Top Luxury Safari lodges to see the Big Five in South Africa

Top Luxury Safari lodges to see the Big Five in South Africa

Top Luxury Safari lodges to see the Big Five in South Africa

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1.Earth Lodge Sabi Sabi  

Earth Lodge is part of the Sabi Sabi Game Reserve neighboring the Kruger National Park, this conservation area is very well known for the big 5, the lodge is not only beautifully designed to get lost in the geography of the terrain. But it is also one of the most beautiful lodges in the area. The service and generosity of their staff is overwhelming. You don’t realize you have arrived at the lodge until you see someone standing at the end of what looks like a walkway into a tunnel. After greeting you they walk you through this tunnel-like walkway to come out to a spectacular setting with incredible views. If you are lucky you will get some elephants near your room with a private pool or even a lion or a leopard. I was told that more than once guests have to call receptions for a little help with the leopard using their poolside day bed. 

Recently my honeymoon clients experienced an elephant walking by their outdoor shower and coming to the front to see if it could get some water from the pool. 

In Sabi Sabi you will be able to see the big 5, this area has become more and more known for spotting leopards which are generally very hard to find. 

2. Saseka Thornybush

Saseka Tented Camp was a very nice surprise for me, actually an incredible surprise, the rooms are so different from any other lodge I’ve been to and it is so well designed and finely done, it is the epitome of taste and style. The common area is fantastic and it makes you feel like there’s a show about to start and you need to choose one of the very comfortable seats and wait for it to happen, it’s just fantastic. 

When I visited it the river was a bit dry. I was told that when the river flows it’s so relaxing just to sit there and enjoy the However, remember that when the river is dry there are waterholes near and the animals come to drink so that is a plus. 

Also being situated next to Kruger Park, this means that the animals roam freely between the park and the Thornybush game reserve. 

When you start a game drive, the ranger usually asks “what would you like to see” (make sure you tell them what you want to see), so I very quickly replied and said I wanted to see a leopard on a tree (I’d seen leopards before, but never on a tree). Well within 15 minutes they spotted one, and voila! we were done with the most difficult of the big 5. So now all we needed to do is find the other 4 which, well if lucky enough, is not that difficult. 

3. Lebombo Singita

Lebombo is one of the 5 lodges that Singita has in the Kruger area. Although it is a bit more difficult to reach than the ones in the Sabi Sands area of Kruger, it is a beautiful lodge nestled on the side of the hill next to the N’wanetsi River, near the South African border with Mozambique. Our trip there was a bit long but very much worth it. One flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg. Then a charter flight, directly into the Satara Airstrip. From there it’s a 30 – 45 minutes drive to the lodge through the Kruger National Park (if you are lucky you will start your game viewing on the way already).

I always tell my clients to make sure they go to a private game reserve for the simple reason that there the vehicles are allowed off-road, making the wildlife sighting a lot more exciting and special. You might say, “wait a minute, Lebombo is inside the Kruger National Park?” Yes, it is, but it is a concession so Singita is allowed to do what they want as long as they make sure they take good care of the area and protect it. Let’s be honest, all game reserve lodges have the same goal, to protect and take care of the wildlife. 

I was lucky enough to travel there with a client of mine who was traveling alone. Our experience didn’t start too well because on our first game drive we didn’t see many animals – Least of all any of the big 5. However on day 2 during one game drive, the afternoon one, we saw all of them (the big 5) at one point in a big open space. We saw Elephants, Rhinos, Buffalo, and Lions. Then later that afternoon we saw a big pride of lions and on our way back to the lodge we saw 2 leopards. Now that is what we call luck, and it was incredibly fabulous. Both my client and I were super happy and excited about it. 

4. Karula Kapama

 

Kapama Karula located in the Kapama Game Reserve is their flagship lodge. Impeccable elegance and style, it is a world of its own. Kapama Game Reserve is located near the Kruger National Park as well, but this reserve does not share borders with it. That doesn’t mean that we aren’t going to be able to see the big 5. Au contraire, I sometimes think it’s even easier to see them here. Keep in mind that it all comes down to luck, and being at the right place at the right time. But whenever I’ve been there I have seen the big 5 and even Cheetahs which are very hard to find in this area. 

My clients love this game reserve because it is actually the closest reserve to the Hoedspruit airport, one of the three airports you can fly to when visiting the Kruger National Park area. It is probably the shortest land transfer from any of the Airports to the lodge. 

Within the reserve there’s a lodge called Jabulani, they have an amazing elephant interaction experience. If you love elephants this is the best interaction with them that you will have in South Africa. They have an Elephant Orphanage – these rescued elephants will spend the rest of their lives there and will be taken care of by the people that run it, it’s a true labor of love.

5. Royal Malewane

Also located in the Thornybush game reserve this is part of the Royal Portfolio hotels, it has been recognized as the top luxury lodge in South Africa, one of the best lodges in the world, as well as some of the other hotels that belong to this group. 

