South Africa safari guide

If it’s your first safari holiday, our South Africa safari guide has all the information you need for a fantastic escape, including where to go, when to go, what to pack and what to expect once you arrive.

Taking a safari holiday in South Africa is an unforgettable experience, watching the country’s astonishing wildlife in its natural habitat. But some advance planning can make all the difference between fulfilling a bucket-list dream and a trip that’s less magical than expected – with our tips for planning a safari in South Africa, you can ensure wonderful memories.

A safari is such an extraordinary experience, you’re always likely to wish you had a bit longer to spend watching the country’s fantastic wildlife in the wild. However, it’s best to allow at least three days for a safari in any one of the national parks, longer if possible for the bigger parks.

With game drives in the early morning and late afternoon, that allows you to visit multiple areas of the park depending on the sightings on the day, or the animals known to frequent the area, as well as chance for a second look if you don’t have any success first time. With so many different national parks and opportunities to take a safari in South Africa, it’s also easy to visit several locations during a single trip, so you could combine several safaris into one holiday.

There are three international airports in South Africa, in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, with direct flights from London to Johannesburg and Cape Town. Flights take around 11 hours. There are also multiple domestic flights within South Africa, including airlines which serve various safari camps, as well as to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport for Kruger National Park. British citizens can visit South Africa without a visa for up to 90 days. Your passport must have an expiry date at least 30 days after the date you leave South Africa and have at least two blank pages. Check Gov.Uk for the latest rules for travelling to South Africa.

Neutral colours and a hat to protect from the sun are the best clothes to wear on a South African safari

When you’re planning clothes for your safari in South Africa, it’s best to stick to neutral shades, including khaki, beige and greens where possible.

Blue is advised against as it can attract tsetse flies, as can black (which also gets very hot in the sun). White and cream shades are fine but be aware it can be dusty during dry season in particular.

While daytime temperatures are often high, it can be very chilly in the early mornings as you head out on game drives, especially if you’re visiting during South Africa’s drier winter months, so you’ll want something warmer, such as a fleece or hoody, but also cooler alternatives for daytimes including shorts. A lightweight rain jacket is also a good idea if you’re visiting during shoulder season or heading to any of the rainier areas of the country. Do bring high factor SPF, hat, insect repellent and a well-stocked first aid kit, plus swimwear for the hours between game drives.

Comfortable closed toe shoes are best for game drives, but you may also want sandals or flip-flops for in the camp. Binoculars are another essential, in order to get the best views of some of the wildlife, while a DSLR with a zoom lens is also a good plan for photos. Additional memory cards and batteries are also well worth packing to ensure you don’t miss a shot, along with portable battery chargers for your phone.

You’ll also need a travel adapter for any electrical devices; South Africa uses several types of plug but type M (three round pins) is common.

A guide to the area’s wildlife is also helpful, especially if you’re travelling independently, or if you’re looking to tick off some of the species to be found in South Africa. If you’re taking smaller internal planes, you may find that you have a smaller weight allowance than other domestic flights, and need soft-sided cases so always check this before you travel. For more tips on what to pack for a safari in South Africa, check out our ultimate packing guide.

• Practical clothes in neutral shades such as khaki and beige

• Warmer layers such as fleece or hoody

• Shorts

• Lightweight rain jacket (especially if travelling in shoulder seasons)

• High factor SPF

• Hat

• Insect repellent and first aid kit

• Swimwear

• Comfortable shoes with closed toe for safari drives

• Sandals or flip flops for the camp

• Binoculars

• DSLR camera with extra memory cards and batteries

• Travel adapter (type M is the most common in South Africa)

• Wildlife guide

• A suitable suitcase for any additional internal flights (check before you travel)

You’re advised to have vaccinations for diphtheria and Hepatitis A, along with those normally recommended for life in the UK. If you’re coming from a country listed as a yellow fever transmission risk, you must have a certificate to prove you’ve had a yellow fever vaccination to enter South Africa.

There is a high risk of malaria in some parts of South Africa, including low altitude areas of Kruger National Park, particularly from September to May. However it is possible to visit malaria-free parks if you’re looking to avoid taking antimalarials.

