Sabi Sands, South Africa & Bazaruto, Mozambique
Kruger to Indian Ocean
Overview
South Africa's Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve offers Earth's finest leopard viewing and Big Five encounters. Mozambique's Bazaruto Archipelago delivers untouched tropical paradise. This nine-day journey connects them — four nights of intense safari followed by four nights of Indian Ocean island luxury. Begin at Londolozi Tree Camp in Sabi Sands, where the Varty family has pioneered sustainable safari tourism for five decades and the reserve's leopard population is the most habituated on the planet. Twice-daily game drives in open vehicles bring you within metres of leopards, lions, elephants, rhinos, and buffalo. Walking safaris with armed rangers add an intimate, on-foot dimension to the bush experience. Then fly northeast to Vilanculos, Mozambique, and take a helicopter transfer to &Beyond Benguerra Island — a barefoot-luxury lodge on a private island in the Bazaruto Archipelago, a marine national park protecting dugongs, whale sharks, humpback whales, and pristine coral reefs. Snorkel, dive, sail dhows, or simply lie in a hammock strung between palms on an empty beach. The bush-to-beach contrast is addictive.
Safari Highlights
- Londolozi Tree Camp — 50 years of pioneering safari
- World's best leopard viewing in Sabi Sands
- Big Five in open safari vehicles
- &Beyond Benguerra Island — barefoot luxury
- Bazaruto Archipelago marine national park
- Snorkelling with whale sharks and dolphins
- Dhow sailing and island beach picnics
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Arrive Johannesburg — Fly to Sabi Sands
Arrive at O.R. Tambo International Airport. Charter flight to Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve. Check into Londolozi Tree Camp, elevated in the canopy of ancient ebony trees overlooking the Sand River. Afternoon game drive in an open vehicle — Sabi Sands' unfenced border with Kruger means Big Five roam freely. First sundowner in the African bush.
Overnight: Londolozi Tree Camp, Sabi Sands
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Sabi Sands — Leopard Tracking
Dawn drive with coffee and rusks — Sabi Sands has the highest leopard density and best leopard viewing on Earth. Your tracker sits on the front of the vehicle reading spoor, while your guide positions you for close encounters. Between leopard sightings, track lion prides, elephant herds, and rhino. Mid-morning walking safari with armed rangers, learning to read the bush on foot. Afternoon drive extending into dusk as nocturnal species emerge.
Overnight: Londolozi Tree Camp, Sabi Sands
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Sabi Sands — Full Safari Day
Another day of extraordinary wildlife encounters. Morning drive focuses on whatever is most active — wild dog hunts, elephant river crossings, or rhino territory patrols. Brunch at the lodge, then pool time overlooking the river. Afternoon game drive through areas not yet explored. Bush dinner in a dry riverbed — lanterns marking the path, stars overhead, and the sounds of the African night.
Overnight: Londolozi Tree Camp, Sabi Sands
Meals: Breakfast, Brunch, Bush dinner
Sabi Sands — Final Safari & Night Drive
Final dawn drive — one last chance for the Big Five close encounters that Sabi Sands delivers like nowhere else. Brunch and spa treatment at the lodge. Afternoon game drive extending into a spotlight night drive — aardvark, civet, bushbaby, and hunting leopards whose eyes glow amber in the beam. Farewell dinner celebrating four extraordinary safari days.
Overnight: Londolozi Tree Camp, Sabi Sands
Meals: Breakfast, Brunch, Farewell dinner
Fly to Mozambique — Benguerra Island
Morning charter flight from Sabi Sands to Vilanculos, Mozambique. Helicopter transfer across the turquoise Bazaruto channel to Benguerra Island — a marine national park protecting dugongs, dolphins, and whale sharks. Check into &Beyond Benguerra Island, a barefoot-luxury lodge with casinhas overlooking the Indian Ocean. The rest of the day is yours — hammock, beach, swim, breathe.
Overnight: &Beyond Benguerra Island
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Benguerra — Snorkelling & Dhow Sailing
Morning snorkelling trip to Two Mile Reef — one of the Indian Ocean's finest reef systems, teeming with tropical fish, moray eels, and sea turtles. Return to the lodge for a beachside lunch. Afternoon traditional dhow sailing along the island's coastline — the triangular sail catches the trade winds as your crew serves fresh fruit. Sunset from the water is magical.
Overnight: &Beyond Benguerra Island
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Benguerra — Island Exploration
Explore Benguerra Island on foot with a naturalist guide — flamingo-filled freshwater lakes in the island's interior, sand forest with endemic lizards, and dunes that shift with the season. Afternoon castaway picnic on a deserted sandbank — just you, white sand, turquoise water, and a cooler of champagne and fresh seafood. Return to the lodge as the tide changes.
Overnight: &Beyond Benguerra Island
Meals: Breakfast, Castaway picnic, Dinner
Benguerra — Ocean Day at Leisure
A free day on the island. Optional deep-sea fishing for marlin and sailfish. Scuba diving on pristine reefs with manta rays and whale sharks (seasonal). Kayaking through mangroves. Or simply a day of pure beach indulgence — the island has kilometres of empty white sand. Farewell dinner on the beach — toes in the sand, lobster on the plate, stars overhead.
Overnight: &Beyond Benguerra Island
Meals: Breakfast, Beach dinner
Departure — Helicopter to Vilanculos
Final morning on the island. Leisurely breakfast with ocean views. Helicopter transfer back to Vilanculos for your onward flight. You leave Mozambique with the taste of salt on your lips and the memory of Africa's wild heart still beating — bush and beach, predators and paradise, in nine perfect days.
Meals: Breakfast
What's Included
- Johannesburg airport transfers
- Charter flights Kruger–Vilanculos
- Helicopter transfer to Benguerra Island
- Full-board at Londolozi (4 nights) and Benguerra (4 nights)
- All Sabi Sands game drives and walking safaris
- All non-motorised water sports at Benguerra
- All house drinks at both properties
- Island nature walks and dhow sailing
What's Excluded
- ✕ International flights
- ✕ Mozambique visa (if required)
- ✕ Travel insurance (mandatory)
- ✕ Tips & gratuities ($30–50/day)
- ✕ Scuba diving and deep-sea fishing
- ✕ Spa treatments
- ✕ Personal expenses
Where to Stay
LUXURY_LODGESingita Lebombo Lodge
Kruger National Park
A striking contemporary lodge perched on a cliff above the N'wanetsi River in Kruger's 33,000-acre private concession, where cutting-edge design meets Africa's greatest wildlife.
from $2,000/night
LUXURY_LODGERoyal Malewane
Greater Kruger
A regal bush retreat in the Greater Kruger with Africa's highest-qualified guiding team, world-class spa, and eight opulent suites for the ultimate Big Five experience.
from $1,800/night
LUXURY_LODGEBushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve
Cederberg
A Relais & Chateaux wilderness reserve in the ancient Cederberg Mountains, protecting over 130 San rock art sites among dramatic sandstone formations.
from $600/night

