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Explore The Favorite Game Parks Of
The Local South African Best Safari South Africa Deals

Want to discover the top safari parks for the local South African & the best safari South Africa deals?
You've come to the right place!

Find answers to your questions about the best South African parks & private reserves.

We love safaris in South Africa!

This might not surprise you once I tell you that we’ve lived in South Africa since 1993. And that my wife is a local South African.

But let me give you some further context so you realize that our love for South Africa safaris is not just because this is home.

South African safari
South Africa Safaris Are Amazing! Discover The Top South African Parks That Locals Visit
photo courtesy of Michael Poliza


"I never knew of a morning in Africa
when I woke that I was not happy"

Ernest Hemingway
Google
 

We’ve also been on over 80 African safaris through out East and Southern Africa – Kenya safaris, Tanzania safaris, Botswana safaris, Namibia safaris & more. Despite this breath of African safari experiences, I must say that many of our best African safari vacations have been South Africa tours & safaris. Why?

Here's why...In terms of diversity of animals and habitats, South Africa offers the most diversity. This is why many of our favorite national parks are in South Africa. Below is a free guide to South Africa’s national parks and reserves, their main attractions and the best times to visit.

Kruger is by far the favorite among both locals and international visitors. And it is justifiably world renowned. It is fair to say that most of the rest of South Africa’s parks are mainly visited by locals.

If you have the time you would be well rewarded by visiting some other outstanding South African national parks. The hallmark of them all is exceptional wildlife management and conservation.

Roads to and within them are generally excellent (obviously the 4x4 trails are for 4x4s). And if you are on a budget, you’ll be glad to know they have very high quality, low cost rest camps. Thus they are the favorite destinations of local South Africans, most of whom can’t afford to go on safari in the private reserves.

As you review these South African safari parks, I think you will quickly see why we enthusiastically recommend a South Africa safari. It is a well deserved exotic African safari vacation getaway or family vacation getaway second to none.

