Planning a wildlife safari in South Africa

One of my favorite things to do when travelling is exploring nature and spotting wildlife. I always plan wildlife safaris and other outdoors trips in detail to maximise changes of spotting animals. I also want to make sure I select trustworthy, sustainable operators and other service providers. In the past few years, I’ve been lucky to make to trips to South Africa and Swaziland and visit several excellent spots for wildlife spotting in the country. Here are my tips for planning your wildlife safari in South Africa. If you are planning a wildlife holiday in another country, some of my generic tips will still apply.

Planning for a wildlife safari in South Africa (or elsewhere) is essential. The range of places and options is large, so you risk missing out on the animals you really wanted to see if you don’t research upfront. Finally, there is a fine line between well-managed reserves that put conservation first and glorified zoos that only exist for commercial reasons. Do your research to avoid being tricked into the latter.

WHAT WILDLIFE MIGHT YOU SEE?

A safari means you are going to try and spot wild animals. Well-managed national parks and reserves aim to reduce human intervention to a minimum. They don’t engage in practices such a feeding the animals to draw them to a specific place. This means seeing animals is not a guarantee. Even though I love spotting wild animals, I always make sure it is not the sole goal of my trip to avoid disappointment when sightings are poor. If the animals fail to show, there is still the amazing scenery and if you have a good guide you’ll learn a lot about local fauna and flora.

South Africa is an amazing destination for wildlife safaris because you get a great variety of biomes, from grassland to desert. This comes with an equally great variety of wildlife. When planning your wildlife safari in South Africa, it is important to consider what animals you’d like to see. If you’re on a first safari trip and looking to snap the Big Five, the best places for you will be very different from those that fit a marine or birding enthusiast. Having been on a good number of safaris, my interest has evolved from simply spotting big game to more unusual, local species. I dream of finally spotting a leopard. Having been super close a couple of times, this has become my white elephant.

Here are some species you may encounter on your wildlife safari in South Africa:

• Big Five: the lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo. South Africa has got many the remaining populations of each of these animals compared to most other African countries. Whilst the term “Big Five” was originally introduces by hunters vis-à-vis the species that were most difficult to hunt down, it is now used by wildlife enthusiasts;
• Little Five: whilst the big game is super impressive, many people forget about the smaller inhabitants of the animal kingdom. Therefore, the term Little Five was introduced to refer to Africa’s little safari animals: the elephant shrew, ant lion, rhinoceros beetle, buffalo weaver and leopard tortoise;
• Cats: the lion and elusive leopard are part of the classic animals people like to spot, but South Africa is home to a much larger variety of wild cats. The caracal with its distinctive ears and African wildcat (easily mistaken for a tabby) are just a couple of them. BBC published a good summary of the forgotten cats a few years ago;
• Antelopes: perhaps these peaceful grazers don’t sound like the most exciting of animal species, with more than 70 types living in South Africa, they offer a great variety of animals to discover. The duiker, steenbok and hartebeest are just a few examples;
• Primates: whilst South Africa does not have the same variety of primates as tropical countries closer to the equator, they are still abundant. Baboons are common throughout the country. Vervet and Samango monkeys are equally abundant as are the nocturnal bushbabies;
• Marine wildlife: the Eastern and Western Cape contain several Marine Protected Areas where you have a reasonable chance of spotting the Marine Big Five, the Cape fur seal, African penguin, dolphin, humpback whale, and great white shark;
• Birds: South Africa is often named as a top birding destination, being home to over 800 species of birds. Verreaux’s Eagle and the secretary bird are just a couple of examples.

WILDLIFE SAFARI IN SOUTH AFRICA: WHEN TO GO?

The best time to go on a wildlife safari in South Africa entirely depends on the types of animals you are wanting to see. The country has got a diverse climate across its nine provinces and the seasons are very distinct. The Northern part of the country has got a significant wet season and is also deemed malarial, therefore May to October (dry months) are the best time to go. I personally prefer to go towards the end of the dry season. As food and water reserves start to run out, most animals will start to migrate more, looking for supplies, which increased chances of spotting them. Additionally, vegetation will be dry and thin, which makes for better long-distance views. The best season for marine wildlife and spotting, for example, whales, starts a bit later in June.

The nights in South Africa typically get chilly to cold, regardless of the season so bring warm clothes. Most guides will ask you to wear camouflage colours for the game drives. Sometimes you will also have to wear long sleeves and trousers in case you are walking through this bush or simply to protect from the sun. Since many safari drives take place at sunrise or sunset you may need warm clothes. In general, it is good to be prepared for all weather circumstances.

HOW MANY DAYS TO SPEND ON A SAFARI?

The length of your ideal safari can vary from a short trip from the city over several days in a remote camp to a hardcore trekking by foot or even on horseback. When horse riding is available, this is always my preferred option. The strong smell over horse conceals the human smell, meaning that animals will come much closer and don’t perceive you as a threat. The downside is that you won’t be able to focus on photography, if that’s your thing, since you have to control the horse.

