South Africa

Pretty much guaranteed Big 5 game viewing, ease of travel and well developed infrastructure make South Africa a popular choice. Quite a focus on the lodge experience makes it a great option for people who want to give safari a go, but don’t want to get too immersed in the bush. Great for honeymoons and families, and Cape Town and the Winelands are a popular addition to a safari in Southern Africa.

Kruger National Park

South Africa's biggest national park and most visited national park. Tar roads mean self-drivers can take non-4x4 vehicles and it can be busy. For this reason we reccomend against visiting the main National Park itself for most people unless you want to do a self-drive safari.  

Greater Kruger Private Reserves

Adjacent to the Kruger National Park is a number of private reserves. There are no fences between the private reserves and the national park, so game is free to move between them, but the private reserves offer a better less restrictive experience compared to the national park. Our top recomendatios of private reserves are Sabi Sands, Mala Mala and Timbavati.

Phinda

Phinda is a park exclusively operated by one operator (AndBeyond) who have 6 lodges in the park. All of the Big 5 are present and it also has good cheetah numbers. The park also offers a great variety of ecosystems that include forests, savanna and mountain ranges.

Madikwe

Madikwe's primary unique selling point is that unlike most safari areas in Africa, it is malaria free, so it's a great option for families with children. All of the big five are present and wild dog sightings are strong too.

Cape Town

Cape Town is arguably Africa's nicest city, and it has a spectacular setting below Table Mountain. The city has loads to offer including history, and cultural experiences such as visting the the famous prison on nearby Robben Island. We can arrange a driver and guide if you like or you can explore the city on your own. We also highly reccomend visiting the nearby Boulders Beach for it's large colony of African Penguins.

Winelands

Beutiful landscapes and picturesque Cape Dutch architecture make the Winelands a great destination to relax before or after safari. You don't need to like wine to enjoy the area, but if you do visiting winery's for wine tastings is a real highlight. Hiring a car can be a good option, but there is also a tram that connects some of the estates, or we can organise a guide/driver if you prefer. The pretty little town of Franschoek is our favourite town in the Winelands, but you can also stay out on one of the wine estates if you prefer to be immersed in the countryside.

Hermanus

Hermans is a vibrant seaside town about a couple of hours drive from Cape Town. The main attraction is the surrounding coastline is one of the world's premier whale watching areas.