Down south at the posh lodges You will almost be guaranteed leopard sightings. Here in the middle it's a bit quieter but still have plenty to see. Enjoy!
Well, yes...we planned a "posh" bucket list trip to SA for May, 2020. We booked it nearly a year before and were soooo excited for it. And then the world fell apart. The travel advisor I worked with back then was great and she worked with us over the better part of a year to get most of our money back from the various hotels, lodges and vendors. Then our agent retired and moved to the U.K. So, the SA bucket list trip went on the back burner.
Then we went to Costa Rica last December and had such an amazing time viewing all of the wildlife that SA jumped back to the top of the list. I'm working with a TA from SA again and she's been amazing. What I've learned about "5 star" in the Greater Kruger area is that there's quite a range. We're at &Beyond's Nagala Tented Camp in Timbavati, and that's currently at $2,500 per night (for both of us). At Sabi Sands, we're at Londolozi Tree Camp, which is pricier....and they pride themselves on the leopards in their reserve, so we're quite excited for that!
One interesting thing at Londolozi....was that we were at their Private Granite Suites....and there are just three of them. Our agent reached out last month to see if we'd be willing to switch to their Tree Camp Lodge (8,000 rand less per night, per person...about $440 US less per night). She told us we could absolutely say no, but they were asking all three suites if they'd be willing to switch. Our TA said it was likely some VIP that needed/wanted all three suites. They offered us one night free which $4,200 value, plus the $2,200 less in room fee....was a $6,400 savings overall! So we said...yes, that seems too good to pass up. But then *she* said...let me see what else I can get out of them. She said that she sensed that they really wanted all three suites and would offer something in addition to the free night. She ended up getting us a private game vehicle for the entire stay (10 drives).... . The other two groups at the Granite suites must have agreed as we're now at the Tree Camp, and so now I'm kind of curious who the group may be.