South Africa safari planning with the experts

Safari holidays do not get much more varied than South Africa. The country is very well established as a safari destination, with some of Africa's most sophisticated and luxurious safari lodges. South Africa's largest and most famous game reserve is the Great Kruger (encompassing Kruger National Park) which is located in the North East of the country. Every bit as famous as Tanzania’s Serengeti Plains and Botswana’s Okavango Delta, the Kruger offers excellent game viewing, and plenty of the big five, however, the Kruger’s fame makes it one of the continent’s most visited parks.

South Africa safari planning with the experts
Build itinerary nowTalk to an expertRequest call back

The best South Africa safaris

Sabi Sands
Sabi Sands
Phinda
Phinda
Kruger
Kruger
Madikwe
Madikwe

South Africa’s finest safari destination is the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve adjoining Kruger National Park, which offers outstanding game viewing (it is not unusual to see all of the Big Five on one game drive, plus giraffe, crocodiles, hippos, wild dogs and more!) and contains several of the most exclusive and luxurious top-end game lodges in the whole of Africa. A safari in South Africa is not complete without a visit to Sabi Sands.

There are several good malaria-free options for safari in South Africa, of which our favourite is the Tswalu Kalahari reserve. Tswalu is a secret Eden preserved by great-hearted and happily generous philanthropists. A superb lodge with impeccable service; gorgeous house staff to meet and greet and treat you to their Relais and Chateaux-earning gourmet delights, then your own dedicated guide and bushman tracker to take you, all alone, in the company of your own in-jokes and safari interests, on a private safari looking for the rarer and more elusive animals like pangolins and aardvarks. Their junior ranger programme also makes it the perfect destination for a family safari

The Timbavati and Manyeleti Game Reserves, to the west of the Greater Kruger, are some of our top picks for South Africa. The Timbavati and Manyeleti share an unfenced border with the main Kruger Park and are situated just North of the Sabi Sands. They offer the same excellent game-viewing, but are far quieter in terms of visitor numbers, offering a decidedly better game-viewing experience.

The Kruger National Park. There are private concessions within the National Park that offer brilliant ‘unseen access’ to areas where day visitors to the park are not allowed to go. With exclusive access to these areas, you do not have to worry about day visitor queues and with the ability to off-road you certainly get an excellent game viewing experience.

Phinda Private Game Reserve on the Eastern Coast of the country is a low-malaria destination. Run exclusively by &Beyond, the reserve only has a handful of high luxury and very affordable lodges. With brilliant game viewing including exceptional cheetah sightings, plus incredible birding opportunities, Phinda should not be overlooked.

What are the best safari lodges in South Africa?





Tswalu is a once in a life-time destination – a truly exclusive secret, where everything from food, to service to guiding is impeccable and completely private. Staying here guarantees you a private vehicle, guide and tracker and for seasoned safari goers, searching for pangolins and aardvarks is an exceptional experience.

Madikwe Safari Lodge in the Kalahari region of South Africa is also a fantastic option. With brilliant guiding and great game viewing opportunities of wild dog, cheetah and brown hyena not to mention the plethora of other big game, is it any wonder why it is a favourite of ours?

Phinda Reserve is home to a variety of completely astonishing wildlife including a fabulous cheetah population, wild dogs and black rhino. Settled in the far north sits Phinda Forest Lodge – a diverting and completely unique safari lodge experience with its Zen glass walls immersing you into the nature which surrounds it. There are some other really fantastic accommodation options scattered throughout this magical reserve, perfect for honeymooners is Vlei and Rock Lodge whilst Mountain is perfect for families.

In the spectacular Sabi Sands, nothing quite compares to Singita. It has the entire make up for a world class safari experience, with brilliant game viewing, exceptional guiding and outstanding service, Singita offers an all-round amazing safari experience.

In the Grater Kruger, Ngala Tented Camp is one of the best value luxury camps in the area. The small and intimate camp that overlooks a dry riverbed offers exceptional game viewing and exclusivity that is hard to beat.

Activities on a South Africa Safari

Whilst South Africa’s guiding is some of the best on the continent, this lends itself to some brilliant vehicle and walking safaris.

