Sabi Sand Game Reserve

Sabi Sand Game Reserve (or Wildtuin, as it is also known in Afrikaans) gets its name from the two rivers which flow through it; the Sabie River along the southern boundary and the Sand River flowing south-east through the reserve.

Access To The Reserve

To get to the reserve by car, you'll need to drive towards Hazyview and then onto the most convenient gate for your lodge. The three gates to the reserve are:

• Gowrie Gate
• Newington Gate
• Shaws Gate

If you're flying in for your safari, you may be able to arrange a charter flight with the lodge you'll be staying at. These types of flights will take you quite close to your destination. Otherwise, you could fly to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport at White River near Nelspruit or to Eastgate Airport at Hoedspruit. You can hire a car from these airports or you can arrange with your lodge to be picked up by shuttle bus. If you're going from the reserve to Kruger National Park, the best gates to leave by are Newington Gate or Shaws Gate and then to head towards Paul Kruger Gate. If you're leaving via Gowrie Gate, Orpen Gate is a convenient Kruger Park gate to get to.

Private Lodges

Within the reserve, there's a further breakdown of private reserves which each run their own lodges:

• Arathusa Safari Lodge
• Cheetah Plains Private Game Reserve
• Chitwa Chitwa
• Djuma Private Game Reserve
• Dulini Lodge
• Elephant Plains Game Lodge
• Exeter River Lodge
• Idube Game Reserve
• Inyati Private Game Reserve
• Kirkman's Kamp
• Leadwood Lodge
• Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve
• Lion Sands Private Game Reserve
• Londolozi
• Nkorho Bush Lodge
• Notten’s Bush Camp
• Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve
• Savanna Private Game Reserve
• Singita
• Ulusaba Private Game Reserve - this is Sir Richard Branson's reserve!
• Umkumbe Safari Lodge

There are a lot of private game reserves on the western boundary of Kruger National Park. These reserves, combined with Kruger National Park, are known as Greater Kruger National Park. All the kinds of animals that you could find in Kruger National Park, including the big 5, could be in the private reserves too as there are no fences separating the game parks. Private game reserves are usually synonymous with luxury, so expect any stay at any of them to be wonderful, but pricey.