Being in the Thornybush Game Reserve, it is a sure thing that we will be able to see the big 5. But it all depends on our luck and how long we are there. 

The game drive experiences here are fantastic! Their game rangers are very knowledgeable and good at finding the one big 5 animal you need to see. The area, being next to Kruger Park, has plenty of animals that roam freely between the game reserve and the national park. So all we need is patience and luck and we will definitely have a great chance to see all of the big 5. Leopards are always being the cheeky ones to find – but as a piece of good advice, and this goes for most of the lodges in the Kruger area, always ask to see if they can find African Wild dogs. I find them adorable and beautiful. But they are vicious and very difficult to find because they are always on the move,. They are very good hunters and to watch them work as a group is mind-blowing. I would say that here is where my clients have seen them the most. 

Royal Malewane just opened a new lodge nearby, called Waterside, it opened last July, and I can’t wait to go visit it.

6. Bayethe Shamwari

Shamwari Game Reserve was my second safari ever, I will never forget how we chased two cheetahs that were on the hunt for a couple of reedbuck, or was it wildebeests? Anyway, we followed them for a while until they gave up, but the amazing thing that I remember from this, was the sound these animals make. They literally sound like kittens, like a house cat. 

Bayethe Lodge is one of the top lodges in the Shamwari Private Game Reserve located in the Eastern Cape province. The name means “I salute you” which is a very warm welcome in the African culture of this area of the country. As you can see, you don’t need to be in the Kruger National Park to see the big 5. Depending on your trip you can have your safari experience here at the end of the garden route, or the beginning, (depending on which way you do the Garden route). 

When I did my first Safari I was under the impression that giraffes were lonely animals (now I know they are not). But when I came here for the first time there were so many Giraffes I could not believe what I was seeing. All of them together and walking so graciously on the big plains of the reserve. Leopards are very hard to find here, but they do have them so if you see one here, consider yourself Lucky. Elephants, rhinos, and buffalo are plenty. However that doesn’t mean that sometimes you will struggle to find them – once we spent almost 3 hours looking for elephants and just as we were about to give up they surprised us by walking out of the bush right next to us, quite a few of them.

6Phinda Vlei

Considered one of the most beautiful lodges in the Phinda Game Reserve. Here you can also see the big 5 even though it is not near Kruger. This reserve is only 4 hours drive from Durban, or 2 hours drive from Richard’s Bay. It’s also very near Sodwana Bay in the Isimangaliso Wetland Park, which is a great spot for Scuba Diving. This means you can do an early morning dive and an afternoon game drive – and with some luck, you will see the big 5 and the big ocean 5 (Whales, Dolphins, Sharks, Seals, Penguins).

Phinda was the first game reserve I ever visited, my first ever safari back in 2001. I can say that my passion for South Africa, its wildlife, and this beautiful continent started here. I was very impressed by what I saw and I know that still to this day it impresses me every time. 

This &Beyond properties lodge in the Kwa-Zulu Natal province of South Africa, has a a world renowned standard of luxury. Their staff are incredibly friendly and gracious, you will feel like you belong here. One thing that I will always remember from my first visit was the encounter we had with a family of Cheetahs and thier cubs. It was quite incredible, keep in mind Cheetahs are hard to find, and also, not every private game reserve has cheetahs. So on top of the big 5 you can also see them here. 

