The private game reserves adjacent to the Kruger National Park are well-known for their array of decadent lodges and are very popular with international visitors.
The various private reserves have different vegetation and offer different highlights in terms of wildlife and experience. All are well worth exploring! If you have the time to spend more than a couple of days in the Kruger, we suggest that you split your time between the various reserves.
We at Rhino Africa are Kruger Experts, and our team of well traveled Experts have all the local knowledge and know how to ensure that we build you a tailor-made itinerary that both meets and exceeds all your requirements and expectations.
Read more about the differences between the reserves below....
The private game reserves adjacent to the Kruger National Park are well-known for their array of decadent lodges and are very popular with international visitors. The various private reserves have different vegetation and offer different highlights in terms of wildlife and experience. All are well worth exploring! If you have the time to spend more than a couple of days in the Kruger, we suggest that you split your time between the various reserves. This will give you a sense of the vast variety and magnitude of the area. There are no fences between the private reserves and the Kruger so the animals are free to move across their borders.
Sabi SandsThe Sabi Sands is South Africa’s premier safari destination and the oldest game reserve in the country. It boasts some of the most prestigious safari lodges in South Africa and offers a unique fusion of wild, untamed Africa and the ultimate luxury accommodation.
We definitely recommend the Sabi Sands reserve for first-time safari visits because you are assured of excellent game viewing on a vast network of tarmac roads with experienced rangers and trackers.
The Sabi Sands is the most sophisticated of the reserves and in turn is not the wildest area. The benefit of this is that the animals are well-accustomed to safari vehicles and rangers can get up very close to the animals without disturbing them.
If it’s the big cats that you are most interested in seeing on your safari then the Sabi Sands is definitely the place to go. It is exceptionally well-known for leopard viewing. The two rivers that traverse through the reserve, the Sand and the Sabi Rivers, have huge Leadwood trees and terrain that offer the perfect habitat for leopards. There are also many prides of lion’s. The remainder of the Big Five can also be viewed but huge herds of game and big herds of elephants are less prominent.
The most exclusive and luxurious lodges like Singita and Mala Mala are to be found in the area. So if you are looking for excellent Big Five viewing coupled with decadent indulgent living - the Sabi Sands is the perfect choice!
See more Lodges in the Sabi Sands
Timbavati
The Timbavati Private reserve is further north and its dryer terrain attracts much bigger herds of elephants and buffalo. The Mopane woodlands found in this area are preferred by elephants but not many others enjoy the taste! So you will see lots of elephants but not as many giraffes.
Bigger prides of lions are attracted to the Timbavati region and the region was once known for its white lions which are now sadly extinct.
The Timbavati is much bigger and much wilder than the Sabi Sands and therefore offers visitors a more untamed safari experience. Game viewing is somewhat less frequent but more diverse than the Sabi Sands because the animals are not as accustomed to safari vehicles due to less traffic in the area.
The lodges in this area are generally family run which will appeal to visitors who are looking for a “less-slick” safari experience and some excellent South African home-cooking.
See more Lodges in the Timbavati
Manyeleti
The Manyeleti Private Reserve is the area that joins the Sabi Sands and the Timbavati areas. Historically it was the only reserve that non-white people could visit during apartheid South Africa. It is home to the Big Five and situated away from the mainstream tourist areas, which offers visitors a more secluded safari experience.
The area is less sophisticated than the other reserves with 200km of gravel roads over 22,750 ha. The Mnisi people occupied this land for many generations and they instituted a land claim for the return of their ancestral grounds at the fall of apartheid. The Manyeleti reserve is now run by the Mnisi tribe who are dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the reserve and harnessing its tourism potential. This well-managed eco-tourism venture benefits the surrounding communities.
The lodges in the Manyeleti are privately owned and lease a concession of land within the reserve.
Although the area does not offer the best game viewing in the Kruger area, it offers a very authentic and holistic safari experience. The intense dry heat of the area means that you can often see a large variety of animals drinking at the waterholes. Birdlife in the Manyeleti is prolific with over 300 recorded species.
Thornybush
The Thornybush Private Game Reserve is a 11,500ha fenced reserve adjacent to the Kruger National Park. All of the Big Five animals are found within their boundaries along with a variety of other wildlife and over 250 bird species. It has excellent quality lodges that offer luxurious and exclusive accommodation.
The reserve is predominantly open savannah with a near perfect climate all year round.
Kruger concessions
The Kruger National Park is owned and run by the South African government. A commercial move by the government led to private concessions within the park being leased to private operators. The lodges established in this way are run in a similar fashion to the other private reserves such as the
Sabi Sands and the
Timbavati.
The benefit of staying at one of the Kruger concessions as opposed to the Kruger Park itself is that each concession has its own land which cannot be utilised by the general public. The same liberties are available as in the private reserves such as night drives and off-road driving and experienced rangers make all the difference to successful game drives.
The most enticing and luxurious private concessions in the Kruger Park are
Singita Lebombo,
Jocks Safari Lodge and
Tinga.
See more Lodges in the Kruger concessions
