SafariCraig

Some of them in my opinion. Sandibe (Botswana), Ngala Tented (Kruger National Park private reserves), Crater Lodge (Tanzania), Benuerra Island (Mozambique), Phinda Vlei (arguably). Not Ngala Main or Kirkmans or some of the other Phindas.

Craig Beal - owner - Travel Beyond

johan rebel

That's comparing apples and oranges, though. The experiences are different, there are pros and cons to both. What makes one or the other better depends on personal preferences and expectations.

It would be fairer to compare the Sabi Sand to private concessions within the KNP, and then I would hesitate to declare Sabi Sand the winner.

The Nwanetsi concession (Singita Lebombo and Sweni) is almost 15,000 hectares in size, which is huge. The area is scenically far more varied than anywhere in the Sabi Sand, and game plentiful. Their biggest pride until recently comprised of an amazing 42 lions, but they then lost six cubs in very short order.

The Makuleke CNP (The Outpost, Pafuri Camp) is nearly twice as large at just under 28,000 hectares. It comes with about 30 kilometers of Luvuvhu River frontage, and 35+ kilometers along the Limpopo. In between these rivers there are pans, floodplains, mountains, Fever Tree and Lala Palm forests, as well as a sandveld plateau. Nowhere else in SA is as tropical and lush, with the possible exception of tiny Ndumo and Tembe in the very northeastern KwaZulu-Natal. The variety of game is also greater than anywhere else, but having Zimbabweans and Mozambicans for neighbors does have a negative impact on numbers.

Four other concessions (Imbali, Mutlumuvi, Lwakhahle and Mpanamana) are very big too, at between 10,000 and 15,000 hectares. Jakkalsbessie and Jock are the smallest ones, 5,000 and 6,000 hectares respectively.

Size, of course, it not everything. For starters, you can only cover so much ground on a game drive. Lodges with large traversing areas therefore often focus on the most productive bits within reasonable driving distance. You sometimes have to push them hard if you wish to see the far corners. Diversity is just as important. A variety of habitats in a small area can trump a much bigger but monotonous one.

I'll confess that I've never been a fan of the Sabi Sand (the environment is far too manipulated), but if you want as many animals as possible lined up in the shortest period of time it is a good choice. Even then I would look elsewhere, though.

Johan

Philatravelgirl

I stayed in Sabi Sands at Inyati and enjoyed the game drives and my lodging. I used a local Capetown agency Rhino Africa to help me put together a bespoke solo trip as I had no interest in joining a group. I have many safari posts on my philatravelgirl blog site

floridagal23

We had an excellent split stay at Singita properties in Kruger and Sabi Sands in late August. Got one night free. Totally worth the $. Feel free to PM or post with any questions. I preferred Sabi sands (by chance it rained much of the time we were in Kruger) but we had excellent viewing in both locations. Can't say enough about Singita-had such a great time that we booked Tanzania lodges with them (plus an &beyond lodge) for this summer. Can't wait!

floridagal23

Agreed! The best!

Dianne_AfricaDirectUSA

Hi Jalen500!

Just a few thoughts for you...

I think 10 days is a perfect amount of time. I would suggest 6 nights on safari and I would split this between 2 lodges that pair well. Both Sabi Sands and Timbavati Private Game Reserves would make for great choices and I would split your stay with 3 nights in 2 different lodges. It's great to see other lodges and perhaps even switch up your lodging so that you could experience different lodges with different style, style of lodge etc. A luxury tented camp would make for a great option. Transferring between lodges is easy and wouldn't disrupt game viewing.

Luxury is somewhat a subjective word. What's luxury for one may not be near enough luxury for another. So you have to ask yourself how do you like to travel, what amenities are you looking for, what style of accommodation or decor excites you. For some, they want that classical Out of Africa look. For others, they want something a little more trendy or artsy in decor. It's really a personal preference. Trust me, you can find luxury in the bush no matter how you define it!

