Start with safari-appropriate clothing in neutral colors like khaki, olive, and brown. Avoid bright colors or black, which can attract insects. Pack lightweight, long-sleeved shirts and pants for sun protection and preventing insect bites. Include a warm jacket or fleece for chilly morning game drives – temperatures can drop surprisingly low before dawn!

Don’t forget your safari hat with a wide brim, sturdy walking shoes or hiking boots, and multiple pairs of moisture-wicking socks. For Victoria Falls visits, pack water-resistant sandals and a light raincoat – you’ll appreciate them when experiencing the mighty falls’ spray.

Camera gear is crucial: bring a camera with a good zoom lens (at least 300mm), extra batteries, and plenty of memory cards. You won’t want to miss capturing that perfect shot of elephants bathing in the Chobe River or hippos yawning in the afternoon sun. A pair of quality binoculars is absolutely essential for spotting distant wildlife.

Protection from the elements is vital. Pack high-SPF sunscreen, insect repellent with DEET, and sunglasses. A reusable water bottle helps you stay hydrated in the African heat. Don’t forget basic medications, including anti-malarial pills prescribed by your doctor.

For convenience, bring a small daypack for game drives, a headlamp or flashlight for navigating camps after dark, and zip-lock bags to protect electronics from dust and moisture. A power bank and universal adapter will keep your devices charged.

Consider packing some special extras: a journal to document your adventures, guide books for identifying wildlife, and a light scarf that can protect your neck from the sun or dress up dinner at the lodge.

Remember, most safari lodges have laundry services, so you don’t need to overpack. Focus on versatile pieces that can be layered and serve multiple purposes. With these essentials packed, you’re ready for the adventure of a lifetime in one of Africa’s most spectacular wildlife destinations!

The post Going on Safari: Essential Packing Guide for Victoria Falls & Chobe National Park appeared first on Southern Africa 360.

It is one of the most accessible game reserves in Namibia and Southern Africa. It is Namibia’s prime wildlife location offering excellent game viewing. There is abundant wildlife that congregates around the numerous waterholes, which are floodlit at night, offering almost guaranteed game sightings.

Etosha means the ‘great white area‘ which refers to the dried salt pan in the middle of the park. The Etosha pan is the park’s most distinctive feature, it is even visible from space! It is believed to have been formed over 100 million years ago and is 130 km’s long and up to 50 km’s wide in certain places, meaning the pan covers almost a quarter of the park!

The park is malaria free and accessible by all vehicles, the rest camps at the park provide a variety of accommodation, restaurants, viewing points and decks, shops, petrol stations, luxurious camps in remote areas. The best places to see wildlife is at the waterholes scattered throughout the park, especially during the dry winters as most species rely on these permanent water sources. The larger waterholes see treks of zebra and springbok with a mix of Oryx and elephants. If you lucky you can spot rhino, elephant and lion drinking from the same waterhole!

Etosha is home to four of the Big 5, one of the best reasons to visit the park is to for the black rhino, the waterholes are some of the best places to see this precious animal. Elephants and lions are common but the elusive leopard hides in the densely vegetated areas. Other rare and endangered species include the black-faced impala and the fleet footed cheetah. Other large mammals include lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, giraffe, hyena, sprinkbok, zebra, kudu, gemsbok and eland. The smaller species include jackal, bat-eared fox, warthog, honey badger, squirrels and more. The park is also home to 114 species of mammals.

The summers are ideal for birding in Etosha which is home to 340 bird species, about a third of which are migratory. One of the best birding spots is Fisher’s Pan, where you can see flamingos and storks wading through the shallow water. The bird life is made up of a mix from flamingos to the colourful lilac-breasted roller and eagles soaring high above. The vultures that visit the park include the lapped-faced, white-backed and hooded vultures.

Why visit Etosha National Park? Etosha offers amazing biodiversity, great wildlife and birdlife viewing, easy road or air access, black rhinos, amazing Wild Sanctuary and floodlit waterholes.

