Sanbona Wildlife Reserve

Capacity

Style

On-site stay

On-site stay

Our stay at Sanbona was nothing short of magical. From the moment we arrived, every aspect of the experience felt incredibly personalized. The lodge itself is absolutely stunning, and the tents are beautiful: luxurious, comfortable, and perfectly immersed in the landscape. What truly set Sanbona apart was the exceptional hospitality. Every member of the staff went above and beyond to ensure our stay was unforgettable. No need went unmet, and their attention to detail was remarkable. One example that perfectly captures their thoughtfulness was when they kindly prepared repeat servings of our favorite dishes before we departed, including the blueberry oatmeal, which is an absolute must! The safari experience itself far exceeded our expectations. Seeing cheetahs, rhinos, elephants, lions, giraffes, jackals, etc. thriving in their natural habitat was nothing short of breathtaking. Every game drive felt special, and it was clear how much care and expertise goes into creating such meaningful wildlife encounters, especially if you are lucky enough to have Marco as a guide. All that Sanbona does for its guests and for wildlife conservation deserves to be celebrated. We left with memories that will stay with us forever and cannot recommend this experience highly enough.

Fantastic end to end safari experience in an unbelievably beautiful game park. Welcoming friendly staff, knowledgeable guides, Fantastic service and relaxed atmosphere. A high quality sophisticated dining experience, friendly kids club, modern gym all set within a picturesque landscape complimented by well designed spaces and buildings. The rooms were luxurious, modern, comfortable with all amenities you'd need. Compliments to Johan, our guide Nicole, baby sitter Sandra and the transfer drives for making our stay with our 9 month old daughter so memorable. On just two drives we saw lions, elephants, onyx, zebras, monkies, jackal, hippos, antelope, giraffes, baboons, kudus, ostrich and many more.

I was unprepared for this experience. I was unprepared for the powerful think of a rhinos steps as they meandered down the road. I was unprepared for the majesty of a herd of elephants crossing beside our vehicle as the sun sets over the mountains or the thrill of finding the elusive lions. I was unprepared for the skill of our guide Jaylee as he not only found the animals but could tell which way they were headed so we could see them as they emerged into the open. I was unprepared for the five course meals, exceptional accommodations, Janice’s desire to make every moment special and the sparkle in Keedi-Li’s eye when she snuck off to coax a scoop of my favorite ice cream out of chef. Traveler Tips - bring a phone strap so your camera is always available and safe (one from our group lost theirs on bumpy roads), binoculars, and a neck gator for dust/wind. If traveling late fall or winter bring a winter hat, gloves, thermal layer and wool socks. If you are on the fence about how long to stay, stay longer. Every day was a new experience and a chance to find a new animal. I would recommend 3-4 nights, I’m grateful we stayed 4. This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and my expectations were exceeded in every way.

Had the most amazing time at Sanbona, super accommodating. The room was perfect. The food was perfect. The staff are some of the most friendly and caring out of anywhere I’ve stayed. As for the wildlife tour it’s self, it was incredible. We were very fortunate to have had Nicole as our guide. Extremely friendly and welcoming and put in a huge amount of effort in trying to make sure we saw all the animals we could. When we did see an animal she had an encyclopaedias worth of knowledge and was able to answer all of our questions. She even knew all of the back stories of the animals and the reserve. Really made the whole experience 100x better than it already was. The amount of effort into this place really shows and it’s 100% worth every penny to stay. We hope to visit again in the future for a much longer stay.