Most days on safari start bright and early, heading out on the first game drive before sunrise so you can see the animals emerging as dawn breaks.

Sunrise is normally between around 5am and 6am in South Africa, depending which area you visit and what time of year. You’ll then spent a couple of hours spotting the animals in the cooler part of the day before heading back to your accommodation for breakfast.

If you’re exploring as part of a guided safari holiday in South Africa, this can include a special bush breakfast where you’ll eat at a separate location.

After breakfast, your day is normally free until around 4pm. Some safari camps with include daytime activities, such as visiting local communities or other excursions, as well as chance to relax by the pool. You’re also likely to want a well-earned nap after lunch, to make up for the early start.

Early starts are normal on a safari, as animals are less active during the hotter part of the day

If you’re travelling independently, you have the flexibility to head out on more game drives, but as the animals tend to retreat during the hottest hours (which is also unpleasant to be driving around in), you’re likely to need a break anyway. A couple of hours before sunset, you’ll head out on the second game drive of the day to see the wildlife becoming more active once again, heading to water holes to drink, while you might also spot leopards emerging from their daytime naps to hunt or return to a previous kill.

As the sun begins to set, you’ll stop for sundowners – drinks prepared by your safari guide as you watch the molten African sun disappear beneath the horizon. As dark falls, you’ll head back to your camp for dinner and bed, ready for another early start the next day.

The different climates across South Africa mean you can enjoy an unforgettable safari almost year-round, as long as you pick your location carefully. If you’re heading to the east of the country, including Kruger National Park, the best time for a South Africa safari is from May to September during the dry season.

During these months, there’s much less rain and animals are easier to spot in the thinner undergrowth or as they search for water around waterholes and rivers. Mornings and evenings can be chilly, but you also escape the worst heat during the middle of the day at this time of year. If you’re hoping to see newborn animals, many give birth during late spring and early summer, particularly between October and December as the rainy season begins, although some (like giraffe) can give birth year-round.

If you’re visiting the eastern Cape and Cape Town, the seasons are opposite to Kruger, so the best time to visit is during the drier summer months from November to March. The weather is warmer if you’re combining your safari with beach time, and if you visit in November, you can also see some of the area’s whales (although the best of the whale-watching months are earlier in the year, between July and September).

South Africa doesn’t experience a Great Migration like Kenya and Tanzania do, but you can see a similar smaller migration of zebra and wildebeest in Kruger National Park, with the animals moving southward as the grass dies in the dry conditions in the northern park of the park, arriving near to Lower Sabie around July.

As the rains return in October, the animals migrate back north once again. You can also see the Southern Right Whale migration from June to November, as the whales move into warmer, sheltered waters to give birth to their calves. Hermanus is one of the best places along the Western Cape to see them, with peak sightings in around August and September.

You’ll encounter a mix of different climate zones across South Africa, including warm coastal subtropics, hot deserts, humid highlands, snow-topped mountains and Mediterranean weather in the southwest, so weather can vary hugely throughout the country. On the west coast, the cold Atlantic Ocean also affects weather conditions, as does the warmer Indian Ocean on the south and east.

South Africa is relatively dry, with around half the world’s average rainfall each year, around 464mm. In most of the country, the rains are heaviest in summer (the Northern hemisphere’s winter months), while the Western Cape gets most of its rainfall in winter and some areas, including the coast of KwaZulu-Natal and the Mpumalanga lowlands get warm rain year-round.

You can also expect cooler temperatures in the interior as the plateau is relatively high above sea level – Johannesburg sits at 1,694m for example – while strong winds blow around Cape Town throughout the year.

Zebra and giraffe in Kruger National Park

There’s a total of 19 South Africa national parks scattered across the country, including the largest and best-known, Kruger National Park. Covering an area five times the size of Kent and stretching for nearly 2 million hectares, it includes a string of private reserves such as Timbavati Private Game Reserve and Sabi Sand, and is one of the most popular game parks in the world.