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What Our Clients Say

Vania Cotera
Vania Cotera
2023-08-30
Excellent service from start to finish. At first, they provided a range of travel plans for us to pick the one that accommodated best to our needs (All options were top notch!). Then he coordinated all the logistics (internal flights and transports, bookings with the hotels,…). During our trip, Mr. German was very attentive, reaching out periodically just to make sure everything was executed as planned. While at Cape Town, he even had the courtesy to meet us in person. Not to leave aside the fact that in all the hotels, he had personalized letter and details that made us feel very special. Overall, I would rate them 5 stars and I would recommended it to anybody that wishes to have a wonderful trip at the African continent. Looking forward to our next trip with NananTravel! 🙂
Andrew El Zein
Andrew El Zein
2023-08-25
German from Nanan Travel helped us organize our amazing trip to Africa and we could't have asked for a better person to do so! He arranged and coordinated the trip perfectly by providing us great insights, advice, and suggests on where to go, what to see, and what are must-do activities/things to do in those locations, then executing the plan to perfection. Communication and planning with German was great as he took the time to get on a few calls with us to discuss budgets, options, and provide advice, along with the great WhatsApp & email communication to make sure we were always informed/up to date. German perfectly planned and arranged our entire trip including locations, routes, hotels, car rental, restaurant recommendations, transportation and tours/activities. What we also really appreciated from German is that even when we were there, we felt accompanied by him throughout the trip. He checked in with us to make sure we were happy and all was going well, in addition to always being available should we have any questions, issues, or even if we just needed a quick insight/piece of advice 🙂 We will definitely work with Nanan Travel again for future trips and highly recommend them! Thank you German for everything! For those interested in what German planned for us: We started in Cape Town (South Africa), where we stayed for 10 days and German was kind enough to provide some recommendations of places to go, things to do, and some great dining spots. We then rented a car (which he organized) to drive the Garden Route from Cape Town to Hermanus, then Hermanus to Plettenberg. German suggested these locations and to drive, which I have to say was the right option as the landscapes were incredible and the roads were great. We stayed in Hermanus for 2 days, where German arranged our accommodation (Harbour House Hotel) and excursions that were whale watching and shark cage diving. Moving on from a great few days in Hermanus, we continued our trip and drove to Plettenberg Bay. German booked us at a great hotel (The Plettenburg), from which you can see whales playing in the bay while you enjoy your breakfast...it was amazing! Plettenberg has so much to offer and so many activities to do, of which we decided to visit sanctuaries for elephants, wolves, monkeys, and birds. For the next leg of our adventure, German arranged for us to visit Victoria Falls with activities both in Zambia and Zimbabwe. We landed in Zambia and stayed at the AVANI Victoria Falls, which would be our base for the next few days while we participated in all the excursions German arranged for us. These included a guided tour of Victoria Falls and Flying-fox/zip-lining over the Zambezi River on the Zimbabwe side. On the Zambian side we did an early morning adventure to the Victoria Falls' Devil's Pool and a microlight flight over the Victoria Falls. They were all incredible experiences! For the final part of our journey, German arranged for us to visit Botswana's Chobe National Park to go on safari. He booked us at the Cresta Mowana where everything was included, even the activities. For the activities, we did a sunset cruise on the Chobe River, x2 morning safaris, and x1 evening safari which were all amazing! As I said, earlier we can't thank German enough for arranging this incredible trip! We would recommend him to anyone looking for help to arrange an amazing trip and will definitely be working with him for our next ones 🙂
Sandra Ldm
Sandra Ldm
2023-08-23
Nanan Travel (German) nos ayudó a organizar este viaje soñado por África. Empezamos en Cape Town-Sudáfrica, donde alquilamos un carro para hacer la ruta de los jardines. (Los paisajes eran increíbles y las carreteras super bien mantenidas.) Nos quedamos unos días en Hermanus, dónde pudimos ver muchas ballenas y hacer algunas actividades de aventura en el mar. Continuamos nuestra ruta manejando hasta Plettenberg bay en donde pudimos visitar santuarios de elefantes, lobos, monos, ave y ver más ballenas saltando desde nuestro hotel, una experiencia inolvidable! En cada lugar German ya tenía todas las coordinaciones listas e inclusive detalles sorpresas que no nos esperábamos. 🙂 Nuestra aventura nos llevo hasta las Cataratas Victoria, situadas en la frontera de Zambia y Zimbabue y finalizamos nuestro viaje en Botsuana para ir al safari del Parque Nacional Chobe. Todo el viaje desde rutas, hoteles, alquiler del auto, recomendaciones de restaurantes, taxis/transportes y tours han sido perfectamente planeados y coordinados por German. Nos hemos sentido acompañados por él durante todo el viaje y sobre todo cuando teníamos alguna consulta o inconveniente, nos respondía rápido. Definitivamente volveremos a contratar a Nanan Travel para futuros viajes y recomendamos sus servicios A1! Gracias German por todo!
Karen Gibbs
Karen Gibbs
2023-07-07
We were a group of 8 friends, and we’d like to thank German for all his help in organizing our wonderful safari to Tanzania. The hotels were beautiful, food delicious and all our drivers so friendly and extremely knowledgeable, and the places we visited absolutely beautiful! But the highlight of our trip was the visit to the gorillas in Rwanda (recommended by German). This was the most amazing experience. Thank you German from all of us for such an Incredible experience!
Gonzalo Eguren
Gonzalo Eguren
2023-06-23
Great experience in Tanzania and Rwanda, highly recomended!!! 👍👍👍. Thanks German for everything.
xavier gordillo
xavier gordillo
2023-05-20
Espectaculares vistas y paisajes de Sudáfrica. Un fantástico descanso en la naturaleza. Muy recomendable el servicio de Nanan Travel.
Vanessa Mazzucchelli
Vanessa Mazzucchelli
2023-05-20
Espectacular el safari!!! Gracias Nanan Travel .. super recomendable.
Rodrigo Rivera
Rodrigo Rivera
2023-05-10
Gracias German por todo el soporte antes, durante y despues de todo el viaje. Fuiste clave para tener una luna de miel SOÑADA. Empezando por la tremenda ruta Nyota en Africa y terminando con Malvidas. Excelente eleccion. Tu soporte y compañia durante todo el viaje nos dio la tranquilidad de poder disfrutarlo como se debe. Gracias!!
Manuela Duharte Clever
Manuela Duharte Clever
2023-05-03
todo excelente. la atencion y la cercania de German con nosotros hizo todo mas facil. la seleccion de la ruta Nyota en Africa y los hoteles fue muy buena eleccion. terminar con Maldivas para descansar, mejor todavia. Gracias German!!

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