ADVERTORIAL
“Untamed Wilderness” is the best way to describe South Africa’s rich nature and wildlife tourism offering.
South Africa immediately conjures images of lions, rhinos and elephants walking through incredible landscapes. With leopards and buffaloes, they make up the so-called “Big Five”, and with whales and sharks, they are often referred to as the “Big Seven”.
This is however only the tip of South Africa’s biodiversity, with more than 200 species of mammal, 2,000 species of fish, 850 recorded bird species and an exhaustive list of reptiles and insects. There is hardly another country on earth which can boast such diversity. And no words can replace the experience!
The places to discover animals are almost as diverse as the fauna itself. There are currently 21 national parks and hundreds of smaller, regional nature reserves. Together they cover an area of 4,000,000 hectares. Without forgetting the almost 3,000 km of coastline for marine animal encounters.
To get the full wildlife experience, it is best to spend 2 or 3 nights on site in a private game lodge, offering luxurious accommodation and an all-round safari care free package. Alternatively, visitors can save on inexpensive bungalows and tents in the state national parks. In addition to wildlife and nature conservation, the issue of sustainability is increasingly important and has been given special attention in the form of new eco-lodges all over the country.
For many of the lodges, these is also a social component that plays a major role by actively involving local communities. Guides from the local, indigenous population are able to share millennia-old knowledge and information about the region’s plants and animals, as well as mystical stories around the campfire.
A nature and cultural experience that remains etched in visitors’ memory and inspires and enriches their lives!
