Greater Kruger is South Africa’s oldest, largest, and most famous game area. And it comes with a (not-so) well-kept secret. Hidden along its western edges, you will find a few exclusive and private concessions. With unrivalled game densities and award-winning private lodges offering intimate, five-star African safaris. Hands down the very best place to see the Big Five in South Africa – and the most stylish way to do it.
Tucked along Kruger’s western border, a handful of private concessions exist, with mythical-sounding African names such as the Timbavati, Sabie Sand and Thornybush (our favourites). These are hidden pockets of wilderness with no day visitors, fewer lodges, and a lot more leopards.
Anchored by Zimbabwe to the north and Mozambique to its east, this incredibly diverse biosphere stretches out across nearly two million hectares (we told you it was big). Forming a vast protected conservation area known as the Greater Kruger.
While the two names (Kruger National Park and Greater Kruger) are often used interchangeably, they have distinct differences. Exceptional densities of wildlife may move freely between the concessions and the park, but human access to the private reserves is restricted to a very limited number of paying guests. This makes for intimate, authentic safari experiences, privately guided by some of Africa’s very best.
If elegant designs, private plunge pools, romantic treehouses, fine wines and authentic, jaw-dropping safari experiences are what you seek, you’ve arrived. Greater Kruger’s private reserves are a haven for photographic tourism, and discerning safari-goers are guaranteed serious bang for serious buck. (Your Instagram feed will never be the same again.)
Sabi Sand
The birthplace of modern luxury safaris, Sabi Sand offers up the ultimate African safari, stacked to the stars with leopards. Tucked away inside fence-free borders, many of the national park rules don’t apply here. Off-road driving and walking safaris get you closer to the action, without having to share the view with hundreds of other vehicles. This is what you’re paying for. It’s money very well spent.
Thornybush
Just a little further north, Thornybush Private Game Reserve oozes an equal amount of safari charm. This world-famous reserve has it all: Lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard (You’ll know them as the Big Five). And you can track them down any way you like. This fence-free area has no set curfews, meaning nocturnal game viewing and bush dinners under the stars are firmly on the menu. In Thornybush, ‘the basics’ means fine wine, freestanding tubs, and front-row wildlife – making it the ideal corner of the Greater Kruger for those who want comfort without compromise.
Timbavati
Say the name Timbavati and everyone’s safari senses start tingling. This is lion territory. White ones, to be precise. Best known as home to the famed Birmingham pride who carry a rare gene, the sandy riverbeds and open grasslands of Timbavati teem with wildlife. Here, you can track lions by day and soak in a star-lit bubble bath by night. Its five-star lodges might have hefty price tags, but its five-star line up is so freakin’ worth it.
Best time for a safari tour
Like most African safari destinations, winter is the best time for game viewing in the Kruger. Thirsty elephants and buffalo congregate along rivers and around waterholes, and the sparse bush and parched grasslands make spotting big cats a whole lot easier. That’s not to say you won’t see all kinds of exciting stuff year-round.
As the summer rains roll in towards the end of October, Christmas comes early for the Kruger’s predators. Wobbling their way through the new green grass, baby antelope make easy pickings for lions, leopards and wild dogs – and even the odd baboon. The hot, humid days also invite summer migrants like the Woodland Kingfisher, closely followed by binocular-wielding birders.
