The Most Popular South Africa Safaris

Given that there are affordable worldwide flights into the main South African cities of Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg, South Africa safaris are accessible. South Africa is among the safest places to go on Safari in Africa given that many of the popular game reserves have no risk of malarial infection. With that in mind here are some of the most popular and affordable safaris destinations in South Africa.

1)      The Garden Route Safari

This safari gives you ultimate flexibility on your trip around South Africa and so is ideal for families. An itinerary which gives enough time to see most of what the Garden Route has to offer would be spread over two weeks. Firstly fly into Cape Town, a cosmopolitan city with spectacular views around Table Mountain and amazing surfing. There you can choose a tour operator or rent a car to go at your own pace with the ability to alternate trips to the nature reserves with days out at the glorious beaches nearby. You can also enjoy wonderful wine tasting in the Cape Valley at places such as Franschhoek. The Garden Route offers some of the most scenic driving anywhere in the world.

2)      The Kruger National Park

This is the flagship of the South Africa National Parks (SANParks) association. It has all of the big five animals and the Kruger Park is also a good place to see other large wildlife such as zebras and hippos. The park is close to the southern border of the aptly named Crocodile River. Kruger has a reputation for being well run with all the amenities you could think of. As well as varied accommodation in the form of camps, bush lodges and luxury lodges, there is a super market, post office, gas station and other conveniences. The park receives year around good weather with temperatures staying between 18 and 30 degrees Celsius. It is mostly dry.

3)      The Madikwe National Park

Madikwe is only a short distance from the border with Botswana in the north western province of South Africa. It is a three hour drive from the nearby cities of Pretoria or Johannesburg. The park combines different landscapes with rocky mountainous areas as well as open grassland making it ideal for viewing big game. With the Sun City luxury resort and casino nearby you can even take a half day excursion into Madikwe, though the more time you have available the better the experience. Because the Madikwe area is very dry, instances of malaria are very rare here. Choose from budget and luxury accommodations. 

Respect the Protected Natural Areas on your South Africa Safaris

SANParks deals with the maintenance of South African parks and it is their responsibility to look after the flora and fauna, and educate visitors so that they help to achieve this goal. National parks have made a huge difference to the preservation of wildlife on a South Africa safari, for instance in the case of the endangered white rhino. From a position of near extinction at the beginning of the 20^th century the white rhino was nurtured within South African parks where it began to re-establish its population. Now there are also a number of private parks which are helping to conserve animals in South Africa.

4 Types of South Africa Safaris

Safaris in South Africa are normally split into four different vacation categories, budget/affordable safaris, luxury safaris, family safaris and romantic/honeymoon safaris. Tour operators offer various packages, for instance if you want a romantic safari then a hot air balloon ride might be included on the itinerary.