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Newsletters > On Safari in South Africa Where African Wildlife Never Disappoint > Page 2 1.1 On Safari in South Africa - Where Africa's Wildlife Never Disappoint Game viewing is usually done from the comfort of a vehicle but walking,
horseback, camel and canoeing safaris are increasingly becoming
popular. If you
wish to view game in any of these modes, it is required that you be accompanied
by an armed ranger. Full blood adventure types think
that watching game aboard a
vehicle is for wimps. Walking safaris are designed for such hardy souls. And it
is the reason that the thoughtful folks
at SANParks maintain a network of
wilderness trails in the parks. The typical walking safari will have a maximum
of eight persons with ages ranging
from 12 to 60 years and last for 2 nights and
3 days. Participants must obviously be physically fit.
Without doubt, the best place to see wildlife, especially the "big five" is
Kruger National Park. This is the
flagship of South Africa's national parks. The
Kruger was created in 1898 and owes its existence to the vision of Paul Kruger
at one time president
of the Transvaal Republic that later became part of the
Union of South Africa. He was ahead of his time in recognizing the need to
create a sanctuary
to preserve and protect wildlife. Even at that time it was
clear that the hunter with his rifle would soon annihilate all the animals.
Kruger offers a diversity of animals unrivalled anywhere else in South
Africa. In
addition to the big five, some of the interesting game you find here
include - hippo, jackal, giraffe, zebra, buffalo, warthog, numerous antelope
species, cheetah, wild dog and spotted hyena. The park is home to more than 140
mammal and 500 bird species. Kruger spreads over nearly 20, 000 sq km
of
unspoilt scrubland punctuated by acacia and mopane trees. The botanic
biodiversity is vast and over 336 tree species are found here.
Accommodation within Kruger is provided at self-catering rest camps that
offer
good but basic lodging. There are also some smaller bush lodges and
bushveld camps offering more luxurious stay. Accommodation ranges from rondavel
huts and safari tents to family bungalows and cottages and luxury guesthouses.
In addition, there are caravan and tent camping sites at some of the
rest camps.
Most of the camps are supplied with electric power and telephone. Other
facilities include shops, kitchen facilities, restaurants and
petrol
stations.
Kruger has 3,000 kilometers of a well-maintained road
network and is ideal
for those seeking a self-drive experience. The park is relatively inexpensive
and easily accessible. It is therefore hugely
popular and draws over 600,000
visitors annually. It in particular gets very crowded over the school holidays
in July and December. Since there are a
maximum number of vehicles allowed into
the park daily, you are well advised to make advance arrangements if you plan to
visit then. Game viewing is
good year round, but the best time will be from
April to September when the bush is sparse.
Kruger is located 330 km to the northeast of Johannesburg. If you have no
stomach for a long drive, take one of the daily flights from Johannesburg to
Phalaborwa Airport, Hoedspruit Airport or Kruger/Mpumalanga International
Airport. If you wish to rent a car at either Durban or Johannesburg, visit our
South Africa Car Rental South Africa Car Rental page for your
reservation. Towards the western and
southern sides of Kruger National Park, there are a number of highly rated
private game reserves. This includes
Sabi Sand, Mala Mala, Londolozi and
Timbavati game reserves. Here you will find some of the finest game lodges in
Africa.
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is another unique game sanctuary. This huge
park is a combination of
the two parks -the former Gemsbok National Park in
Botswana and Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa. Covering over
36,000 sq km, it is one
of the biggest wildlife conservation areas anywhere in
the world. The landscape is marked by red sand dunes and sparse thornbush
vegetation. The
environment of this park provides outstanding opportunities for
unforgettable wildlife photos.
This park is host to the famous black-maned Kalahari lions. You will also see
gemsbok, springbok, eland, blue wildebeest,
cheetahs, wild dogs, jackals,
bat-eared foxes and leopards. Birding is also excellent and of 297 species
recorded, 96 are resident. The Kgalagadi is
not for the fainthearted -it is far
from anywhere and getting there is a slog. It is located 904 km to the west of
Johannesburg. All accommodation in
the park is managed by SANParks. You will get
the best experience if you visit between June and July when the weather is
coolest.
On safari, remember to carry a pair of binoculars to help you spot animals.
Also
carry a camera and other equipment as a means of recording your safari. It
is the only way to shut up those who doubt the story of your encounter with
the
African wildlife. Carry along a decent pair sunglasses to shield you from glare,
especially if you travel to the semi desert Kgalagadi. Dressing
well means cool
clothing (such as light cottons and linen) for summer and warm for winter.
Help and More Information for South Africa!
Planning for your
next South Africa safari? Contact us
today and we will assist you in picking and booking the best
hotel and
flight, and all your other South Africa travel arrangements.
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