This 5-day Umkumbe Bush Lodge safari delivers a more complete Kruger and Sabi Sands experience, with extra time for wildlife viewing and relaxation at camp. Enjoy two full-day Kruger National Park safaris, Sabi Sands game drives, a guided bush walk and semi-luxury tented accommodation.
Experience the best of both worlds by exploring the Big 5 Sabie Sands Game Reserve with its superb wildlife sightings and few safari vehicles, as well as the vast expanse of Kruger National Park. Select the tented accommodation to suit your budget and preferences, with a choice of standard, luxury, and superior tented suites.
At the start of this 5-day Complete Kruger & Sabi Sands Experience, you are collected from the OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg at 07h00 in the morning. From Johannesburg, you are transferred to Sabie Sands Game Reserve in a comfortable shuttle vehicle with air-conditioning.
Your driver takes you to Umkumbe Bush Lodge inside the world-renowned Sabie Sand Game Reserve. This private game reserve forms part of Greater Kruger Park and shares unfenced boundaries with Kruger National Park. After checking into your luxurious tented room, there is some time to freshen up and relax. Settle in and enjoy the beautiful setting of this private game lodge tucked away in the indigenous Tamboti trees of Sabi Sands.
In the late afternoon, you head out on your first thrilling game drive in Sabie Sands Game Reserve. This sunset game drive is conducted in an open 4x4 safari vehicle. The camp's professional guides take you out into Sabi Sands in search of the Big 5 animals and many other species. Sunset is the ideal time for game drives on African safaris. That's because the diurnal animals are more active in the evenings, and the nocturnal animals begin to stir as darkness falls.
Our first exciting game drive ends back at Umkumbe Bush Lodge in the southern part of Sabi Sands Game Reserve. End the day off with dinner and drinks around the campfire in the spacious open-air boma. Then, retreat to your luxurious tented room for a peaceful night's sleep out in the African bush.
Please note: The price of this budget safari varies depending on the tented accommodation you choose. Options include standard tents, a luxury tent, or a superior tented suite (see full tour pricing for details).
On day two of this Sabi Sands & Kruger Safari, we get up before sunrise. Start the day with an early morning coffee or tea before we embark on our full-day Kruger Safari. Your Kruger safari guide will collect you from the lodge. In winter (April to September), pick-up is at 05h00 am, and in summer (October to March) it is at 04h30 am to make the most of the dawn hours when animals are most active. Be sure to pack your camera, binoculars, sunblock, and a sunhat. Mornings and evenings are often chilly, especially in winter, so take warm clothes (jacket, gloves, beanie) with you. Leaving Sabi Sands, we make our way to the Paul Kruger Gate of Kruger National Park. Keep an eye out for wildlife en route to neighboring Kruger Park.
Spend the whole day on game drives in the massive Kruger Park. South Africa's top safari destination, Kruger, covers about 19,485 km² (7,523 sq mi). It is one of the largest game reserves in Africa, about the size of Israel or Wales. Your full-day Kruger Safari is conducted in an open 4x4 safari vehicle with professional game rangers. The comfortable open vehicle provides optimal visibility for watching and photographing wildlife and birds.
In the morning, you stop at one of the Kruger rest camps, where you enjoy packed breakfasts provided by the lodge. You will also be able to buy various teas and coffees at the Kruger camps. Your experienced guides take you to scenic viewpoints and waterholes that attract diverse animals and birds.
During your game drive, the guides will pause regularly to give you a chance to stretch your legs and top up on refreshments. Your lunch stop will be at one of the main Kruger camps, which have restaurants where you can buy lunch.
In the late afternoon, you will start making your way out of Kruger Park. Your guide drops you off at Umkumbe Bush Lodge in Sabi Sands at about 16h30, depending on wildlife sightings along the way. Sit back and enjoy a cold drink around the campfire before tucking into a hearty meal at the comfortable camp.
Day three of our Sabi Sands & Kruger Safari starts with an early morning wake-up call. Watch the sunrise over the African bush while you have your morning coffee or tea on the deck.
