This 3-day Umkumbe tented safari is ideal for travellers short on time, offering a compact introduction to both Kruger National Park and the renowned Sabi Sands private reserve. Stay at Umkumbe Bush Lodge and enjoy Big Five game drives in Kruger and the private Sabi Sands Game Reserve, with comfortable semi-luxury tented accommodation and transfers from Johannesburg.
At the start of this Kruger & Sabi Sands Safari, you are collected from the OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg at 07h00 in the morning. From Johannesburg, you are transferred to the renowned Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve in a comfortable shuttle vehicle with air-conditioning.
Your driver takes you to Umkumbe Bush Lodge, a tented safari camp inside the world-renowned Sabi Sands Game Reserve. This private game reserve forms part of the Greater Kruger Park, sharing unfenced boundaries with Kruger National Park. After checking into your comfortable tented suite, 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 Sabi Sands Game Reserve. This sunset game drive is conducted in an open 4x4 safari vehicle. The camp's professional guides take you out into the Big 5 Sabie Sand Game Reserve 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. 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 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 3-day Kruger & Sabi Sands Short Break, we get up before sunrise. Start the day with an early morning coffee or tea at Umkumbe, before we embark on our full-day Kruger Safari.
Your Kruger safari guide will collect you from the tented 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 prime dawn wildlife-viewing hours. 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 behind, 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. Our full-day Kruger Safari is conducted in open 4x4 safari vehicles with professional game rangers. These comfortable open vehicles provide optimal visibility for watching and photographing wildlife and birds.
The safari guides 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 watering holes 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. The lunch stop will be at one of the main Kruger camps with a restaurant where you can buy lunch.
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.
In the late afternoon, you will start making your way out of Kruger Park. Your guide drops you off at Umkumbe Bush Lodge 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 safari camp.
This morning, a refreshing tea or coffee is served at the tented safari camp. Take some time to admire the wild scenery and listen to the sounds of nature as the day breaks.
After coffee, we head out on our final game drive in Sabi Sands Game Reserve. The highly professional safari guide team are happy to share their extensive knowledge of the Sabi Sands ecosystem on your game drive. Your guides make the most of your last chance to spot African wildlife, 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 tented safari camp for a delicious breakfast on the shaded deck tucked under the Tamboti trees. Then it is time to pack up and prepare for the drive back to Johannesburg. The air-conditioned shuttle collects you from Sabi Sands Umkumbe Bush Lodge at about 10h00 am. In the late afternoon, the shuttle drops you back at the OR Tambo Airport, where this budget 3-Day Umkumbe Tented Safari: Kruger & Sabi Sands Short Break 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 Tented Camp Safari includes two game drives in Sabi Sands Game Reserve and one full-day Kruger Safari.
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
Want more time and a bush walk? See our 4-Day Umkumbe Bush Lodge Safari: Best-Value Kruger & Sabi Sands
Looking for the most complete version? 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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