The many national parks and game reserves certainly belong to South Africa 's main tourist attractions. All game reserves and game parks dispose of beautifully positioned camps where bungalows and huts of different quality standards are for rent. Most game reserves or game parks also have a camping ground. For the periods of South African school holidays, bookings in the game parks should be done well in advance.
Most visitors to South Africa will want to visit at least one of the country's protected wilderness areas, so they can experience, first-hand, the wonder of nature in an untamed environment. Game viewing is highly enjoyable throughout the year, but the ideal time to visit is from April to September, during the South African winter. In the game parks and reserves most rain falls during the South African summer, encouraging lush vegetation and making wild animals more difficult to spot. In the winter the bush is more sparse, forcing the game to drink at rivers and waterholes, where it can be more easily viewed. Best time of the day for seeing the game is in the early morning or late afternoon through to dusk. This is when the animals are at their most active. In the heat of the day they will retreat to the shadows so look for them sheltering under trees or bushes.
Nevertheless, the wildlife in South Africa 's game parks and reserves is so prolific that an unforgettable experience is more or less guaranteed and many visitors will get the chance to see at least some of the "big five" - lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo, as well as cheetah, giraffe, hippo, a numerous variety of antelopes and an abundance of bird species.
South Africa's wildlife sanctuaries fall into three main categories: nature parks, private and national game reserves.
Nature parks are not so much noted for their wildlife as their scenic beauty, walking and hiking trails.
Private game reserves appeal especially to the international visitor. The highly personalised service offered ensures the best of game viewing opportunities - while the ambience in the lodges and camps, often furnished to luxurious standards, is relaxed and enjoyable. Game drives in open-topped vehicles are operated by experienced rangers who take guests "off the beaten track" and into the bush. Walking safaris may also be offered. Many have swimming pools, where guests can cool off during the day, and most have well-stocked bars. Meals, morning coffee and afternoon tea are provided while evening braais (barbecues) often take place around a camp fire and an open, circular, reed enclosure called a "boma". Many private reserves are located on the western border of the Kruger National Park and there are others in north KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. To get the most out of a wildlife experience, it's best to spend two or three nights at each camp.
National Game Reserves are generally explored by tourists in their own vehicles or car hire although most game parks do offer organised game drives. Tourists generally stay in rest camps, usually cottages or chalets. Most of them will have kitchens and bathrooms/showers. Occasionally they provide restaurants but most involve self catering and although they have basic grocery shops it is best to stock up before you arrive. The National Game Parks are popular with South African tourists as well as international visitors, especially during the school holidays, so it's best to make reservations in advance.
Kruger
National Park
Biggest game reserve on 20,000 sq km. Unique game stock with 147 mammal
and 507 bird species. Good infrastructure. Best time to travel: June to
August.
Mkhuze
Game Reserve
5 hours from Durban. 250 sq km. Large herds of blue wildebeests, kudus,
nyalas, zebras, giraffes. Over 400 bird species. Observation stands.
Perannual season.
St. Lucia Wetland Park
Lagoon, separated from the sea through chain of dunes. Swamp forests and
mangroves. Numerous seabirds, crocodiles and hippos. Anglers' paradise.
Umfolozi and Hluhluwe
Game Reserve
3 hours from Durban. Hilly savannah landscape. 1100 sq km. Many rhinos,
but also elephants, buffalos, lions, leopards, giraffes etc. Perannual
season.
Willem Pretorius Game
Reserve
Small game reserve. African savannah around a dam. Rhino, herds of
buffalo and giraffes. Good accommodation with chalets overlooking dam.
Perannual season.
Golden
Gate National Park
A quiet mountain world for nature lovers and hikers. Colourful sandstone
formations. Zebras, wildebeests and eland antelopes. Bushman paintings.
Royal Natal National Park
Mountain park at the foot of the Mont-aux-Sources (3280). Roaring wild
streams and thundering waterfalls. A paradise for hikers. Good
accommodation and campground.
Giant's Castle Game
Reserve
Mountain park in the southern Drakensberg. For nature lovers and hikers.
A lot of game, especially elend antelopes. Breeding area for Cape and
Bearded vulture.
Addo Elephant
National Park
About 500 elephants on 12,000 ha. Also rhinos, antelopes and many bird
species. Good travelling throughout the year. Close to Port Elizabeth.
Tsitsikamma
National Park
80 kilometres coastline at the Storms River. Rainforest. Extended hiking
trails. Waterfalls. Interesting tidal waves. Good accommodation and
camping site.
Karoo
National Park
32.000 ha nature conservation area. Springbuck, kudus klipspringer
and tortoises. Fossiles collection. Good accommodation. Best time to
travel: April to October.
De
Hoop Nature Reserve
Enchanting dune landscape. 60,000 ha nature reserve. Nursery of the
Southern Right Whale. More than 200 bird species, zebra, bontebok,
eland.
Cape
Peninsula Nature Reserve
Small nature reserve on the Cape Peninsula. Different kinds of antelopes
and birds. In spring beautifully blooming fynbos fields.
West
Coast National Park
Protected lagoon and swamp plains. Nesting place for numerous bird
species. At times over 100,000 migratory birds. Walking and canoeing.
Richtersveld
National Park
Spectacular mountain desert. Unique vegetation with numerous species of
succulents. Difficult accessibility. 4WD and compass required.
Augrabies
Falls National Park
820 sq km nature reserve. On bothe sides of the Orange river. Impressive
waterfalls. Rhinos. Desert vegetation with Kokerboom trees. Best time:
April to September.
Kgalagadi
Transfrontier Park
A well kept secret. 20,000 sq km in the middle of the Kalahari desert.
Excellent for lion viewing. Very good accommodation. Best time: April to
September.
Etosha
National Park - Namibia
One of the best game parks in southern Africa. Enormous diversity of
game. Elephants, rhinos, lions, large herds of springboks. Best time:
winter months. This park can be found in our NAMIBIA menu.
Marakele
National Park
A relatively new game park in the Waterberg area of the Northern
Province (South Africa).
Pilanesberg
National Park
Quite a spectacular park with the "Big Five" in the North-West
Province near Sun City.
Bontebok
National Park
A small game Reserve in the Western Cape for the protection of the rare
Bontebok antelope.
Private
Game Reserves
There are numerous private game reserves in South Africa and Namibia.
Most of them are well stocked with game, some of them even have the
"Big Five".