South & West Sabi Sands Safari Trips & Tours

South & West Sabi Sands

Beguiling lodges, bulging rivers & that sensational Kruger wildlife.

Travel and Leisure Worlds Best Awards for number 1 tour operator in the world 2024 and number 2 tour operator in the world 2025

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Named three years running in Travel+Leisure World's Best, including No.1 in 2024

South & West Sabi Sands

Search for the Leopards of the Sabi Sands

A safari that surpasses every expectation awaits in this vast wilderness just west of the Kruger National Park.

Together with the northern sector, the Sabi Sands Reserve spans 65,000 hectares and has become known as one of the finest wildlife areas in South Africa. Named after the two rivers that run across its vast terrain, the Sabi and the Sand, the reserve has plenty to keep its four-legged residents happy. It also shares a fenceless border with the Kruger National Park so animals can move freely across miles of land. In the south, many of the lodges are set along the rivers, making game drives and bush walks even more spectacular. The reserve is particularly well known for its incredible big cat sightings, especially leopards who enjoy the trees along its rivers as cool hiding spots. You can also look forward to an impressive display of birdlife from eagles to the tiniest kingfisher. In the south, the lodges (all of the luxurious kind!) enjoy a sense of exclusivity in their activities and you’re unlikely to see other visitors whilst out and about.

Our Experts

Want to chat?

Get advice and suggestions to make this your perfect trip.

or call us on: +1 (646) 542 0667

Jenna Coiley

South Africa Travel Specialist

Kristin Jessup

South Africa Travel Specialist

Annie Irankunda

South Africa Travel Specialist

Things to do

What to do in South & West Sabi Sands

Iconic riverbeds wind through this 65,000-hectare wilderness, creating perfect hunting grounds for the area's famous leopards. The southern section holds some of Africa's most exclusive safari experiences, with luxurious lodges commanding prime positions along the waterways. Without fences between here and Kruger National Park, wildlife moves freely through pristine terrain. Big cats steal the spotlight - particularly the leopards who drape themselves through riverside trees. Eagles soar overhead while tiny kingfishers dart above the waters, adding vibrant splashes of colour to the safari scene. Game drives and walks explore this private paradise where exclusivity reigns. When darkness falls, the unpolluted sky reveals a dazzling celestial display, completing the wilderness experience.

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Active

When to go

Best time to visit South & West Sabi Sands

Excellent

Good

Mixed

january

Wet Season — a quieter time to visit

Reviews

Based on 360 Feefo Reviews for South Africa

Guest

The Africa trip of a lifetime

September 2026

20 nights in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana

The bottom line is that Timbuktu planned a fabulous trip for us (two first-time travelers to Africa). Things ran very smoothly during our three weeks in Africa, and we enjoyed every stop and accommodation along the way. Our travel agent took the time to speak with us about what we wanted, and her recommendations were detailed and tailored to what we had discussed. She was also clearly knowledgeable about travel to Africa. We initially came to her with one idea for our trip, but she kindly helped us see that it might be a logistical challenge, and she helped us craft an alternative itinerary that met all our goals and desires. The only qualm we had was with some of the communication during the planning process - our agent was lovely, and very helpful, but occasionally failed to respond to us by the deadlines she gave, and did not let us know what was going on when that happened. To be clear, these issues didn't end up impacting our trip, but it did create some concerns (although minor) before we left. Ultimately, though, it was the trip of a lifetime, and we're very grateful for all the planning help we received! We would recommend Timbuktu to others looking to travel to Africa.

Joan McCulloch

Amazing experience

August 2026

10 nights in South Africa and Lesotho

They tailored the entire trip to my requirements, communication was superb. There was no pushiness. I will definitely use them again and highly recommend them to anyone considering a trip to southern Africa.

Guest

August 2026

8 nights in South Africa and Zimbabwe

Jenna was fantastic and gave us great advice and recommendations for our homeymoon

Guest

July 2026

10 nights in South Africa

Tessa and Timbuktu put together a trip of a lifetime for us. The trip moving through South Africa to 3 different safari lodges required planning to move us from lodge to lodge. Tessa pulled that off the transfers went smoothly, We would highly recommend Tessa and Timbuktu.

Elizabeth Hubka

July 2026

9 nights in South Africa

Brandy Baucom

July 2026

14 nights in South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe

Seamless trip for 14 nights start to finish. Beyond my expectations from when I started planning the trip. Highly recommend Timbuktu to anyone.

Why travel with Timbuktu?

We design tailor-made journeys for travellers who want more than a holiday, from first-time safaris, gorilla treks and multi-generational family adventures to once-in-a-lifetime honeymoons - and everything in between. And here's why so many choose us to plan them.

Tailor-Made Since 2014

We've been crafting one-of-a-kind journeys since 2014 — over 2,500 trips across 40+ countries, each one built from scratch around your interests and dreams.

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Our team only recommends places they've slept in, eaten in, and happily keep going back to. Condé Nast Traveler named 11 of them Top Travel Specialists in 2026, and Travel+Leisure made three A-List Advisors.

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Travel+Leisure's readers voted us the World's No.1 Tour Operator in 2024 and No.2 in 2025 — the travel industry's biggest readers' award, judged by people who actually travel.

Every Trip Makes A Difference

$50 from every booking goes to female empowerment, tech education, and conservation projects across the countries we love. We have donated $78,000 so far – and it's going up!

Collaboration Is Key

Your travel specialist is with you the whole way, dreaming up the trip, building the itinerary, checking you in, and answering the 2am question from the other side of the world..