Southern Africa
South Africa
The most accessible safari of all — malaria-free Big Five reserves, world-class wine country and the drama of Cape Town.
South Africa is the gateway drug. You can fly into Johannesburg, transfer to Sabi Sands, and be watching a leopard by sundown — much of it malaria-free, which makes it the easy call for families and first-timers. But the real magic is how much else fits around the bush: Cape Town, the Winelands, the Garden Route, whale coast. One country, a dozen holidays.
Field notes and lodge reviews for South Africa are below.
Main destinations
Kruger
The flagship national park — vast, varied and self-drive friendly.
Explore →Sabi Sands
Private reserves bordering Kruger; the world's best leopard viewing.
Explore →Madikwe
Malaria-free, family-friendly Big Five close to Johannesburg.
Explore →Kgalagadi
Red Kalahari dunes, black-maned lions and raptors.
Explore →Phinda & Zululand
Seven habitats, malaria-free, and the Indian Ocean nearby.
Explore →Cape Town & Winelands
Table Mountain, beaches and the great Cape wine estates.
Explore →Garden Route
A classic self-drive coast of forests, lagoons and whales.
Explore →
Field notes on South Africa
Field notes on South Africa are on the way — I'm writing them as I travel.