Here are some other luxury lodges in Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve: Londolozi's Founders and Pioneer Lodges as well as the ultimate in sublime and romantic, their Private Granite Suites! I also like Sabi Sabi's lodges. For example, their Earth Lodge is surreal, artistic and architecturally fascinating. Singita is beautiful as well.. While these are all considered top in terms of luxury and with nice traversing area, they all have a different "look and feel" and, as I said, it really depends upon your style of travel and the vibe you are looking for.

And there are others, some of which have been mentioned already in this thread. For example, while Kirkman's may not be as expensive, it still is a beautiful lodge with great service and pairs well with one of their sister lodges, Ngala Tented Luxury Camp (Timbavati), which would then entitle you to a nice discount for your stay. Also, in reference to Ngala Safari Lodge (main camp), they are currently undergoing a renovation and will re-open in June as much more luxurious than before... Bottom line is that there are many choices available to you but it does mostly depend upon what you feel is luxury and what you want to spend!

One thing that you should know is that most lodges want your stay to be exceptional and incredibly memorable so they are eager to please and will fulfill special requests as much as they can. For example, private dinners, private jeeps, couples massage etc etc are all possible to create that special experience!

Seeing Cape Town is a great extension to safari. It's a vibrant and colorful city full of history, culture, great food & wine, and incredible views. Just imagine a massive mountain (Table Mtn) that hovers over a city situated where two massive oceans converge! And so much to do amidst this splendor of nature!

As for Cape Town lodging choices, you could stay at the V&A waterfront which is where there is a concentration of shops, restaurants and the larger hotels. There, I'd recommend the beautiful Cape Grace Hotel or the One & Only. Both great luxury options. There's also a new hotel opening this summer called The Silo which will be another amazing option on the waterfront. And if you want to eat at the famous Test Kitchen in Cape Town, then I'd recommend getting your reservation in months in advance..

Alternatively, you could stay in more of a boutique-style hotel in one of the many fascinating neighborhoods near to the waterfront for that local vibe. There are some beautiful luxury guest houses/small hotels.

If you wanted, you could add a night in the Winelands with its incredible vineyards, beautiful vistas, luxury accommodations, and superb wine. With the Rand converting so low, such a great time to go! Again, something for everyone. Plenty of options!

While it is possible to start your trip on Safari, I recommend it as the grand finale and ending to your incredible trip. With this in mind, here's a fairly typical and efficient flight route: JNB - CPT - Kruger airports (there are a number of them) - JNB. There are plenty of flight carriers and flight times to satisfy the route.

Happy to help!

Best
Dianne
Africa Direct USA

Dianne_AfricaDirectUSA

Hi Mark aka Lowside67!

I'd recommend a 6 night stay with 3 nights at 2 different lodges. At your price point, here are some ideas... You could always return to Elephant Plains since you liked it so much. It is an excellent moderate/budget-friendly choice, as Craig has explained, and in an excellent location. As the lodge choice of Outdoor Photography, or ODP, that tells you something!

But it would be great to try another lodge with your girlfriend so that it is new for the two of you. I'd consider Arathusa. Nice lodge and perhaps a slight step up from Elephant Plains but still within budget. It has its own waterhole on the lodge premises which is pretty cool. It also shares the same large traversing area with Elephant Plains along with some other lodges. It would make a nice choice.

You could pair Arathusa with Simbavati Hilltop Lodge (tented luxury) in Timbavati Private Game Reserve. Timbavati is just north of Sabi Sands and also shares an unfenced border with Kruger. This would be an easy transfer, would pair well with Arathusa, offers you the tented option as a different lodging experience and would meet your budget as noted.

There was previous mention of Tanda Tula in Timbavati as an option for you to consider but I don't think that their Stay 4/Pay 3 for 2016 is available in March or April (other months but not March or April). Without the Stay 4/Pay 3 deal, Tanda Tula would be out of the price point.

