Lions are generally always high up on the game viewing wish list. Admired for their size and brutal strength, lions are perceived to be the kings of the bushveld, coming under very few threats.
Spanning across two million hectares, the Kruger National Park and the surrounding private game reserves are home to a number of male lion coalitions and other fascinating wildlife. The Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve and the Timbavati in particular, are well-known for offering up-close encounters with various lion prides.
The Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve is internationally recognized as one of the ultimate destinations in Africa for a Big Five safari. Sharing unfenced borders with the Kruger National Park, animals move freely between the private reserve and the Kruger Park. The reserve’s diverse landscape and abundant water supply, make it a favorable residence for plentiful game and predators such as lions and leopards who are seen frequently during game drives. Being a private reserve, the Sabi Sands is home to some of the most luxurious lodges in Africa and offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy off-road game drives, particularly at night when lions are generally more active and often on the hunt for food.
The Timbavati is lesser-known than the Sabi Sands but is incredibly special because it’s one of very few places in the world where you can still see white lions. With as few as 13 white lions left in the wild, these animals are critically endangered. They are gorgeous animals, with the purest of white coats and piercing blue eyes. Many have believed that white lions are albinos but their appearance is the result of a recessive gene that is passed on from one or both parents carrying the gene.
The Timbavati shares an unfenced border with the Kruger, making it possible to see all of the Big Five as well as other lion prides that have claimed the Timbavati as their own.
The Timbavati also boasts a host of luxury accommodation options, including traditional bush lodges, colonial game lodges and tented safari camps. Being a private reserve, there are a limited number of vehicles at animal sightings, affording a more exclusive safari experience. Visitors to the reserve enjoy morning and dusk game drives in open safari vehicles, as well as guided bush walks which offer the opportunity to better understand the flora and smaller creatures of the bush.
