Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve

Set in the world-renowned 6,500 hectare Sabi Sand Wildtuin (Game Reserve) in the southwestern section of the Kruger National Park, Sabi Sabi is a wildlife oasis where big game abounds and roams freely.

The Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve sets out to provide its guests with one of the best safari experiences in the world. This is achieved not only through its highly trained and experienced rangers and trackers, but also through the atmosphere, services and facilities at each of its distinctive lodges.

The Sabi Sabi philosophy is 'yesterday, today and tomorrow' and it draws on over 100 years of safari experience ... and an acknowledgement of the need to look to the future.

Each of Sabi Sabi's four luxurious and award-winning lodges has a distinctive character. The 'yesterday' part of the reserve's philosophy is seen in the romantic Selati Camp. Bush Lodge and Little Bush Camp are contemporary in style which Earth Lodge features ground-breaking and forward-looking design.

However, the Sabi Sabi philosophy does not simply relate to the styles of its lodges, but also to its approach to conservation and community. Here the need to conserve rapidly dwindling wilderness areas and to provide a sanctuary for South Africa's flora and fauna is seen as vital.

In addition, the people at Sabi Sabi believe that the business must be a true example of ecotourism, linking conservation, community and tourism effectively. At Sabi Sabi, ecological needs are balanced with those of the nearby communities.

The name Sabi Sabi is derived from the Tsonga word 'tsave', meaning 'fear' or danger'. This is due to the large numbers of crocodiles and hippo that lived in the Sabie River, proving a source of some alarm for the hunters and gold-seekers that flooded into the Lowveld in the early 1800s.

In the late 1800s, construction began on the Selati Railway Line, the intention being to link the goldfields with the coast. You can still see remnants of this railway line in parts of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve.

By the 1920s, recreational rail travel into the area as popular as public awareness of the beauty of the reserve grew and the thrill of game viewing from the comfort of a railway coach caught hold.

This popular activity wasn't without its hazards however. Close to the luxurious Selati Camp was once a train stop where railway management was eventually forced to put ladders against the trees for the convenience of passengers threatened by prowling lion.

On at least one occasion at night the train driver drove on, failing to spot the dismayed passengers clinging to the branches of the trees as a pride of lion lingered below.

Today the Selati Camp is furnished with memorabilia from these days of train travel and wildlife encounters.

In 1979 the present Sabi Sabi company was formed and over the years, assisted by a dedicated staff of about 200 people, Sabi Sabi has preserved a precious piece of Africa.

A stay at one of Sabi Sabi's four lodges is not only an opportunity for a luxurious bushveld vacation, but also a chance to experience the wildlife and flora of the reserve and to enjoy the knowledge that the community and land is enriched by you being there.

Attractions

The main attraction at Sabi Sabi is the big game that roams freely. A diverse habitat, the reserve is home to the Big Five - lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo and elephant - as well as African wild dog, cheetah and about 200 other indigenous animal species.

In addition to the wildlife, there are 350 bird species to be spotted, which means a visitor from the northern hemisphere could quite likely see more bird species in one day here than he will in a lifetime in his home country.

Easily accessible, Sabi Sabi is an hour's flight from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg or a five-hour, scenic chauffeured or self-drive from Johannesburg.

Activities

Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve's day and night safaris are led by highly-trained game rangers and trackers will allow you to follow the animals on and off-road, experiencing the thrill of tracking game deep into the bushveld.

Walking safaris allow you to experience an even more intimate sense of what it is to be out in the wild with animals who feel far more at home there than you do! On walking safaris you're also able to look at the finer points of the ecosystem in more detail and you'll come away with a fresh appreciation for every organism's role in the delicate balance of things.

Food and Wine

Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve was awarded the Diners Club Platinum Winelist Award in 2006 in honour of the excellent selection of wines on offer at their lodges.

In addition to fine wine, you can count on excellent meals, some of which will be served in a boma or a small clearing in the bush - which adds a finer edge to your appetite.

Conservation

The belief at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve is that the only ways a wildlife sanctuary can withstand socio-economic pressure is by employing and training people, earning foreign currency, paying tax and promoting sustainable tourism.

