There are many Big 5 safari areas in South Africa and going on a safari is often the highlight of any holiday to South Africa.

A South African safari or tour is a truly unforgettable and most often a once in a lifetime experience.

South Africa has many National Parks and Private Game Reserves to choose from and you don’t have to pay top dollar to have the best safari experience that money can buy.

Some of them are within malaria areas, such as the famous Kruger National Park, but there are also areas such as the Madikwe Game Reserve and Welgevonden Game Reserve that are authentic Big 5 reserves without the threat of malaria.

Below you will find a summary of the most important Big 5 safari areas within South Africa.

Greater Kruger National Park

The Greater Kruger National Park offers nearly 2 million hectares of unrivalled diversity of life forms.

The world renowned Kruger National Park is situated within this Biosphere and offers affordable wildlife experiences that rank with the best in Africa.

Kruger National Park was first established in 1898 to protect the wildlife of the South African Lowveld. Today the Kruger Park is a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies.

It is important to note that the Kruger National Park is situated within a malaria area.

There are many private game reserves bordering the the Kruger Park that make up the Greater Kruger Park Reserve as it is now called. There also now private concessions within the Kruger National Park, offering luxurious and intimate safari experiences.

To name but a few, some of the more famous reserves bordering the Kruger National Park are:

• Sabi Sands Game Reserve
• Timbavati Game Reserve
• Thornybush Game Reserve
• Manyeleti Game Reserve
• Klaserie Game Reserve
• Kapama

Within each of these game reserves there are a number of private concessions dedicated to nature conservation and protection of the area.

There are a few community based concessions now bordering the Park, and these are managed in partnership with community land owners and park management, as well as private sector donors/ sponsors.

The Greater Kruger National Park is part of newly formed Transfrontier Park, incorporating protecected parkland in Mozambique and Zimbabwe

Within all the game reserves and concessions you are spoilt for choice. Typically you can choose from between luxury lodges, luxury tented lodges, river lodges and normal camps with camp sites.

Visiting the Kruger National Park is a must for the first time visitor to South Africa – a place where the South African safari was meant to be experienced.

Greater Addo Elephant National Park - Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

The Addo Elephant National Park is situated 72km by road from Port Elizabeth.

Established in 1931 to save 11 elephants on the brink of extinction, the Addo Elephant National Park is now home to  more than 400 elephants, lion, cape buffalo, black rhino, a range of antelope species and the rare flightless dung beetle.

Addo Elephant National Park is a perfect destination for the outdoor and nature lover.

Addo Elephant Park, a sanctuary for a wide range of South Africa’s wildlife, is located in the thick bushveld of the Sundays River, in the Eastern Cape Province.

The park, now known as the Addo Elephant National Park, has grown to over 164 000 hectare and is well on the way to becoming much larger still – about 400 000 hectares.

The elephant herd now numbers over 400, a tribute to the long-term efforts of conservation.

Botanically, Addo contains five of the country’s seven biomes.

The lions were released into Addo National Park in October 2003 and the first lion cubs were born in the Addo park since 1845 – an absence of 159 years.

There is more to the Addo Elephant National Park than the Big 7.

There are countless other species such as cape buffalo, black rhino, eland, kudu, bushbuck, red hartebeest, grysbok and duiker, jackals, antbear, bushpig, vervet monkeys, zebra to name but a few.

Did you know?  

 

1.      Addo Elephant National Park is the only wildlife park in the world with the Big 7 – elephant, rhino, lion, leopard, buffalo, great white shark and southern right whale – all in their natural habitat?

2.      The Addo Elephant National Park has one of the densest African elephant populations on earth?

3.      Addo Elephant National Park conserves no less than five of the seven biomes (major vegetation zones) in South Africa?

4.      Addo Elephant National Park is home to the unique flightless dung beetle?

5.      Addo Elephant National Park incorporates the largest dune field in the southern hemisphere?

6.      Addo Elephant National Park protects the world’s largest Cape gannet breeding population on Bird Island?

7.      Addo Park is in a Malaria Free area