South Africa 2017

Bush b
10
From the North West to the Northern Cape,
South Africa’s provinces boast an incredible array
of wildlife – and there are plenty of ways your clients
can experience it. Whether they have deep pockets or are
looking for a more budget-wary safari option, there are
plenty of ways of getting out into the bush. The challenge
for agents is matching the client to the right lodge
In the Eastern Cape, the bush experience stays
consistently good any time of the year, with the best
game viewing months being those from May to
September due to the concentration of wildlife
around water holes, and October when many
animals give birth and the predators are
much more active.
or reserve.
PRIVATE GAME RESERVE OR
There are national parks, provincial parks and
NATIONAL PARK?
private game reserves offering game drives and
Game shows: National
overnight lodging in every province, with parks such as Kruger, Addo,
Limpopo and Mpumulanga sharing the
world-famous Kruger National Park.
Hluhluwe-Umfolozi and Pilanesberg offer
excellent game-spotting opportunities, as do private
game reserves like Sabi Sabi, Madikwe and Phinda – but agents
WINTER OR SUMMER?
should be aware of the key differences in the experience
Well seasoned: Thanks to between a national park and a private reserve.
the diversity of weather National parks, with their tarmac roads, allow self-driving,
patterns across the country, a safaris can
be enjoyed at any time of the year.
The Kruger is great for game viewing during the dry
season winter months, from May to September, when animals
congregate at water holes. The nights are cool but days are
warm. The same holds true for reserves in the North West,
Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the dry season runs from
June to October, and the best time for game
viewing in its parks is just before the rainy
however all vehicles must stay strictly on the roads and be
back in camp or out of the park at night.
By contrast, private reserves benefit from ranger-guided
safari vehicles which can go off-track to allow visitors the
chance to follow wildlife as it move through the bushveld.
This is particularly exciting when you are following lions
that are hunting!
Guests are taken on game drives by highly-
-qualified rangers in smaller safari vehicles
for a more intimate experience. The reserve’s
season (November to late January) begins. The Blue Train has rangers also keep in radio contact to let
added departures
between Pretoria
and Hoedspruit
for passengers
to stay in Kruger
Park. Departures
are on selected
Fridays and
Saturdays in
March, July and
August in 2017
saspecialist.southafrica.net