3. Madikwe Game Reserve
This award winning game reserve is located in the South Africa’s northwest province bordering Botswana and the great Kalahari Desert. It’s one of the largest but least visited reserves which gives it a more secluded pedigree. It used to be private land but a large conservation operation relocated 8000 animals here in the 1990’s and now it’s a thriving malaria free zone with lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, cheetah, buffalo, hyena, rare African wild dogs and over 300 species of bird life. You can explore the bush on foot or in a vehicle here. Several luxurious lodges offer a five-star safari experience with gourmet meals and spa treatments to add to the bliss, but there are some more affordable tented bush camp options too.
4. Addo Elephant National Park
Addo is 72km by road from Port Elizabeth on the Eastern Cape. Its coastal location makes it the only safari park in the world where you can chance to see the Big 7 – add sperm whales and great white sharks to the standard list of elephants, black rhinos, buffalo, lions and leopards. Elephants are particularly thriving here, with over 600 gentle giants roaming the park. If you’ve ever dreamed of watching elephants up close right off your terrace, this is the park to visit. Its other (perhaps less thrilling) claim to fame is that it is home to the rare flightless dung beetle. There are several five star lodges as well as tents, chalets and rondavels (traditional round African huts) to cater to a range of travelers.