Then you embark on a morning game drive in Sabi Sands Game Reserve. The camp's professional guides take you out in open 4x4 vehicles to see what animals and birds you can spot in the warm morning light. Mornings are a great time to be out in the African bush because many of the animals and birds are at their most active during this time. Sabi Sands is renowned for its close-up wildlife encounters and Big 5 sightings. Your guides do their utmost to get up close to the wildlife encountered on your game drives in Sabi Sands, providing excellent photographic opportunities.
Breakfast is served back at your tented safari camp nestled in the indigenous bush. After breakfast, we set off on a thrilling bush walk in Sabi Sands Reserve. The bushwalk is led by an armed game ranger who has experience with encountering large mammals of Sabi Sands on foot. The guided walk starts at the lodge and lasts for about an hour. A walking safari is the best way to experience the mysteries of the African bush up close. On your morning bush walk, the guides point out the smaller details of the bush, sharing more about the small creatures and micro-habitats of Greater Kruger.
Your bush walk is followed by free time at Umkumbe Bush Lodge. Take a refreshing dip in the pool and sit back in one of the comfortable lounging areas. Retreat to your comfortable, walk-in tent for a snooze or watch for wildlife from one of the viewing decks. A light lunch is served, and later in the afternoon, we venture back out into Sabi Sands. As darkness falls, we return to the lodge where the campfire and cold beverages await. Tuck into a tasty dinner in the open-air boma under starry skies, before retiring to your comfortable tented room for a well-deserved rest.
Please Note: The order of the safari activities on this Kruger & Sabi Sands Safari is weather dependent and may need to change to accommodate conditions at the time.
Day four of this budget Complete Kruger & Sabi Sands Experience is set aside for another full-day Big 5 Kruger Safari. Start your day with an early morning coffee or tea before sunrise, departing from the lodge between 4h30 am and 5h00 am (depending on the season). Then spend the rest of the day exploring Kruger National Park with a qualified safari guide in the comfort and safety of an open 4x4 safari vehicle.
The Kruger Park is home to a staggering array of animal and plant species, including 147 mammal species. Kruger's large mammals include cheetah, hyena, giraffe, zebra, hippo, painted dog, and numerous antelope species, along with the Big 5 animals. About 507 bird species have also been recorded in Kruger, as well as some 114 reptile species, 34 amphibian species, and 49 fish species. The flora of Kruger is as impressive, with over 2000 plant species, including 336 species of trees.
While on safari in Kruger, your guide will stop at beautiful lookout points and picnic spots so that you can admire the natural habitats and stretch your legs. There will also be opportunities to buy refreshments at the Kruger rest camps, take comfort breaks and enjoy lunch at one of the camp restaurants. As on the previous day in Kruger, a packed breakfast is provided by the lodge.
At the end of your exhilarating day in Kruger, your guide takes you back to Umkumbe Bush Lodge in Sabie Sands Game Reserve. Enjoy a cold drink around the campfire, followed by dinner in the main lodge building or under the stars in the open-air boma.
This morning, a refreshing tea or coffee is served at the tented safari camp. Then we head out on our final morning game drive in Sabie Sands Game Reserve. Your highly professional safari guides are happy to share their extensive knowledge of Sabi Sands with you, making the most of your last chance to sight African wildlife and providing insight into the local fauna and flora of this special region of South Africa. Be sure to take your camera and binoculars to catch any wildlife action.
After your final 4x4 game drive, return to the lodge for a delicious breakfast on the shaded deck overlooking the bush. Then it is time to pack up and prepare for the drive back to Johannesburg. The air-conditioned shuttle collects you from Umkumbe at about 10h00. In the late afternoon, the shuttle drops you back at the OR Tambo Airport, where this excellent-value 5-Day Umkumbe Bush Lodge Safari: Complete Kruger & Sabi Sands Experience finishes.
This short break Kruger & Sabi Sands Safari stays at Umkumbe Bush Lodge, a private game lodge in the southern part of the Sabie Sand Game Reserve - prized as one of the best game-viewing regions of Sabi Sands. It is an ideal base for exploring both Sabi Sands and the Kruger National Park.
