Going on a safari holiday is an incredible and unique experience and South Africa has long been known as a premier safari destination. We have a wealth of different options to choose from here, in terms of the safari destination as well as the type of experience. For those who have never experienced a safari, do you know what to expect?
South Africa’s main Safari destinations:
- Kruger National Park (Mpumalanga in the south and Limpopo in the north)
- Private Game Reserves around Kruger (Sabi Sands, Mala Mala, Manyeleti, Timbavati, Thornybush, Kapama, Klaserie, Balule, Umbambat)
- Madikwe Game Reserve in the north West
- Pilanesberg National Park in the north West
- Waterberg District in the Limpopo province (Marakele National Park; Welgevonden, Lapalala and Mabula Private Game Reserves)
- Dinokeng Game Reserve (in Gauteng, near Pretoria)
- Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape
- Private game reserves in the Eastern Cape (Amakhala, Shamwari, Kariega, Pumba, Lalibela, Kwandwe)
- Kgalagadi Transfrontier park – Northern Cape, with open borders to Botswana and Namibia.
- Garden Route Game Reserves (Gondwana, Safari Camp, Buffelsdrift, Botlierskop, Garden Route Game Lodge)
- Karoo Game reserves (Aquila, Inverdoorn and Sanbona)
- Private Game Reserve in Kwa Zulu Natal (Nambiti, Manyoni, Pongola, Mkuze)
- Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park – KZN
A typical day on safari:
05.00 Wake-up call
05.30 Meet for tea/coffee and rusks/muffins at the lodge
06.00 Depart for morning game drive
07.30 Stop for hot drinks and snacks
09.00 Return to the lodge for a full breakfast
10.00-13.00 Relaxation time, spa or bush walk
13.00 Lunch
14.00-16.00 Relaxation time (afternoon siesta, read a book, have a swim, sip a cocktail, enjoy a spa treatment, do some bird watching, or if the lodge has a waterhole look out for animals)
16.00 Afternoon tea
16.30 Depart for afternoon game drive
18.00 Stop for sundowner drinks and snacks
19.30 Arrive back at the lodge, freshen up for dinner, possibly followed by a night drive after dinner, sitting at the fireside and exchanging stories or doing some star gazing.
The above is a typical summer schedule, winter mornings usually start half an hour later and
afternoons half an hour earlier.
Important things to know about when going on safari:
- The early starts to the day! This is important to get out before the heat of the day, but it also the time of day when animals are most active so is the best time for sightings.
- The early mornings and late afternoons/evenings in an open game drive vehicle can be chilly, even in summer, but more so in winter – be prepared in terms of clothing. The vehicles will usually be equipped with blankets, but in winter warm jackets and beanies will be called for!
- Summers will be hot and dry winters will be dusty outdoors, you will really appreciate your shower after a game drive – more so an outdoor shower if your room has this common feature!
- Game drives are often at least 4 hours long – with no toilets along the way, if you need to go it will have to be behind a bush! Tissues and hand sanitizer will be a good idea to bring along.
- Game drives can be bumpy - this is often referred to as a free safari massage and ladies in particular will do well at ensuring good support! Going off road allows you the best chance of spotting the wildlife so will be well worth the bouncing around!
- You are unlikely to see all of the Big Five on one game drive – unless you are very, very, lucky! On a typical game drive you will spend a lot of time driving around looking for the animals. The animals are living in their natural environment, not a zoo.
- The leopard is the most elusive of the Big Five – those who are keen to be able to see a leopard in the wild should try to book a trip to the Sabi Sands, which is known to have one of the highest concentrations of leopard in the world.
- You are likely to overeat! Three full meals a day with snacks and afternoon tea in between coupled with spending most of the day on a vehicle – a bush walk or lodge gym might be welcome relief for some!
- Cell phone and wifi signal is often limited or even non-existent – a good time for a digital detox!
- There are likely to be bugs! This is a normal part of an authentic bush experience and the lodges will be equipped to ease any discomfort with this, for example insect sprays, lamps and mosquito nets.
- What to wear – best to wear neutral colours to blend into the bush, especially when on a drive or walk. Long pants are preferable, especially on walks to avoid scratches and in the evenings to avoid mosquito bites.
- Children under the ages of 6/7 years old are often not permitted at the lodge or on open vehicle game drives, for safety reasons and for the comfort of other guests. At some lodges it is possible to book a private game drive vehicle.
- For game walks children under the age of 16 are usually not permitted, for safety.
- Kruger National Park and its surrounding reserves, as well as some of the reserves in northern KZN, are in a low malaria risk area – visitors will need to chat to their doctors about taking the necessary precautions.
- The peace, tranquility, outdoors, fresh air and slower pace of life can be addictive!
The differences between a National Park, a private concession and a Private Game reserve:
- National Parks are government owned and managed, private game reserves are privately owned and managed. Concessions are designated areas within or adjacent to a National Park and are made up of privately owned game reserves and land loaned from the government for private use.
- Often the private game reserves which border a national park are not fenced off, meaning the animals can roam freely between the two areas.
- Both adhere to the same principles, rules and regulations of conservation and wildlife protection.
- Accommodation within a national park is usually simple and basic, often self-catering. Accommodation on a private came reserve tends to be a lot more luxurious and offers a full board/fully inclusive service, including game drives. Higher levels of service can also be expected at a private game reserve lodge/camp. The accommodation within a private reserve also varies a fair amount – from your more basic lodges to the most luxurious top-end properties.
- National parks are open to the public and game drives can be done on a self-drive basis. Private game reserves do not allow self-drive game drives and usually include twice daily guided game drives, in open 4x4 safari vehicles, in their rates (morning and afternoon). A safari experience with a ranger is far superior to doing this on a self-drive basis as they are experts at spotting and tracking animals as well as a wealth of interesting information about the animals – both big and small.
- National parks have strict opening and closing times, usually within daylight hours, therefore game drives need to take place in the day, whereas private reserves are much more flexible and activities like night drives, game walks and bush dinners are possible. Some national parks, for example Kruger, do take bookings for activities such as bush dinners, guided walks and night drives, conducted by the national park itself, however these are more limited in terms of numbers required, availability, times and locations.
- Being open to the public, national parks can become crowded, whereas private game reserves offer a more exclusive experience because only the game drive vehicles belonging to that reserve traverse on the property and the number of vehicles allowed at a sighting is usually limited to two or three at most.
- Many of the roads in a national park are either tar or well-maintained dirt roads to allow access to regular sedan/hatchbacks and vehicles are required stay on the roads. On a private game reserves the roads are often rougher, the 4x4 game drive vehicles can drive on these roads and are also allowed to travel off-road, for example to follow a sighting into the thick bush.
- Owing to the above the price tag of a stay at a private lodge or camp is a lot higher than staying within a national park!
Whatever safari experience or destination you choose you can be guaranteed of a memorable trip and a longing for the next one!
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