Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge
Suites built into the landscape, plus one villa · Borders the reserve's southern section. Sabi Sabi calls its own land the 'Sabie Game Reserve' and is not on the Sabi Sand Wildtuin's own lodge list, though the fence between the two properties and Kruger came down in 1993. · Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve
High-end
Inside the park
Group-owned (Sabi Sabi)
Earth Lodge is Sabi Sabi's flagship property, 12 suites built into the landscape rather than raised above it, plus a separate Amber Villa. It is the most expensive of the operator's four lodges at R44,000 per person sharing, unchanged between the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 seasons, with drives, walks and most meals and drinks included. Add Sabi Sabi's own SGR Conservation Levy, R450 per person per night rising to R495 in 2027-2028. Earth Lodge shares the operator's own reserve-wide traversing figure of 5,400 hectares.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Suites built into the hillside at Sabi Sabi, each hidden from view
- Every Luxury Suite has its own private plunge pool
- Underground wine cellar holds more than 6,000 bottles
- Amber Villa sleeps four, with its own game vehicle and guide
- Amani Spa includes a Pango cave and meditation garden
Cons
- Children under 13 only stay if the whole lodge is booked exclusively
- The most expensive of Sabi Sabi's four lodges, at R44,000 per person sharing
- The lodge's own page does not state a minimum stay or closed season
- No wheelchair-access details are published for this lodge
Rates at Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge
From R44,000 pppn. 2026-2027 season (1 Mar 2026-28 Feb 2027): R44,000 per person sharing for a Luxury Suite. 2027-2028 season: the same R44,000, unchanged. The Amber Villa (4 guests, extra guests at the standard per-person rate) is a separate whole-unit rate at R165,000 a night in both seasons. VAT included. Converted at 1 USD = 16.35 ZAR on 23 September 2026, R44,000 is about $2,691. On top of the room rate: the SGR Conservation Levy, R450 per person per night for 2026-2027, R495 for 2027-2028.
What the rate covers is not confirmed. We do not know yet whether meals, drinks and activities are included, so read this as the bed only.
Every figure on this page is in US dollars.
Rates and fees come from each lodge's own website, read 16 September 2026, cross-checked against the Sabi Sand Wildtuin's own published Guest Conservation Contribution and access fees at sabisand.co.za (the landowners' association, spelled without an 's') and against a reserve overview compiled the same day. Two booking-agent microsites, sabisands.com and sabisands.co.za (both spelled with an 's', unrelated to the association), were checked for cross-reference only and are not used as a source for any rate or levy figure. Ulusaba's own site quotes no nightly rate for its three lodges, so those are recorded as rates on request. Sabi Sabi and MalaMala are not on the Sabi Sand Wildtuin's own lodge list, and neither states whether the reserve's own conservation contribution applies to a stay there; both maintain their own separate levy or none at all, as noted lodge by lodge.
Questions about Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge
Is Earth Lodge good for families?
Not for most families. Sabi Sabi's own FAQ allows children under 13 at Earth Lodge only when the whole lodge is booked exclusively; otherwise the minimum age is 13. The Amber Villa sleeps four across a king room and a twin room, with its own vehicle and guide, so an exclusive family booking is possible. Bush Lodge is the operator's family-friendly option.
Can you self-drive to Earth Lodge?
Yes, as far as the gate. Earth Lodge shares Sabi Sabi's access via Shaws Gate, about 500 kilometres and five hours from Johannesburg, or a road transfer from Skukuza or Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport. As this is a private reserve, guests travel in lodge vehicles with a ranger rather than self-driving; Earth Lodge's own page does not list an airstrip, though Sabi Sabi's shared one serves all four lodges.
What does the rate at Earth Lodge include?
The quoted rate covers guided drives and walks, and most meals and drinks, per the lodge's own description. On top sits Sabi Sabi's SGR Conservation Levy, R450 per person per night for 2026-2027 and R495 for 2027-2028, plus a 15% surcharge from 20 December to 5 January. Earth Lodge is the most expensive of the operator's four lodges, at R44,000 per person sharing.
Is Earth Lodge good for a honeymoon?
Earth Lodge's own page does not name a dedicated honeymoon suite; its Luxury Suites each have a private plunge pool and sit built into the hillside, hidden from view, which suits couples generally. Sabi Sabi names a honeymoon suite specifically at Selati Camp, the Lourenco Marques Honeymoon Suite, so ask reservations whether Earth Lodge's own layout fits the occasion better.
When is Earth Lodge open?
Sabi Sabi's reserve-wide FAQ says it can be visited all year round, but Earth Lodge's own page does not state a separate season or closure for this lodge. Rates run on a March-to-February season rather than the calendar year, holding at R44,000 per person sharing across both the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 seasons.