Mala Mala Game Reserve

MalaMala occupies a singular position in the Sabi Sands. The reserve holds 13,200 hectares with 20 kilometres of Sand River frontage, more than three times what its nearest neighbour Londolozi covers. An unfenced boundary with the Kruger National Park stretches 12 miles along the eastern edge. The result is a private traversing area larger than most reserves in the system, supporting one of the highest predator densities anywhere in southern Africa.

Three camps sit on this single concession: MalaMala Camp (the original, from R27,600 per person per night), Sable Camp (a more intimate option, from R30,150) and Rattray's (the flagship, from R42,800). All rates are fully inclusive of twice-daily game drives, all meals, selected drinks and laundry. The guide-to-guest ratio is among the lowest in the industry, and there is no time limit on sightings. Your ranger stays with a leopard or a wild dog pack for as long as the encounter warrants, without pressure from other vehicles.

The leopard viewing at MalaMala is widely cited as the most reliable in Africa. This is not marketing language. The reserve's combination of dense riverine bush, year-round water from the Sand River, decades of vehicle habituation and strict traversing limits has produced a resident leopard population that is both large and unusually relaxed. For guests whose primary reason for visiting is predator photography or repeat Big Five viewing at close range, MalaMala is the property our safari specialists recommend above all others.

Booking through safari.com costs the same as booking direct with MalaMala. Our safari specialists coordinate flights, transfers and multi-lodge itineraries, combining MalaMala with Cape Town, the Kruger or Victoria Falls, and reply in as little as 15 minutes during working hours.