Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Umkumbe Safari Lodge is located on the banks of the seasonal Sand River in the Sabi Sand Wildtuin, considered by many to be the premier wildlife reserve in South Africa. The reserve is home to the 'Big Five' (elephant, rhino, lion, leopard and buffalo), as well as cheetah, wild dog and hundreds of other species of animals, birds and plants indigenous to the area.
Expert rangers will ensure that your safari experience is truly memorable. Each day begins with an early morning safari game drive on the 1,000 private hectares of the reserve that the lodge vehicles are allowed to traverse across. In the late afternoon guests head out on another game drive and return after dark, offering guests exhilarating night game drives as well! Optional bush walks are offered every day after breakfast/brunch.
The focus at the lodge is of the view of the seasonal Sand River, and for obvious reasons. Almost daily guests are treated to sightings of various animals grazing in the riverbed.
The lodge has 10 chalets in total. Four of the chalets are Superior Chalets which are suitable for families as they have extra sleeper couches. There are also rooms with interleading doors. All rooms/suites have a small verandah with a sitting area, offering views over the African bush.
The main lodge area consists of a lounge area, a swimming pool with decking, as well an open air dining area and bar. All facilities have wonderful views of the riverbed.
In addition, a safari to the Kruger would not be complete without the traditional boma experience. Dinner is served around a roaring fire against the natural night sounds of the bushveld.
Guest Rating: 4.6 / 5.0 based on 11 ratings
I can't recommend Umkumbe enough as the guide we had there was brilliant. He could not do enough for us and was so informative. I learned a great deal from him and his walking safaris each morning enabled us to learn much more than we could have ever expected about the local environment. It was here that we expereinced both a lion kill and a close up of a leopard.
M BENNION
Fantastic lodge = very good price. Could not find a single fault. Rooms lovely, views over Sand River to die for, knowledgeable, friendly staff and good food.
S SMITH
I have travelled my whole life. I spent the most incredible four days on holiday that I have ever known.
The lodge was fantastic. Located at the end of Sands River herds of elephant and water buffalo came to the river every day. I am told that this does not always happen. It is winter and the dry season and many of the rivers have dried up at this time of year. The large sandy banks seemed to invite the large herds. The guides said that the elephants usually do not come to the river as often as they did on my
four day holiday.
Over the four days I was at the lodge monkeys, baboons, warthogs, antelope, mongoose and many birds along with two hippos were in front of the lodge every day. On one of the bush rides we spent 30 to 40 minutes about eight feet from eight lionesses just relaxing and cleaning themselves. They were so relaxed and could not be bothered that we were there. A memory of a lifetime! Every day we saw rhinos, antelopes and many giraffe and many more. Everything was breathtaking.
The long flight was difficult but it's very far away, there is nothing that can be done about that. The two hour taxi ride was great. I had the same driver each way and he told me as much about the area we were going thru as possible.
The lodge was great. The chalet was lovely and near the end of the sands. This meant that I got to see young elephants, warthogs, monkeys, mongoose and and many birds right at the steps of my chalet. The food was very good and endless coffee, happy me. The best part of the lodge was the entire staff, each one did a great job. The bush guides were fantastic. The rides were amazing every one of them.
This holiday has given me memories for a lifetime. I want to go straight back. Many many thanks to all who helped to make my holiday so wonderful.
L SHERWOOD
Thank you so much for arranging our visit to Umkumbe Safari Lodge. You nailed it right there. We had an exceptional time there. The lodge was exactly what I had hoped for, the staff was kind and accommodating and the game drives provided for unforgettable encounters with African wildlife.
Your responsiveness truly set a standard for us. Admittedly, I have many many questions and like to do a complete evaluation of my options before I make a decision. I was reassured with your recommendations and appreciated your level of detail.
I only have compliments for your service and for the subsequent visit to Umkumbe and will not hesitate to recommend you and Umkumbe to friends and family.
C CRAWFORD
We were a little bit curious as Umkumbe looks like an "entry level" lodge. We were just wrong; yes rooms are not luxurious, but we were not there for that! We were there to see animals and feel the wild "atmosphere" and we have been lucky!!
Out of this, Umkumbe team is great, very professionnal, smiling team, Hermann and his boys are fantastic and service is a 5 stars service.
My car was dirty and it has been cleaned, my wife's shoes were more than dirty, they have been cleaned and looks more than new ones etc etc ...
That was a great safari for us and on top of service, guides were great!!!
Do not tell to too many people that this lodge is great otherwise they will become more expensive with less service!!!!
We are very happy of our choice.
C BOULAY