Duration
7-Day
Accra, South Africa
This best selling luxury safari offers a rewarding wildlife safari in two of Greater Kruger's most iconic private reserves. The Sabi Sand & Timbavati are known for exceptional wildlife with frequent sightings of the Big Five and other rare and endangered species. Experience thrilling game drives and guided bush walks with Arathusa Safari Lodge & Thabamati Luxury Tented Camp. Both camps overlook dams, attracting animals throughout the day to drink, giving you a real arm chair safari!
Plan snapshot
Duration
7-Day
Route
Hoedspruit to Hoedspruit (Hoedspruit)
Via Sabi Sands, Timbavati NR
Country & park
South Africa
Style
Safari
Group size
1-12 travelers
Starts
Any day if available
Minimum age
12 years
Activities
game drives, evening/night game drives & walking safaris (with an armed guide)
Accommodation
Arathusa Safari Lodge - Luxury lodge inside Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger) – All Meals Included
Meals
All Meals Included; Breakfast Included
Pickup
Airport transfer included
Booking
Request quote
Currency
ZAR
Rates
ZAR
Before booking
Quote flow
This luxury tour uses lodges and tented camps.
This tour will be organized exclusively for you. However, wildlife viewing activities are run by the lodges/camps and will be shared with others.
If availability permits, this tour can start on any day.
You can request minor changes to the accommodations and destinations of this tour.
Solo travelers cannot book this private tour.
The minimum age for this tour is 12 years.
Day 1-3
Luxury lodge inside Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger) – All Meals Included
All Meals Included
Day 4-6
Luxury tented camp inside Timbavati NR (Greater Kruger) – All Meals Included
All Meals Included
Day 7
(No accommodation)
Breakfast Included
Tour step
You'll be collected from the airport. Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.
Day 1
On arrival at Hoedspruit Airport, you will be driven to the Northern Sabi Sand where the game-viewing experiences are incredible. You will spend 3 nights at Arathusa Safari Lodge, set in the northern reaches of Sabi Sand and ideally positioned overlooking a large dam. This tranquil waterhole attracts a variety of wildlife throughout the day, including hippos, elephants, and a wide range of antelope, offering excellent viewing from the comfort of the lodge deck. The lodge features spacious luxury safari rooms, each individually decorated with natural African touches. All rooms have full en-suite bathrooms, outdoor showers, air conditioning, and a private deck. Some rooms overlook the dam, while others face the surrounding bush and have pools, providing either a front-row seat to wildlife or a serene bush retreat. The lodge’s main area includes a lounge, dining area, and viewing deck, perfect for relaxing between game drives or enjoying sundowners as the sun sets over the plains. Luxury lodge located inside Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger) All meals included All drinks (Premium wines & liquors might be excluded)
Day 2
Arathusa sits in the heart of the northern Sabi Sand, one of South Africa’s most renowned private reserves. The area is celebrated for exceptional wildlife diversity, including frequent sightings of the Big Five, wild dogs, cheetah, and numerous rare species. Game viewing at Arathusa is led by experienced guides and trackers in open safari vehicles, with morning and afternoon drives offering opportunities to spot predators and observe fascinating wildlife behaviours. After breakfast, you can enjoy guided bush walks to explore the smaller details of the environment, from birdlife to tracks and plant species. The lodge overlooks a busy dam, allowing guests to spend hours watching animals come to drink, giving a truly immersive armchair safari experience in this prolific region of Sabi Sand. Your afternoon game drive extends into the evening, driving under the stars after your sunset drink, on your way back to the lodge for dinner. Walks are available after breakfast subject to guides. Luxury lodge located inside Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger) All meals included All drinks (Premium wines & liquors might be excluded)
