South Africa: the first safari country

Why South Africa

South Africa does something no other safari country does: it lets you choose how wild you want it. You can self-drive a national park on tarred roads for the price of a rental car and a rest-camp bungalow, or hand everything to a private lodge where a tracker sits on the bonnet and the vehicle leaves the road to follow a leopard. Both are the real thing. Both are in the same country, often within an hour of each other.

It is also the easiest safari to get to. Johannesburg and Cape Town have direct flights from London, most of Europe, the Gulf hubs and the United States. The roads are good, English is spoken everywhere, and the exchange rate makes lodges that would be out of reach in Botswana or Tanzania affordable here.

The trade-off is honesty about crowds. Kruger's southern section is busy in school holidays, and sightings there can attract a queue of cars. The private reserves on its western boundary solve that, at a price. We explain the difference below.

Where to go

When to go

South Africa's safari areas sit in the summer-rainfall north-east, so the seasons run opposite to Europe and North America.

• May to September (dry winter): the best game viewing. The grass is short, the bush is thin, and animals gather at rivers and waterholes. Days are mild and sunny, early mornings on an open vehicle are cold enough for a beanie and a blanket. Malaria risk in Kruger is at its lowest.
• October to November: hot, with the first storms. Still good viewing, and the lodges are quieter and cheaper before the December rush.
• December to March (green season): lush, green, hot and humid. Harder to see animals in the long grass, but it is calving season for antelope, the birding is superb, and the landscape photographs beautifully. Expect afternoon thunderstorms.
• April: an underrated month. The rains have ended, the bush is still green, the heat has gone.

Cape Town runs the other way: its best weather is November to March, which is exactly when Kruger is at its wettest. A classic itinerary accepts the compromise and visits both in the shoulder months of April, May, September or October.

Getting there and around

Fly into Johannesburg (O.R. Tambo) for Kruger, Madikwe and Pilanesberg, or Cape Town for the Cape and the Garden Route. Kruger has its own airports at Skukuza, inside the park, and at Hoedspruit and Nelspruit (KMIA), each about an hour's flight from Johannesburg. Most private lodges will collect you from these.

Self-driving is realistic. Johannesburg to Kruger's southern gates is four to five hours on a good highway. Inside the national parks the main roads are tarred, speed limits are low, and a normal sedan is fine. A 4x4 is only needed for a few gravel loops and in the rainy season.

Domestic flights between Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban are frequent and inexpensive, so combining a northern safari with the Cape in one trip is simple.

Where to stay

There are four price bands, and the gap between them is wide.

• National park rest camps: run by SANParks. Basic, clean bungalows and campsites inside Kruger, Addo and the other national parks. Self-catering, with shops and restaurants at the larger camps. The cheapest way to be inside a park at dawn.
• Lodges in the gateway towns: Hazyview, White River and Hoedspruit for Kruger. Comfortable guesthouses, and you drive in each morning or join a guided day drive.
• Private reserve lodges: all-inclusive, with two game drives a day, meals and drinks. This is the safari of the brochures. Prices vary enormously, from mid-range family camps in Klaserie and Balule to the famous names in Sabi Sand.
• Private concessions inside Kruger: a handful of lodges on exclusive land within the national park itself. The best of both: Kruger's scale with a private reserve's freedom.

Practicalities

Visas. Citizens of the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia and many other countries do not need a visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days. Your passport should be valid for at least 30 days beyond your departure, though six months is the safe standard, and it needs two blank pages. Children under 18 may be asked for an unabridged birth certificate; check the current rule before you travel with family.

Malaria. Kruger and the Greater Kruger reserves are a low-risk malaria area, with the risk highest in the wet months from roughly September to May. Most visitors take prophylaxis; discuss it with a travel clinic. Madikwe, Pilanesberg, Addo, the Waterberg and the Eastern Cape reserves are malaria-free, which is why they suit families and anyone who prefers not to take tablets. More than 95 per cent of the country, including Cape Town and the Garden Route, is malaria-free.

Health and safety. No vaccinations are compulsory unless you arrive from a yellow-fever country. Tap water is drinkable in cities and most lodges. Take normal big-city precautions in Johannesburg and Cape Town; the safari areas themselves are very safe.

Money. The rand is a soft currency and prices for international visitors are good value. Cards are accepted almost everywhere, including park gates and most lodges. Tipping is customary: a guide and tracker on a private lodge typically each receive a daily tip, paid at the end of the stay.

Electricity. 230V, with the three-round-pin South African plug (Type M). Many lodges also have the two-pin European socket. Scheduled power cuts ("load shedding") have eased but still occur; lodges have generators.