South Africa Travel Guide

From a photography point of view few destinations (in South Africa) can beat PGR.

Ideally I would like to see all the animals that I shoot photos of as totally wild "not on reserves", but I realize that in South Africa that's just not available as much. The parks I've visited have been amazing and the birding is top notch.

Did not visit the Kruger itself but am to understand that it does get very touristy. If you can afford it, definitely try to go for one of the private game reserves with unfenced borders (joining the Kruger) and intimate safari lodges.

Bush vibe is possible on in selected as exlusive destinations; the most popular parks are so easily accessible and well maintained that mass tourism and self drive are quite common. To live the bush experience you have to pay

South Africa has all the animals and they are obviously pretty easy to see.

There are many ways to see them from 5+ Star resorts to more run of the mill camps.

My concern is that it seems in South Africa that the animals are somewhat contained especially on the numerous private reserves. That certainly makes them easy to see but you feel a little like they are corraled for human viewing - still fun but not totally 'natural'.

We are planning a safari to Tanzania and Kenya - places where the animals roam pretty freely and we are the ones who are fenced in.

Without having previous experience of Safari, South Africa lived up to our expectations

South Africa is an amazing country for safaris, and there are a range of lodges catering to everyone's particular taste. Whether looking for the true bush experience or a luxury holiday adventure, South Africa has it!

There are many parks in South Africa. Some boast of the big five, some are quiet and have lovely scenery. So you have much opportunity to chose what you want.
In 2010 we spent 16 days insides parks and now, in 2012, even 19 days.
If we stay healthy this won't be the last time.
Sometimes you must be patient or lucky. As we travelled from north to south in Kruger last april (14 days) we saw our first lonely lion only after 7 days! The next day we saw some 12 lions in front of our car!

Excellent destination for all of them who want to discover and enjoy wild Nature.

Kruger park doesn't have the same bush ibe as e.g. camping in Moremi or Chobe in Botswana because it is so easy to self drive. But it does have a lot of great wildlife (which can also be a challenge to see because of the thick scrub. I really loved combining the safari element with other wildlife activities such as diving (Mozambique), birding (e.g. penguins at Betty's bay and pelagic seabirds), whale watching (hermanus), sightseeing (Blyde river and Cape town) and shark diving around the cape.