South Africa is home to more than 20 national parks, including two of the world’s most renowned wildlife reserves – The Kruger National Park and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Each wildlife reserve offers a unique experience but for most travelers, sighting the Big 5 is top of their travel bucket list.
Safaris can be expensive but the national parks in South Africa offer a range of affordable self-catering accommodation options and the flexibility to self-drive around the park or book as few or as many of the guided activities on offer at the camps. The entrance road and some of the tourist loops in the parks are tarred whilst others are of a good gravel standard. All roads are accessible to normal cars and 4×4 vehicles are only necessary if visitors want to do the 4×4 routes.
Here are the Most Affordable Big 5 Safari Destinations in South Africa:
The Kruger National Park spans across two million hectares of untouched wilderness and is home to a total of 147 mammal species and more than 500 species of birds. There are as many as 21 self-catering rest camps scattered around the Kruger, each providing a selection of affordable accommodation options – from chalets and guesthouses to campsites.
Visitors have the option of self-driving around the park or partaking in guided open-vehicle game drives and bush walks. Â
Pilanesberg is arguably the most accessible game park in South Africa, positioned only two and a half hour drive from the metropolitan city of Johannesburg. Covering an area of 55 000 hectares and boasting 220 kilometers of road, there is incredible opportunity to site the Big 5, as well as other fascinating wildlife such as wild dogs, African wild cats, caracals, servals, jackals, bat-eared foxes and brown hyena.
Pilanesberg National Park also opens to the public for self-drives during the day and has a collection of luxury lodges that offer incredible value for money.
Addo Elephant National Park is within easy reach of the coastal city of Port Elizabeth and nestles between the Sundays River Mouth and Bushmans River Mouth – spanning across 164 000 hectares. The park is famous for its huge herds of elephants but also provides sanctuary to the other members of the Big 5, along with 13 species of antelope and 22 species of carnivore; including cheetah, hyena and wild dogs.
Addo Elephant National Park is open to the public for self drives during the day and offers a range of accommodation options. The popular Addo Rest Camp offers self catering accommodation units to suit all tastes and has an active waterhole and underground hide for guests to enjoy. There are also a wide range of guided activities to choose from.
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve is said to be the oldest game park in South Africa and spans across 96 000 hectares. The park is divided into two regions – Hluhluwe and Imfolozi but animals move freely between the two areas. The park is well known for its rhino conservation efforts and offers sanctuary to the other members of the Big 5, as well as blue wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, water-buck, nyala, kudu, bushbuck, warthog, cheetah, hyena and 300 species of birds.
The park is open to the public for self-drives but does also offer guided game drives and bush walks. There are a number of accommodation options to choose from, ranging from affordable 3-star luxury lodges to ultra-luxurious 5-star lodges.
