35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A beautiful country which offers visitors a wide variety of bush experiences.
Most people who travel to South Africa have two key destinations on their itinerary: Cape Town, and Kruger National Park. While both are fantastic holiday options, there is so much more to the country than that, and if you’re contemplating a visit to South Africa, you really should consider travelling to other areas too. South Africa offers such varied bush experiences and while many of the parks pale in comparison to the size of Kruger, when it comes to gorgeous landscapes and game-viewing opportunities, they certainly give Kruger a run for its money.
The province of KwaZulu-Natal, for example, has outstanding parks in its northern regions. Up here, in the land that once was ruled over by Shaka Zulu, it is classic rhino country and there are a number of parks, such as Hluhluwe-Imfolozi and Phinda, where you’re likely to see the Big Five. Many parks up here also offer the chance to go on walking safaris – guaranteed to give you a totally different perspective of life in the bush.
The landscape varies vastly across the country, and if you’re a keen photographer, parks like Golden Gate, Camdeboo, Pilanesburg, Karoo and the Kgalagadi will be an absolute delight. In these parks, the sheer scale of vast open spaces will almost dwarf the wildlife, and shooting during the golden hours will be an absolute treat.
It is very easy to self-drive in South Africa – in fact, it’s recommended. The quality of the roads is good, especially between the major cities, and taking a road trip through this country will reveal some of its quirks and hidden corners. If you are going to do the classic Kruger/Cape Town holiday, consider taking a week or so to drive between the two, and stop off at parks like Golden Gate, Addo Elephant Park, Mountain Zebra National Park. You’ll be so glad you did.
Perfect for a first safari. All of the wildlife I was hoping to see, and more, with accessible and luxurious accommodations.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
There is not many place in the world where you can see wildlife like this.
Africa was just amazing, but we went also to Botswana and there we had a more bush vibe.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
South Africa is the premiere safari destination. The main reason is the density of the wildlife and the best safari lodges on the planet. I have been to 4+ lodges and the attention to detail, amazing service and knowledgeable staff stand out compared to Botswana or even Tanzania. I loved both but South Africa has this down to perfection.
The other main advantage are the large private reserves such as Timbivati and Sabi Sands. Limited to 2 vehicles per sighting, night game drives, going off-road and the ability to do bush walks set these destinations apart.
We saw so much wild life that it was extraordinary. I'm not very interested in birds, but we saw a good amount of them. Overall, I would give the experience a 5 star rating. Highly recommend it!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
In just one day I saw the complete list of big game apart from cheetah and leopard.
Giraffe were a bit thin on the ground and didn't get a close up view of them either.
South Africa was more beautiful than I ever imagined. I never thought I would see all the animals I did and even better get as close as I did with our skilled Sabi Sabi guides. We were within feet of every animal we came in contact with.
South Africa has a huge diversity of landscapes within the same country, so it's possible to come here and have several very different experiences and see radically different things just by travelling a couple of hours in any given direction. The weather is fantastic for most of the year.
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Just explore different parks and you will see different things. Animals, landscapes and sometimes that real wild feeling.
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