- South Africa
- 65,000 hectares (650 km²)
- 1948 (The oldest private reserve in South Africa)
- Mpumalanga
- High density of the Big Five; world-renowned for leopard sightings
- Low–moderate risk; prophylaxis is recommended
- ~24°50′S 31°30′E
- Unfenced border with Kruger National Park.
- Riverine forest and Combretum/Acacia woodland along the Sand and Sabie Rivers.
- May–September for exceptional Big Cat sightings and visibility; October–November for dramatic predator action around water sources; December–March for birding and lush landscapes.
Sabi Sand is the world’s most famous private reserve, renowned for pioneering the "luxury safari" model. It offers arguably the best leopard viewing on Earth due to generations of cats becoming habituated to vehicles. Sharing a 50km unfenced boundary with Kruger National Park, it allows animals to roam freely across a massive ecosystem.
- Shaw’s Gate, Newington Gate, Gowrie Gate
- ~15–45 minutes to southern/central lodges
- ~2 hours to gates
- Most lodges (e.g., Londolozi, Singita, MalaMala) have their own strips for direct "lodge hops" from Johannesburg (JNB).
- ~5–6 hours from Johannesburg via the N4 highway.
- Gravel tracks managed by the reserve; self-driving is not permitted once inside the lodge gates.
- Comprising Combretum and Acacia trees providing cover for browsers.
- Lush vegetation along the Sabie and Sand Rivers, featuring massive jackalberry and sycamore fig trees.
- Patches of sweet grass that attract large herds of buffalo and elephant.
- The reserve’s "superstars." Due to decades of relaxed interaction with vehicles, these cats are exceptionally habituated to human presence.
- Consistently high strike rates for lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino (both black and white).
- Frequent sightings of wide-ranging packs.
- Over 450 species, including various eagles, kingfishers, and the colorful lilac-breasted roller.
Thin bush and dry waterholes make leopards very easy to track.
Hot, lush, afternoon rain
Excellent for birding and newborns; bush is thick, making tracking more challenging.
Visibility is at its peak in the dry months for predator tracking, while the summer months offer stunning emerald landscapes and active birdlife.
- Almost exclusively high-end, all-inclusive lodges.
- Unlike Kruger, rangers are permitted to drive off-road to follow predators into the bush.
- Conducted after sunset using powerful spotlights to find nocturnal species.
- Guided interpretive bush walks are a standard morning offering.
Sabi Sand offers the most intimate and reliable Big Five sightings in Africa. It is the destination of choice for photographers and travelers seeking high-end luxury combined with expert-led, off-road wildlife encounters.