South Africa Travel

Posted April 4, 2010 By admin

South Africa Travel

Important South Africa Travel Advice

There are many amazing game reserves to choose from in South Africa. Here is some basic South Africa travel advice with five recommended parks to go and see the amazing natural wildlife on the flesh. You will have a chance of catching glimpses of some or all of the big five in all of them.

Hunters termed the phrase the Big Five when they used to hunt animals in Africa. The five are the ones which were the hardest to hunt down when on foot. The list is made up of Lions, Leopards, Buffalo, Rhinos and Elephants. These majestic creatures can still be seen in these wonderful parks.

On the North West Province you have the Pilanesberg National Park. Close to Sun City you get to see the stunning landscape where the wild animals roam. You can drive around in your own car on the tarmac roads, but they are not very well maintained so expect a bumpy ride. All of the animals you would expect to see on safari are located her, such as zebra and Giraffes and of cause the five big ones. You could stay in tents, chalets or a luxury hotel.

Umfolozi and Hluhluwe Game reserves are one of the oldest of its type found in Africa. These are stunning reserves and they are both were declared areas of conservation in 1895. All of the big five can be seen here as well as hyenas, giraffe, zebras and more. You can explore using your own vehicle as the roads are good. There is also accommodation available and a restaurant.

If you will be looking to stay in Cape Town then you might like the idea of visiting a nearby reserve which is not too far away. Sanbona is less than a four hours drive away. It is malaria free and along with elephants, leopards, rhinos and buffalo you can also see white lions. The pack is the only self-sustaining white lions in the whole world.

If you want a wide range of organized activities then Blaauwboasch Lodge could be the answer. You can take advantage of the trips and get a chance to watch cheetah stalk its prey which is an amazing experience. Again all the animals are found here on the Big five list, and many others too. The rangers are well experienced and can increase your chances of seeing all the best safari wildlife.

If you would like an upscale vacation which combines the safari along with spa treatments then Kariega could be the best place for you to visit. Trips to see the animals are organized in open top jeeps and even on boats along the Bushman or Kariega rivers.

Along the Eastern Cape Province you can find Shamwari. This is another park which is malaria free and offers world class experiences and accommodation. For many years it has won the World Leading Conservation Company and Game Reserve and it still retains the title. You can see all of the amazing natural wildlife in all of these reserves. The settings are breathtaking and your trip should be everything you expect and more. See lions, elephants and all the other animals in their own settings and have experiences to last you a lifetime.

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South Africa - my wife and I are planning to Travel independently, is it reccomendable?

Wife is Argentinian, I'm Tunisian, so we know about 3rd world...however, never been to sub-saharan Africa, and we want to be in SA in August 2007, for 15 days. We travel a lot through South America with a Jeep and a map, getting one B&B at a time and very little planning... Is it reccomendable to do the same in SA?

Oh, yes! You will enjoy touring a world in one country. And yes, 15 days is little for you to see South Africa. I live in one of the most sort out regions called the Garden Route (or South Cape). But to be fair to you, I suppress the temptation to say you must see the place. Unless you already plan to.

First, to your question: Yes it is safe but you surely must take precautionary steps like anywhere in the world.

I recommend that other than contacting fellow South Africans who posted above, you should read the attached websites. If you take advice from postings above, you would end up in big cities, so I'm not gonna talk about those cities. I would however recommend that you consider the Northern Cape (website attached). It is a vast area which is similar to Namibia and Botswana. So you would have a feel (geographic-wise at least) of being in those two countries while you would be in South Africa. You could also go to the likes of "The Big Hole" - the biggest open mine whole in the world; and "Augrabies Falls". That province is the most relaxed and you could easily get a place at B&Bs.

You can also try Mpumalanga - especially the lower escapment areas, but you can go as far as the Kruger National Park - see websites.

August is already hot in both these provinces and you'll enjoy your drive. But, hey, contact the guys who have offered assistance above. They could help you more.
Good luck!!!!

www.southafrica.net/
www.northerncape.org.za/
www.sanparks.org/
www.mpumalanga.com/