Of the many amazing things to do in this beautiful county - a South African safari is among the most awesome. With game parks and reserves scattered across the country, covering vast areas of the stunning landscape of every description, you are never far away from an encounter with nature and an experience of a lifetime.

The information in this article is inspired by The Rough Guide to South Africa, your essential guide for visiting South Africa.

Kruger National Park

It may look tiny on a map of South Africa, tucked away into the northeast corner, but it’s a staggering 350km from north to south and 80km from east to west. The number of animals is equally big: roughly 160,000 impalas, 30,000 zebras, 13,000 elephants and 1,600 lions roam the park among the 140 species of mammals.

Once you’ve seen the "Big Five" and plenty of others, you might be just as taken by the birdlife. Kruger even has its own “Big Six” birds found nowhere else in the world – among a total of 500 bird species.

How do I get there?

Kruger National Park is one of the best-known national parks in South Africa and is always worth a visit. Start and end this tailor-made Kruger adventure in Johannesburg is the perfect stop to then take a domestic flight towards George or Cape Town for the rest of your trip.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

If you have your heart set on seeing a leopard, cheetah, spotted hyena or the black-maned Kalahari lion, this South Africa safari will be your best bet. The park is also known for its seasonal movement of herbivores such as wildebeest, springbok and gemsbok.

How do I get there?

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, Kwazulu-Natal

All of the Big Five are here, and it's one of the best places in not only South Africa, but the world, to see rhinos, both black and white. It's also well worth coming here for wilderness hiking trails, of which there are some of the best in the country.

How do I get there?

Addo Elephant Park, Eastern Cape

Elephants are of course the main draw, but lions and hyenas have been reintroduced here. Addo is also home to the Big Five. The bush is thicker here than in other parks, which means it may sometimes be more difficult to see the game, but when you do it's usually very close-up.

How do I get there?

Madikwe Game Reserve

One of the largest parks and malaria-free, Madikwe is an exclusive resort. There's no self-drive option here and day visits aren't allowed. Only guests of one of the 20-plus lodges here can enter the park and reap the benefits of this uncrowded and wildlife-rich area.

How do I get there?

Private game reserves

Sabi Sands

MalaMala

Greater Makalali Game Reserve

Makalali is an important migration route for wildlife, connecting Kruger with the rugged Drakensberg mountains to the west at the edge of the African plateau. The reserve is for overnight guests only and Garonga Safari Camp is one of the most romantic lodges you can find. Makalali means “place of rest” and you’ll understand why if you stay.

MUST-DO: Makalali is home to the lovely but rare sable antelope, whose horns can reach up to 1.2m in length, making it a special sight to add to your Big Five viewing.

South African National Parks

MUST-DO: The black-maned lions of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, bordering Botswana, are a unique sight in themselves but the Kalahari desert adds even more to the experience. It’s also the best place in South Africa to see a cheetah.

Aquila Private Game Reserve

The four-star lodge has bars, a restaurant and a spa and you can watch hippos in the reserve’s dam from many of the rooms. Scattered around the grounds are private luxury cottages in African style.

If you can drag yourself away from the buffet, there are dawn, post-lunch and sunset game drives. You can also enjoy the reserve on quad bike or horseback.

MUST-DO: No wildlife lover’s trip to Cape Town would be complete without a visit to the Boulders Beach Penguin Colony in Simon's Town. However, the seal colonies at Hout Bay or Duiker Island are just as entertaining.

Safari at Sea

KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)

iSimangaliso Wetland Park

There are plenty of lovely sub-tropical beaches along this coast and a good choice of places to stay, from luxury beach lodges to campsites. A 4x4 vehicle is a good idea if you want to explore further north but Cape Vidal, just outside St Lucia, is a beautiful campsite where you can sometimes see whales and dolphins offshore.

Between November and March, you have the joy of sharing the beaches with nesting loggerhead and leatherback turtles. You won’t want to disturb them, so sign up for a tour with an expert guide.

Inland, you can see the Big Five in Mkuze Game Reserve which also draws in birdwatchers from all over the world for its 420 bird species. Tembe Elephant Park is another special place, where some of the largest elephants in Africa are looked after on land donated by the Tembe tribe.

Sardine Run

A sightseeing flight, or even an up close and personal guided dive, is the best way to grasp the truly awesome size of the shoals while also spotting whales and dolphins. Despite its scale, and starring role in documentaries such as BBC’s The Blue Planet, there’s a lot about the Sardine Run we still don’t know.

Hermanus and Gaansbaai

The peak is in September and October when the two-day Hermanus Whale Festival marks the annual return of the Southern Right whales to their winter mating and breeding grounds in Walker Bay. Humpback whales, orcas, Bryde’s whales and pods of dolphins can also be seen at other times of the year.

Boat trips will bring you even closer to the whales, while aerial tours again give a unique view from above. A sea kayak tour is another option if you’re brave enough. Southern right whales are quite sociable and interact well with dolphins and boats.

MUST-DO: The 7km-long Klipgat Hiking trail from De Kelders to Gansbaai has great ocean views, bracing sea air and some of the best whale-watching.

Shark!

You are fitted out with a wetsuit, mask and scuba tank and given simple instructions. Once in the cage, you stay on the surface until the divemaster tells you the sharks are around. Then you dip underwater to enjoy an experience that certainly gets the heart pumping.

As well as the great white shark, a visit to Dyer Island will give you a sighting of whales, dolphins, penguins and seals to complete your South Africa safari experience.

Cape Whale Route

The town of De Hoop is another less crowded alternative to Hermanus. De Hoop Nature and Marine Reserve protects an important whale nursery. Another nursery is at Witsand, on the mouth of the Breede River. Boat trips in the bay are banned to protect the whales, but you can see plenty from the land while enjoying fabulous beaches.

West of Cape Town, the towns of Yzerfontein, Lambert’s Bay and Strandfontein offer another alternative to Hermanus, with the flowers of Namaqualand blooming from late August to early September as a photographic bonus to the whale season.

MUST-DO: Seal Island off Mossel Bay is home to thousands of Cape fur seals and is a good place to spot dolphins, whales or even sharks.

When's the best time to go on a South African safari?

Start this tailor-made Five Star South African trip in Johannesburg with a few days of exploring the city. Afterwards, take the exclusive Rovos Rail to Cape Town with several stops on the way. From Cape Town, you will explore the peninsula as well as the wine lands. The Garden Route rounds up this luxurious trip.

Accommodation

Budget and mid-range

It's responsible for 20 parks in South Africa and its properties are usually much cheaper than those in private game reserves. Doing a self-drive safari will also lower the costs. Alternatively, you can book a tour which, depending on the operator, can keep costs affordable.

Some of the best budget accommodation options in South Africa

• Ocean Lounge
• Sani Lodge Backpackers
• ATKV Klein-Kariba
• The Gamtoos Ferry Hotel

Luxury

Accommodation is usually in romantic rooms (hence why safaris are a great honeymoon choice) or luxury "tents", overlooking the savanna.

Luxurious places to stay in South Africa

• The Marine Hermanus
• Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa
• Prana Lodge
• Kapama River Lodge

Ready for a trip to South Africa? Check out the snapshot of The Rough Guide to South Africa or The Rough Guide to Cape Town, Winelands & Garden Route.

If you prefer to plan and book your trip to South Africa without any effort and hassle, use the expertise of our local travel experts to make sure your trip will be just like you dream it to be.

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