South Africa
South Africa Map - © TheSafariCompany.net
Memorable is the word you can use to fittingly describe any South Africa holiday experience and there are many reasons why.
South Africa is well endowed with a wide variety of experiences to explore. From watching the big five in one of the world’s biggest national parks to enjoying a relaxing time at our blue flag beaches to surfing at some of the world’s best super tubes. You can choose to sift through our unmatched cultural and wine routes or you can opt to learn a lot through our world heritage sites. You can watch whales doing acrobatics at the world’s whale watching capital or come up close and personal with the great whites or simply take part in any of the endless adrenalin pumping adventure sports that we offer in the air, sea or on land. All this while staying in some of the world class hotels or simply living in our equally comfortable award winning alternative accommodation.
To pick the very best out of an array of South African experiences is almost impossible but we did come up with a selection of our favourite top South African experiences and people.
Kruger National Park
Elephants at Singita Kruger National Parc
Where nearly 2 million hectares of unrivalled diversity of life forms fuses with historical and archaeological sights – this is real Africa.
The world-renowned Kruger National Park offers a wildlife experience that ranks with the best in Africa. Established in 1898 to protect the wildlife of the South African Lowveld, the Kruger National park was establish by the president from that time, Paul Kruger.
Truly the flagship of the South African national parks, Kruger is home to an impressive number of species: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals. Man's interaction with the Lowveld environment over many centuries - from bushman rock paintings to majestic archaeological sites like Masorini and Thulamela - is very evident in the Kruger National Park. These treasures represent the cultures, persons and events that played a role in the history of the Kruger National Park and are conserved along with the park's natural assets.
Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve
Sabi Sand view from Londolozi
The Sabi Sand is a private game reserve, situated west of the Kruger National Park, in the north-east of South Africa. It spans 65,000 hectares and is renowned for providing some of the best game viewing in Africa. While it is not technically part of the Kruger, the Sabi Sand shares a 50km long unfenced border with the national park, ensuring that animals can roam freely between the two reserves.
The Sabi Sand comprises a number of private game reserves, each providing an exclusive and luxury experience in the heart of the bush. Unlike the Kruger Park, the Sabi Sand is not open to the general public, therefore staying in one of the lodges here means you are sharing this pristine wilderness with only a few other guests, since each private reserve has exclusive traversing rights over a certain area. Furthermore, your Safari here is not bound by the Kruger's strict conservation rules. Rangers can drive off-road, taking you into the heart of the bush, and lead you on guided walking safaris, tracking animals in the wilderness.
And the game viewing in nothing short of sensational. The reserve has a dense concentration of wildlife, including over 330 plant species, 45 fish species, 30 amphibian species, 110 reptile species, 500 bird species and 145 mammal species! It is home to the Big Five and is probably the best place in the world to get up close and personal with the elusive leopard. Elephant, lion, rhino, buffalo, cheetah, giraffe, zebra and a vast variety of antelope make up the numbers and compliment your experience!
The reserve was founded in 1934 and is the oldest private reserve in South Africa. All the private reserves here contain a strong commitment to conservation and are involved in projects that uplift the local communities. So staying in the Sabi Sand not only guarantees great game viewing and luxury lodges, but also means you can make a difference.
Budget
Timbavati Nature Reserve
White lion in Tanda Tula - Timbavati
The Timbavati Private Nature Reserve is one of South Africa’s prime, undiscovered
wilderness jewels, and home to Africa’s Big Five – in an area of wide biodiversity ranging from savannah woodlands to grasslands and riverine glades.
The reserve was established in 1956 by likeminded landowners. Today it forms part of one of the largest game reserves in the world, the Kruger National Park. A unique feature of the Timbavati is
the low density of commercialisation. The game lodges are dedicated to preserving the sense of true wilderness. The Timbavati is a leader in conservation initiatives and research and is committed
to the upliftment of local communities.
The White Lions of the Timbavati were first discovered by Chris McBride on the Hugo property in the late 1970s.
Thornybush Game Reserve
Cheetahs at Shumbalala - Thornybush Game Reserve
Nestled in the heart of Big 5 country adjacent to the Greater Kruger National Park, with a huge diversity of mammal and bird species, lies 11 500 hectares of pristine African Bushveld, this is the Thornybush Game Reserve.
Unrivalled big game viewing is complimented by exquisite accommodation and sublime cuisine.
Thornybush Game Reserve is the home of the Big Five and a variety of other African wildlife species, including Lion, Elephant, Leopard, Buffalo, and the Rhino.
Warm African evenings under the stars make Thornybush your home away from the world. The sheer enjoyment of unspoilt nature, the invigorating air and the spectacular open vistas will leave you
relaxed and energized for your return to civilization.
The reserve is predominantly open savannah and with a near perfect year round climate it is the ideal safari holiday destination.