With so much on offer at the Etosha National Park it is easy to see why it is a popular destination to visit! Please contact us if you would like more information or sample packages showing how this destination can be incorporated into a package.

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Leopard – leopards are the shyest of the big cats, preferring their own company and hanging out in bush during the day and only emerging in the late afternoon to hunt for dinner. Leopards  mostly hunt at night although they will seize any opportunity for a kill. The illusive leopard is found throughout the Kruger National Park and if you are lucky you will spot one, they prefer dense riverine forest – especially along the Sabie River – and rocky outcrops.

Cheetah – cheetah’s are lean and wily, built for speed and can run at speeds over 110 km/h. Cheetahs use their speed for hunting, catching their prey off-guard and then running at it, full-speed. They usually eat quickly because they cannot guard carcass against scavengers. The Central Kruger is the favorite spot for the fast cheetah with sightings in and around Lower Sabie and the Crocodile River.

Caracal – caracal’s are highly secretive and difficult to observe. They are territorial and live mainly alone or in pairs. The caracal is a carnivore that typically preys upon small mammals, birds and rodents. Caracal’s have a variety of habitats but this secretive creature prefers the open savanna where there are rocky outcrops.

How to behave when you meet a cat in Kruger:

Be very quite, human noise will disturb the cats.

In most reserves, animals have become habituated to the vehicles used – and their shape. So do not stand up or move your arms and legs out of the vehicle, as this will frighten the animals and may result in them retreating or attacking.

Never try to interfere with the animals you encounter. This includes trying to change their behavior or position for a good photo shot and feeding them.

Please contact us if you would like some more information on visiting the Kruger National Park or some sample packages showing how this destination can be incorporated into a package.

The post The Cats Of The Kruger National Park appeared first on Southern Africa 360.

The indigenous forests, home to forest elephants and 700-year-old yellowwoods, lend themselves to meandering hiking trails, mountain biking tracks and long, leisurely drives. Tsitsikamma Forest is a fairyland of bird life and giant trees, and is also home to a canopy tour and zip lining adventure.

The shoreline of the Garden Route is dotted with lagoons, bays and beaches, playing host to water sports, boating, fishing and scuba diving. If that isn’t enough to quench the thirst of water-lovers, there’s always the kayak and lilo adventure at the Storm’s River! This two to three-hour kayak and lilo adventure is a popular activity for good reasons. You’ll get to explore deeper into the hidden world of the Storms River gorge than most people ever do and experience the long, bottomless pools, deep caves and ancient forests with nothing but the quiet noises of nature around you.

And if you haven’t been thrilled enough, the Garden Route is also home to the world’s highest commercial bungee jump. The Bloukrans Bungy is the world’s highest bungee bridge in the world, and is also the highest commercial natural bungee jump in the world. The Bloukrans Bridge is an arch bridge located near Nature’s Valley. Constructed between February 1980 and June 1983, the bridge stands at a height of 216m above the Bloukrans River, spans 272m and is 451m in length in total.

For those with more limited time in South Africa it is also possible to include a safari stay on the Garden Route and these options include Buffeldrift in Oudtshoorn, Botlierskop near Plettenberg Bay, Garden Route Game Lodge and Gondwana Game Reserve near Mossel Bay and Sanbona Wildlife Reserve between Cape Town and Oudtshoorn.

From coastline to inland – one of the most geologically interesting parts of South Africa is the Klein Karoo, with its towering mountains and sheer gorges. Not technically part of the Garden Route, but almost always sold along with the Garden Route as part of a package due to close proximity. An important geological feature is the Cango Caves, a series of caverns and chambers naturally hewn out of limestone, situated outside the city of Oudtshoorn. Oudtshoorn itself, the heart of the ostrich feather industry when it was in its heyday the late 1800s and early 1900s, is well worth a visit.

For all these reasons and more, the Garden Route is an obvious choice for an adventure holiday for the whole family!

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