The Sabi Sands Game Reserve and its nearby private reserves have been abuzz with excitement as three iconic leopard mothers give birth to their new offspring. Makhomsava, the Stone Drift female, and Mahetelelo are rearing the next generation of leopards, drawing in both rangers and visitors.

Makhomsava and Her Cubs – Northern Sabi Sands

Makhomsava, known for her fearless demeanour and unrivalled hunting abilities, has become a symbol of resilience in the Northern Sabi Sands. She recently introduced her two cubs to the world along a rocky outcrop, creating a tranquil and secure environment for their early days.

Leopard Cubs Thrive Across Sabi Sands and Beyond - Secret Africa

Photo by Jordan Delvecchio (@jordan_delveccs)

Makhomsava, ever vigilant, guarantees her cubs’ protection as they curiously explore their environment, revealing glimpses of their mother’s courageous personality. Rangers are hopeful that these cubs will carry on Makhomsava’s exceptional legacy, adding new chapters to her lineage’s rich history.

The Stone Drift Female’s Cubs – MalaMala Game Reserve

In MalaMala Game Reserve, the mysterious Stone Drift female has tucked her two cubs in a dense thicket beside the Sand River. This leopard, known for her stealth and resourcefulness, has picked an ideal position that provides plenty of prey and cover to defend her young.

Guests and rangers have been treated to charming glimpses of the cubs’ playful behaviours. Tumbling over each other in imaginary conflicts, they demonstrate the early stages of gaining the abilities required for survival. Their mother’s continual alertness serves as a reminder of the perils she encounters while guaranteeing her cubs’ survival, demonstrating her incredible maternal strength.

Mahetelelo and Her Cubs – Ulusaba Private Game Reserve

Mahetelelo, a lioness with a stunning golden coat and a calm demeanour, has welcomed two pups into her family. Observers were privileged to watch her transferring her cubs between dens, including a heartwarming moment when she carefully cradled one in her jaws, demonstrating the mother-cub relationship.

The Ulusaba habitat, rich in prey and shelter, makes a perfect nursery for Mahetelelo’s cubs. These cubs are prepared to thrive in a setting as breathtaking as their mother’s majestic presence, adding to the region’s thriving leopard population.

Leopard Cubs

A Hopeful Future for Leopards

The birth of these cubs in the Sabi Sands and surrounding reserves demonstrates the leopard population’s vitality and adaptability. Each mother, with her distinct characteristics and techniques, secures the survival of her lineage in an ever-changing wilderness.

For visitors and environmentalists, these encounters are not only a luxury, but also a reminder of the need of protecting these unique environments. Makhomsava, the Stone Drift female, and Mahetelelo rear their pups, embodying the tenacity and beauty of the African environment and providing hope for future generations.

Its safari time! While South Africa has no shortage of beautiful destinations to explore, going on an authentic safari in the unspoiled African bushveld should undoubtedly be at the top of every traveler’s bucket-list. A South African safari ticks all the right boxes if you’re looking to venture off the beaten track, explore the great outdoors, and experience the many thrills that only safari life can deliver.

It’s time to live out your very own African wildlife documentary! If you think “wildlife documentary” the soothing voice of Sir David Attenborough is bound to come to mind. Ever since his debut series Zoo Quest hit the screen back in ‘54, this staunch conservationist has influenced a generation of documentary filmmakers and intrepid travellers.

Today Attenborough is hailed as the “father of the modern nature documentary”. His wildlife adventures have taken the world from the icy tips of the Arctic to Malaysia, Australia, and beyond. But there’s one place he holds dearest: AFRICA! His critically acclaimed series, Africa spent four years in the making and takes viewers on an awe-inspiring journey through the continent’s most diverse destinations & vast contrasting landscapes.

Now in his 90s, his love of the natural world shows no sign of abating. So, if in more than a half-century of broadcasting, he has inspired you to live out your own wildlife documentary then here are the top 5 destinations to go on safari in Africa to follow in his footsteps.

Are you thinking about going on your first safari in Africa? If so, we couldn’t be more excited for you! African safaris are high up on countless travellers’ bucket-lists. And why shouldn’t they be? From the untamed beauty of the African wilderness, magnificent wildlife sightings, diverse landscapes, and thrilling safari experiences – what’s not to love?

If you’ve never been to Africa before, you have so much to look forward to. Home to some of the most exclusive safari destinations and premier National Parks, game reserves, and conservation areas in the world, Africa truly offers wildlife and nature lovers a once-in-a-lifetime safari experience. With so much to offer, deciding where to go on your first safari in Africa can be an intimidating experience.

Depending on the type of safari you’re looking to experience, you need to choose the country and safari destination you would most like to visit very carefully. Here are some of the best countries in Africa to enjoy an unforgettable first-time safari experience.

Every love affair must start somewhere. For most, their love of Africa starts before they even arrive, feeling the lure and excitement whilst planning their first ever African safari. From the moment you first set foot on African soil and fully immerse yourself in your safari experience it is officially game over – you will be forever hooked, hopelessly and head-over-heels in love with the wild untamed natural beauty and enthralling magic of the African bushveld, never wanting to leave, and always yearning to return.

