drives are included in the price. You go on two game drives a day, one just after sunrise and one before sunset. During the sunset safari your guides pack whatever drinks you want and you get to watch sun set in the middle of the African bush (what us Americans call the woods lol) which was such a magical experience.
At Bush Lodge where we were staying, the dinner was buffet style with lots of different options for food. If you have a dietary restriction, just let your waiter or the chef know and they will accommodate you!
Safari Tips
Since Sabi Sands is a private game reserve, you cannot go in on your own or without a guide. Our guides were Louise & Jimmy who were so helpful, so good at tracking animals, and knew every animal fact known to mankind! We had the best few days with them and learned so much about African wildlife. Here are our main Safari pointers that we learned during our visit:
You want to see The Big Five (Elephant, Rhino, Leopard, Buffalo, Lion) - the Big Five got their name because back in the day these animals were known as the most dangerous to hunt on foot. Now the Big Five is mostly used by Safari guides as the 5 animals you definitely want to see on a game drive.
The animals are closer than you think - We thought the animals would be super far away, but most of the animals we saw were right in front of us! The animals in the Sabi Sands are used to safari trucks driving around so as long as you are following your guide’s directions, you will have nothing to worry about.
Bring a camera with a zoom lens - Even though most of the animals were fairly close to us, a smartphone camera lens is still pretty wide and doesn’t capture exactly how your eyes see. To get the best quality photos/videos & memories from your trip, bring a camera with a zoom lens to make sure you can capture everything you want to.
Pack a light jacket - Depending on what time of year you visit South Africa this can change (we visited in November which is early summer). Since the game drives are at dawn & dusk, it can get a little chilly while in the safari truck. We had a light jacket on almost every day and lets just say we were very glad we brought them with us haha.
Respect the bush and the animals - What makes a safari so special is seeing these creatures in their natural habitat. Remember that always. If you have any questions about any of the animals, just ask your guide! We probably talked Louise & Jimmy’s ear off with our questions haha, but we learned so much and had such an unforgettable experience.
We could go on and on all day about how amazing our safari was, but it’s probably better if you see it for yourself. Watch part 1 & 2 of of our safari videos below to see our experience first hand! We even give a tour of our room at the Earth Lodge so look for that in the part 2 video. Is an African Safari on your bucket list?
African Safari: Part 1
African Safari: Part 2
Thanks so much to Ntsako Travel Africa for inviting us on this trip!