As a final option for wildlife spotting, volunteering is one to be considered. Organisation such as Earthwatch offer well-organised expeditions where “citizen scientists” get the opportunity to help researchers and become familiar from up close with an area and its wildlife. The intimate knowledge of the researchers and the fact that you spend a good two weeks at the same location increase your chances of amazing wildlife encounters.

WILDLIFE SAFARI IN SOUTH AFRICA: WHERE TO GO?

The starting point for planning your wildlife safari in South Africa are the South African National Parks (SAN Parks). Staff can not only inform you on best times to visit and where to go to increase chances of spotting certain species, they also offer accommodation in the parks and organise all the activities such as games drives, walks, ranger talks and more.

In the South African National Parks, you can both the remote safari experience and find some good options in case you are staying in one of South Africa’s main cities and don’t have time to venture too far. Good options for a couple of nights’ safari within easy reach of cities include:

• Pilanesberg National Park (from Johannesburg): great for an overnight trip from Johannesburg if you have limited time or if you are looking for easy game viewing. Wildlife is dense, but so is the number of visitors;
• Addo Elephant National Park (from Port Elizabeth): so close to Port Elizabeth that you can even go for a day trip. Organised game drives and opportunities to see big game;
• Zebra Mountain National Park (from Port Elizabeth): a bit further from Port Elizabeth, but offering extensive game viewing options (drives / walks). A key habitat of the elusive cheetah;
• Bontebok National Park (from Cape Town): houses small game only, which means you can enter the park in your own car for a relaxed game drive. Excellent for birders.

My best experience wildlife safari experiences have always in places off the beaten track with less visitors. This usually implies that it is more complicated and time consuming to get to them, but they have always been worth the trek. In South Africa, your best bet to find offbeat places is to head as far North as you possibly can. Mapungubwe National Park on the Zimbabwe border is an excellent example as is the Southpansberg Conservation Area.

Whatever your destination, make sure you do your research and select reputable organisations. There are excellent private reserves that offer a wealth of sustainable activities and accommodation. Unfortunately, there are also those that are merely commercial zoos. My general rule is to avoid places that hold animals in captivity and where touching or petting animals is common practice. There is a high likelihood that these place breed animals for hunting, which is even more despicable. There are of course examples of places where animals are kept in captivity for a reason, such as refuges or clinics, and I am fully in favour of sponsoring these with my visit.

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK VS PRIVATE GAME RESERVES

South Africa’s most famous national park, Kruger, deserves its own chapter. Kruger National Park is the oldest and largest national park of South Africa. It is an icon for anyone interested in African wildlife spotting and safaris. Kruger is surrounded by several large private reserves. People who are planning a wildlife safari in South Africa are often indecisive as to whether to go to Kruger or to one of the private reserves. There are arguments in favour of both.

Kruger as well as the private reserves are Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park & Conservation Area. This area also includes Limpopo National Park in Mozambique and Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe. It is managed in an integrated manner, which means there are no fences between the National Park and any of the private reserves (there are fences on the outer boundaries though). Therefore, animals can roam freely and in theory you can see the same species in all locations. More importantly, it also means that the same vision with regards to conservation applies. Concessions for facilities in the private reserves are assigned based on the same rules and mindset as in the national park.

Here are some of the key differences between Kruger National Park and the private reserves that you should consider as a visitor:

• Size: Kruger is bigger than any of the private reserves. In Kruger, you’ll get more diversity in terms of landscape and in theory are large share of animals;
• Crowds: Kruger is more crowded. Visitor numbers in private reserves are limited and you will generally have a quieter experience in smaller groups. Accommodation books out very fast, so you have to get organised if you want to stay in a private reserve;
• Guides: the quality of guides in private reserves differs. I’ve always had good guides, but also heard stories of cowboys who were more interested in tips than animals. The National Park stands for a more consistent quality. Rangers are trained and often have a wealth of experience working in conservation and appreciating the challenges;
• Self-guiding: if you want to visit in your own vehicle, the national park is your only option. The private reserves offer guided game drives. I’m not a fan of self-drive safaris anyway. It adds to the crows, you don’t get the expert knowledge and some people just can’t seem to follow the rules and cause trouble;
• Activities: Kruger has the standard offering of walks and game drives. Most private reserves will go a step further and tailor the activities to your wishes. Are keen to see a certain species? The guides will likely take you on a private walk and make every effort to track it down;
• Accommodation and facilities: most private reserves offer a higher standard of accommodation, service and other facilities such as catering. They feel very luxurious compared to Kruger;
• Cost: you’ve probably guessed this based on the above. Private reserves are expensive. The National Park offers accommodation options of all tiers including self-catering so if you are on a budget you can easily keep the cost down.

My advice is to combine both by spending a few days in Kruger, followed by a private reserve. Both experiences are unique and different. Moreover, staying in different places gives the added benefit of covering more ground and therefore increasing chances of seeing different species. I’ve stayed in Timbavati, which was an amazing (but pricey) experience. The small amount of people and quiet camp were a delight after a couple of days in busy Kruger.