Day 4
After your morning game drive and breakfast, you will be transferred to the Timbavati Private Game Reserve and spend 3 nights at Thabamati Luxury Tented Camp. This intimate camp has just four luxury colonial-style tents, each with a private game-viewing deck overlooking a dam that frequently attracts wildlife. Tents are beautifully laid out, spacious, featuring a bedroom, seating area, writing desk, and en-suite bathroom with a freestanding bath, indoor and outdoor showers, and elegant furnishings that blend comfort with safari style. The main lodge area includes a large swimming pool, comfy lounge, gym, and spa, along with private spaces to relax between game drives. You can also visit the curio shop or enjoy sundowners on the deck while watching wildlife at the dam, offering a combination of luxury, privacy, and immersive nature experiences. Luxury tented camp located inside Timbavati NR (Greater Kruger) All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 5
Thabamati is situated in the heart of Timbavati Private Game Reserve, an area renowned for its rich wildlife and part of the Greater Kruger ecosystem. The reserve is home to frequent sightings of the Big Five, including leopard and wild dog, as well as a variety of antelope and birdlife. Game drives are led by expert guides and trackers, with morning and afternoon drives providing excellent opportunities to spot predators and observe natural behaviours. You can also enjoy guided bush walks, learning about the smaller details of the ecosystem, from tracks to flora. The camp overlooks a busy dam, allowing you to relax on their private deck while observing wildlife, making Thabamati a perfect combination of thrilling safari activity and peaceful wildlife viewing. Your guide can take you out for a walk after breakfast subject to weather conditions. Luxury tented camp located inside Timbavati NR (Greater Kruger) All meals included Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 7
After your morning game drive and brunch, you will check out of Thabamati. Your road transfer takes you to Hoedspruit Airport for your onward travel. Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included) Drinks not included
Tour step
Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost. You'll be dropped off at the airport.
Park fees (For non-residents)
All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)
A professional driver/guide
All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
All Taxes/VAT
Roundtrip airport transfer
Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
Drinks (As specified in the day-by-day section)
International flights (From/to home)
Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
Tips (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
Offered by
I started Explore & Travel Africa five years ago, after spending over 15 years in the safari industry, and I still love what I do. We specialise in bespoke safaris across Southern and East Africa, and I've personally been to most of the places we recommend. We take the time to understand your needs and travelling style. We're a small, hands-on team and you'll always be dealing with someone who knows Africa well and genuinely cares how your trip turns out
Office In
South Africa
Size
1-5 employees (Founded in 2020)
Member Of
Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
Tour Types
Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
Destinations
Botswana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Traveler feedback
Overall
5.0/5Communication
5.0/5Accuracy
5.0/5Value
5.0/5Safety clarity
5.0/5Cultural value
5.0/5Personable approach to finding the perfect South African safari with dedicated support along the way. We felt very reassured throughout the process and ultimately had an amazing trip!
Jack · United Kingdom
From the outset, Michelle Astbury from Explore and Travel Africa was enthusiastic, engaging and communicative. Every suggestion and aspiration from our group was carefully listened to and the resulting itinerary hand-crafted by Michelle was outstanding. Once on the ground, every aspect of the holiday went smoothly, with not a single hitch. I couldn't recommend Michelle and her company more highly.
