South African Safari Parks

South Africa may be famous for wine, and diamonds, and World Cup football (soccer) games, but it is still the incredible scenery and magnificent wild animals on a safari which draw people to visit, and make it hard to leave.

Apartheid made South Africa a place for people to boycott for years, but that that system was abandoned in 1994 and Nelson Mandela was not only released from prison, but eventually elected president of the country. Tourists have returned to South Africa to be amazed by the beauty of the country and the optimism of its people.

Large game parks provide a variety of safari experiences.

Large game parks are best if you prefer to rent a car and drive yourself around, staying to watch a herd of elephants or a band of baboons for as long as you like. Even if you drive yourself for part of the day, it is worth it to take several conducted tours, because the guides will give you a wealth of information about the wildlife, and they know where the animals are likely to be at any time of the day or night. They are also well prepared to answer you may have questions about African botany, ecology, or history.

For an awesome experience, get up early and take one of the walking trips at dawn, silently following, single file, with an armed guide at the beginning and end of your small group. Those less energetic or more cautious can take an early morning vehicle excursion. The land and the wildlife changes with the time of day, so a balanced stay in a park should have an early morning tour and one at night.

Here are two wonderful safari game parks for seeing the scenery and animals of South Africa and enjoying wildlife experience of a lifetime.

Kruger National Park

Kruger is a park which literally transcends borders, as the park became part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park - a peace park which includes land in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. These lands have been connected, and fences are being removed, so the animals have a vast territory of protected land to live on and roam naturally. Kruger is the best known of the parks, with six eco systems and four geographic regions, each providing a suitable home for the animals native to that habitat.

When you first arrive, it is exciting to see large herds of Impala antelope grazing, with the young ones leaping from place to place, but by the end of your safari time, you will have seen what hunters called The Big Five: elephant, buffalo, rhino, lion, and leopard. Tourists armed with cameras will usually get chance to shoot the Big Five, along with so many other animals big and small that log books are provided to help tourists keep track of them. Kruger has a range of facilities for visitors, from simple campgrounds to full resorts, but make reservations well in advance to get just the accommodations you want. There are smaller lodges around the periphery of the park lands.

Umfolozi and Hluhluwe Game Parks.

These two parks are connected by road so visitors as well as animals can travel between them. Umfolozi is known for their great success in breeding and increasing the numbers of White Rhino. Hluhluwe, pronounced "shush Louie", is a more manageable size for touring than Kruger, and has all the animals visitors want to see. There are casual rest camps as well as chalet and lodge rooms, including two story apartments with a full kitchen, dining and living rooms, and several bedrooms and baths.

The views from the deck are great, and the main lodge is just a short distance away. The food at the lodge is excellent. If you aren't a vegetarian, the menu will provide fabulous tastes of game you won't get anywhere else.

Keep your eyes open when returning from breakfast or dinner, as zebras may wander in as "African lawn mowers" nibbling on the grass. They are wild animals, so do not approach. Take photos for a while, and they'll move on.

Go now!

So many books and movies tell of the lure of Africa, and of people who go there and never want to leave. Visit South Africa and you will understand.