Should you decide to expand your budget or should the RAND's conversion continue to stretch your travel dollars, Tanda Tula would be a nice option. Another nice option, also previously mentioned and slightly out of budget, would be Kirkman's Kamp located in the south of Sabi Sands. Kirkman's is a real favorite for so many of my clients and it gets consistently great reviews. It has a great location and its service, food, accommodation, ranger expertise all top notch. There's also a jeep max of 8! Kirkman's pairs really well with their "sister" lodge, Ngala Safari Lodge located in the Timbavati Private Game Reserve. Ngala is undergoing a major renovation and will re-open in June which is unfortunately after your intended travel plans. Should your plans shift in dates, as well as your budget, then I'd give it a look. It will be even more beautiful than before and 2016's rates are posted as R6150 before the 15% discount.

In response to the importance of having river frontage for game viewing. Yes, this can be a bonus and certainly augment the game viewing experience in the driest times of their winter BUT if you are talking about going on safari in March or April, then I really don't think that staying at a lodge with river frontage is all that important at that time. April is the start of the winter, certainly not the end of winter.

You noted an interest in a land transfer from JNB to the safari lodge. From JNB, you could travel to your safari destination via the Panorama Route. It is an incredible drive once you get out of the JNB area and into the countryside. Blyde River Canyon, God's Window, Three Rondavels are all spectacular sites but this is a LONG drive. You'd need an early start out of JNB and depending upon when you land in JNB, you may need to stay overnight before setting out. And, even with an early start, you would most likely miss afternoon game drive at the lodge which would be a shame because you are essentially paying for that as part of your first night's stay. I recommend to clients that, if they want to do the drive or arrange a Panorama Route tour, that they overnight along the way. Then they can enjoy the vistas and take part in some of the activities there like hot air ballooning, boat ride to Tufa falls, etc etc.. Alternatively, you can fly pretty cheap from JNB to one of the Kruger airports and road transfer from there.

Combining Cape Town (or even Victoria Falls if you are action packed adventure seekers!) with safari is GREAT! So many options and things to do. Many people seem to like ending on safari but it really can be done either way as I explained in my post to Jalen500. There are many possible flight routes and possibilities for what you want to do and where you want to go!

Hope this info is of help! Happy planning!

Best
Dianne
Africa Direct USA

Jalen500

[U]thsnk you all for the advice. We will be in South Africa from July 9-16.. Now we just have to plan out our schedule and see what lodges have availability. We are thinking 4 days of safari / 3 nights in cape town

johan rebel

To each his own, but the first time I saw Earth Lodge it immediately reminded me of Hitler's Atlantikwall. Still does.

The game viewing is more important than what the lodge looks like, though.

Earth Lodge is on the farm Lisbon, in the very southwestern corner of the Sabi Sand. The farm is a huge cul-de-sac, with rural communities on the one side, the R536 provincial road to Paul Kruger Gate on the other, and for good measure an airstrip in the corner. Not the kind of place that large herds of game pass through, simply because hitting a dead-end and having to turn back and retrace your steps is not that appealing to animals that feed as they move.

Furthermore, Sabi Sabi's traversing area has a wasp waist at Shaw's Gate. To get from Lisbon to the other farms you must drive right past the gate and take the long and straight Military Road, and then back again. Every time.

In short, Earth Lodge would not be my first pick. Far from it.

Johan

Yenakad

I plan a 7 day trip to South Africa end of March 2016. I will arrive in JNB by Qatar in Biz and spend the first night in the Hyatt Regency in Rosebank. The next day I plan to fly to George. There are flights arriving in George around 1 or 2 PM. Now, Im looking for a nice Safari for 2 nigths. I came up with two options Gondwana Game Reserve and Sanbona Wildlife Reserve. As I arrive around 1 or 2 PM I tend to chose Gondwana as its only 45 min drive away from the Airport (I will rent a car). How can I compare the two Safari Reserve? Is there a clear winner in terms of luxury and game viewing over the other? How is the landscape to be compared, if I see the pictures I prefer the more dry and rocky looking Sanbonda Wildlife Reserve. Appricated your thoughts.