From unsurpassed natural wonders, astounding wildlife, and a vast diversity of contrasting landscapes, ranging from searing deserts, freshwater wetlands, dramatic coastlines, and soaring mountain peaks to thunderous waterfalls, endless stretches of open savannah plains, and lush tropical rainforests, Africa is unlike any other continent. Here are our 10 best safari destinations in Africa for first timers.

From the nearly 2 million hectares of unrivalled African wilderness of the renowned Kruger National Park (South Africa’s Flagship National Park), the astounding tropical bushland and coastline of KwaZulu-Natal, the star-studded skies of the arid Karoo desert, the vast Green Kalahari of the Northern Cape, and the world-famous champagne-coloured savannah teeming with incredible wildlife and birdlife species, to majestic mountains, cascading waterfalls, pristine National Parks, game reserves, conservation areas, and private safari loges, discovering, exploring, and experiencing South Africa’s amazing variety of remarkable, diverse, and one-of-a-kind landscapes and wilderness regions is truly unparalleled and should undoubtedly be right at the top of EVERYONE’S travel bucket-list.

There are few things that can compare to embarking on a remarkable, riveting, and exhilarating Big 5 Safari adventure in the vast, wild, and untamed South African wilderness, so be sure to enjoy every single second of this unbelievable experience! Here are our top 5 Big 5 safari destinations in South Africa.

A jewel within the Greater Kruger National Park! The spectacular Sabi Sand Game Reserve is one of the most sensational must-visit safari destinations and premier private game reserves in both South Africa and all of Africa. It is also one of the oldest and most beloved wildernesses in the country.

Boasting an incredibly diverse wildlife and birdlife population (which is known to draw avid birders & eager wildlife enthusiasts from across the world), spectacular landscapes, wild & wonderful wilderness surroundings, several luxury private lodges, and an endless array of exhilarating safari adventures, the glorious Sabi Sands Game Reserve is guaranteed to exceed all your expectations – allowing for a truly unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime African safari experience. There is no denying that the Sabi Sands Game Reserve should be on every avid traveler, game-loving tourist, adventure seeker, and head-over-heels wildlife lover’s safari bucket-list. Here are the top 6 reasons to visit the Sabi Sand Game Reserve.

There are few things that can compare to embarking on a remarkable, riveting, and exhilarating Big 5 Safari adventure in the vast, wild, and untamed continent of Africa, so be sure to enjoy every single second of this unbelievable experience!

While Africa’s Big 5 is surely in need of no introduction, it makes sense for us to give credit where credit is due. As the most highly acclaimed, famous, and celebrated collection of animals on the African continent a Big 5 safari in Africa is an unbelievable experience that should be on everyone’s travel & safari bucket list! What could be better than seeing a leopard lazily lounging in a tree soaking up the African sun, the mighty rhino browsing through the grasslands, elephants trudging their way through the African bushveld with their young, buffalos grazing in the distance with their oxpecker companions, and lions, the all-mighty king of the bushveld, wondering the vast plains in search of their prey? There truly is nothing quite like it!
These remarkable wildlife species are not only the most recognised symbols of Africa, but its crowning glory too! Undoubtedly making a Big 5 safari one of the top and most popular requests from any and all travellers and wildlife enthusiasts visiting Africa.

Lucky for you, you can find these magnificent wildlife species in several countries across the African continent. To ensure you have the absolute best chance of spotting these African wildlife gems in their natural habitat, we’ve put together a list of the top 10 Big 5 safari destinations in Africa.

If you’re looking for the ULTIMATE African travel bucket list, look no further than our top 10 safari experiences in Africa! Declared one of the top safari destinations in the world, Africa offers some of the most astonishing safari, wildlife, travel opportunities, and adventures on the planet. With more luxury, privacy, world-class wildlife sightings, and once-in-a-lifetime safari experiences than anywhere else on earth, you’re bound to fall head-over-heels in love with not only the sheer unmatched natural beauty of Africa in its purest form, but the wild, vivid, and untamed African bushveld and everything it has to offer.

We’ve scoured our magnificent, vast, and diverse continent to find the most unforgettable wildlife and safari experiences Africa has to offer. So, if you’re looking to transform your dream trip to Africa from incredible to utterly life-changing, you better keep reading!

The Big 5 are Africa’s undisputed super stars, its X-FACTOR, the reason why people come back time and time again – they just can’t get enough – and who are we to blame them? The mere possibility or slight opportunity of getting to witness these majestic animals in action, even for a brief moment, is one of the top reasons people travel to Africa and why avid wildlife enthusiasts and tourists set out so eagerly on dawn and dusk game-viewing excursions, safari drives, and wildlife expeditions – ITS ALL ABOUT AFRICA’S BIG 5!
While some may argue that giraffes and zebras are far prettier creatures than the mighty and rugged buffalo, or that cheetahs can be much easier to spot and find than the wildly elusive leopard, it simply doesn’t matter, because getting to see any of Africa’s Big 5 living wild and free in their natural habitats is, and FOREVER will be, one of the most unforgettable thrills at the top of every travellers’ safari tick list.