TO BE DELETED: Luxury Africa Safari at Sabi Sabi: Pristine African Wilderness

Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, South Africa

What to expect on this itinerary

The Sabi Sands Reserve ranks as one of the premier wildlife viewing destinations in the world, where incredible encounters with the Big 5 and other animals are all but guaranteed. Little Bush Camp offers an intimate and exclusive safari lodge experience where no detail or luxury is spared to make your stay as memorable as possible. Superior cuisine, luxurious accommodation, attentive service and highly experienced guides come together to create a safari experience par excellence.

Countries Visited

South Africa

Places Visited

Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, Greater Kruger National Park

Suggested Duration

7 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Sabi Sabi – Welcome to Africa

On arrival at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, you will be met by a representative and transferred to your charter flight to Sabi Sabi airfield.

Your guide will meet you there, and take you on the short game drive to Little Bush Camp. As you go along, keep your eyes peeled for any wildlife you may encounter along the way, and most likely by the time you arrive at the lodge you would already have ticked off a few antelope species at least, and maybe spotted a giraffe or two peering curiously at you over an acacia bush.

Little Bush Camp is nestled in a grove of trees along a bend of the Msuthlu River, and its earthy tones of stone, thatch and wood blend in organically with the surrounding bush, making it feel a part of the environment. The main building is tastefully decorated with a blend of styles ranging from African objet d’art to inviting colonial furniture and fabrics. With high ceilings and flowing open spaces, your eyes are led to the front deck with its sweeping view of the river and bushveld beyond.

Discovering your suite, you find it tucked away in a secluded grove of trees, with its viewing deck boasting a spa bath and a view of the river to die for. The interior is similarly eclectic, with African and European influences, and an enormous four-poster bed, romantically swathed in mosquito netting, dominates the room.

After you have settled in, you wander over to the main building in the mid afternoon for an English high tea. A selection of delicacies is on display to tempt your taste buds while you discuss your afternoon’s adventure with your guide.

You set off with your expert tracker and guide team, riding in an open Land Rover in order to maximize your field of view. With the light of the late afternoon giving the grasses swaying in the breeze a golden tinge, your sense of anticipation heightens as your eyes scan the surrounding bush.

The Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve is a huge tract of land that shares a fenceless border with the Kruger National Park to the east. This creates an area of almost three million hectares of pristine wildlife habitat where animals roam freely. The abundance of wildlife here is astonishing, and apart from the signature Big 5 species of lion, leopard, elephant buffalo and rhino, there are many more species of mammals and birds here to encounter. This is also the home range of the critically endangered African wild dog, the supreme hunters of this untrammeled wilderness. Highly social by nature, to encounter a pack of these predators on a high-speed hunt must rank as one of the most thrilling wildlife experiences you could possibly imagine. The dynamics of the group dictate that they kill quickly and silently, feed their youngest members first, and depart from the carcass before it attracts other larger predators such as lions and hyenas.

As the afternoon draws to a close, your guide will select a spot to stretch your legs and take in the scenery. He produces a hamper packed with drinks and snacks, and you find yourself sipping on a glass of your favorite beverage while the sun sets the sky on fire in a pyrotechnic display of color. As the first stars begin to appear, you drive back to camp with a spotlight, seeking out the reflected eyes of nocturnal species as they emerge into the night. Civets, honey badgers and genets are often seen, while the loping stride of a hyena off on his nightly hunt, is a thrilling sight.

Returning to camp, you will find a welcoming fire blazing on the viewing deck, and delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen. A sumptuous meal is served in the dining room, bathed in soft lantern light, and after a final drink at the fire, you slip back to your suite and slide between the covers, serenaded by the sounds of the African night outside.

Day 2

Sabi Sabi – Experience the pulse of Africa

Day 3 - 5

Sabi Sabi – Feel the rhythms of the wilderness

Day 6 - 7

Johannesburg – Homeward Bound

Trip Highlights

  • Encounter the Big 5: elephant, buffalo, rhino, lion and leopard
  • Experience thrilling day and night game drives with expert guides
  • Feel the pulse of Africa on a walking safari
  • Intimate and exclusive luxury lodge with superior service and cuisine 

Detailed Description

Spend four nights in Little Bush Lodge, the epitome of luxurious safari chic, where every convenience is on hand although you are deep in the African wilderness. With only six suites, intimacy, seclusion and personal attention are guaranteed. Combined with excellent service and incredible cuisine, the atmosphere is one of being in a family, part of a home away from home in extraordinary surroundings. 

Venture out into the wilds in the company of expert guides and trackers to experience the magic of the African bush on this luxury African safari. You will enjoy thrilling wildlife encounters at close hand during twice-daily safari drives, and optional, although highly recommended, walking safaris. An intimate wildlife and luxury experience doesn’t come any better than this.

Perfect for wildlife enthusiasts who would like an exclusive and intimate lodge, coupled with excellent big game sightings, Little Bush Camp has all the elements for a perfect safari. 

Starting Price

$7,300 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 1582 reviews

Bernard L.
South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana Travel Review: Cape Town, Victoria Falls, 16 Days

Zicasso's trip designer arranged a flawless, extraordinary trip.

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Mona P.
South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe Vacation Review: Safari, Wildlife, Nature, 13-Day Trip

We’re still not over our trip! Everything was absolutely fantastic. Thank you for organizing such a great experience and making it so effortless for me. I already have family and friends asking who I went through, and I’m guessing some of them will be reaching out to you in the next year.

I do have one small piece of constructive feedback about our camp in the Olifants West Nature Reserve. The staff, lodge, and food were wonderful, but unfortunately, the safari guide fell short. We had just come from the camp in the Thornybush Game Reserve (where we left our hearts—the guide there was truly exceptional, with such a great personality), so the difference stood out even more. At the Olifants West Nature Reserve camp, we saw very few animals and the guide didn’t engage much—he barely spoke, and when he did, it wasn’t very professional or kind, especially toward my son. My son even said the trip might have worked better in reverse, since after Botswana it was hard to adjust to seeing only a few animals a day.

That said, I’m so grateful for how smoothly you planned everything, especially on such short notice. It really was a trip of a lifetime for us.

Thank you again!

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Caitlin B.
South Africa, Mozambique Honeymoon Review: Kayaking, Private Wine Tour, Beaches, Wildlife, Nature, Local Cuisine, Culture, 14 Nights

The trip was simply magical. We had the absolute best experience working with Zicasso's travel company, from the planning stage to the best itinerary I've ever seen to every recommended location, transfer, and extra honeymoon surprises. We cannot thank this travel company's team enough for making our honeymoon the absolute best we could imagine.

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Dave A.
Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa Tour Review: Victoria Falls, 26 Nights

It was a unbelievable, fantastic trip. Working with Zicasso's travel agency was a pleasure. They set everything up, working with me closely to customize my trip. Everything went as planned and all the selections and partner companies were great.

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Carolyn T.
South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe Trip Review: Wildlife, Local Cuisine, 13-Day Trip

Wow, I ran out of superlatives–fantastic, awesome, amazing. Everything was well organized and the recommended accommodations were all top-notch. The guides were so expert in their field. Every activity was well worth the time. Every meal was delicious.

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Celese M.
South Africa, Zimbabwe Trip Review: Cape Town, Wildlife, 10 Nights

The trip was very well thought out and organized by Zicasso's travel agency. It was a good trip for a first time to sub-Saharan Africa.

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist.

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