If anyone is familiar with this reserve please give me your thoughts and experience.

Ruben,

Been there in 2003. Stayed at River Lodge. Lodge very nice. Great food/accomodations/service etc etc., however game-viewing not as good as some of the other Sabi Sands reserves. However, very good Leopard viewing just as in any other areas in the SSGR.

They do pack their game drive vehicles to the brim. Comfortable vehicles, but, i dont like to be packed in!!!

Hari

I heard from a former guide that its great during the dry season when the Sabie river is still flowing, then there is lots of game. The property is not huge so the one territorial Leopard actually overlaps into neighbouring properties.

Napamatt,

Actually saw several leopards in a 3 night stay.......sure, they all overlap.

Also saw a female cheetah all 3 days. Obviously, lions not around that period.......

Hari

Ruben
Which Lodge do you intend to stay at?
The River Lodge or Ivory Lodge? The main difference is the accomodation and the vehicles. At Ivory, the vehicles are not packed and the Lodge is absolutely stunning with the views (from our Finfoot room)right on the Sabie River, watching the Elephants come down to bathe. We were there in Aug'04 just 10 weeks after their resident Ecologist Kay Hosking had been trampled to death while trying to scare some Elephants away from the Lodge!
Our guide, Courteney was the one who had to track down this Female Ele and shoot it. He took us to the place where we saw the skull.
There is also quite a difference in price between Ivory and River (approx R4000!) My wife and I were on our Honeymoon and got a great rate back then
of R2200 pppn thru MTbeds. I think now they want something like R7000 pppn!
I would say that the River Lodge would be better value as they are right next door to each other.
The game viewing was magic, watching a Leopard for 2 hours stalk& kill an impala was a highlight on an evening game drive. The general atmosphere was not as friendly as we found than at Leopard Hills, where we had 5 nights previous.
Hope this helps.

Cheers
Marc

Hari

Thats sort of my point about smaller reserves - you didn't see Lions in three days, though they were probably pretty close to you, on a bigger reserve you would have increased the chance of seeing them.

Napamatt,

I agree with you.

However, We saw a very brief glimpse of lions on a night drive on this particular visti to Lion Sands where, we trespassed into Sabi Sabi territory to see the lions. Very brief!!!

Cheetah viewing that trip was outstanding!!! (just the one female, but, plenty of action)

Hari

When we were there in Aug we saw Lions every day. No shortage at all.