South Africa Parks

SOUTH AFRICA

Addo Elephant National Park

At 1800 sq km this is South Africa’s third largest park, located close to Port Elizabeth. As the name suggests the park is home to over 550 elephants from only 16 in 1931 (est). Apart from elephants the park is home to the Big Seven –elephant, lion (recently introduced), leopard, buffalo, rhino, southern right whale and the great white shark; as well as zebra, eland, kudu, warthog, hyena, 160 species of birds and the flightless Addo dung beetle. The park’s rich biodiversity has made it an ecological success.

Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve

The scenery is the highlight of a visit here. You need a full day or more to trek around the entire reserve which is set on the southern tip of the Cape Town peninsula and extends into the Atlantic ocean. The 360 deg view from the old lighthouse is fantastic and the not so faint-hearted can walk down a narrow path (which has a steep drop to the Atlantic on one side) to the beach which is the southwestern-most point of Africa. There is a funicular railway as well. One can spot bontebok, springbok and other antelope which are resident here. Beware of the baboons especially with eatables as they are highly aggressive here. Lots of bird species can be sighted here.

Hluhluwe-Imfolozi National Park

The park covers an area of 960 sq km and is home to the big five (including both species of rhino), hippo, giraffe, eland, blue wildebeest, waterbuck, impala, Natal red duiker, suni, zebra, wild dog, cheetah and plains animals. There are over 450 species of birds here. The vegetation consists of hillside woodland, grassy flats, wooded savanna and wilderness trails, and the park is bisected by the White and Black Imfolozi and Hluhluwe rivers which feed the rich flora and fauna. Night drives are popular here. There are various trails one can follow and camping is allowed in certain zones. This is not a malaria free area.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Formed in 1999 by merging the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa (est 1931) and the Gemsbok National Park in Botswana (est 1938), this is one of Africa’s largest wildlife viewing areas covering an area of approx 38,000 sq km. This is a very scenic park with the Noosob and Auob rivers (seasonal) running through it and red sand dunes in the background. Animals to be seen are the black mane Kalahari lions, gemsbok, red hartebeest, blue wildebeest, springbok, brown and spotted hyena and meerkats. The park is a haven for birders – more than 200 species are found here including ostrich, Kori bustard, namaqua sandgrouse, sociable weavers and pygmy falcons. Children under 12 years are not allowed into the park.

Kruger National Park

Initially established as the Sabi Game Reserve in 1898 (it was renamed in 1926) this is one of the oldest wildlife parks in the world covering an area of 19,485 sq km. It is 350km long. Its northern side is mopane woodland and is a haven for elephants, roans, tsessebes and elands. The southern part is mainly grassland and acacia where one can encounter giraffe, impala, black rhino and lion. The higher western sector has white rhinos and sables. Apart from the big five, other animals found all over are kudu, waterbuck, warthog, wild dog, hippos and crocodiles. Nyalas and bushbucks are found in riverine woodlands. There are over 500 species of birds here. A large number of private wildlife reserves are in the western sector eg Sabi Sabi, Londolozi, Mala Mala, Timbavati, Thornybush, Klaserie and Sabi Sand. They provide protection to animals and conduct game drives in open sided vehicles. Night drives are encouraged here. Most of the private reserves have their own air strips. Kruger has 147 species of mammals – more than any other African park. It also has 114 types of reptiles, 50 species of fish including the Zambezi shark, 34 species of amphibians and 336 species of trees. Bushman rock art is found here dating back centuries. The blue wildebeest (separate from the East African species) is also found here. Kruger has 21 rest camps, 2 private lodge concessions and 15 private safari lodges.

Madikwe Game Reserve

Spread over 750 sq km,the reserve was created in 1991 by translocating endangered animals from Kruger and other parks. It lies on the northwestern border with Botswana, and consists of bushveld, savannah grassland and riverine forest. The big five are present here alongwith cheetah, wild dog, brown hyena, sable, eland, gemsbok, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, impala, springbok and over 350 species of birds. The park has many lodges and camps to suit every budget. It lies approx 5 hours driving time from Joburg. It is also malaria free.

Pilanesberg National Park

This is the most visited park in South Africa. Named after a Tswana chief, the park is located just outside Sun City, and covers an area of 572 sq km. It is a huge volcanic crater that was formed about 1200 million years ago. There are various sites dating back to the Iron Age and Stone Age, making this park invaluable to science. All the big five are found here. Other animals include zebra, giraffe, eland, kudu, impala, both species of rhino, sable, caracal, wild dog and cheetah. Over 360 species of birds are found here. The park is malaria free. It can be covered in a day trip with or without Sun City or directly from Joburg (drive time 4 hours). There are some decent lodges located inside the park.

Table Mountain National Park

This is the feature that alone describes Cape Town and makes it one of the most scenic cities in the world. At 1086 m, it is the highest mountain closest to the ocean anywhere in the world. One can trek-climb to the top or take the cableway. The views are phenomenal especially at sunset. The best time to visit is early morning or evening depending on the wind and visibility. The mountain, which is visible more than 100 km out to sea, was the only tool for navigating the Cape of Good Hope before the days of radar. The table top mountain is sometimes covered in a blanket of clouds called the ‘tablecloth’, which is due to meeting of the rising hot air above the warm Indian ocean and the cool air above the cold Atlantic which causes condensation above the mountain.