What is included in a Sabi Sands safari? In most cases, one rate covers accommodation, all meals, game drives, and most drinks for the duration of your stay. Understanding exactly what is and isn’t included helps you budget accurately and avoid surprises.
Here is the complete breakdown of what a Sabi Sands lodge rate covers — and what it does not.
What Is Included in a Sabi Sands Safari Rate?
Accommodation
Your suite, cottage, or tent for every night of your stay. All major Sabi Sands lodges include accommodation in the rate as standard. Suite types vary — from classic thatched cottages to subterranean suites (Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge) to treehouse-style elevated rooms (Londolozi Tree Camp) — but the rate structure is the same: accommodation included, no nightly room charge applied separately.
Meals Included in a Sabi Sands Safari
Three full meals per day plus afternoon tea are included at all Sabi Sands lodges:
Breakfast: Typically served after the morning game drive returns (around 9–10am). Full cooked breakfast alongside fresh fruit, cereals, pastries, and fresh juice. At top lodges (Singita, Londolozi, MalaMala), breakfast quality is exceptional — expect menus that would be comfortable in a Michelin-starred hotel.
Lunch: Served after guests return from the morning drive and have showered. Light lunch — salads, cold meats, freshly baked bread, and a hot dish — is the norm at most lodges. Some lodges offer a more substantial lunch option.
Afternoon tea: Served before the evening game drive departs (typically 3–3:30pm). Coffee, tea, freshly baked biscuits or cake, and light snacks. The pre-drive tea is a ritual in the Sabi Sands rhythm.
Dinner: Served after the evening game drive returns (typically 8–9pm). At most lodges, dinner rotates between dining room, boma (outdoor fire-pit area), and occasionally bush dinners in the field. Quality across all major lodges is very high — several employ chefs trained at leading international restaurants. At Singita, the food is comparable to fine dining restaurants.
Bush breakfasts and sundowners: Many lodges offer bush stops during the morning drive — coffee, rusks, and fresh fruit around a fire in the bush — and sundowner drinks at a scenic location in the late afternoon. These are included in the rate.
Twice-Daily Game Drives
Two game drives per day are the backbone of the Sabi Sands safari experience — both included in the rate:
Morning drive: Departs before dawn (typically 5:30–6am, earlier in summer). Returns around 9:30–10:30am. The most productive drive for predator sightings — lions often active at dawn, leopards returning from nocturnal hunts, cheetah moving before the heat.
Evening drive: Departs mid-to-late afternoon (typically 3:30–4pm). Transitions from daylight into darkness over the course of the drive, providing both afternoon and night wildlife viewing in one extended outing. Most drives return around 8pm.
Both drives include the full services of a professional guide and tracker. Off-road capability, radio communication with other vehicles, and the full game drive experience are included.
Night Component of the Evening Drive
Night driving — using a spotlight to illuminate nocturnal species — is included as part of the evening game drive at virtually all Sabi Sands lodges. This is a significant distinction from Kruger National Park, where all vehicles must return to camp by sunset. The night component reveals species that are invisible during daylight: leopard on the move, civets, genets, bush babies, and spotted hyena hunting.
Guided Bush Walks
Walking safaris led by armed rangers are included at most Sabi Sands lodges. Walks typically run for 2–3 hours in the morning, covering several kilometres on foot. The perspective of the bush on foot — tracking spoor, examining dung, understanding the smaller scale of the ecosystem — is profoundly different from the vehicle experience.
Note: not all lodges offer walks every day, and some have specific age or fitness requirements for participation. Confirm walk availability and restrictions before booking.
Conservation and Park Fees
The fees associated with operating within the Sabi Sands reserve — including access fees, conservation levies, and related charges — are included in the lodge rate. No separate entry fee is charged.
Standard Beverages
Non-premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are included throughout the day: beer, house wine, local spirits, soft drinks, juices, and hot beverages. At most lodges, the included drinks quality is genuinely good — decent South African wines, a range of beers, and well-stocked bars with the standard range of spirits.
Laundry
Laundry service is included at virtually all major Sabi Sands lodges. Items are collected in the morning and returned the same day or the following morning. This is a genuinely useful inclusion for multi-week Africa itineraries.
Airport/Airstrip Transfers
Ground transfers between the nearest designated transfer point (typically Skukuza Airport, a lodge airstrip, or an agreed road meeting point) and the lodge are included. This covers the actual transfer to and from the lodge — not the commercial flight to Skukuza or the charter flight to the lodge airstrip, which are booked and costed separately.
