This place is so amazing, I would give it 10 stars if I could. The setting, accommodations, food, game drives were fantastic but most importantly the entire staff made it memorable. They made this trip so special. You felt like family, not guests. We didn’t want to leave. I truly have no words to describe this special place.” Guest: Debbie S
YOUR SAFARI ADVENTURE AWAITS
We are excited to report that renovations began right on schedule on 11 January 2025. This is an extensive lodge-wide renovation that will be completed on 15th June 2025. We will keep you updated on social media (Insta, FB, Youtube) as we build and hope that you’ll follow along with that and our wildlife sightings.
If you’d like to book for the second half of the year, you can book online.
In the meantime, our sister lodge, Lukimbi Safari Lodge is accepting bookings. Lukimbi is also rated 5* & won a 2024 Traveller’s Choice Award on Tripadvisor. Lukimbi is a stunning lodge and one of only 7 private concessions in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, which borders the Sabi Sands. You can experience a unique private safari in this vast protected reserve where the Big Five and a wide variety of other animals and birds roam free in their natural habitat.
When you drive into IDUBE GAME RESERVE in the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve in South Africa, your senses will instantly awaken to your safari adventure.
Traversing 10 000 hectares of pristine wildlife area, Idube Game Reserve is home to the Big Five — lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo — and many other fascinating animals, large and small. Our leopard sightings draw safari guests from all over the world, and our visitors are enthralled by the abundant wildlife they can view from their suite patios, especially the resident family of nyala we call our welcoming committee. Idube is an oasis in the wilderness with established trees and verdant lawns. Our guests love the feeling of serenity the wonderful environment evokes. Join us for a welcome and refreshing drink at our convivial bar or the trendy glass gazebo. And at night enjoy nature by firelight.
Idube Game Reserve, Sabi Sands Mpumalanga, South Africa
Idube Game Reserve is a lush oasis in the bush and from the air, looks like a lodge in a forest. We welcome you at our reception and curio shop and assist you to your luxury or standard suites, complete with wi-fi, air-conditioning, mosquito nets, safe and private deck. Our luxury suites also have their own swimming pools and two larger pools are available to other visitors.
If you’re lucky you’ll find elephant, leopard, lion, buffalo and maybe even the rare rhino, as well as many other fascinating animals and plants.
Step into your open safari vehicle with your experienced FGASA-trained ranger and tracker for your daily morning and evening drives. At sunrise you’ll traverse the bush for about three hours and witness wildlife awakening to a beautiful new day.
Our rooms are all tastefully and individually decorated with plush, African-inspired decor, fabrics and furniture that welcome you to the South African bush.
Each suite has its own coffee and tea station, bath, inside and revitalising outside showers, hairdryer, safe, air conditioning and wi-fi. And don’t worry about mosquitoes as nets cover all windows and doors as well as the beds themselves. You can’t help but relax in these sumptuous settings at Idube Game Reserve.
Idube’s reputation is for excellent cuisine that often features as a highlight in guest reviews.
We cater to all our guests’ food preferences, with specific emphasis on cultural requirements, allergies and dietary restrictions. People love our vegan and vegetarian options.
Our dining portions guarantee full satisfaction, and we serve breakfast, lunch and supper in a variety of settings, so that our visitors are constantly surprised and delighted.
Our amazing, welcoming staff are known for their attention to detail, kindness and personal service.
Led by our very capable management team, Charita and Evert Hanekom, Idube Game Reserve aspires always to make our guests feel welcome. Our team‘s mission is to look after visitors in a friendly and relaxed way, and the number of repeat guests is testament to the comfort our staff members provide.
Left: National Women’s Day 9 Aug 2023. Meet the faces behind the scenes, the ones who work tirelessly to ensure every moment of your stay is filled with wonder and joy.
