The call of the wild

South Africa is a popular safari destination for tourists from the UAE

South Africa is a popular safari destination for tourists from the UAE, with daily flights from this region and a choice of game reserves and lodges to suit everyone.

Safaris range from a self-drive experience to a fully-hosted luxurious safari in one of the private game reserves, ending each day with scented candles and a bubble bath under a starlit sky, followed by a romantic traditional South African meal.

The country has five main safari areas to choose from, each offering its own unique habitat and wildlife experience.

The Kruger National Park and the surrounding private game reserves are well-established traditional favourites, with some of the finest big game territory in South Africa.

This area, spanning across the Mpumalanga region into the Northern Province, stretches for 350 km from south to north. Game viewing here is rich, with a greater number of species than any other game sanctuary in Africa.

Self-drive safari
The Kruger Park has one of the most developed infrastructures and is an easy self-drive safari destination. The adjoining private game reserves include safari drives with qualified rangers as part of the experience, to explore the wildlife both day and night.

Accommodation here ranges from clean and comfortable bungalows, to gorgeous lodges superbly decorated, sought-after by those looking for luxury whilst surrounded by the peace, silence and solitude of bush life.

The newer areas of Pilansberg and Madikwe Game Reserve have emerged over the last 10 years as the definitive safari destination for those preferring a safari close to Sun City, one of South Africa's iconic resorts.

The Big Five is found in this region, with Madikwe Game Reserve particularly notable for the thriving population of the endangered African wild dog found here.

This malaria-free area is also a favourite for family safaris, with selected lodges offering programmes for children aged 3-12 years which include special safari drives for Africa's ‘Little 5', with close attention to bug collecting and learning about the habitat from local eco-guides.

Babysitting, story telling and children's menus add to the experience, with happy memories to take home of a first safari.

Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve, the oldest game reserve in Africa, established in 1895 to protect the white rhino, lies in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.

The reserve is home to the Big Five, as well as cheetah, wild dog and hyena, and today, thanks to relentless conservation efforts, large herds of white rhino.

Further towards the coast, an integrated park of over 300,000 hectares stretching along 280 kilometres of the warm Indian Ocean cost offers a safari of a different nature.

The Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, proclaimed a World Heritage Site in 1999, is rich in marine, bird and plant life - a Pandora's Box of ecological treasures.

Interpretive cruises on the St Lucia Estuary open up a world of hippo, crocodile, habitat and bird life unique to this region, and further north, during season, an opportunity to follow giant leatherback and loggerhead turtles as they emerge from the warm waters of the Indian Ocean to nest.

This unique reserve has been recognised as one of the world's foremost examples in responsible, sustainable eco-tourism encompassing a multitude of eco-systems.

Private game reserves
Private game reserves further north in KwaZulu-Natal include Pongola and Mkuze Falls, where some of South Africa's best-kept safari secrets can be found.

One lodge offers superb horseback safaris with the owner on Arabian Stud, originally born and bred in Andalusia, Spain, and transported to this corner of Africa. Another lodge offers frogging safaris, and a third offers elephant tracking.

Accommodation throughout this safari region ranges from self-catering options on the outskirts of Hluhluwe, to quality lodges and luxurious safari villas in secluded wilderness areas.

These exclusive villas offer a superlative safari experience, with views stretching across miles of vegetation, and are ideal for family celebrations and special occasion safaris.

Much further south, in the Eastern Cape, an area steeped in settler history and once rich in wildlife, there has been a recent growth of game reserves in the region.

The reintroduction of wildlife began in 1990, and today, game reserves have established themselves as a natural starting point to the world-famous Garden Route that stretches towards Cape Town.

Safari experiences include the Big Five, as well as bird watching and additional activities such as canoeing, mountain biking and fishing.

Accommodation includes traditional warm and comfortable lodges, to innovative stylish funky design lodges surrounded by a raw aloe-studded valley and breathtaking views.

This region is also close to the well-known Addo Elephant National Park, which has proved a magnet for well-hosted B&B's and guesthouses to put their roots down and offer a combination of good food, tours of the area as well as a safari experience in the Eastern Cape.

Whichever safari appeals to you, the experience in South Africa promises to be rewarding. The people are warm and welcoming, highly knowledgeable in wildlife, and proud to be involved in conserving South Africa's natural heritage.

Accommodation standards are high, with many of South African's premier lodges receiving world accolades. This year 10 of South Africa's lodges have been nominated for the prestigious World Travel's Leading Safari Award.