South Africa Game Parks

South Africa offers some of the best game park experiences in the world

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 wildlife areas 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 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.

The many National Parks and Game Reserves certainly belong to South Africa's main attractions. Here one can observe the huge variety of African animals at close range and in grandiose sceneries. In a safari group with tour guide or travelling on your own - you can always be sure to have unforgettable encounters and lastung impressions.

Most of them dispose of beautifully positioned camps where bungalows and huts of different quality standards are for rent. Some also have a camping ground.

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.

Augrabies Falls National Park
820 sq km nature reserve. On both sides of the Orange river. Impressive waterfalls. Rhinos. Desert vegetation with Kokerboom trees. Best time: April to September.

Bontebok National Park
A small game Reserve in the Western Cape for the conservation of the rare Bontebok antelope.

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.

Giant's Castle Game Reserve
Mountain park in the southern Drakensberg. For nature lovers and hikers. Lots of game, especially eland antelopes. Breeding area for Cape and Bearded vulture.

Golden Gate National Park
A quiet mountain world for nature lovers and hikers. Colourful sandstone formations. Zebras, wildebees and eland antelopes. Bushman paintings.

Ithala Game Reserve
30,000 ha game reserve of exquisite scenic beauty. Savannah, plateaus and river valleys. Huge game stock and variety, but no lions.

Karoo National Park
32,000 ha nature conservation area. Springbok, kudu klipspringer and tortoises. Fossiles collection. Good accommodation. Best time to travel: April to October.

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. No malaria.

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.

Madikwe Game Reserve
Game reserve of 60,000 hectares at the Groot Marico river on the border to Botswana. Vast savannah with sporadic mountains. All big game species.

Mapungubwe National Park
Reserve of 28,000 hectares on the Limpopo river. Cultural history park with important archaeological sites.

Marakele National Park
A relatively new game park in the Waterberg area of the Limpopo Province. Many Cape Vultures breeding pairs. 4x4 required.

Mkhuze Game Reserve
5 hours from Durban. 250 sq km. Large herds of blue wildebeests, kudus, nyalas, zebras, giraffes. Over 400 bird species. Game viewing hides. Perannual season.

Mountain Zebra National Park
Small game reserve near Cradock in the Karoo, dedicated to the protection of the Cape Mountain Zebra. 28,000 ha of rocky plateau. Also buffaloes and antelopes. Malaria-free.

Ndumo Game Reserve
10,000-hectare game reserve in northern Zululand. Wetlands, lakes and grassland. Many hippos and crocodiles. No lions.

Pongola Nature Reserve
Game Reserve at the Pongolapoort dam. Antelopes, zebras, giraffes, rhinos, buffaloes and elephants. No lions. Anglers' paradise.

Pilanesberg National Park
Quite a spectacular park with the "Big Five" in the North-West Province near Sun City. Big 5.

Richtersveld National Park
Spectacular mountain desert. Unique vegetation with numerous species of succulents. Difficult accessibility. 4WD and compass required.

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.

Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park
Huge lagoon, separated from the sea through chain of dunes. Swamp forests and mangroves. Numerous seabirds, crocodiles and hippos. Anglers' paradise.

Table Mountain National Park
Small nature reserve on the Cape Peninsula. Different kinds of antelopes and birds. In spring beautifully blooming fynbos fields.

Tembe Elephant Park
30,000 ha game reserve in northern Zululand. Sandy bushland. Elephants and other big game. Four-wheel drive required.

Tsitsikamma National Park
80 kilometres coastline at the Storms River. Rainforest. Extended hiking trails. Waterfalls. Interesting tidal waves. Good accommodation and camping site.

Umfolozi & Hluhluwe Game Reserve
3 hours from Durban. Hilly savannah landscape. 1100 sq km. Many rhinos, but also elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, giraffes etc. Perannual season.

West Coast National Park
Lagoon and swamp plains. Nesting place for numerous bird species. At times over 100,000 migratory birds. Walking and canoeing.

Weenen Game Reserve
Small game reserve in South Africas KwaZulu Natal. A real gem with stunning scenery and open vistas. No lions or elephants. Plenty of rhinos

Wilderness National Park
Rivers, lagoons, saltwater lakes and swamps. One of the riches and most diverse waterbird reserves.