Sabi Sand
A dream destination for all and essential to any once-in-a-lifetime Safari, the name Sabi Sand conjures up images of the best of Safari. This beating heart of the South African bush is the place of fairytale experiences, the closest you are likely to get to Lord Tennyson’s “Nature, red in tooth and claw” that we all love from our wildlife documentaries on television.
Sabi Sand is blessed with the world’s finest safari lodges where your every whim is fulfilled. Big Five sightings, the order of the day, are orchestrated by trackers out beating the bush from before the spectacular African dawn. They promise you great game viewing on your drives at the start and end of each day.
In between activities, venture out on a guided walk or let the magic of the bush wreak its unique spell on you with a supporting cast of drinks around the pool, a treat at the spa, stunning cuisine, and long tales around the roaring fire. The sun plummets rapidly into darkness to leave you gazing at the breathtakingly bejewelled sky before turning in to accommodation as sweet as the dreams you will enjoy.
Shaws Gate is used by the southern Lodges, Newington by the western. The northern Lodges in “the Sands” are slightly more affordable. They are a bit more difficult to get to by road via the Gowrie Gate (you have to go out and round if combining visits to north and south). You can fly directly in to any lodge by charter, or use nearby scheduled flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town. Airport transfers, some in Big Five territory, vary between 20 minutes and 2½ hours depending on your destination lodge.
