Originally Posted by dilbertsdaddy

Just completed a 5 night stay at Leopard Sands.

Very nice accommodations, excellent food, and the best part - the amazing staff who went above and beyond at every turn to ensure we were happy.

The game drives were well organized and thoroughly enjoyable. There will be safari purists who will say a private reserve is better, and I'm sure that is the case. However, for the price point and for Marriott folks, this is a great option. We stayed on points (and a hefty price I must add) but to pay big bucks for a potentially marginally better experience at private lodges does not seem worth it to me. I was quite happy with everything.

The only downside is the 15 minute ride to the gate 2X a day to get to the Kruger Gate. So for two drives a day you are spending 1 hour going back and forth. However, it became a community thing on the way to the gate, talking, laughing with other guests who were not in our safari vehicle and we would not have otherwise interacted with. The excitement each morning about what we would see that day made the time pass by quickly.

Highly recommend Leopard Sands!