- De Hoop Nature Reserve (Whale Coast, Western Cape): A magnificent coastal reserve featuring deserted beaches, interesting rock pools, beautiful fynbos (uniquely diverse shrublands), a wetland with more than 200 bird species, and a number of small game. Very limited accommodations in simple huts ensure that the reserve is never crowded.
- Tsitsikamma National Park (Garden Route, Western Cape): Stretching from Storms River Mouth to Nature's Valley, this coastline is best explored on foot via the 5-day Otter Trail. If you're pressed for time, or if the trail is full, take the 1km (just over 1/2 mile) walk to the mouth, or complete the first day of the Otter Trail, which terminates at a beautiful waterfall.
- Goegap Nature Reserve (Namaqualand, Northern Cape): This is one of the best places in Namaqualand to witness the floral transformation after the first spring rains. A recommended way to explore the reserve is to hire a bike and complete the two trails that traverse the reserve. Grazing among the flowers are zebra, springbok, and the stately gemsbok, or oryx.
- Kgalagadi (Kalahari) Transfrontier Park (Northern Cape): This is one of the largest conservation areas in Africa -- twice the size of Kruger -- yet because of the long distances you need to travel to reach it, this desert reserve is seldom included in the first visitor's itinerary. Pity, for it is starkly beautiful, with red dunes, blond grasses, and sculptural camelthorn trees contrasting with cobalt-blue skies. Despite its aridity, the reserve supports a number of predators, including the famed black-maned "Kalahari" lion, hyena, wild dog, and cheetah.
- Madikwe Game Reserve (North-West): Rapidly gathering momentum as one of the country's most sought-after getaways, this 75,000-hectare (185,250-acre) reserve offers highly diverse ecozones (including Kalahari sandveld), allowing it to support an unusual range of species -- which is why it's been dubbed the "Magnificent 7" reserve (cheetahs and wild dogs being added to the lineup of usual suspects). Best of all, it's malaria-free.
- Kruger National Park (Mpumalanga and Limpopo Province): One of Africa's greatest game parks, with probably the best-developed infrastructure, Kruger is the most cost-effective, do-it-yourself way to go on safari. Most accommodations are pretty basic but clean, functional, and affordable; and the park teems with wildlife. Good news for connoisseurs is that there are an increasing number of classy private concessions, where the finest lodgings are available -- for a price.
- Greater St Lucia Wetland Park (Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal): This World Heritage Site encompasses five distinct ecosystems, including the croc-rich estuary, the Mkhuze savanna, and offshore coral reefs. It is also close to Hluhluwe-Umfolozi, the province's largest Big 5 reserve, which supports the densest rhino population in Africa.
- The uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park (KwaZulu-Natal): The Drakensberg in its entirety is spectacular, but if you have time to visit only one region, head north for the Amphitheatre. One of the most magnificent rock formations in Africa, it is also the source of South Africa's major rivers: the Vaal, the Orange, and the Tugela. Rolling grasslands, breathtaking views, and crystal-clear streams can be explored only on foot or horseback.
- The Victoria Falls National Park (Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe): This World Heritage Site offers the most stupendous views of the 1,000m-wide (3,280-ft.) falls, and the constant spray, crowned by a permanent rainbow, sustains a lush and verdant rainforest.
- Moremi Game Reserve (Botswana): No visit to Botswana would be complete without a trip to Moremi, which makes up much of the eastern shores of the delta and offers arguably the best game-viewing in southern Africa. Covering an area of 487,200 hectares (1,203,384 acres), including woodlands, wetlands, waterways, islands, and pans, this reserve is home to lion, elephant, cheetah, wild dog, leopard, buffalo, and more than 500 species of birds.
- Chobe National Park (Botswana): This park includes the fabulous game areas of Savuti and Linyanti -- river systems that provide life for abundant game including lion, leopard, wild dog, and elephant; the Chobe River is in fact the best place to see elephants in Africa, and from the boats that operate along its shores, it's possible to see dozens of them swimming across the rivers between Botswana and Namibia.
South Africa Travel Experiences
-
Howzit
We arrived in South Africa!!No cyclones thank goodness but we did hit a bad storm. We missed the last leg of our trip to Durban.&nb... Continue reading »