“What an unforgettable time our family had at Idube. Our safari guides Ian and Bongani were so knowledgeable and fun to be with. The game drives were just jaw-dropping: leopards eating a wildebeest up in a tree, frolicking baby lion cubs, massive adult male lions, elephants everywhere… we saw much more than we could have imagined, including the Big 5 on just our first day. What a wonderful vacation! Beautiful facilities, delicious and creative food, friendliest staff. We couldn’t have asked for more. We were so very happy here.” – Guest: Betsy P, USA
Absolutely stunning leopard pics. You can see this one is still young as there’s a touch of blue in her eyes - leopards open their eyes about 7 days after birth and have bright blue eyes. These change to hues of green, some blue and yellow.
We caught up with the construction team and lodge staff working hard on the upgrade. Let’s see what they are up to… (sound up!) Go Team! (Project Manager, Carl Marais chatting to everyone) Video: Carl Marais Editing: Charita Hanekom (Lodge Manager) #Idubegamereserve #sabisands #lodgeupgrade #lodgerenovation #goteam #luxurysafarilodge #safariexcellence #safariadventure
This cute dwarf mongoose got into one of the trenches during our lodge re-build and was struggling to get out. Evert, lodge manager, decided to help him out, of course, and the little guy paid him back for the rescue with a bite before scurrying off. Not to worry, all parties survived the ordeal 😂😂
It’s also about the small creatures we see in the bush. This incredible creature is a Speckled Emperor Moth Caterpillar. The adult Emperor Moth is large and has stunning markings on the bottom wings that look like owl eyes, make sure to look it up - just beautiful! Interestingly, the caterpillar does serve as a food source for some communities in Southern Africa.
We had one of our local, beautiful Nyala come in and inspect the main building renovations - she appears to be happy with the changes so far 😜 😂 We are still on track to open in June.
It’s all about perspective! And other recent sightings. A lazy Leopard, an angry Lioness, Marlo (Idube field guide) showing an ambitious dung beetle, close-up of said beetle, a beautiful tortoise and majestic giraffe.
1&2. Amazing views from one of the new cottages 3. Evert (lodge manager) and little Z check out some sweet renovation 4. Little Z helps out with the construction 2. Renovation of suite 1 (view from the pool side) 3. Granite tiles go onto suite 1, for inside/outside shower 4. TV room/dining room changes 5. Changes to the main building - gazebo/dining area 6. New deck added near the bar - loving the tree integration! 7. Changes to the main entrance begin.
Hello from the Idube Game Reserve construction crew! It’s time for a bit of a renovation update! 1. Carl, Tebogo and Vincent of the construction team 2. Large number of solar panels installed (some function as roofs over car parks - see background) 3. 500 kwh of batteries 4. Sigh.. a naughty squirrel added its footprints to the concrete! 5. Using recycled windows, doors and bricks for bin room. 6. A is for Amos (looking at camera, blue top). Working on steel beams for new cottages More updates on Sunday! #IdubeGameReserve #LodgeRenovation #SafariLodgeRenovation #LuxurySafari #SafariLodgeSouthAfrica #Construction #SolarEnergy #Recycling
At Scotia dam, Village weavers were busy with their own lodge renovations on the branches of a Leadwood tree. Some nests did not make the grade and were scrapped, landing in the water below, but the rest were kept or in the process of being built. Pics: FJ Mammes, Head Field Guide at Idube Game Reserve @fj_mammes_photography #IdubeGameReserve #SafariAdventure #SafariExcellence #LuxurySafari #LuxurySafariLodge #SabiSands #VillageWeaver #Birding #BirdersParadise
Idube Game Reserve is excited to announce that the lodge will be undergoing a substantial renovation in early 2025! Idube will be closing for a this major renovation from 11th January 2025 until the 15th June 2025. We will, of course, keep you posted during the building process, and updated on wildlife sightings during that…
Article by Marlo Hartman (Guide at Idube). The Marula tree is a medium-sized tree, with heights ranging from 7 to 17 meters. They have a spreading, rounded crown and are deciduous. The word “deciduous” is derived from the Latin word “decider”, which means “to fall off.” This type of tree is dormant in dry seasons…
Idube Going Solar! Like our sister lodge, Lukimbi Safari Lodge, Idube Game Reserve plans on embarking on a major project to get off the electricity grid as much as possible. An obvious way for us to do that is to look to solar power in our beautiful, sunny climate. We are extremely aware, not only…