Michael · Australia
We decided to use Michelle, as a local South African-based travel agent who had first-hand experience, rather than an Australian agent operating from a desk and screen, and we were not disappointed. In fact, Michelle far exceeded our expectations in every way. We gave her an outline of where we wanted to go and suggested that five-star experiences is what we wanted, without going over the top. Her communication was outstanding, including a couple of phone calls, and her suggestions and attention to detail, particularly with tour, driver, accommodation and meal options. The itinerary and tours that she planned was amazing: We arrived in Cape Town, from London and stayed at the beautiful Victoria and Albert hotel at the Waterfront - so convenient to everything. We did wine and Cape Peninsular tours, along with Robben Island and Table Mountain and we even squeezed in a rugby game. At Victoria Falls, we had superb accommodation at Ilala Lodge, where we could see the mist from the falls. A Zambezi River cruise, with dinner after. The helicopter ride over the falls and upstream and downstream was spectacular. A guided tour of both sides of the falls and a walk across the bridge was followed by lunch at The Lookout Cafe, downstream from the Falls and then to a the amazing Dusty Road Township Restaurant for dinner. Then a day tour to Chobe, including a boat cruise and game drive and a lunch at a local hotel. We then flew to Kruger and overnighted at Oliver's, a beautiful boutique hotel located on the White River Country Estate, where we wished we could have stayed longer to at play the renowned golf course. The two game lodges we stayed at were sensational with amazing accommodation, meals and, best of all, great guides - we saw not only the big Five of Lions, Elephants, Rhinos, Buffalos and Leopards but also Cheetahs and Wild Dogs to make the Super 7, plus Giraffes, Zebra, Impala, Hippos, Monkeys and amazing birdlife. At Inyati Game Lodge, in Sabi Sand, we had a beautiful chalet near the river, with monkeys and Impala wandering through, great food and twice daily game drives. Our day two post on Facebook: Walk to the Giraffes, a pair of Leopards (mating), Lions resting after a kill and more elephants - a cute baby that got startled when our guide started the engine and it gave out a trumpet and charged three metres at us as we slowly drove off. He looked quite proud of himself and will dine out on the story for years. After three nights, it was a three-hour drive to another of the private game parks in the Kruger, Thabamati Luxury Tented Camp in the private Timbavati Nature reserve, for three nights. Wow. This was Luxury personified, with only four rooms. Our "tent" was absolutely stunning, just metres from the dam. We arrived in time for tea, before the evening game drive, to be greeted by a herd of 25 elephants, of which many also come for tea at the dam every day, much to the annoyance of the resident Hippos and two Egyptian geese. Our, too short, tour ended with a flight to Johannesburg and then back to Sydney. Thanks, Michelle for a real "Bucket list" experience.
Ron and Sally · Australia
We started out in Cape Town staying at the Victoria & Albert Hotel. Visited the local market on Saturday and then spent the next three days touring with a guide: (1) Table Mountain (2) Cape Peninsula; and (3) Winelands. Food, accommodations and service were excellent. Tours were interesting and guides were friendly and knowledgeable. Fly to Victoria Falls and lunch at the Lookout Cafe followed by a tour of the falls from the Zimbabwe side. Traveled by van to the Zambia side of the falls with a two-night stay at the Royal Livingston Hotel. Walked from hotel to see the falls. Wear sandals and shorts with rain gear and umbrella when visiting the falls. It's wet! Giraffes and zebras roam the hotel grounds, providing a glimpse of what is to come on safari. We traveled to Botswana and spent three nights in four separate safari camps. We started with Chobe Game Lodge on the Chobe River. Safari by boat and jeep twice a day. Lots of elephants, impala, baboons, giraffes. A nice transition into the safari daily routine and staying in the park cut down on drive time. Next stop, Wilderness Savuti, a tented camp in the Linyanti Concession followed by Little Vumbura and finished up with Wilderness Qorokwe. We were assigned a guide for each tented camp stay. Guides were knowledgeable about animals, plants, birds and the local community. Accommodations were nice and staff were polite, friendly and helpful. Food was good! Lots and lots of animals and birds. We were gone for three weeks but it went by fast! Explore & Travel Africa made this the easiest and best trip we have taken. The Travelkey app they use is great; no paper to carry around. And once you are in the safari camps, they take care of your schedule and daily needs, including laundry! Pack light.
Mary · United States
Practical answers
Rates are per person and exclude the international flight from/to your home country.
This tour is offered in South African Rand (ZAR).
This tour accepts children who are 12 years and older.
If availability permits, this tour can start on any day.
You can request minor changes to the accommodations and destinations of this tour.
Arathusa Safari Lodge - Luxury lodge inside Sabi Sands (Greater Kruger) – All Meals Included. Meals: All Meals Included
This tour starts and ends in Hoedspruit
A transfer from and back to the airport is included
Operator policy
This tour is offered by Explore and Travel Africa, not SafariBookings.
This operator reserves the right to change rates advertised on SafariBookings.
If you request changes to this tour, the advertised rates will likely change.
The exact order, contents and rates of this tour are subject to availability.
If an accommodation is fully booked, the operator will suggest a comparable alternative.
This tour is subject to the terms & conditions of Explore and Travel Africa.
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