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
11 abies each other know where animals are and to limit the number of vehicles at sightings, particularly where there are cubs, to ensure the animals are not stressed. Nightly rates for private reserve safari stays are much higher than those in the national parks, but it is importamt to share that these include all game viewing activities and meals – usuallyl three a day – and the majority also include drinks. Accommodation in the national parks is operated by SAN Parks and generally comprises self-catering in tents or bungalows with en-suite facilities. There are on-site, selfservice restaurants and convenience stores where guests can buy food to cook themselves. Guests staying in national parks can head out on a pre-booked game drive, although group sizes and vehicles are larger than in the private reserves. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE Heads up: Many clients will hope the see the Big Five of elephant, buffalo, leopard, rhino and lion, but there are plenty of other animal encounters on offer. Meerkats can be Advise clients that animals in parks and reserves are wild and that sightings are not guaranteed Garonga SA Guide FINAL.qxp_Layout 1 19/08/2016 14:44 Page 1 found across the country’s more arid areas, such as Oudtshoorn on Route 62 near the Garden Route, or in the Northern Cape’s Kuruman River Reserve (where TV the series Meerkat Manor is filmed), Kalahari Trails park and nearby Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Kgalagadi is also famed for its black-maned lions while Madikwe Game Reserve in the malaria-free North West province is knowwn for its excellent sightings of wild dogs. BEYOND THE BIG FIVE True gold: Visit Golden Gate Highlands National Park in Free State to see antelopes bounding across shimmering grasslands. Or visit iSimangaliso Wetland Park in NZN whose eight ecosystems include swamps, lakes, coral reefs and 220km of Indian Ocean beachfront. You might see whales and rhinos on the same day. unassuming… unhurried… untamed It’s the Garonga difference: Six luxurious safari tents and three sumptuous suites, set in the exclusive Makalali Reserve, west of the Kruger National Park. Experience guided walks, game drives and sleep outs, or simply relax with a bush bath or outdoor aromatherapy. www.garonga.com Untitled-3 1 19/08/2016 15:37
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11<br />
abies<br />
each other know where animals are and to limit the number<br />
of vehicles at sightings, particularly where there are cubs, to<br />
ensure the animals are not stressed.<br />
Nightly rates for private reserve safari stays are<br />
much higher than those in the national parks,<br />
but it is importamt to share that these include all<br />
game viewing activities and meals – usuallyl three<br />
a day – and the majority also include drinks.<br />
Accommodation in the national parks is operated by<br />
SAN Parks and generally comprises self-catering in tents<br />
or bungalows with en-suite facilities. There are on-site, selfservice<br />
restaurants and convenience stores where guests can<br />
buy food to cook themselves.<br />
Guests staying in national parks can head<br />
out on a pre-booked game drive, although<br />
group sizes and vehicles are larger than in<br />
the private reserves.<br />
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE<br />
Heads up: Many clients will hope the see<br />
the Big Five of elephant, buffalo, leopard,<br />
rhino and lion, but there are plenty of other<br />
animal encounters on offer. Meerkats can be<br />
Advise clients that<br />
animals in parks<br />
and reserves are<br />
wild and that<br />
sightings are not<br />
guaranteed<br />
Garonga SA Guide FINAL.qxp_Layout 1 19/08/2016 14:44 Page 1<br />
found across the country’s more arid areas, such<br />
as Oudtshoorn on Route 62 near the Garden Route, or<br />
in the Northern Cape’s Kuruman River Reserve (where TV the<br />
series Meerkat Manor is filmed), Kalahari Trails park and<br />
nearby Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Kgalagadi is also<br />
famed for its black-maned lions while Madikwe Game<br />
Reserve in the malaria-free North West province is<br />
knowwn for its excellent sightings of wild dogs.<br />
BEYOND THE BIG FIVE<br />
True gold: Visit Golden Gate<br />
Highlands National Park in Free<br />
State to see antelopes<br />
bounding across<br />
shimmering<br />
grasslands. Or<br />
visit iSimangaliso<br />
Wetland Park in NZN<br />
whose eight ecosystems<br />
include swamps, lakes, coral reefs<br />
and 220km of Indian Ocean beachfront.<br />
You might see whales and rhinos on the<br />
same day.<br />
unassuming… unhurried… untamed<br />
It’s the Garonga difference:<br />
Six luxurious safari tents and<br />
three sumptuous suites, set in<br />
the exclusive Makalali Reserve,<br />
west of the Kruger National Park.<br />
Experience guided walks, game drives<br />
and sleep outs, or simply relax with<br />
a bush bath or outdoor aromatherapy.<br />
www.garonga.com<br />
Untitled-3 1 19/08/2016 15:37
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