Abelana Game Reserve is a 15,000ha (36,000 acre) Big Five game reserve adjacent to the Greater Kruger National Park and the Selati Game Reserve, close to the town of Phalaborwa in South Africa’s beautiful Lowveld – the country’s prime big game region.

Owned by the Mashishimale community, the word “abelana” means “to share amongst each other” in the local Northern Sotho language. This spirit of sharing underpins the relationship between the Mashishimale and its lodge operations partner which leases the land for eco-tourism purposes.

Characterised by breathtakingly beautiful landscapes, varied topography and a mixture of vegetation types, Abelana Game Reserve has a 10km stretch of the semi-perennial Selati River in its northern section, as well as numerous other seasonal watercourses.

Abelana is home to a rich diversity of fauna and flora, from the hippos and crocodiles that make the Selati River their home and the famed Big Five – elephant, rhino, leopard, lion and buffalo – as well as cheetah and wild dog, which are occasional visitors, to an impressive number of endemic bird species including the African fish eagle, peregrine falcon, thick-billed cuckoo, and bat hawk.