Safaris · WILDLIFE SAFARIS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Good wildlife safaris in South Africa fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Leave Cape Town by air-conditioned minibus for Aquila Private Nature Reserve, crossing the Hex River Valley. After a buffet lunch, join an English-speaking ranger for a two-hour open-vehicle safari. You may see lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, hippos, and up to 172 bird species.
“It was great! Our guide Kayim was fantastic, great ride”
Ride from Port Elizabeth, Bluewater Bay, Colchester, or Addo in an air-conditioned 4x4 with a guaranteed window seat. Your English-speaking guide, often Freddy, John, Sidwell, or King Elvis, leads two game drives, lunch, and wildlife watching in Addo.
“Wow, this day was just incredible! It’s worth every penny. My guide John/Kagisho was very kind and I wouldn’t have seen half the animals, if i wouldn’t have had his spotting skills and knowledge about the park. The Picknick was nice too. We even got so lucky to see two lioness up close.”
Head from Gansbaai’s Great White House to the Dyer Island ecosystem for a two-hour marine safari. A marine biologist explains the wildlife, while the crew searches for whales, sharks, seals, dolphins, and penguins. Cape Town transfers and a penguin sanctuary visit are optional.
“Their focus in conservation and education is very obvious. Everyone from reception, to check in and briefing, to the crew afterwards was amazing. They truly went out of their way to ensure everyone’s experience was pleasurable.”
Spend about nine hours traveling from Cape Town to malaria-free Aquila Game Reserve, where an English-speaking ranger leads a three-hour open-vehicle drive. Expect lions, rhinos, buffalo, elephants, giraffes, birds, a buffet lunch, and scenic Karoo views. Guides such as Denver, Max, Josh, and Abriel have earned particular praise.
“We are not really animal friendly but the whole experience of this safari was amazing, from the friendly and helpful driver/tour guide to the guide on the safari bus. Had an amazing day”
Travel from Cape Town through Du Toitskloof and the Breede River Valley to Aquila Private Game Reserve. Your guide, often Mike, Werner, Jamie, or another Born in Africa professional, handles the drive while a reserve ranger leads the safari. Lunch and champagne are included in the reserve fee.
“Werner my tour guide and driver was super! Fun, courteous, knowledgeable about the area and country. The winery was lovely and a good tasting. Aquila was great. I lucked out and had Jana as my guide. She is the conservationist for the reseRead more”
Travel from Cape Town or Stellenbosch to Oudtshoorn for two shared 4x4 safaris at Botlierskop and Buffelsdrift. Expect long scenic drives, a night in accommodation ranging from backpacker to luxury, and an optional elephant observation. Guides such as Nev, Denver, Ulrich, and Dylan are known for keeping the journey informative and friendly.
“I have no words to describe what this experience meant to me. I only encountered amazing people who made me feel safe and loved! I could see all the animals I admire from up close, I had the time of my life. Thank you everybody for everything!”
You’ll leave Johannesburg or Pretoria in a clean, air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking guide, then join a one-hour open-vehicle drive at Lion and Safari Park. Expect close views of lions, cheetahs, hyenas, wild dogs, giraffes, and other animals, with a possible white lion sighting.
“Due to COVID we could not pet the lion cubs, we did however enjoy the park. Our 4 year old and 1 year old were very interested and enjoyed riding in the safari bus. Our driver Nick was very helpful and an excellent navigator. We would recommend this tour if you want to get up close and personal with some of the animals at the park. The Lions came right up to the bus!”
Leave St Lucia at 5:00 am for Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and meet your ranger at Nyalazi Gate by 6:00 am. Search for lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalo, leopards, cheetahs, and wild dogs from an open vehicle. Breakfast, a South African braai lunch, water, blankets, transport, and conservation fees are included.
“It was a fantastic day! Without going into the animals we saw, as that depends on luck, let me share the good and bad points of this tour. Arnaud, our guide, always had a smile on his face, answered every question, and provided a lot of inforRead more”
Start before sunrise from St. Lucia or meet at Nyalazi Gate for a small-group safari through Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park. Your ranger may be Sifiso, Kyle, Theo, Jabu, or another experienced guide. Full-day trips include breakfast and a barbecue lunch, while half-day trips do not include lunch.
“Really nice tour in a beautiful park with an experienced guide who still gets very enthousiastic when seeing a male lion or a curious hyena. Very well organized, with pickup from St Lucia and breakfast and lunch included. Highly recommended!”
Join an English-speaking crew at Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront for a 90-minute catamaran search along the Atlantic coast. Look for dolphins, seals, penguins, whales, and sunfish, with Table Mountain, Lion’s Head, Camps Bay, and the Twelve Apostles as your backdrop. Muffins, hot chocolate, water, and binoculars are included.
“The crew were constantly on the lookout for marine animals. And when we saw them, they were very knowledgeable. Didn’t see sharks or whales on this occasion. But delighted to see penguins, seals, dolphins, and sunfish. It was only a small group, so we all got an opportunity to move around the boat, and sit outside. Really enjoyable trip.”
You’ll explore Addo Elephant National Park for about eight hours in an air-conditioned 4x4, with guides such as John, Sidwell, Wanele, and others leading the search for elephants, lions, buffalo, rhino, zebra, and more. Hotel pickup, park fees, transport, and lunch are included.
“Our driver allowed us to open the back door of the minibus in front of buffalo. He let a man leave the vehicle to take a close up of an ostrich. The minibus broke down in front of 3 thankfully sleeping lions resulting in him having to leave the vRead more”
Join a small group of up to nine for morning and afternoon game drives in Addo Elephant National Park. Guides such as Stephen, Steven, Siya, and Eddie combine animal spotting with local insight, then serve a proper braai with three meats, salads, drinks, and vegetarian options on request.
“Our guide was knowledgeable about the area, knew where the lions were, gave us plenty of great photo opportunities, and cooked a mean braai! Thanks for your efforts! I would recommend this tour and go again!”
Leave Durban at 6:00 am for a full-day visit to Hluhluwe Imfolozi, with round-trip transport, park entry, bottled water, and a guided game drive. Guides such as Sibo and Nikolas add useful animal and plant knowledge, but sightings remain wild and never guaranteed.
“There are not much wild animals to be seen. I really would not recommend this safari to anyone who is expecting to see the big 5.”
Jason of Deeprift Ventours takes you from your Johannesburg, Sandton, or Rosebank hotel to the Lion and Safari Park, Sterkfontein Caves, and Maropeng. Expect a one-hour open-vehicle animal drive, guided cave visit, interactive museum exhibits, bottled water, and a maximum of 13 people.
“We had an excellent time on this tour with Jason. We were lucky that there were only the two of us booked that day, so we got our own private tour. The best part was the visit to the lion park, in fact the highlight of our trip was getting to spend time with the cutest lion cubs. This was a great tour and I would highly recommend it. Thanks Jason!”
Travel from Johannesburg with a driver such as Solly or Bryan, then spend about two hours in a guided safari vehicle at Lion and Safari Park. Expect close views of lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, giraffes, zebra, and antelopes, plus useful animal facts and strong photo chances.
“Feeding day for the big cats was exciting to watch. The lions competed over food and mates while we looked on.”
Dunes, game drives, camps or snow.
