Do you want to go on a safari in South Africa and don’t know where to start? We will help you!
What Is Safari
These are trips to observe and photograph nature and wildlife in their natural habitat, often in defined and preserved areas established as a “national park.”
Although public areas, national parks have rules, entrance fees, entry/exit times, and marked roads, where vehicles can circulate exclusively through them. That is, to see the animals up close, only if they are on the edge or cross the road.
What Is Game Drive
The exit to observe the animals, usually in a jeep or truck, open on the sides, with a guide/driver, is the so-called “game drive.”
The expression uses the word “game” in its old hunting context, that is, an animal can be chased/reached. Today’s outings, however, look for animals to be photographed, not wiped out.
Each game lasts approximately from 3 am to 4 am, and the average price per person is 20 USD. You can go on safari in a national park or in a private reserve.
The advantage of participating in a Game with a guide / ranger / tracker is that, as they have the day-to-day experience of the safari, the chances of finding the animals are greater.
Many are allowed to leave the trails, which guarantees Games even more exciting. In addition, they instruct them not to stand up, speak loudly or put their arms out of the vehicle, reveal curiosities about wild animals, and still take care of everyone’s safety.
The main Game Drives in South Africa are:
- Sunrise Drive, usually starting at 5 am (in the fall / winter) and ending around 8 am.
- Morning Walk / Night Walk, a walk through the savannah, to learn about the habits and movement of animals.
- Sunset Drive, usually starting at 4:30 pm (in the fall / winter) and ending around 7:30 pm.
- Night Drive, usually starting at 8pm and ending around 10pm.
It is recommended, to have more possibilities to see the Big Five – and feel truly in the setting of the film The Lion King – to do 2 to 4 Game Drives, mainly Sunrise Drive or Sunset Drive (the times when the animals are most busy ), in the same camp or in different regions.
Game Drive in the Kruger National Park
When we think of a Safari in South Africa, Kruger National Park is the first image that comes to mind.
The largest and most famous protected fauna area in South Africa, located in the northeast of the country, the Kruger covers about 20,000 km² (approximately the size of the state of Sergipe), on the border with Mozambique.
In the case of Kruger National Park, the fee costs per day (to enter or stay) 400 rand (South African currency) per adult and 200 rand per child.
Private Game Drive
Among the existing Game Drives, many people choose to take a Private Safari / Game Drive. These safaris are carried out in private reserves, adjacent to the Kruger National Park, in the Greater (Great) Kruger region, which the Kruger and the reserves themselves form.
Even though it is more expensive, there are several advantages to taking a safari in a private reserve near the Kruger:
- It is in the National Geographic (Nat Geo) style in terms of unmarked trails, landscapes, and animals.
- The presence of Guide and Tracker, who have experience and wisdom in knowing and meeting animals in the African savanna.
- The game is exclusive (less tourists to share the car and the roads).
- Vehicles from private reserves (4 × 4 and open) can go off-road, that is, they have the possibility to move freely off the roads, which increases the range and the adrenaline of the game.
- The accommodation and gastronomy are luxurious, which brings a lot of stewardship and comfort.
Today, the Greater Kruger National Park is home to more than 20 private reserves, which usually have several luxurious accommodation options (the lodges), which offer a truly more sophisticated and exclusive safari experience. Daily rates vary from lodge to lodge.
The main private reserves close to Kruger Park are:
- Sabi Sands (the most prestigious of South African reserves);
- Timbavati;
- Manyeleti;
- Thornybush;
- Klaserie;
- Balule;
- Kapama.
When Is the Best Time to Go on Safari?
If you have doubts about the best time to visit Kruger Park and other parks, know that between autumn and winter (May to September), the savanna drought happens, and the vegetation is lower, and the animals move more to bathe or drink water. The climate is not so hot, and there is less risk of getting malaria.
In the spring and summer and the heat, the vegetation becomes more dense, and it can be more difficult to see the animals.
Camps located near the Sabie River, end up being a favorable region for spotting animals. Where there is water, there is life, there are animals.
That is, looking around ponds and rivers and making Game Drives or driving on the roads near the rivers that cut the park, the appreciation of at least some of the Big Five is almost certain.