Umkumbe Bush Lodge offers an exclusive, yet affordable African safari adventure in South Africa's premier game reserves. This tented safari camp nestles under tall indigenous Tamboti trees, overlooking diverse habitats where wild animals and birds are regularly sighted, providing an authentic African safari setting. Umkumbe Bush Lodge is intimate and comfortable, yet simple and understated, consisting of a main treehouse building, six Meru-style tents, a large open-air boma, and a swimming pool. The main lodge building is a thatch-roofed structure that incorporates natural stone and wood and features a spacious wooden deck set around a big old Weeping Boer-bean tree. Breakfast and lunch are served at tables under a thatch-covered area of the deck, overlooking the wild habitats of Sabi Sands. There are indoor and outdoor lounge areas, with a bar and indoor fireplace for chilly winter nights, and deck chairs beside the pool for relaxing between game viewing adventures.
This well-priced tented safari lodge provides a rare opportunity to experience the sought-after Sabi Sands Reserve on a budget, promising excellent service and quality accommodation with home comforts and touches of luxury.
The camp features six en-suite safari tents and can accommodate up to 12 guests at a time, providing an intimate bush getaway.
Permanent canvas tents are set on raised wooden platforms, each with its own private balcony viewing deck. The tents are tastefully appointed and set apart in the bush to give guests privacy at the lantern-lit camp. Enjoy comfortable beds with crisp linen and mosquito net, and a small private seating area on the wooden deck. Each tent boasts en-suite bathroom amenities and is equipped with a tea-and-coffee station, standing fan, air conditioning, luggage stand, hairdryer, and safe.
The cost of this Umkumbe Tented Safari depends on your tent style choice and is subject to availability at the time of booking. You have a choice of three different kinds of semi-luxury tents: standard tents, one luxury tent, and one superior tent - all well-equipped to offer a comfortable safari stay.
Standard tents are spacious, walk-in tents on wooden platforms with a small private deck under canvas. These canvas tents have en-suite bathrooms fitted with showers. The tents feature king-sized beds or two twin beds and sleep two guests each.
The luxury tent is a larger, more secluded tented suite called Leadwood Tent. Tucked away to provide extra privacy, the luxury tent comes with a king bed and a sofa bed. It features a bathtub, his/hers basins, and an outdoor shower. Leadwood Tent can accommodate two guests and one child.
The superior tented suite is an even larger tent tucked away in the bush. It offers a completely secluded stay. The Monkey Thorn Superior Suite is fitted with a king bed and two single beds, accommodating up to three children along with two adults. This superior tented suite boasts a sitting area and a full bathroom with a bathtub, his/hers basins, and an outdoor shower.
This Kruger & Sabi Sands Safari includes four game drives in Sabi Sands Game Reserve and two full-day Kruger Safaris.
Please note: The safari itinerary may vary according to seasons and weather conditions.
The Sabi Sands Game Reserve is renowned for its world-class game viewing. This private game reserve is particularly famous for its exceptional leopard sightings, along with superb sightings of lions, buffalo, elephants, and rhinos.
The original Sabie Reserve, established in 1898, incorporated what today is the Sabi Sands Game Reserve (or Sabie Sand Game Reserve - both names used interchangeably), as well as the main Kruger National Park.
Please note that we offer convenient pre- and post-tour lodge accommodation for before and after your Kruger & Sabi Sands Safari, which can be added to your tour booking upon request. The 4-star lodge accommodation is located 10-15 minutes from the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. View pre- or post-safari lodge rates.
Prefer a shorter option? See our 4-Day Umkumbe Bush Lodge Safari: Best-Value Kruger & Sabi Sands
Want even more wildlife viewing? See our 6-Day Umkumbe Bush Lodge Safari: Ultimate Kruger & Sabi Sands Experience
Looking for the flagship itinerary? See our 7-Day Kruger & Sabi Sands Safari: Ultimate Big 5 Tented Adventure
If you are looking for an excellent-value Kruger National Park safari, this 4-Day Kruger National Park Safari spends four days exclusively game-viewing within the Kruger National Park.
This tour does take children.
Children aged 10 and over are welcome at the Tented Lodge.
Children 12 and over pay the full adult rate. Children aged 10 & 11 will have a reduced rate
Please contact us for more information.
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