South Africa Safari Review: Kruger National Park, Motswari Private Game Reserve, Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve, Cape Town

Our room at Arathusa did not have a good view of the waterhole, obscured by the tiki hut where lunch was served, so I would make sure I requested a room with no obstruction of the view.  The other thing I might do differently is either insist on going to the lodge in the Timbavati before the one in Sabi Sands or else make the second lodge also in the Sabi Sands (though a different section than the first one).  While the wildlife we saw at Motswari was wonderful, it was not quite up to the extraordinary level that we experienced at Arathusa.  There seemed to be a significantly lower concentration of animals there (so that we had several drives with almost no sightings, whereas at Arathusa, we had multiple sightings on virtually every drive).  Also for whatever reason, it seemed at Arathusa we almost always managed to get very close to the animals and in the best situation for superb photos (while at Motswari we often saw an animal from a great distance or obscured by vegetation or both).  On the other hand, it was a stirring and memorable experience at Motswari to come upon a huge elephant eating just outside our room and trumpeting at us before lumbering away.  I'm not sure I would forego Motswari, perhaps just experience it first, so the slower pace is not a let-down.