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Discover the "Big Five" as part of your South African trek
On Safari in Kruger National Park
Everything experienced in and around Joburg will seem quite tame compared to Kruger National Park (daily dawn–dusk; $19.35), South Africa's largest conservation area and the oldest national park in Africa (established in 1898). Located about 250 miles northeast of Johannesburg, and running for 217 miles along the Mozambique border (with an average width of 37 miles), Kruger offers self-driving visitors excellent opportunities to experience close encounters with zebra, giraffe, the "big five," and over 500 bird species. The southern section of the park has an excellent network of public roads and game-viewing watering holes.
In one day you can manage a leisurely morning game drive, lunch at the camp, and then a final afternoon game drive. Once you've left the safety of your fenced-off rest camp, however, don't get out of your car under any circumstances unless at a designated site. Nothing in life can prepare you for the first time you hear a lion's primeval roar in the distance. Uh, did we mention not to get out of the car?
PRIVATE HIGH-END SAFARI CAMPS
A much more exclusive (and expensive) alternative to the camps maintained by the Parks Board are the private high-end safari camps, which lie on the edges of the park. Expect to pay at least $550 a night for the experience, but know that you'll get the most intimate access to the park and its wildlife, top-notch service, including game drives in the morning, afternoon, and evening with a maximum of six people per outing, gourmet meals, and more, as part of the price. For the height of luxury – and an experience you won't likely forget – the Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve is our hands-down favorite, especially so its Earth Lodge, a subterranean suite of rooms carved out of tree trunks. Another top pick is Londolozi – Zulu for "protector of all living things – which is renowned for its progressive ecotourism practices and luxurious lodging options, including suites with cascading plunge pools and self-service bars nestled in a bower of trees. Next door is the largest private reserve in the area, Mala Mala; its Lion's Den suite has sliding glass doors that open onto a private veranda overlooking the Sand River. Extremely low human density and a shared 12-mile border with Kruger National Park have ensured that 75% of Mala Mala's guests have had "big five" sightings from their own verandas. After dark safaris in open 4-wheel-drive vehicles provide the opportunity to view nocturnal creatures and carnivores on the hunt, and walking safaris with an armed ranger can be arranged on request.
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