Usually Charged Separately
Premium Wines and Spirits
All major lodges include “standard” beverages, but premium wines — particularly older vintages and boutique South African wines from the lodge’s cellar — are typically charged at wine list prices. At Singita, whose wine programme is exceptional, the premium wine offering is extensive and carries accordingly premium pricing. At Londolozi and MalaMala, premium wine is available but clearly separated from the included house wine offering.
If wine matters to you, ask the lodge directly what the included wine selection looks like and what premium options are available and at what cost.
Spa Treatments
All major lodges have spa facilities, but treatments are charged separately. Prices are broadly comparable to urban hotel spas — expect to pay USD 80–150 for a 60-minute massage, more for longer or specialist treatments. The spa environment at most lodges is exceptional — treatments in outdoor bush settings are a particular highlight.
Private Vehicle
Standard game drives at most lodges are shared among the lodge’s guests — typically 4–6 guests per vehicle. A private vehicle — where you and your group have the guide and tracker exclusively — is available at most lodges at an additional cost, typically USD 300–600 per day. For honeymoons, families, and guests who want complete flexibility in drive scheduling and direction, private vehicle hire is worth considering.
Speciality Activities
Activities beyond the standard twice-daily game drive — helicopter flights over the bush, off-site excursions to cultural sites, hot air balloon flights (available at some lodges near Kruger’s Balule area), professional photography guides, or specialist activities like “sleep-out” nights under the stars — are usually charged separately.
Curio Shop
Each lodge operates a curio shop selling branded clothing, locally made crafts, wildlife-related books, and photography equipment. Not included.
Gratuities
Tipping is not included in the rate and is expected. The widely used guideline in Sabi Sands:
- Guide: USD 20–40 per person per day
- Tracker: USD 10–20 per person per day
- General lodge staff (butler, room staff): USD 10–20 per person per day
For a couple on a 3-night stay, budget approximately USD 200–400 in gratuities. Many lodges have a tip box; some prefer individual tipping directly. The guide will usually advise.
Travel Insurance and International Flights
Not included. Travel insurance covering cancellation, medical, and emergency evacuation is strongly recommended for any Africa safari. Book this separately at the time of making your lodge deposit.
Practical Tips
Confirm what’s included before arrival: While the above covers the standard at major Sabi Sands lodges, individual properties vary. Confirm the inclusions list directly with your chosen lodge or through your travel agent.
Budget for gratuities upfront: They are significant in aggregate and are an important part of your guide and tracker’s income. Have USD cash available — the South African rand works but USD is universally preferred.
Ask about bush meals: Many lodges will arrange bush breakfasts, boma dinners, and sundowner stops on request at no additional charge. These are among the most memorable experiences of the safari — ask your guide or lodge manager what is available.
Frequently Asked Questions — What Is Included in a Sabi Sands Safari
Is food included in a Sabi Sands lodge rate?
Yes. All Sabi Sands lodges are fully inclusive of meals: breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner are all included in the rate. Meals are taken at the lodge, in the boma, or occasionally in the bush during game drives. Quality is high across all major properties; at the top lodges (Singita, Londolozi), the food competes with leading restaurants.
Are drinks included in a Sabi Sands safari?
Standard alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are included — house wine, beer, local spirits, soft drinks, juices, and hot drinks. Premium wines and spirits are usually charged at list prices. Confirm with your specific lodge what the included drinks offering covers.
Is transport to Sabi Sands included in the lodge rate?
Ground transfers between the designated transfer point (usually Skukuza Airport or a nearby meeting point) and the lodge are included. Commercial or charter flights to reach the transfer point, and the international flight to South Africa, are booked and paid separately. African Safari Group handles the full logistics chain including flights.
Is a guide included in a Sabi Sands safari?
Yes. All game drives include the dedicated services of a professional guide and a tracker — both included in the rate. The guide drives, interprets the bush, and leads bush walks. The tracker reads spoor and assists in locating wildlife. Together, their service is one of the central experiences of the safari. Private vehicle hire (where you and your group have the guide and vehicle exclusively) is available at additional cost.
African Safari Group designs Sabi Sands safaris with full transparency on inclusions, costs, and what to expect. Enquire here for a personalised itinerary and cost breakdown.
