South African Wildlife
South Africa is well known for its abundance of wildlife. There are numerous places to enjoy an unforgettable safari experience. Be it in the world-renowned Kruger Park, an elephant adventure in the Addo Elephant Park near Port Elizabeth or in one of the many smaller private luxury Game Parks along the Garden Route.
Kruger National Park
The Kruger National Park is one of Africa’s largest game reserves. At this well-known wildlife park you will not only see the Big Five but you will find yourself surrounded by hundreds of species of birds, ancient trees, winding rivers, superb accommodation and adventure. Basically, it’s a one-stop-shop for all of your wildlife dreams. Its density of permanent game is unrivalled with hundreds of different species; 507 birds, 336 trees, 147 mammals, 114 reptiles, 49 fish and 34 amphibians!
Early morning wake up to a South African sunrise is a must especially when visiting a game park.
Kruger Park is nearly 2 million hectares, with a unique diversity of life forms combined with historical and archaeological sights. It is truly a place of wonder and adventure. It has an excellent infrastructure.
There are many accommodation and tour options to choose from in the area to suit any budget, whether you wish to travel in your own vehicle and stay in self-catering units or enjoy daily open vehicle safari game drives by staying at a luxury lodge in the area. Even if you do travel with your own vehicle, you are also able to do a combination. Game Drives from the main parks area within the Kruger Park are also available to those that are on a self-drive safari.
Best Time to visit the Kruger:
The best time to visit the Kruger is considered to be in the dry winter season between May to October. Animals are easier to spot due to the vegetation being sparse and permanent water sources provide for excellent and rewarding game viewing.
Malaria
The highest risk period is between November and April – the end of the summer rainy season. Towards the end of the rainy season around April, the risk is much lower. However, it is always recommended to take malaria prophylaxis when visiting the Kruger National Park.
Most types of mosquito that are encountered will not carry the malaria parasite and if an individual is bitten it does not mean that they will contract malaria.
Check out a live cam feed by SANParks at Satara within the Kruger National Park.
Addo Elephant Park
The gentle giants of the Addo National Elephant Park, which is situated in a malaria-free area is a must-see if you love Elephants. Rated as one of the best places in Africa to see these gentle giants up close, this wild paradise is also South Africa’s third-largest safari park and has a huge diversity of animals and natural vegetation.
The park has grown from a mere 16 Elephants dating back to 1931 when it was proclaimed as a protected area, to over 600 elephants at present. It is easily one of the densest elephant population in Africa. From just 2500ha in the beginning, Addo Elephant National Park is now 180 000ha in size, stretching from Darlington Dam in the Karoo in the north, across to the Zuurberg Mountains in the south, down to the coast where it includes the famous St. Croix and Bird Island groups.
The park is also home to land-based animals such as buffaloes, lions, leopards and rhinos, as well as sea-dwelling animals like Great White sharks and Southern Right whales. This means that Addo is one of the few reserves in the world that has all of the Big Seven! Addo is just a short drive from Port Elizabeth, the largest city in the Eastern Cape, where visitors can pick from a range of accommodation and adventure activities, including 4×4, horse and hiking trails.
Many visitors will use Addo as a beginning or end point to their travels along the Garden Route between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.
Whatever your wildlife safari dream, we can make it happen!