It’s also one of the most flexible to explore, whether you choose to drive your own vehicle and stay in public rest camps, or check into more exclusive private lodges, such as Imbali Safari Lodge for guided safari tours.

Down on the Cape, there’s also a choice of places for a South Africa safari holiday. Addo Elephant Park is famous – unsurprisingly – for its elephants, but is also home to the rest of the Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino and buffalo) as well as the Southern right whale off the coast.

You can also find safari camps in the Eastern Cape such as Kariega Game Reserve, perfect for combining with a drive along the Garden Route, or in the far north of South Africa at the Limpopo nature reserves, such as Marakele National Park, including stays at Mabula Game Lodge and in Qwabi Game Reserve.

Elephants at Addo Elephant Park

To get a real taste of South Africa, you’ll need a holiday which takes you to multiple locations – the country is around twice the size of France, so expect to include some domestic flights within your trip too.

No holiday in South Africa is complete without a visit to Cape Town, known as the Mother City. As well as its own vibrant charms, there’s a chance to climb Table Mountain, or to use the city as a base to explore further around the Cape, from the Winelands to the Garden Route, the whales of Hermanus and the elephants of Addo Elephant Park.

With plenty of internal flights from Cape Town, it’s easy to combine this with a safari in South Africa, including at Kruger National Park, the country’s biggest national park, with various private reserves and camps where you can stay. If your focus is all on the animals, another alternative is to team Kruger with some of the other reserves and parks of the north, including the Limpopo and the Drakensberg mountains.

The country’s third city Durban is often overlooked, but there’s plenty to discover on the shores of the Indian Ocean, including Zulu culture, colonial architecture, fantastic seafood and rolling golden sands.

While many of South Africa’s best-known national parks are in the north of the country, there’s still a chance to enjoy a safari near Cape Town if you’re spending your holiday in the south.

The closest camps include Aquila Private Game Reserve, around two hours from Cape Town, and Sanbona Wildlife Reserve, around three hours away. Both of these are inland, so many visitors to South Africa choose to drive along the coast, spotting whales at Hermanus and Plettenberg Bay and traveling along the Garden Route (itself a national park) towards Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth).

Here you can explore some of the great safaris in the Eastern Cape, including locations such as Kariega Game Reserve, a malaria-free reserve that’s home to all of the Big Five, or Addo Elephant Park, also home to the Big Five as well as its 600-strong herd of elephants.

For many visitors, the Big Five animals top the wishlist of what to see on safari in South Africa – and there are plenty of places around the country where you might tick off these five majestic creatures; lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo. But that’s only the start of the wildlife you might spot on your South Africa safari.

Giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and a whole host of antelope are almost certain to feature, while you could also spy cheetahs, hyenas and hippos, along with smaller creatures from tortoises to warthogs. Bird spotters will be in heaven, with over 840 species to be found in the country, including vultures, eagles, storks and bustards. Combine your safari with some time at the Cape and you could even see penguins too, along with whales, Great White sharks and leatherback turtles at the coast.

With influences from Europe, Asia and the Indian subcontinent, alongside traditional African ingredients and dishes, food in South Africa is wonderfully varied. And you’ll find plenty of delicious dishes to try even in a remote safari camp, including European choices but also local specialities.

Look out for biltong for an authentic snack, meat that’s been salted, spiced and dried; beef is the most popular, but you could find alternatives including kudu and springbok, as well as ostrich.

You’ll also find a variety of unusual game meats on the menu during your safari, with anything from crocodile and warthog (similar to pork) to antelope and ostrich. Or try South Africa’s famous boerewors sausage, using pork, beef or mutton that’s then flavoured with a mix of herbs and spices; coiled into a spiral, it’s usually cooked on the barbecue.

If you’re planning a safari along the Cape, don’t miss the chance to try bobotie, using spiced minced meat that’s baked and topped with an egg, a recipe with Asian roots which grew up in the Cape Malay community. You’ll also find wonderful seafood and fish all along the Cape.

Start planning your own safari adventure to South Africa to discover the Big Five, see the sights of the Cape and try South Africa's rich and varied cuisine for yourself.