The entire continent of Africa is a great place to visit for safari tours. It’s the land of the wild and an amazing place for everyone who loves nature. South Africa also has a significance when it comes to safari tours in Africa. Travelers and tourists to South Africa can easily split their time between Cape Town and Kruger National Park. This way they get to enjoy both, a waterfront tour and a safari experience. If you are a traveler who is interested in South Africa Safari holidays but tight on time or is limited by vacation days, South Africa can be an excellent destination for you. There are numerous wildlife and nature reserves here that offer excellent excursions and you can easily find great game-watching experiences near Cape Town.

Sanbona Wildlife Reserve

Just at a distance of 3.5 hours from Cape Town, you can find Sanbona Wildlife Reserve, an excellent place to see some wild beasts in action. If you are interested in some exotic predators then you would love to know that this is one of the only wildlife reserves in Africa where you can spot free-roaming white lions. These lovely feral beasts are accompanied by elephants, cheetahs, and zebras. Amazing isn’t it?

Sanbona is located in Little Karoo just at the foot of the Warmwaterberg Mountains. The total area of this reserve is the 143,000-acre reserve and there are four lodges here. There are loads of open spaces here and very few lodges so if you are looking for the perfect place to disconnect from the world, this wildlife reserve is just for you.

Aquila Private Game Reserve

Interested in private game reserves? Aquila is just the place for you. It is just a quick two-hour drive inland from Cape Town and a great destination to visit if you are short on time. Aquila Private Game Reserve even offers visitors half-day or single-day safaris. So, if you are running short on time or have just one day to indulge in a safari adventure, this is the perfect place for you.

There are loads of wild beasts that you can see here. If you are interested in the Big Five, this is the right place for you. For people unaware of the Big Five, these are five animals that most safari adventurers love to see and snap some pictures to take back home. These five animals are lions, rhinos, leopards, Cape buffalos, and elephants.

You can also try checking in overnight at the Aquila Lodge. It is one of the recommended places to stay while you are here. Some people also like to spend some time with the rehabilitated animals and if you are one of them you can have some quality time with the beasts at the Animal Rescue Centre on the Aquila reserve.

Grootbos Private Nature Reserve

Love driving along the coast? Nothing could be better than to cruise leisurely on an empty road with the sea on one side and excellent landscape on the other. If you are interested, then Grootbos Private Nature Reserve is the perfect destination for you. How? This lovely wildlife reserve is about a two-hour drive along the coast to the south of Cape Town.

There is another twist in the information about this wildlife reserve. This place won’t offer you lions or cheetahs to snap pictures of. Instead, you’ll get a chance to immerse yourself in marine life and lovely wilderness. Grootbos is 6,200 acres of flawless wilderness that runs leisurely along the coast towards Gansbaai.

Fortunately, it’s not a one-day dash to a safari adventure. You’ll be spending a day or two here at some of the most comfortable and modern forest lodges South Africa has on offer. Visitors staying at the Forest Lodge can get to see approximately 800 types of plant species. These include fynbos and proteas that cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. Where there are plants there are also antelopes and this is another perk that you can get here. If you are visiting this place from June to November, you can also get to see some whales calving in the nearby bay.

Gondwana Private Game Reserve

Now, this wildlife reserve is a bit far away from Cape Town, but you will be rewarded for your extra travelling. Located around four hours further afield from South Africa’s capital, Gondwana Private Game Reserve offers a picturesque lonely drive along the coastal Garden Route. It’s one of the most interesting parts of the journey and one of the things that you will definitely enjoy a lot. Once the journey is over, visitors can easily check into Kwena Lodge. It is an excellent place that offers a collection of modern huts along with solar-powered tented camps. Here you can camp among the fynbos and have a lovely time.

Gondwana also offers safari drives to witness the Big Five in action and they are also one of the major highlights here. If you are interested in that you simply need to ask your tour operator of the local guide. Other fun activities and interesting activities here include mountain biking and hiking. When it comes to hiking, it’s worth taking a decent set of hiking poles particularly if there’s any uneven ground. Having the right gear can make everything easier. Remember, you are there to enjoy and not to tire yourself out. We recommend that you get organized and buy everything well in advance. This will save you a lot of time and trouble in going to the local shops and buying things that you may not like later on.

Kruger National Park

This is one of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries in South Africa as it is well developed for tourism. There are 21 rest camps here which are supported by a dozen concession lodges. The total area of this reserve is 19,000 square kilometres and that’s a lot that you can enjoy here. There are numerous user-friendly features here such as ATM and jeeps rides that make this area uniquely suitable for first-timers in the safari adventures.

The best time to visit this place is between June-September if you are interested in mammals and if you want to spot some birds, you can come here between November-March. There are plenty of animals to snap some great pictures of and the jeep rides here are simply amazing. If you want to unwind at the lodge then there are some remote huts available here that can offer you the much-needed me-time while your friends can party anywhere, they like.

This is one of the best things about the reserves in South Africa. They are near the waterfront capital Cape Town so you can also enjoy the city and tropical life when you get a bit too lonely in your pursuits of disconnecting from the world. The food here is also quite amazing and if you have a good tour guide with you, South Africa awaits you with an excellent safari tour. Just make sure there is no hiking in your trip as those excursions can become quite cumbersome at times.