Traveling to areas, places, and regions less traveled holds a certain allure because it offers serenity and tranquility that is found away from the crowds and creates the feeling that you discovered this diamond in the rough. Many parks and game reserves exist in South Africa that fit this mold. Below is a handful of diverse experiences and accommodation types to offer guests.
Balule Private Game Reserve is adjacent to the Klaserie Private Game Reserve to its east and forms part of the greater Kruger National Park Region. It has several accommodation options, all offering interested visitors an authentic game viewing and safari experience. Some of the lodge's visitors might consider in this game reserve are the Naledi and Ezulwini Lodges, to name a few.
The Klaserie joined the list of protected game reserves in and around Kruger National Park in 1969 and was proclaimed a nature reserve in 1972. As with many of the private game reserves in the area, great wealth and dedication to conservation efforts have been the major drivers of the Game Reserve's formation. Some lodges to consider here include Simbavati Camp George and Makumu Private Game Lodge, among many others.
Manyeleti means 'place of the stars' in Tsonga, an apt description for this private game reserve within the greater Kruger National Park Region. Established in 1963, it boasts six lodges, making it more intimate than some of its neighboring game reserves.
In the local Tswana, Madikwe means 'Africa in its majesty.' It sits near the border with Botswana in South Africa's North West Province and boasts a score of luxury lodges and camps. The landscape is dominated by shrubs, with a variety of different species, chief among them the Big 5. The reddish hue of the soil transcends the landscape and gives it a distinct atmosphere approaching the Kalahari Desert on the other side of the border.
The North of Natal is home to dramatic scenery, some captured in the Mkuze Game Reserve, a 40,000-hectare reserve named for the Mkhuze River. Cheetahs, wild dogs, and lions are found here, the latter after being reintroduced to restore the lands to their natural state. The small Suni antelope, a rarely seen and shy antelope, is also found here, as are Black Rhinos, Leopards, Elephants, and Giraffe.
Ithala Game Reserve is home not only to a spectacular biodiversity of animals and birds but also to a range of rock formations that are among the world's oldest and cultural sites that document some of the earliest days of the Nguni migration into South Africa. Giraffes are particularly numerous here, though Elephants and Rhinos are also found here, along with a range of unique bird and antelope species.
Welgevonden is yet another pristine game reserve, showcasing the extent of conservation and ecotourism in South Africa. It is not far from the country's economic hub of Gauteng and the OR Tambo International Airport, making it a good choice for those who will be traveling soon after their visit. The Big 5, many birds, and several smaller mammals call this beautiful reserve home.
Marakele boasts dramatic mountain scenery, a few luxury lodges, and a unique safari experience two and a half hours from the Johannesburg airport. It is a malaria-free area ideally suited to families with young children who wish to enjoy a Big Five safari. The park is in the transition zone between the arid western part of South Africa and the higher-rainfall eastern bushveld. It boasts an impressive diversity of large mammal species.
The Karoo National Park is the pre-eminent game reserve in the Great Karoo, a desert region of South Africa that boasts a great biodiversity of both plants and animals. The majestic oryx is one of the main features of this arid landscape, along with a range of species that are quite rare in the Kruger and other better-known areas, including the bat-eared fox, ostrich, springbok, eland, and endemic riverine rabbit.
No national park in South Africa is more difficult to book accommodation in than the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park—families eager to book school holiday spots reserve theirs almost a year in advance. The park is home to beautiful Kalahari landscapes, starry desert skies, and ample game viewing opportunities. Waterholes are abuzz with life, with desert lions and gracious gemsbok all dependent on this life-giving resource.
