Sabi Sands
Arguably the best place in Africa to see and photograph leopards. The birthplace of luxury safaris, this former farmland, re-wilded over generations and adjoining the world famous Kruger National Park is a South African special. A new wilderness, full of powerful experiences.
What to expect…
Leopards. It’s not often one can ever say you can expect to see leopards, but in the Sabi Sands it really is one of your best chances - though, of course, never guaranteed. Rhinos (shhhh), lions, elephants and wild dogs also frequent the ‘Sands’ in good numbers but do not expect to see wildebeest. They’re around but infrequent.
The Sands are also, arguably, the home of luxury safaris and most camps operate at a very high-end level. Game drives are shorter than in East Africa, typically around 3 hours due to either the heat of the day (in summer) or the cool of the evenings (in winter) but the wildlife viewing is exceptional. Photographically, it might not be as prolific as East Africa due to the generally thicker bush. Known as ‘bush veld’ in South Africa, the landscape is predominantly boulders around the main rivers with often steep banks and thick bush either side of the tracks that dies down in the winter (dry) months. Dry river beds that act as seasonal tributaries to the main Sabi and Sand rivers provide excellent hunting grounds for leopards and the plentiful tree cover makes stashing successful kills easy.
Open to the publicly accessible Kruger National Park, wildlife can move freely around but the Sabi Sands Reserve is private and exclusive.
When to Visit
As with elsewhere in Southern Africa, the rainy season really dictates best times to travel. And these are often less predictable than in the tropics. The rainy season is in the summer months from December through March. During this time the thunderstorms build up during the heat of the day and release their rain in the afternoons. The grasses begin to grow and wildlife is more spread out due to the amount of freely available water sources making wildlife viewing challenging. From April and May the dry season begins. There is still plenty of water but the grasses begin to shrink in height making viewing easier. June through September is peak wildlife viewing season as the short grass and limited water sources make photography and spotting and viewing wildlife easier. It can be bitterly cold though in the early mornings and evenings to layering up is important though daytime temperatures will be pleasant - but don’t expect to swim in lodge pools! October and November bring the heat again but without the release of rain in the afternoons. Wildlife viewing is still very good as animals congregate around limited water sources.
JAN
Mixed
FEB
Mixed
MAR
Mixed
APRIL
Good
MAY
Good
JUN
Excellent
JUL
Excellent
AUG
Excellent
SEPT
Excellent
OCT
Very Good
NOV
Very Good
DEC
Good