So the partnership with surrounding communities and tourism operations is part of a larger effort to conserve the land and wildlife of the area.

As a result, Sabi Sabi believes it's important to maintain economically viable tourist lodges as well as meeting the needs of their staff and neighbours - a fine balance that needs to be achieved and maintained.

Sabi Sabi has a Habitat Management Plan that is under constant review. This involves pumping water into pans, placing roads correctly and maintaining them, eradicating alien plant species, implementing a sustainable fire management programme and waste-water disposal.

The waste-water plan has lead to the creation of a wetland area and a full natural water cycle, the success of which won Sabi Sabi the Imvelo Award for Best Practice in Conservation.

Responsible Tourism

The belief at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve is that the only way a wildlife sanctuary can survive socio-economic pressure is by employing and training people, earning foreign currency, paying tax and promoting sustainable tourism.

Sabi Sbi defines ecotourism or responsible tourism as the partnership between tourism, conservation and local community so that each sees maximum benefit.

Awards

• Sabi Sabi was voted seventh Best Hotel in the World and second Best Hotel in Africa and the Middle East on Travel & Leisure's "100 Best Hotels” list.

• Also in 2007 Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve was named Luxury Link's World's Best Hotel.

• Italian publication Resorts Web Magazine voted Sabi Sabi Best Lodge in 2007.

• Voted the best Game Lodge in Southern Africa in 2006 by the ASATA/Diners Club Travel Award (decided by members of the Southern African Travel Industry).

• Finalist in the 2006 Imvelo Awards for Best Overall Environmental Management System.

• Winner of the 2006 Diners Club Platinum Winelist Aware for wine selection.

• Highest rated in the category of Executive Lodges (5 Star) in the Mpumalanga Province for the 2006 Professional Management Review Diamond Arrow Awards.

• Highest rated in the category of Private Game Farms and Parks in the Mpumalanga Province for the 2006 Professional Management Review Golden Arrow Awards.

• Voted fourth in Africa and Middle East in the 2006 Travel & Leisure Environmental Awards.

• Overall Winner for Best Practice in the 2002 Imvelo Awards.

• Finalist in Best Overall Environmental Management System, 2002 Imvelo Awards.

• Finalist in Best Practice, Accommodation Establishment, 2002 Imvelo Awards.

Accommodation

Each of Sabi Sabi's four luxurious and award-winning lodges has a distinctive character.

You'll find 'yesterday' in the old-style romance of Selati Camp. Decorated to recall the reserve's historic past and connection with the railway, it has a colonial charm. Originally created without electricity, it now has all the trimmings you'd expect from a luxury lodge.

Each of the eight thatched suites is magnificent but the Ivory Presidential Suite surpasses the others in terms of grandeur. It boasts a four-poster bed, private terrace and private plunge pool (not to mention Persian carpets in the en-suite bathroom). The Lourenco Marques Suite is the choice of honeymooners.

At Bush Lodge you'll find 25 spacious and beautifully-appointed suites done in exquisite ethnic décor. Huge viewing decks are the place to relax while watching game and the birdlife, or while cooling off in the pools.

Bush Lodge's Mandleve Suite is ultra-luxurious and secluded, perfect for a honeymoon.

Ideal for small groups or families, Little Bush Camp offers intimacy and seclusion in the form of six luxury suites. Thatched roofs, mosquito nets draped over large double beds and beautiful wooden finishes make this an exclusive safari camp.

While Bush Lodge and Little Bush Camp represent Sabi Sabi's today, Earth Lodge is its tomorrow. Described as the most environmentally sensitive lodge in Africa, the building is almost invisible in the landscape as it's been sculpted into a slope. A lodge like no other, it's exclusive, luxurious and at one with its setting.

Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge

 

Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve  

"Superior safari lodge in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, bordering the Kruger National Park."

 

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Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge

 

Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve  

"Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge is a pioneering deluxe lodge in the Sabi Sabi Game Reserve, bordering South Africa's Kruger National Park."

 

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Sabi Sabi Selati Lodge

 

Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve  

"Superior safari lodge in the Sabi Sabi Game Reserve, bordering the Kruger National Park."

 

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