The reserves that the lodges are situated on are private allowing for very relaxed rules about the different activities that can be partaken whilst on safari.

For honeymooners and adventure seekers alike, treehouse sleepouts, like those at Lion Sands or Ngala Tented Camp offer the chance to sleep under the stars in a beautiful and luxurious sleep out deck. After a sunset dinner and a glass of bubbly, nothing quite compares to gazing at the stars and listening to the lions roaring long into the night.

Other activities also include horse riding, mountain biking and infra-red night drives. For those who are looking for more conservation-type of activities then pangolin tracking and elephant and rhino darting are certainly worth enquiring about.

Read More

South Africa honeymoons in Cape Town

A safari in South Africa is a highlight on any trip, however it can be beautifully combined with a visit to Cape Town. Whilst access to this vibrant city is very easy from the safari lodges, Cape Town also offers the opportunity to indulge in some of the world’s finest food and drink in its surrounding winelands as well as viewing even more of the beautiful natural wonders of South Africa.

Whether you decide to hike up Table Mountain, see the penguins of Boulders Beach or take a day trip to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point, the city of Cape Town has so much to offer that a four or five day extension after your safari is a must.

Why go on safari in South Africa?

South Africa is absolutely huge (5x the size of Great Britain) and should really span a couple of time zones. The resulting variety of terrain, landscape and weather systems mean that there is a huge range of wildlife experiences on offer here, all in one country.

The guiding is excellent and some of the best in Africa.

Particularly attractive for first-time safari goers and families with young children, South Africa offers the opportunity to safari in a malaria-free area (not available in all African countries). Unlike Namibia and Zimbabwe, some South African safari lodges are tailored towards hosting families.

South Africa’s advanced infrastructure means that travel around the country is hassle-free and relatively economical. Whether you are looking for a safari near Johannesburg (The Greater Kruger), Port Elizabeth (Kwandwe Private Game Reserve) or Kwazulu-Natal (Phinda Private Game Reserve), South Africa can cater for all your needs.

When it comes to your budget, this is the country where you can find a safari at any price point – from self-drive at the most basic to all-out luxe with a private chopper!

How much does a safari in South Africa cost?

Safaris are not cheap, but with South Africa things can seem a little more economical than other African safari destinations. Due to the relatively low value of the rand and the fantastic transportation links

South Africa boasts, the lodge prices range from $400 per person per night all the way up to $3,000 per person per night, but the value for money here is second to none. With brilliant honeymoon and family deals it is a safari destination for everyone. Please talk to one of our experts to discuss possible itineraries and the price differences between each. 

Introducing Odyssey Explorer

Welcome to our new itinerary-building app! Odyssey Explorer allows you to browse a range of popular itinerary templates and tailor them to suit your budget and tastes. Once you are happy with your route template, Odyssey Explorer gives you the freedom to select and change your accommodation in each destination. It is an excellent tool for you to get an instant price for your dream trip before you work with a Tanzania expert to fine-tune it and make it into a reality.

Build Itinerary Now

When to go on a South Africa Safari

South Africa is very handily a year-round destination, so you can go whenever you want! Our favorite times are March – May for the migratory birds and the lush vegetation, which give great photographic opportunities full of colour, yet August – October are the peak seasons. This is when the vegetation is thinnest and animals cluster together in large quantities by the ever-drying waterholes. Ask our experts about the pros and cons of going at different times! Or for more information, please visit our when to go page.

When to go month-by-month

Top 5 South Africa Safari Tips

Go on a walking safari! This is such a fresh and interesting perspective to see the African bush from, and South Africa is blessed with many areas which can provide such a wonderful safari experience.

Go to two different safari areas, and don’t just stick to one! South Africa is huge and has such variety, so it would be a shame to go there and only see one type of landscape and safari experience. A great combination would be the Kruger with Tswalu Kalahari.

Experience a bush sleep-out. Luxurious and comfortable yet in the middle of the wilderness. Stay in a treehouse in the middle of the reserve and experience a night like never before.

Explore the winelands of the Western Cape – a really good way to unwind before or after your safari. Also combine this with Cape Town for the ultimate varied safari, city and scenery holiday.

Rent a car to save money on flights and explore South Africa at your own leisure – a real luxury for those who seek adventure.

