Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo and Rhinoceros - the most sought after and dangerous of the world's big game. In previous centuries it was these five species which gripped the imagination of hunters and sportsmen, drawing them to Africa to experience the blood pounding thrill of hunting and shooting "The Big Five". It is in reserves like MalaMala where this hunting and shooting still takes place, only the hunting is done by experienced rangers and Shangaan trackers, and the shooting is done with cameras. But it does not mean that the thrill and exhilaration of encountering these animals in an open Land Rover is any less gripping.

Folk lore and legend are rich with regards to the Big Five. Encompassing beliefs such as the following: " The Great One put the animals here for us to use wisely and respect, even as we hunted them, but he knew that without fear we might lose our respect for these creatures. So he put the five here to help us remember. The lion and leopard taught us fear of the night, that only the daytime was ours. The buffalo, the elephant and the rhino taught us to fear their strength, that we might respect the strength of nature."

On Safari

Only guests accommodated at one of the MalaMala camps may traverse this immense tract of privately owned game land.

Our photographic safaris are conducted in open 4-wheel drive vehicles which allows for total freedom of movement and the ability to leave the road and track down Africa's Big Five - Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephant and Buffalo.

After dark, spotlight safaris provide the opportunity to view nocturnal creatures and carnivores on the hunt and walking safaris with an armed ranger can be arranged on request.

The success of our safaris can be measured by the fact that more than 76% of our guests are members of our exclusive 'Big Five Club', which means that they have had contact sightings of the Big Five.

This phenomenal rate of viewing success is directly attributed to the fact that MalaMala Game Reserve comprises 33000 acres or 16000 hectares of pristine game viewing land, making it the largest privately owned game reserve in South Africa, with human density and impact on the land being kept to an absolute minimum. Another reason is the unfenced border between MalaMala Game Reserve and the Kruger National Park, which allows herds of animals to migrate unhindered to the perennial Sand River which flows north to south through the MalaMala Game Reserve for 20 kilometres or 13 miles.