MalaMala Main Camp

MalaMala is the Sabi Sand at its most traditional. It is a long-established private reserve with the Sand River running through it, and Main Camp sits on the bank. With 25 suites it is the largest camp we use in this part of the country, but on our journeys you have your own vehicle and guide for every drive, so you never share a sighting with strangers.

MalaMala has its own airstrip, which saves time. On The Grand Traverse a Cessna Caravan brings you the short distance from Leopard Creek; on The Indian Ocean Arc a Pilatus PC-12 meets your international flight in Johannesburg and you land at MalaMala by lunchtime. Either way, the pilot makes a low pass first to clear the impala and warthog off the runway.

The game drives are the point. Your guide stays with each sighting as long as you want, and the Big Five are all on MalaMala's land. One evening the riverside boma is set for you, and South Africa's wine regions arrive bottle by bottle, each one explained as it is poured, while the fire burns down.

MalaMala suits people who want a classic safari camp and plenty of time in the vehicle. It works well as the bush stop on a longer journey: from here you fly on to the Okavango, or east to the islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago and Zanzibar.

Good to know

• Malaria area. Take your doctor's advice on prophylaxis before you travel.
• The dry winter months, roughly May to September, give the easiest game viewing.

Country: South Africa