More Tips

South Africa Safari FAQs

What types of safari can be done in South Africa?


You can enjoy the classic 4X4 driving safari, and enjoy being guided around the reserves and the intricacies of the fantastic African wildlife. You can also get a bit closer to your four-legged friends on a walking safari – widely enjoyed in South Africa. Sleeping out under the stars is another option, and in our opinion one of the most wild and special safari experiences of them all – there is nothing quite like it. You can also see turtles hatching in South Africa; a real treat and oddity when on an African safari. For kids and adults alike, conservation safaris are widely enjoyed where you can actually contribute to the maintenance of the precious African wildlife.

South Africa Safari vs Botswana Safari


Both Botswana and South Africa are absolutely fabulous safari choices. Mainly, South Africa offers a far more affordable safari as Botswana is composed of private reserves. South Africa has these too, but also options where other lower budgets can still have a knock-out safari.

When you are not on safari, a South Africa tour also has so many options for other completely different activities to be enjoyed such as visiting the vibrant and beautiful Cape Town and indulging in the winelands of Stellenbosch and Franschoek. South Africa has so much to offer for enjoying a completely diverse holiday – safari, city, scenery and beach… what more could you want?

How to add the beach to a South Africa Safari?


Two of our favorite lodges to add on to a safari are Thonga and Rocktail near Phinda Game Reserve – they offer everything you could want from some R&R in the warm African sunshine. You can also explore the Garden Route where Morukuru Beach Lodge offers brilliant beach retreat. That said, the beach lodges in South Africa are not your typical sunbathing destinations. They are more geared towards nature-based activities like hiking in the surrounding forests, kayaking in the ocean or moonlit turtle beach walks. For your normal sunbathing beach destination after a South African safari, it is better to go further afield to Mauritius which has some fantastic child friendly resorts with activities to be enjoyed by all around every turn. You could really push the boat and extend your safari to Madagascar, for a mosaic of more interesting wildlife and relaxing beach time. You can also go to our favorite beach extension for East Africa itineraries and hop up to the colorful and vibrant Zanzibar.

South Africa Safari itinerary planning


We’d generally always recommend including the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve in a top-class South African safari itinerary. Located within throwing distance of the spectacular Drakensberg mountain range, the nature reserve is home to a vast population of wildlife including lots of predators and phenomenal concentrations of the big five. Leopard viewing here is particularly outstanding – arguably the best in Africa. As a private reserve, game viewing here is available only to visitors staying in the lodges (no day trippers), resulting in a private and exclusive safari experience.

The infrastructure and internal flight network are of such a good standard that it is easy to combine a safari with a Cape Town city adventure, where you could explore Table Mountain or get some R&R in the spectacularly scenic Cape winelands. If you wanted to hop across to for some downtime on an Indian Ocean beach then Mozambique and Mauritius are easily accessible. Alternatively, a trip to Victoria Falls in either Zambia or Zimbabwe would be another favourite addition of ours. A Southern Africa itinerary can comprise any combination of these elements, in any order. Though we tailor-make all our trips, see some sample itineraries on our itineraries page for further information.

Client Reviews

[100% BASED ON 9 REVIEWS]

Africa Safari - Reviews

We thank you for your attention to detail and for always answering our questions and being so responsive and personal. We feel like you are a friend!

  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *

Our trip... perfect. Everything was perfect. Organisation, people, accomodation, safaris, guides… 

  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *

Many thanks for a superb holiday – unforgettable.

  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *

We had a FANTASTIC experience and I cannot thank you and your colleagues enough for your help in making it so. Each and every place we stayed were wonderful.

  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *

All of us agree that our trip could not have been better! If there might be in the future a repeat of a trip to Africa, it goes without saying that it would be organized by you.

  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *

I don't normally write reviews but I was genuinely blown away with the holiday but also the level of support from you and the team.

  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *

The trip was a 100% success and we could not be more pleased.

  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *

The experience was simply great! It worth every single GBP we paid. All arrangements ran fantastically.

  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *

We had a wonderful time and we will definitely refer you to those interested in a safari. We had an amazing time and will never forget it! 

  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
 
Chat to an expert