Everyone knows the SabiSands area has prolific game creating incredible game viewing, so what makes MalaMala so special? What puts MalaMala in a class of its own when it comes to the game viewing experience? Let me tell you from fact and my own personal experience.
MalaMala was the original photographic game lodge, leading the way and creating the blueprint for the photographic safari industry in South Africa. In a region of South Africa that can be accused of being too busy, MalaMala has an incredible piece of pristine wilderness. What does this mean to guests?
- No access roads, so no commercial vehicles
- No traversing from other camps which means only MalaMala vehicles are out on safari
- No villages nearby giving off night pollution, so guests experience the best of the South African night sky and stars.
The actual camps all sit facing the Sand River. There is 20km of river frontage which in itself leads to a very immersive safari experience throughout a guests stay. From the deck over drinks and meals guests can watch as the elephants come down to drink, the baboons play on the lawns and the kudu graze around camp. As night sets in, the hippo wanders out of the water and graze in front of the rooms.
The river is the lifeblood of the region and one of the key reasons if not THE key reason for the incredible wildlife experience.
Now let’s look at the guiding and the animal experience. When a client chooses to go on a Big Five game experience, then the chances of them seeing the Big Five, no matter what time of the year, is first and foremost when choosing a camp. For the last 30 years, MalaMala have monitored their animals, and guests have seen the Big Five over 95% of every day in that time frame! Given that most guests will stay 2 – 3 nights, the odds of seeing the Big Five more than once are very much in your favour!
Now this is when it gets really exciting at MalaMala. At most camps and lodges there is a time restriction on how long you can stay at certain sightings, but not so at MalaMala. Here you don’t just get 10 minutes, you can stay as long as you want. What this means is that the guides are able to study and predict the animal behaviour, waiting for the action to take place. Lions mating, cubs playing, and lionesses hunting, rather than just sleeping in the sun. Leopards with their kill up a tree, hyenas circling and vultures swooping from above. Wild dog on the hunt, trailed by hyena waiting for the scraps. Elephants coming down to the river to drink and play, protecting their young. These are just a few of the sightings that I personally experienced during a 2 night stay at MalaMala.
This was animal action and interaction at its finest.
This is what puts MalaMala in a class of its own and sets it apart.