Anyone who’s been on safari before knows that no two game drives are ever the same! There are two daily game drives at Ulusaba, one leaving early in the morning and one leaving late afternoon, each lasting around three hours. Times will vary depending on the season, but you should always keep your eyes peeled for the Big 5!

You’ll traverse over 13,500 hectares of private reserve with your dedicated Ranger and Tracker who will tailor your game drive just for you!

Here are some hints and tips for making the most of your time in the bush on game drive. Your game drive will leave you with some vivid memories, so make sure you don’t forget the following:

• A good camera, although take care when using a flash – some of the animals aren’t particularly keen. Just ask your Ranger and Tracker for guidance – they’re on good terms with all our neighbours.
• Binoculars. We have a pair on each game vehicle to share, but if you’ve got your own you should certainly bring them.
• Always bring sunglasses, and in the winter months a sweater or fleece, especially in the evenings. We provide blankets and hot water bottles in winter if it’s cold, and there are also ponchos if it is raining.
• It’s best to wear pale and neutral colours when on game drives so not to attract the animals’ attention any more than strictly necessary!
• Please do not bring your mobile phone with you on game drives – we have radios in the cars to contact Ulusaba or the Sabi Sand authorities in case of an emergency.

Keeping the community safe

While our local community visits play an incredibly important part of the role we play at Ulusaba, keeping the community members, our guests and our team safe is our number one priority. With this in mind, we are currently not offering any local community visits but we hope to resume these as soon as it is safe to do so and will do our very best to keep you updated on this.

Travel is always richer when you get the opportunity to find out about the daily lives of people who live in the area you’re visiting. If you’re in the mood for an authentic Shangaan experience, we organise community tours to the local villages.

The Community Tours and Excursions are organised by Pride ‘n Purpose, Ulusaba’s charitable arm. The basic philosophy behind its work is the principle of empowering people to help themselves while promoting sustainable development. All of Pride’n Purposes’s expenses are funded by Ulusaba and Virgin Unite, the group’s entrepreneurial foundation, so 100% of donations can be put into the much needed projects to improve living conditions for the local population. All money raised through those tours goes to the local communities.

Pride ‘n Purpose

You can now incorporate a volunteering experience into your stay. Our team will create bespoke itineraries to participate in hands-on projects within the local communities, based around your own skills and interests. Not only will this create an opportunity to experience the local culture it'll provide a way in which you can perhaps give a little something back to others.

Day in the Life

The Day in a Life village tour looks into some of the charitable projects and schemes Ulusaba is actively involved with. We tailor this tour’s itinerary according to your interests.

It’s Child’s Play 

‘The It’s Child’s Play’ tour has more hands-on activities. You will have the opportunity to share your skills and teach children anything from new songs to the school numbers and alphabet.

Justicia Village Tour 

The Justicia Village tour has more of a cultural emphasis.

Take a safari walk with your Ranger and Tracker and you’ll get an opportunity to see smaller creatures that are often missed when you’re on the game vehicles.

If you fancy a hit of tennis, there are two tennis courts. We have balls and racquets you can borrow. The courts are floodlit so you can also play at night, but we will organise a security escort just to make sure the animals don’t gate crash your game!

Hit the gym and work up an appetite. It’s equipped with a running machine, bike, multifunctional weight station and free weights

Canyons, Cultures and Contrasts – Panorama Discoverer 

A day out on the famed ‘Panorama Route’ along the Drakensberg Escarpment: this tour features visits to the Victorian Town of Pilgrims Rest, the infamous Robber’s Grave, Blyde River Canyon, The Three Rondavels, God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck Potholes and Lisbon Waterfalls. You’ll get up close and personal with some of the region’s natural beauty, and we’ll tell you about the history of the area’s hardy pioneers. Lunch is enjoyed at Harries Original Pancake Restaurant in Graskop, where sweet, freshly prepared, pancakes and fresh salads and other country fare are served. This is a full day excursion.

Cascades and Canyons Spectacular

Take an exhilarating helicopter flight that swoops over deep and mysterious gorges and through lush valleys bursting with vegetation and colour. Linger above cascading waterfalls for some brilliant photo opportunities. The flight will continue to God’s Window, which offers awesome panoramic views of the bushveld below. Then it’s on to the fascinating and dramatic rock formations of the 1 000-metre-deep, 30-kilometre long Blyde River Canyon, (the third deepest and greenest Canyon in the World). You will have a bird’s eye view of the curious Three Rondavels! We will then land at a site with magnificent views of the Mpumalanga Lowveld, while you tuck into a delicious picnic.

Guests can enjoy a star gazing evening as part of their game viewing experience at our observatory in the Bush. Our rangers will teach all about the constellations you can see from points in the southern hemisphere!

Immerse yourself in the Safari Lodge Spa. Our Aroma Boma spa treatment room at Safari Lodge is built on the banks of the dry Mabrak riverbed amongst the trees and away from the main lodge area, so the only likely disturbance is perhaps the odd elephant wandering past.

We have implemented a robust set of safety measures at the spa for your peace of mind so all that's left for you to do is choose your treatment and relax.

We love children at Ulusaba and our team are experts at keeping your little 'cubs' entertained while you enjoy some rest and relaxation during your family vacation in the Sabi Sand.

On arrival, all Cubs will receive a surprise pack which contains lots of goodies to help keep them entertained and to educate them about the African Bush. Kids aged six years and older staying at Safari Lodge will be able invited to join our Cub's Club and since we know every Cub is different and likes different activities, we do not operate a set programme but instead we offer a fun and educational range of activities tailored to each of our younger guests or groups.

Children of all ages can stay at Rock Lodge - including Cliff Lodge - which is ideal for families while Safari Lodge welcomes children over the age of six.
Our Cubs aged six and older can also join the daily Game drives.

Missing travel and currently home schooling?

Check out Wander the World, our new virtual series for kids, taking the young and the young at heart around the world learning about different cultures and traditions in an engaging and interactive way. Be sure to join the Ulusaba team for a special Sofa Safari around the game reserve.

Activities:

With our teams able to tailor a range of activities for our younger guests, here are just some examples of what your 'cubs' may get up to during their stay at Ulusaba:

• A welcome treasure hunt to help Cubs familiarise themselves with their surroundings
• A mini Ranger's course, finding out about the African bush, how to track and identify animal footprints and much more
• Safari walks around the Lodge to spot birds, insects, lizards and many other creatures
• Mini masterchef pizza and cookie making classes
• Arts and Crafts with coloured sand art and an afternoon of rock painting
• Traditional South African kids’ games
• Supervised pool activities