Vacations in South Africa

Golden Gate Highlands National Park is located in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains of the north eastern Free State. This National Park derives its name from the brilliant shades of gold cast by the sun on the park's sandstone cliffs.

This 11,600 hectare Park, is of a unique environment and is truly a highland habitat, providing home to a variety of mammals. Some of the animals you will observe in the region are the black wildebeest, eland, blesbok, oribi, springbok and the Burchell's zebra.

If you are interested in the avian wildlife, you will be able to view the rare bearded vulture and the equally rare bald ibis, which breed on the ledges in the sandstone cliffs. Located within the highest point of the park, the Ribbokkop region offers a breathtaking tapestry of red, yellow and purple hues as its warm shades merge with the cool mountain shadows towards evening.

Kalahari National Park is named after the gemsbok which is found through-out the region in large numbers. This park, is not as well known as other parks in South Africa, but is worth a visit. Kalahari is located in the Northern Cape Province and borders with Namibia to the northwest and Botswana to the north east.

Kalahari covers an area of approximately 9591 sq km on the South African border and 1.8 million hectares along Botswana. This makes this National Park one of the largest protected areas on the African Continent.

Much of the landscape located within Kalahari is semi-desert and is populated by the rapier-horned gemsbok, springbok and the Kalahari lion. Also noted for viewing, is the large populations of birds, reptile, small mammals and antelope. Much of the other animal wildlife is found around and along the Nossob and Aoub River beds, where wildlife viewing is wonderful.

Other animals frequently encountered within the Park are blue wildebeests, elands and red hartebeests. Most frequently found are black-backed jackals, spotted hyenas, brown hyenas, caracals, leopards, impalas and kudus.

Kruger National Park was established in 1898 by Paul Kruger, and borders with Mozambique. This world famous Park is located to the eastern side of Northern Province of South Africa. It runs southwards into the Eastern Lowveld of Mpumalanga and covers an area of two million hectares.

This National Park is one of the most desired destinations of all of the South Africa’s national parks. Home to a wealth of wildlife, Kruger includes 147 species of mammals, 500 types of birds and 33 types of amphibian. The flora is equally diverse with over 300 different types of trees. Within the borders of Kruger, you will find the mighty lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, hippo, giraffe, rhino and buffalo.

Located on the rock cliffs of Kruger, you will be able to observe man's interaction with the Lowveld environment. During your exploration, you will view the famous bushman rock paintings are located at the archaeological sites of Masorini and Thulamela. These treasures represent the cultures, people and events which played a role in the history of Kruger.

Madikwe Game Reserve is located 360 km from Johannesburg and is a 3 ½ hour drive. It is situated in the North West Province and is bordered by Botswana in the north, the spectacular Dwarsberg Mountains to the south and the Marico River to the east.

Madikwe has a very diverse habitat which ranges from acacia savannah to watery reveries. Found within the wonderful destination is a unique combination of species such as springbok, gemsbok, sable and impala. The birdlife in the region is wonderful and should not be missed!

This Park is the home to over ten thousand animals of which 27 major species are found. Some of the wildlife includes the cheetah, lion, white and black rhino, buffalo and elephant. Madikwe Game Reserve is currently the country’s fourth largest game reserve.

Sabi Sands Reserve is undoubtedly the most exclusive private game reserve in South Africa. This reserve span’s over 65,000-hectare and is located on the south-western corner of the Kruger National Park.

As you explore this fantastic park, you will notice there are no restricting fences between the Kruger Park and Sabi Sands Reserve. Since there are no barriers between the two parks, it enables the wildlife to roam freely between the game reserves.

Leopards are one of the main wildlife attractions within the Sabi Sands Reserve. Due to their comfort with automobiles, they normally will not take much notice of the vehicles. Even when the leopard is hunting during the early and late evening hours, they tend to ignore the open sided 4x4 safari vehicles that often follow them.

Victoria Falls, one of the largest waterfalls in the world, lies in southern Africa and is between the borders of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Victoria is fed by the Zambezi River and is known as one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world. The Local people call it "Mosi-oa-Tunya" -- the smoke that thunders and the fall are remarkable.

When the river runs high, there is a towering column of heavy spray which is visible from up to 50 km (30 miles) away. Along with this spectacular sight, you will hear the sound of thunder as the water falls upon the rocks below. Upstream from the falls, lurk pods of the dangerous hippo’s and deadly crocodiles.

Victoria Falls is 1708 meters wide, making it the largest curtain of water in the world. It drops between 90m and 107m into the Zambezi Gorge. During the normal rainy season, an average of 550,000 cubic meters of water plummets over its edge every minute. During the months of February to May, it is noted to be the river's annual flood season peaking during the month of April.

During the flood season and due to the enormous amount of water flowing over its ledge, it is impossible to see the foot of the falls and most of its face. Taking walks along the cliff are in a constant shower and shrouded in mist. Close to the edge of the cliff, spray shoots upward like inverted rain, especially at Zambia's Knife-Edge Bridge.

As the dry season takes effect at Victoria, the islets on the crest become much wider and more numerous. During the months of September to January, up to half of the rocky face of the falls may become dry and the First Gorge can be seen along most of its length.

Immediately you will notice that the falls is preserved in its natural state. Victoria inspires visitors as much today as it did David Livingstone in the 1860's. Victoria Falls and the surrounding area have been declared National Parks and is a World Heritage Site.