5-Day South Africa Big 5 Safari – MalaMala Private Reserve (August 9–13, 2026)

You can join award-winning Africa Geographic and NatGeo Daily Dozen published photography guide Karen Blackwood in the exclusive MalaMala Private Game Reserve, sandwiched between Sabi Sands Game Reserve and Kruger National Park. Our luxurious home base is set on the banks of the Sand River and unfenced, so we’ll see wildlife moving through all day long. 

This area is home to highest concentration of leopards in Africa, and they aren’t afraid of the vehicles so we will have incredible photographic opportunities with this elusive, secretive big cat.  The best part? MalaMala is a fully PRIVATE reserve of 33,000 acres, so we can start early, stay out late, and spend quality time watching wildlife episodes unfold naturally for the best sighting opportunities in Africa, without dozens of other lodges’ vehicles vying for space and time.

It’s also home to the rest of the Big 5: resident prides of lions, elephant, rhino, and buffalo. You’ll also find hippo, crocodile, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, impala, kudu, cheetah, mongoose, wild dogs, dozens of bird species, and so much more–just browse our photos on our website or on Facebook to see what we see on our safaris. Our small group, intimate safaris are designed to watch and photograph wildlife. Karen will coach your photography skills to help you achieve your goals in any way we can. Everyone is welcome, from absolute beginners to advanced photographers to non-photographers who just want to watch the animals while the others click away. Our private vehicle has a dedicated ranger and an experienced tracker to ensure the best possibility of seeing the widest variety of birds and wildlife—and to get into position for dramatic, one-of-a-kind photographs.

We’ll start every morning early with coffee or tea and a snack, then set out on a 3-hour game drive to see what happened in the wild while we were sleeping. Lions and leopards are usually still active, so we’ll see if they’ve hunted overnight. Elephants are just starting their day, and perhaps we’ll see a hippo out of the water—they travel long distances at night. We’ll stop after sunrise for coffee and another snack…ok, we always PLAN to, but we usually have such amazing sightings that we don’t get our coffee until after the game drive!

When we return to the Lodge, we’ll have a delicious filling breakfast. Afterwards, you can join Karen for our complimentary Photography and Lightroom Workshop, or just relax until lunch. How about a luxurious afternoon bath? A trip to the spa for a decadent massage? Or you can grab a drink and sit on the deck to watch wildlife coming to the waterhole.

We will head back out for our evening game drive in the late afternoon, when the big cats start getting active after the heat of the day. If we’re lucky, we’ll watch lions or leopards hunt! Elephants will be at the waterhole, giraffe should be browsing the tops of the trees, and maybe some wild dogs or cheetah will pass by. We usually stop for a sundown cocktail…ok, again, we always PLAN to, but there’s usually something exciting happening so we’ll often have that cocktail on the vehicle.

After we return to the Lodge, we’ll socialize over pre-dinner cocktails and talk about our day before moving to our mouth-watering candlelit 3-course dinner on white linen tables set up around the fire. Then it’s bedtime. Let yourself be lulled to sleep by the night sounds of the bush…

• Bush Veld
• Sand River
• Waterholes
• Kopjies

While we are on the go and in our optional Photography Workshop, Karen will coach you in the use of your camera, help you set it up and customize your settings, and will make sure that your settings are right for all of the wonderful photographic moments we'll encounter until you know how to set your own settings. She'll make suggestions for "keeper" shots, teach how to take high-key and low-key shots, and to achieve other fun effects. Bring a stable tripod for night sky photos!

You'll go home with new confidence in your camera and your own ability to capture special moments, and tell special stories through photography.

Beginner to Pro. This is a once-in-our-lifetime trip--we won't see an eclipse with a totality this long again until 2114. Cell phones and tablet cameras are welcome and Karen will show you how to maximize your shots. Bring a stable tripod for your camera for eclipse shots.

Karen’s safaris are relaxed and casual. She’ll check the weather about a week ahead of your Photo Safari and email you so you can edit your packing list.

Speaking of Packing Lists, have you downloaded her Packing List, and her Travel Tips? Those documents really come in handy as checklists to keep you on track as you get ready for your Safari! You don’t want to forget anything, and Karen’s Packing List covers everything you need.

This type of Photography Workshop and Safari is low key and suitable for almost all fitness levels. You’ll be walking on flat paths within the Lodge premises. Bungalows have a couple of steps. We might be able to go on a short, slow-paced bush walk on uneven ground, roadways and paths. You will need to be able to get in and out of the game drive vehicle (one front seat is available); assistance is available.

MalaMala is one of the only Lodges in South Africa to offer a suite for persons with physical challenges. This wheelchair-accessable suite means everyone can get out into the wild, regardless of physical abilities.

We take every precaution to keep you safe, but you are in an area with dangerous wildlife. Animals can be unpredictable. We employ highly experienced, licensed Field Guides and Trackers who live at the Lodge. We do not ever pressure wildlife to get a sighting or a photograph; if an animal appears uncomfortable or pressured by our presence, we will leave the area and find something else to watch. You must be willing to comply immediately with direction or instructions from Lodge staff and Karen when we are around wildlife.

The Lodge unfenced and wildlife can wander through. You may see or hear animals nearby. You are free to walk around the Lodge during the day after being briefed on safety protocols. After dark, you must stay on the lit paths. Once the lights are turned off for the night, you may sit on, but not leave, your porch.

How are you getting to the Lodge? It's an 8 hour drive from Johannesburg. To make it easy for you, Blackwood Safaris offers a convenient add-on Lodging and Ground Transportation Package.  It takes away the stress of driving in a foreign country, on the opposite side of the road, on the back side of the clock, in areas where GPS and cell are unreliable. She will tell you which flights to book, and you can easily join from Cape Town or Johannesburg. All you have to do is show up for your flight on time.

Our Package includes:

• 1 night B&B accommodation in Johannesburg for your arrival or departure night,
• 1 night B&B accommodation in Nelspruit the night before safari (flight to Nelspruit not included, average cost $250 round trip)
• 2 pm tour of Dr. Jane Goodall’s rescue/rehab facility, Chimp Eden,
• Round-trip ground transportation between the airport, hotels, and Lodge

Book the Ground Transportation Package as an add-on when you book your safari.

Please email questions to info@BlackwoodSafaris.com

Only 6 people, maximum, get to go on this small-group private safari. Karen will be seated accessibly the middle row to answer questions and help with settings, as well as suggest unique photographic compositions. Guests will rotate seats on every game drive, giving your photos different perspectives and allowing you to sit next to Karen for personal instruction at times.

Blackwood Safaris keeps this Photography Workshop small and intimate, with only 6 clients at a time.

South Africa uses Type M, N, and C outlets. Learn more here.

Karen always brings her own power strip with USB ports so she only needs one adapter. Be sure your power strip has enough plugs for your laptop and battery chargers, and USB ports for your cell phone and other small devices.

The Staff at our Lodge works hard to ensure you have an exceptional experience. Therefore, we recommend that gratuities are equal for each staff member. Karen recommends that you consider gratuities of about $10/day each for our Ranger, Tracker, and Housekeeping staff ($30/day total). Spa gratuities are typically 10% of services. Gratuities are always based on your personal appreciation and this suggestion is just a guideline.

You may charge gratuities on your credit card at the end of the trip.