Introducing South Africa
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Free South Africa Guidebook
We've put together a guidebook with everything you need to know about South Africa. Written by our specialists, it details destination information, a wildlife guide, some suggested itineraries and plenty more to inspire your holiday. Fill in the form below and if you live in UK, your guidebook will arrive by post within the next couple of days. For those who live abroad, we will send you a link by email which will allow you to download your own copy.
Our guide to Kruger conservancies
The Kruger National Park is South Africa’s premier wildlife destination and is one of the biggest attractions in this diverse country. Those wanting a luxury safari experience away from the crowds tend to favour the private concessions and here we give our guide to these.
The Big Five
Fabled for being the five most dangerous and difficult animals to hunt, the Big Five are now the most sought-after animals to capture on a point-and-shoot. Whilst sitting firmly at the top of every safari checklist, nature’s most magnificent animals are as elusive as ever before, making tracking them an exhilarating and unforgettable adventure. Home to all five showstoppers, the national parks of South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia and Botswana, are excellent destinations for a chance to see them all. On foot, by horseback or in the comfort of a 4x4, traversing the plains of sub Saharan Africa in search of these celebrated animals is the undisputed original safari experience.
South Africa and Mauritius
South Africa and Mauritius couple superbly for a safari and beach holiday or honeymoon. Whilst South Africa offers both world class safari and cosmopolitanism, Mauritius encapsulates the very essence of laid-back island life. Start your adventure on the plains of one of South Africa’s many game rich national parks, spending your days on safari, tracking the Big Five and sipping on sundowners, before exploring the country’s vibrant cities or impressive coastal routes. A short flight to Mauritius takes you to another world of sugar white beaches, kaleidoscopic reefs and a verdant green mountainscapes. There, you can choose to do as little or as much as you like, whether it be soaking up the island’s unique Creole culture or whiling away lazy days under the shade of a leafy palm. The ultimate safari and beach combination for a year-round adventure.
Kruger
One of the oldest and largest game reserves in Africa, Kruger National Park is a world class safari destination. Lying in an area of immense natural beauty, Kruger has some of the best Big Five game viewing in Africa and it’s a wonderful place to watch the big cats hunt their prey, elephant roaming the bushveld and leopard lounging lazily in the trees. Kruger is truly a place to make memories.
To start planning your tailor-made holiday, call us on (646) 934-8870
Kruger was first established in 1898 and was originally conceived as a means of protecting animals from hunting. Founded by the president at the time, Paul Kruger, after whom the park is named, it first opened to the public in 1926. Since then, Kruger has become a beacon of wildlife conservation, gradually expanding, until it now covers an area the size of Wales. Located in the northeast corner of South Africa, Kruger contains 6 different eco-systems from open plains to lush forest. This ecological diversity gives rise to a great number of different habitats, meaning the bird and wildlife is abundant, with almost 150 different mammal species and over 500 species of bird to be seen.
Owing to the relatively sparse vegetation and numerous waterholes, where the animals come to drink and cool off, we think game viewing in the Kruger is some of the most rewarding in South Africa. You can expect to see plenty of herbivores, including herds of buffalo and elephant, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, hippo, impala, kudu, waterbuck, along with both black and white rhino. In fact, Kruger is home to the world’s largest rhino population, containing around 8-9,000 rhino, around half of South Africa’s total population. The large number of herbivores attract all the big predators, so look out for lion, leopard, cheetah, spotted hyena and jackal, among others. In fact, the leopard viewing here is some of the finest in Africa.
Not only are the Big Five plentiful in Kruger, but there is also the opportunity to see a huge variety of birds. In fact, so impressive are the birding opportunities, the park has coined the term, the ‘Big Six,’ to refer to the six largest and most eye-catching birds to be spotted here. These are the saddle-billed stork, ground hornbill, martial eagle, kori bustard, lappet-faced vulture and Pel’s fishing owl. The Kruger also holds over 100 species of reptile including the African rock python, black mamba and a wealth of crocodile.
Kruger also offers the chance to experience a wide range of exciting safari activities. We would recommend bush dining, with a romantic dinner enjoyed in the company of nature and wildlife. Another favourite is star gazing. The rural plains of the Kruger afford incredible views of the endless starry sky and we can arrange for a professional to teach you how to read the stars and find direction. Top of our list though, would be a night at Lion Sands Chalkley Treehouse. Here you’ll enjoy a 5* bush bedroom like no other. After a gourmet picnic supper and drinks, you’ll spend the night under the sparkling night sky, alive with the nocturnal sounds of the bush.
Kruger National Park is criss-crossed by a network of well-maintained roads, so we consider it a good option for self-drivers. For those on a budget, there are series of rest camps throughout the park, which offer value accommodation and self-catering facilities, along with a braai (barbeque), making a self-drive safari an accessible and affordable option. The downside of this is that the park does get very busy at peak times, especially when you consider that it attracts over one million visitors a year. There is no control over the number or type of vehicles allowed into the park and you may decide that this is not the type of safari experience you’ve dreamed of.
To avoid the crowds, we would always advise staying on a private game reserve. In Kruger these are found to the west of the park. Only those staying on the reserves are permitted to visit, which means there is a very low density of people and vehicles, leading to a more exclusive and intimate safari experience. Along with providing luxurious accommodation, these reserves also employ expert guides and rangers and offer the opportunity to drive off-road, go on a bush walk, as well as sleep out under the stars. Our favourites include the famous Sabi Sands Game Reserve, the family-friendly Thornybush Game Reserve, the former home of the rare white lion, Timbavati Game Reserve and the beautifully located, Makalali Conservancy.
To start planning your tailor-made holiday, call us on (646) 934-8870