South & West Sabi Sands

South & West Sabi Sands Safari Trips & Tours

South & West Sabi Sands

Beguiling lodges, bulging rivers & that sensational Kruger wildlife.

Let's help you plan

Joanna - Travel Consultant
Johnny - Travel Consultant
Eve - Travel Consultant
HeartHeartHeartHeartHeart

4.9/5 (911 reviews)

Travel and Leisure Worlds Best Awards for number 1 tour operator in the world 2024 and number 2 tour operator in the world 2025
We're one of the World's Best Tour Operators!
Voted No.1 in 2024 and No.2 in 2025 by Travel+Leisure

South & West Sabi Sands Safari Trips & Tours

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.

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.

Open Map
Static map
Best time to visit

When to go on a South & West Sabi Sands Trip

Excellent
Good
Mixed

Reviews

HeartHeartHeartHeartHeart

Based on 333 Feefo Reviews for South Africa

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

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.

Specialists Who've Been There

Specialists Who've Been There

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.

The World's No 1 Tour Operator

The World's No 1 Tour Operator

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

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

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..

Loved By Our Guests

Loved By Our Guests

We are rated 4.9 out of 5 from 911 verified Feefo reviews. And these are the words of people who actually went, not us talking about ourselves.

As Seen in

11 Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialists 2026

Condé Nast Traveler

No. 1 & No. 2 Tour Operator in Travel + Leisure's Best Awards 2024 & 2025

Travel + Leisure

Best Booking Platform in Women's Health Travel Awards 2025

Women's Health magazine

Travel Specialist voted as Latin America A-List Travel Advisor 2025

Condé Nast Traveler A-List Awards

"Timbuktu can take relatively complex and slightly amorphous travel plans and transform them into a well-organized, perfectly tailored trip."

Forbes magazine
AFAR magazine
The Daily Telegraph newspaper
Vogue magazine
Glamour magazine
BBC
Oprah Magazine
Natural Geographic