EASTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA MADIKWE, SOUTH AFRICA The Eastern Cape is located at the end of the Madikwe is one of many reserves in South Garden Route, so you can combine Cape Town, Africa where land that was used for farming the scenic route and a safari in an easy trip – has been reclaimed and returned to the wildlife and there’s no need to take malaria tablets. It’s that once roamed it. The malaria-free reserve a different landscape to up north; instead of lies close to the Kalahari desert, creating an acacia trees expect thickets of low bush and overlap of habitats that is home to both the rolling hills of grassland. The reserves here are Big 5 and some elusive desert antelope, like smaller and with fewer animals than Kruger. gemsbok, sable and nyala. It’s also one of the Not all reserves have the Big 5, however only places in South Africa where you can see most are child-friendly and many have safari the endangered wild dog, which Madikwe has programmes especially for kids. Addo Elephant been very successful in breeding. The landscape National Park is the centrepiece. The elephants consists of wide open plains that allow you to here are calm – there’s been no hunting for spot game from a great distance, giving it the so long that they’re relaxed with people and feel of an East African reserve. vehicles, allowing you to get very close. BEST TIME TO VISIT BEST TIME TO VISIT Year-round game viewing. Good throughout the year, but Summer rainfall with afternoon especially the dry months of thunderstorms take place October May to September when animals – April while winters (May- congregate around water holes. September) are dry with mild sunny Rains peak in February/March and days and chilly nights. October/November. WATERBERG, SOUTH AFRICA KRUGER, SOUTH AFRICA FUN FACTS: { The hippo is Africa’s most dangerous The Greater Kruger National Park is creature, killing an estimated 3000 compromised of the Kruger National Park people per year. The only other and the 20 private game reserves that border creature with such a high kill rate is it, creating one of the largest unfenced the mosquito. reserves in the world with free movement of { animals across the land. You’ll find many of Africa’s award-winning luxury lodges here, due to Kruger’s accessibility and the high concentration of animals – Big 5 sightings are almost guaranteed. The landscape is classic South African safari, with rolling savannas punctuated by trees and large bushes. Kruger is a modern-day Noah’s ark, home to animals of every imaginable type, and to this day remains the most popular safari destination in Africa. BEST TIME TO VISIT The Waterberg district of Limpopo is a rugged The dry winter season from May landscape of mountainside forests dissected to October, as the lack of rainfall by deep ravines and tumbling waterfalls with means the vegetation is sparse and panoramic views over the plains below – you’ll BEST TIME TO VISIT game is easier to spot. need a 4x4 to navigate here. It’s home to the Marakele National Park and two private Good viewing year-round with reserves – Welgevonden and Entabeni. All temperate summers and clear three are Big 5 reserves but the concentration winter days, although the nights of animals is small, so you may not spot them get very chilly. all. Waterberg is malaria free and only 3 hours’ drive from Joburg – that and the mild climate make it a great option for families. OKAVANGO DELTA, BOTSWANA ETOSHA, NAMIBIA The Etosha National Park is characterised by The Okavango Delta is one of the largest inland BEST TIME TO VISIT a white salt pan so large, it can be seen from waterway systems in the world. It’s made up of space. In fact, the name Etosha means ‘great a tangle of channels, lagoons and islands which The delta floods between July white space’. Four of the Big 5 are found here create a lush habitat for an incredibly diverse and October each year, making (buffalo is the exception), but it’s really the concentration of bird and wildlife. A safari in this the best time for your watery diversity of game and ease of viewing that make the delta is a bucket list experience. Explore explorations. Winter lasts from May Etosha special. During the rainy season, the the waterways by traditional mokoro (dugout to September, so visits during this salt pan fills with water and attracts thousands canoe), as your guide paddles you past pods time will be mostly dry and mild. of flamingos as well over 340 other bird of hippo with only their eyes peaking up from species. Big game is easily visible across the flat the water’s surface, and take in a walking safari landscape and around numerous water holes, across the islands. some of which are floodlit. The park is malaria- free and easily accessible by normal sedan on the well tarred roads. BEST TIME TO VISIT The bone-dry winter months of July to October, when wildlife congregates around the water holes. CHOBE, BOTSWANA KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA Northern KZN is home to a number of game Chobe National Park is often combined with reserves including Mkuze, Nambiti, Hulhulwe- a visit to the neighbouring Okavango Delta. BEST TIME TO VISIT iMfolozi and Pongola, as well as World Heritage Chobe is known for its extensive herds of Site, the isiMangaliso Wetland Park. The elephant and Cape buffalo, which you can view During the dry winter months reserves are small in comparison to Kruger, during a boat cruise up the Chobe River or on a from May to September, when the but some do have the Big 5 and they are easily more traditional game drive. Large numbers of vegetation isn’t as thick. accessible from Durban, the nearest being a game converge on the surrounding rivers during 2.5-hour drive. The landscape is forested with the dry months. It’s not uncommon for vehicles trees and thick vegetation that make sightings to come to a standstill as hundreds of elephants less frequent than in other regions. cross the main road on their way to the river to drink, bathe and play. A Chobe safari has a remote, untamed feel that you won’t find in South Africa. BEST TIME TO VISIT The dry winter months from May to October. Nights are chilly and days are mild, but as you go into October it starts to get hot. SOSSUSVLEI AND THE NAMIB DESERT KENYA AND TANZANIA The red-orange sand dunes trademark the region of Sossusvlei, a mud pan created by a transient river that flows through the desert every five to ten years. The high percentage of iron in the water gives the towering sand BEST TIME TO VISIT dunes their rich colour. Due to a lack of water The winter months of May to many of the local Acacia trees die, unable to October when days are milder – this even decompose, which adds to the eeriness is the desert and it gets unbearably of the place. A Namib desert safari is unique. hot in summer. You’ll see the small mammals and reptiles who have adapted to the arid land, as well as ostrich and antelope. The appeal here is less about the wildlife and more about the contrasting landscapes, where the orange sand against the brilliant blue sky and dazzling white salt pans The site of the Great Migration, which sees two produces unforgettable images. million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle follow the rains and make their way from the Serengeti in Tanzania to greener pastures in the Masai Mara in Kenya. It’s the most spectacular wildlife show on earth – and the camps there know it. Rates are high and it can get crowded in the public reserves. Should you self-drive through the extensive Kruger Park or safari on a private game reserve? It’s a PRIVATE GAME RESERVES question we’re asked time and again by both local and international travellers. One could even suggest VS that it’s the same thing, as none of the reserves have fences. Surely the elephant that you saw in Sabi NATIONAL PARKS Sand you could see again in Kruger at a considerably lower cost? Yes and no. Here we break down the differences between a private safari and national park, and explain the pros and cons of each. PRIVATE GAME RESERVES These are privately owned areas alongside a national park or special concessions within the park. Only the game drive vehicles that belong to the lodges in a reserve can drive on the land, meaning you’re not competing for road space with other guests and you won’t get stuck in traffic jams. Rangers are not subject to national park rules – they can drive off road in search of animals and take you on night drives to see nocturnal game. In most private reserves, you can also do walking safaris where you track game on foot. In South Africa, private reserves have a rule that limits vehicles to two or three per wildlife sighting, so even if you do share a viewing with a vehicle from another lodge, it won’t be a whole queue of them. Most evening game drives include a stop somewhere in the open bush for drinks and snacks with your ranger as you take in the African sunset. Accommodation on private reserves tends to be of the more luxurious variety, although we do have options to suit smaller budgets.