Kapama Private Game Reserve
Kapama Private Game Reserve
Kapama Private Game Reserve occupies a vast area between the northern Drakensberg mountains and the Greater Kruger National Park. It is the largest single-owner game reserve in the region, and is perfectly situated to receive guests flying into Eastgate Airport (Hoedspruit). This airport is just minutes from the reserve and Kapama include free airport transfers in open safari vehicle direct to any of the four lodges in Kapama; Kapama Lodge, Kapama River Lodge, Kapama Buffalo Camp and Kapama Karula. These camps and lodges can accommodate a total of 208 people between them.
Kapama Game Reserve is in Limpopo Province, an area renowned for superb safari vacations. Kapama's 13000 hectares has all the big game of Africa with 42 mammal species and approximately 350 bird species. This equates to huge natural diversity and includes the famed 'Big 5' - lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino. Game drives are conducted through the rolling savannah grasslands and riverine forests that make up this appealing African reserve.
Kwazulu-Natal
View from the Thonga Beach Lodge
Washed by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) with its subtropical coastline, sweeping savannah in the east and magnificent Drakensberg mountain range in the west, generously caters for just about every taste imaginable.
Known as the Kingdom of the Zulu, KwaZulu-Natal is a melting pot of African, European and Indian cultures. Traditionally, a popular destination for holiday-makers, KwaZulu-Natal is South Africa’s busiest local holiday destination.
KwaZulu-Natal stretches from Port Edward in the south, to the Mozambique boundary, in the north. From its early days, the province has been the scene of many fierce battles - being the bone of contention between the Zulus and the Voortrekkers; the British Empire and Boer settlers (Anglo-Boer War); the Zulus and the British Empire.
KwaZulu-Natal has the largest population in the country with some nine million people living on 92 100 km2 of land. Seventy-five per cent of its inhabitants are black, mainly Zulu-speakers. Some 15 per cent of the population are Indian, while white people make up the remainder.
Budget
The Great Karoo
Landscape view from Samara
The Great Karoo has an area of more than 400,000 square kilometers. A vast inland sea covered this region approximately 250 million years ago, but as the world's climate gradually changed from cold to hot the water evaporated leaving a swamp where reptiles and amphibians prospered.
In recent history, less than 200 years ago - large herds of antelope and zebras still roamed the Karoo's grass flats. The Hottentots and Bushmen, last of the Southern African Stone Age peoples, shared what they called the "Place of Great Dryness" (from which the name "Karoo" is derived).
The Karoo, the central high-plateau of South Africa, is surrounded by the mighty mountain chains of the escarpment.
The rain, brought by the humid sea winds, goes down over the weather side of the mountain slopes, so that the lee side stays basically dry.
Therefore, the endless grassland of the Karoo gets as little as 400 mm of rain annually, which falls mainly in summer. The winter months are almost completely dry.
Addo Elephant National Park
Elephants in front of Nguni River Lodge - Addo Elephant National Park
Just 75 years after its proclamation to protect the 11 elephants that remained in the area, Addo Elephant National Park is now a world-renowned mega park. Elephant numbers have swelled to over 450 – making this one of the densest elephant populations on earth, plus there are buffalo, lion, leopard and rhino completing the Big 5. With great white sharks and southern right whales in the marine section of the park means that Addo now boasts the Big 7 of Africa.
Unrivalled Diversity
From just 2 500ha at proclamation, Addo is now 164 000ha and plans are afoot to expand it to a massive 360 000ha. Already traversing 5 of the 7 vegetation types or biomes found in South Africa, this will further complement its diversity.
Found here are ancient, 1 000 year-old cycads; hillsides adorned with pastel-coloured proteas; primeval impenetrable thicket; bizarre-looking spiny noorsveld; and wide-open plains where antelope graze. Into this lion and spotted hyena have been reintroduced and there are kudu, red hartebeest and eland too. In the drier Karoo section of the park, gemsbok and springbok can be seen, while the moody black rhino enjoy the noorsveld area.
Dung beetles are a more unusual attraction of Addo. Flightless and always frantically busy, these quirky beetles spend their days rolling perfect balls from elephant dung. There are even road signs in the park warning motorists to avoid harming these unique creatures.
Elephants up Close
While Amboselli is well known for its great elephant viewing, Addo is now rated on a par as offering the best close-up encounters with elephants in Africa. Plus Addo also has a wide variety of other game and marine life to enjoy, including the world’s largest breeding colony of 160 000 Cape gannets on Bird Island and the second largest colony of African penguins.
Rare Roseate terns come to Bird Island to breed in winter, Siberian falcons breed in the coastal dunes nearby and Caspian and Arctic terns stop off on the island on long-haul flights. Soon this will be part of a 120 000ha marine protected area, which includes a majestic red and white lighthouse and the legacy of the Doddington wreck on its shores.
Cape Town & The Table Mountain
Cape Town is known as one of the best cities in the world, and for good reason. Boasting fantastic shopping, excellent restaurants, miles and miles of wine estates, adventure activities, superb beaches….and that’s just for starters.
