Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge is set in the heart of the Sabi Sands Game Reserve overlooking a waterhole where animals come regularly to drink. This private conservation area shares unfenced borders with the Kruger National Park and delivers superb Big 5 game viewing all through the year. Featuring light-filled open courtyards and classic African décor throughout the lodge, Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge delivers a luxurious and classic safari experience.

After a light pre-dawn snack to keep you going, set off in open safari vehicles for some of the best game viewing in South Africa. Guided by your professional ranger and local tracker, you have an excellent chance of seeing the Big 5 and a wide range of other animals. Return to the lodge for a delicious cooked breakfast then relax around the swimming pool, have a massage at the spa or even go on a guided nature walk before your late afternoon game drive, returning via a spotlit drive to catch shy nocturnal animals on the move.

Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge is very oriented to families and is child-friendly. Little ones will love spending time at the colourful EleFun Centre, where four to eight-year-olds can join the Junior Trackers Programme and nine to 12-year-olds can learn about being Junior Rangers. The emphasis at EleFun is firmly on age-appropriate 'edutainment' and nurturing children's love of nature.

Highlights

• Private concession in the Sabi Sands
• Beautiful, traditional safari flair - African art & tasteful ethnic feel
• Huge viewing decks & local waterhole
• Classic Big 5 country & great birding
• Excellent facilities - spa, private dining & wine cellar
• Very geared toward children

Activities

• PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARIS
• BIRD WATCHING
• GAME DRIVES
• GUIDED WALKS
• STAR GAZING
• NIGHT DRIVES
• CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES

This is undoubtedly one of the most family-friendly safari lodges in the Sabi Sands. My favourite experience was visiting the Elefun Centre which offers hands-on, interactive activities for children.

Rooms

Luxury Suite

The 25 thatched bungalow suites each include a spacious bedroom with a draped 4-poster bed and a sitting area that leads onto your private deck where you can watch animals amble past and birds go about their business.

The large en suite bathrooms feature a big tub for soaking in, and an indoor as well as outdoor shower.

Facilities

The spacious thatched main lodge incorporates inter-connecting courtyards and rooms and provides many quiet places to sit and relax, under the thatch, out on the expansive wooden deck or around one of the two swimming pools overlooking the waterhole.

There is a lodge bar, a cocktail lounge and an extensive wine cellar stocking an excellent variety of vintages. If you prefer fine spirits to wine, you can sample tipples from the lodge's collection of whiskeys and potstill brandies. You can also browse the safari shop or indulge in a treatment or massage at the Camelot International Spa.

The EleFun Centre is one of the best children's facilities in the area. It has indoor activities like arts & crafts but also exciting outdoor options like a zipline and obstacle course. Kids can tackle junior ranger and tracker programmes that teach them to identify spoor, calls, birds and animals, and basic bushcraft.

Adults are not left out of learning more about this fascinating section of Africa: the Community Centre can arrange meetings with Shangaan tribespeople to learn more about their history in the greater Kruger region.

Dining

The chefs at Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge are creative with the meals they serve in the lodge dining room or out on the veranda surrounded by the evocative African bush.

African-style dinners are often served around the roaring log fire, under the stars in the traditional reed boma. Incredibly romantic dinners are often set up to surprise guests in the privacy of their suites - be prepared!