enlehman76

My husband and I are 31 years old and are planning our first safari to Sabi Sabi next August for 3 nights. We would greatly appreciate some advise on which place to stay. We are deciding between Selati Camp, Bush Lodge, and Little Bush Camp. Earth Lodge is out because of the expense. We would like to have a private deck in our suite, preferably a king size bed, and an outdoor shower. We would like the deck to have a nice view of the wilderness also. We have no problems socializing with people, but also prefer our privacy---especially since we will be with people on safari and at meals, etc. A more modern decor would be great. Since we are going in Winter---the pool is no big deal. I have tried to search for "real" pictures of these lodges, meaning not from an advertisement, but have had a hard time finding any. If any of you have pictures that I can view of these lodges, please send me the link so that I can view them. We are so excited about this safari and want to be sure that we pick the best place---not only for the experience but also to justify the expense. Thanks for your help!

mistik321

Hi enlehman76:
My husband and I are going on safari Aug 2008 as well.

As part of my planning, I read trip reports here (type the camp/lodge names and see what comes up; there is also a trip index by region). Some if not most reports have photos linked to them. These are so much better than the canned, marketing photos on the official company websites.

Another resource for photos is tripadvisor. I found postings on lodges I'm targeting, and some posters had uploaded their photos of the rooms, etc.

Good luck!

cary999

You've settled on Sabi Sabi reserve, yes? Just to maybe confuse you, you do know that there are several other fine private camps in Sabi Sand, e.g., Leopard Hills, Londolozi, Djuma, Singita, Exeter, etc. Here's an online map that shows them http://tinyurl.com/yuvcdj

regards - tom
ps - oh, almost forgot, add MalaMala to the list above

theras

We are going to Sabi Sabi in Jan'08. 4 nites at little bush and then 3 nites at Saleti. We also could find very few trip reports for these but there are a few on tripadvisor. We choose these due to the small number of suites and the ability to fly directly in to their strip from JNB.
Their website was revamped this year and has a few new pics and customer comments.

mkhonzo

I was at Sabi Sabi last year and stayed at Little Bush Camp. It has all the amenities that you have listed and I believe is a good deal ITO pricing.

I have also stayed at Selati Lodge, which has a romantic and antiquated feel to it. The only room there with a private deck was the honeymoon suite.

I did not photograph the rooms as I am not overly concerned at keeping those memories, but rather used my camera on the wildlife, which was fabulous.

Have a look at the images at this location: http://www.sabisabi.com/lodges/littlebushcampgallery

enlehman76

Please advise anyone else? Thank You.

AKR1

I recommend the Luxury rooms (really individual cottages) at Elephant Plains. It is one of the most affordable, yet an extraordinary camps in the Sabi Sands.
Click on my screen name to find my trip report.

Fabio

check also Inyati lodge in Sabi Sands www.inyati.co.za

We stayed there last june as and as budget traveller I found it perfect !

atravelynn

This advice is 2nd hand, but I think the source is highly credible: a couple who operate a travel agency in Canada and they had been to Africa 22 times.

They recommended Elephant Plains with the comment that you'll see all the same animals as you would at the more expensive places. I was in Mala Mala in June and was very impressed with the wildlife. I'd still like to give EP a shot some day.