Situated at the south-western tip of Africa, the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) encompasses the incredibly scenic Table Mountain Chain stretching from Signal Hill in the north to Cape Point in the south and the seas and coastline of the peninsula.
The narrow finger of land with its beautiful valleys, bays and beaches is surrounded by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean in the west and the warmer waters of False Bay and has within its boundaries two world-renowned landmarks - majestic Table Mountain and the legendary Cape of Good Hope.
The Park is recognised globally for its extraordinarily rich, diverse and unique fauna and flora - with rugged cliffs, steep slopes and sandy flats - is a truly remarkable natural, scenic, historical, cultural and recreational asset both locally and internationally. Nowhere else in the world does an area of such spectacular beauty and such rich bio-diversity exist almost entirely within a metropolitan area - the thriving and cosmopolitan city of Cape Town.
Grootbos Nature Reserve
View from Grootbos
Grootbos Nature Reserve, with its two 5-star lodges is a jewel of Cape ecotourism and luxury accommodation. The reserve is spectacularly situated on the fynbos and forest clad hills overlooking the whale-watching haven of Walker Bay. This multi-award winning 1750 ha reserve is home to more than 750 different species of plants, offers warm hospitality, excellent cuisine, fine South African wines and is a nature lover’s paradise.
The Cape Fynbos Kingdom is renowned as a flora biodiversity hotspot and for more than a decade Grootbos Nature Reserve has promoted its beauty, interpreted its intricate stories, researched some of its many secrets and developed a suite of projects focused on conserving this exceptional natural region. Central to the ethos of Grootbos is that our guests discover the regions natural wonders and directly contribute to its conservation and upliftment of our local communities.
Madikwe Game Reserve
The Madikwe Game Reserve, situated against the Botswana border, 90 km north of Zeerust, just three hours' drive from both Johannesburg and Pretoria, is now one of South Africa's prime safari destinations. Madikwe is a Big Five game reserve covering some 75,000 hectare. It is one of the largest game reserves in South Africa. The rich diversity of vegetation ensures a wide range of game and the topography offers ideal game viewing opportunities.
Home to the Big Five
Madikwe is home to 66 mammal species including the Big Five and approximately 300 resident and migrant bird species. It is one of South Africa's largest game reserves.
Madikwe has the distinction of being one of the few game reserves in the world to be proclaimed purely on the grounds of being the most appropriate and sustainable land use for an area.
Madikwe represents an extension to this philosophy in that it is run as a joint venture between the State, the private sector and local communities. The success of this approach has made Madikwe the role model for similar ventures being started up elsewhere in South Africa.
Vast Plains
The reserve consists of vast plains of open woodlands and grasslands, dissected by the rugged Rant van Tweedepoort, and bordered in the south by the Dwarsberg Mountains. The area is dotted with huge rocky hills or inselbergs.
The entire reserve has been enclosed in a 150km perimeter fence which has been electrified to prevent the escape of elephants and the larger predators.
The Kalahari
View from Tswalu lodge - Kalahari
The wider Kalahari is a vast, arid region of sandy, porous land which extends across much of Southern Africa. Stretching from South Africa’s Orange River northwards across eastern Namibia, Botswana and western Zimbabwe, the Kalahari also embraces parts of Angola, Zambia and the Congo in a total area of more than 2.5 million square kilometres, about 10 times the size of Great Britain.
The name Kalahari derives from the Tswana word “Kgala” which means “great thirst”. But the southern Kalahari, where Tswalu is located, is really a “green desert” as the Korannaberg mountains attract precious rainfall in the summer months. Over 400 plant species have been identified here at Tswalu together with 230 bird species, 90 mammal species and 38 species of reptile. Every living thing has adapted ingeniously to this unique environment.
The Kalahari has been the ancestral home of the San people, or Bushmen, for thousands of years. As hunter-gatherers, the Bushmen survived by tracking and hunting wild game with bows and arrow, gathering berries or desert melons and storing scarce water in the blown-out shells of ostrich eggs. The San culture and beliefs are rich and rooted in this land.
Limpopo Province
Walks at The Ant Collection
Named after the great Limpopo River that flows along its northern border, this province is rich in wildlife, spectacular scenery and a wealth of historical and cultural treasures.
Known as the Great North, Limpopo province is home to ancient lands and pre-historic secrets. This is home to Modjadji, the fabled Rain Queen; The Stone Age and Iron age relics of Makapansgat Valley and the treasures of Mapungubwe that date back to time immemorial.
Straddling the northern Kruger Park, Limpopo province boasts wildlife safaris, nature trails –untamed Africa at its finest. This is the land of wide-open bushveld, big-sky country, the ever-present thorn tree and the mystical baobab tree.
The Limpopo province also offers up Africa’s wild Edens – from highveld grassland savannahs to subtropical forests to formidable mountain ranges.
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