Top South African Parks At A Glance
Kruger National Park - Top Local South African Best Safari South Africa Park
How Big 35,000 sq. km or 13,510 sq. mi.
Game Viewing Guide
  • Excellent: July-Oct
  • Good: Jan-June,& Nov, Dec
Where Is It Northwestern corner of South Africa
Why Visit
  • World-famous park with celebrated management & great infrastructure
  • Kruger has the greatest diversity of wildlife in the world
  • Big Five - lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo as well as 147 species of mammals; 512 bird species; 300 tree species
  • Numerous camps, types of accommodation
  • Wilderness hikes
  • Infrastructure is excellent in Kruger - good self-drive destination
  • Now part of a Transfrontier Park and those areas in Mozambique are 4 x 4 territory now
Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park - Top Local South African Best Safari South Africa Park
How Big 960 sq. km or 371 sq. mi.
Game Viewing Guide
  • Excellent: July-Oct
  • Good: April-June,& Nov, Dec
  • Fair: Jan, Feb, Mar
Where Is It In eastern South Africa, in Kwa Zulu Natal Province - north of Durban
Why Visit
  • Africa's oldest game reserve
  • Credited with helping to bring the white rhino back from the brink of extinction
  • Big Five - lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo
  • Hiking safaris
Pilanesberg National Park - Top Local South African Best Safari South Africa Park
How Big 550 sq. km or 212 sq. mi.
Game Viewing Guide
  • Excellent: July-Oct
  • Good: Jan-June,& Nov, Dec
Where Is It Northwestern South Africa, but west of Johannesburg, near Sun City & Rustenberg
Why Visit
  • Big Five - lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo, rhino
  • Less than 2 hour drive from Johannesburg
  • Guided hiking safari trails
  • Malaria free
  • Geologically fascinating landscape: formed by volcanic action
  • Hot air balloon safaris
Madikwe Game Reserve - Top Local South African Best Safari South Africa Park
How Big 600 sq. km or 232 sq. mi.
Game Viewing Guide
  • Excellent: July-Oct
  • Good: Jan-June,& Nov, Dec
Where Is It In northwestern South Africa on the Botswana border
Why Visit
  • Malaria free
  • Big five
  • A comfortable 4 to 5 hour drive from Johannesburg
  • Very large elephant population
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park - Top Local South African Best Safari South Africa Park
How Big 36,000 sq. km or 13,900 sq. mi.
Game Viewing Guide
  • Best time to go is April to September when it is cooler. All year round good game viewing in dry riverbed areas
Where Is It In northern South Africa and southwestern Botswana
Why Visit
  • The black-maned Kalahari lion is unique to the area, can also see cheetah and leopard
  • View the unique Kalahari Desert
  • Great for viewing raptors
Pongola Game Reserve - Top Local South African Best Safari South Africa Park
How Big 310 sq. km or 120 sq. mi.
Game Viewing Guide Best time to go: March to August
Where Is It In eastern South Africa, close to the Swaziland border, near Pongola
Why Visit
  • It is one of the oldest reserves in the world
  • Lush combination of different landscapes
  • It has four of the Big Five (no lion)
  • Great birding - more than 300 bird species
  • Rhino tracking on foot
Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park - Top Local South African Best Safari South Africa Park
How Big 885 sq. km or 342 sq. mi.
Game Viewing Guide Can have good game viewing all year round
Where Is It In northeastern South Africa, near Mkuze, south of Mozambique border
Why Visit
  • See black rhino, hippo, buffalo, leopard, nyala, waterbuck
  • A World Heritage Site becausetropical and temperate forms of animal & plant life are part of its unique ecosystem
  • More than 420 bird species
  • Has the largest variety of amphibians in South Africa, plus vast species of marine animals & trees
  • Hikers' paradise
  • Great fishing and boating
Mkuzi Game Reserve - Top Local South African Best Safari South Africa Park
How Big 360 sq. km or 139 sq. mi.
Game Viewing Guide
  • Best time to go is March to August
Where Is It In eastern South Africa, close to the Swaziland border, near Pongola
Why Visit
  • Great hides for game viewing in an unobserved manner
  • Excellent birding - 412 bird species including rare Pel's fishing owl
  • See leopard, cheetah, black and white rhino, crocodile and hippo
Itala Game Reserve - Top Local South African Best Safari South Africa Park
How Big 296 sq. km or 114 sq. mi.
Game Viewing Guide Best time to go is March to August
Where Is It In eastern South Africa, close to the Swaziland border, near Pongola
Why Visit
  • See rhino, elephant, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, giraffe, eland
  • Overlooks the beautiful Pongola river valley
Phinda Private Game Reserve - Top Local South African Best Safari South Africa Park
How Big 170 sq. km or 62 sq. mi.
Game Viewing Guide Best time to go is March to August
Where Is It In eastern South Africa close to the Swaziland border, near Mkuze
Why Visit
  • Big five territory
  • Seven diverse ecosystems - including beautiful beaches, forests & savannah
  • See endangered leather back turtles come to lay eggs on the coast nearby
  • Scuba dive at world's southernmost coral reefs
  • Close to the St. Lucia Wetlands - a World Heritage Site
Tswalu Game Reserve - Top Local South African Best Safari South Africa Park
How Big 900 sq. km or 327 sq. mi.
Game Viewing Guide
  • Best time to go is March to August
Where Is It In northern South Africa, near Kuruman
Why Visit
  • One of the largest single owned private game reserves
  • Malaria free
  • See and track the endangered desert black rhino
  • See lion, white rhino, king cheetah, giraffe, Cape buffalo
  • Horse riding
  • Golf at nearby Sishen Golf club - rated one of the top golf courses in South Africa
Addo Elephant Park - Top Local South African Best Safari South Africa Park
How Big 121 sq. km or 44 sq. mi. with plans to double this
Game Viewing Guide
  • All year round
Where Is It Southeastern South Africa, near Port Elizabeth
Why Visit
  • Boasts the Big Seven - lion, buffalo, elephant, rhino, leopard plus whales and great white sharks
  • Extends to the Indian Ocean
  • Unrivalled natural diversity - has 5 of South Africa's 7 major vegetation zones (biomes)
  • Malaria free
  • Horse riding
  • Camping
Waterberg & Lapalala Wilderness - Top Local South African Best Safari South Africa Park
How Big 254 sq. km or 94 sq. mi.
Game Viewing Guide
  • All year round game viewing
Where Is It In northern South Africa, near Thabazimbi
Why Visit
  • See black and white rhino, buffalo, leopard, giraffe, hippo, zebra
  • Malaria free
  • Horse riding safaris
Shamwari - Top Local South African Best Safari South Africa Park
How Big 180 sq. km or 62 sq. mi.
Game Viewing Guide
  • All year round good game viewing
Where Is It In southeastern South Africa, near Grahamstown
Why Visit
  • Africa's southernmost game reserve
  • Malaria free
  • Big five

Intrigued? Or want personalized advice? Contact us now for a free customized South African safari holiday itinerary suited to your interests and budget!

Get The Best Vacation Ideas For Your South African Safari & Holiday
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How We Work: The first itinerary is free & it will be based on your interests & budget. After that we offer a service where by we continue to work with you to get you the best trip for the price you want to pay. To do that we require a $150 USD deposit that is applied to your trip (without regard to the number in your traveling party). If you don’t take your trip it is non refundable. You pay that via Paypal.

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