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Here, travellers can track the legendary Big Five species, as well as other second-tier predators, such as Cheetah, African Wild Dog, Brown Hyena and other rare mammals, such as Aardvark, Black-footed Cat, and Pangolin in well-managed reserves where conservation success translates into remarkably consistent sightings, yet the experience never feels manufactured — vast landscapes, from savannas to mountains and coastal ecosystems, preserve a powerful sense of wilderness.
What truly elevates South Africa is the seamless fusion of high-impact safari encounters with world-class guiding, refined lodges, and excellent infrastructure, allowing visitors to experience raw, untamed nature without sacrificing comfort. It is this combination — dramatic predator-prey interactions, exceptional biodiversity, conservation leadership, and effortless accessibility — that transforms a safari here from a simple holiday into a deeply memorable, often life-defining encounter with the natural world. We explore these regions on land, by river boat and on the ocean, which ensure great opportunities for successful encounters with a plethora of wildlife species on offer throughout the region.
Our Eastern South Africa wildlife tours immerse you in the region’s premier game-viewing destinations, where big game thrives, predators are large, and herds are abundant.
Yet, many other interesting species also exist more secretive and elusive lives.
Areas we explore include the world-renowned Kruger National Park, the predator havens of Greater Kruger region, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, the northern Zululand’s game reserves, Madikwe, Pilanesberg and the Waterberg.
We also explore diverse habitats from mountain ranges to grasslands and lake systems.
These wildlife highlights include far more than just the Big 5, as there is a plethora of species big and small to be found. On tour we typically book comfortable national park accommodation and semi-luxury private lodges, but luxury lodges are plentiful and also available in select world-class reserves.
Mammal species we can expect include:
Caracal, Serval, African Wild Dog, African Striped Weasel, Aardvark, Aardwolf, Leopard, Lion, African Elephant, Black Rhino, White Rhino, Cape Buffalo, Common Hippopotamus, Brown Hyena, Cheetah, Honey Badger, Giraffe (Southern), Plains Zebra, Temminck’s Ground Pangolin, African Wild Cat, Side-striped Jackal, Black-backed Jackal, Suricate (Meerkat), Southern African Hedgehog, Striped Polecat (Zorilla), Cape Clawless Otter, Spotted-necked Otter, Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest, Red Hartebeest, Tsessebe, Common Eland, Blue Wildebeest, Black Wildebeest, Sable Antelope, Roan Antelope, Greater Kudu, Common Waterbuck, Nyala, Southern Bushbuck, Impala, Klipspringer, Southern Reedbuck, Mountain Reedbuck, Grey Rhebok, Sharpe’s Grysbok, Suni, Steenbok, Blue Duiker, Red Duiker, Common Duiker, Natal Red Rock Rabbit, Hewitt’s Red Rock Rabbit, Scrub Hare, Southern African Springhare, Cape Porcupine, Common Bushpig, Common Warthog, Water Mongoose, Large Grey Mongoose, Selous’ Mongoose, Meller’s Mongoose, Banded Mongoose, Common Dwarf Mongoose, White-tailed Mongoose, Slender Mongoose, Yellow Mongoose, Eastern Rock Sengi (Elephant Shrew), Four-toed Sengi, Bushveld Sengi, Small-spotted Genet, Rusty-spotted Genet, Chacma Baboon, Samango (Syke’s) Monkey, Vervet Monkey, Thick-tailed Bushbaby, Lesser Bushbaby, Rock Hyrax, Southern African Ground Squirrel, Humpback Whale, Orca (Killer Whale), Long-beaked Common Dolphin, Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, numerous mice, dormice, bat, shrew, mole, mole-rat, and rat species.
While we also take great interest in the diverse reptile, amphibian, and lepidoptera mix on offer.
The western sector of South Africa offers an extraordinary array of mammal and other wildlife species across dramatically diverse habitats that span the karoo, namaqualand, fynbos and coastal forest biomes.
The region’s wildlife highlights include far more than just the Big 5, offering a plethora of species big and small.
We also explore diverse habitats from mountain ranges to fynbos hillslopes, estuaries to lake systems, rhenosterveld to strandveld. Protected areas we regularly explore include: West Coast National Park, Tsitsikamma National Park, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Agulhas National Park, Table Mountain National Park, and a plethora of smaller nature reserves and private farms.
On tour we typically book comfortable national park accommodation and semi-luxury private lodges, but more luxury private lodges are plentiful and also available in select world-class reserves.
Mammal species include:
Caracal, Bontebok, African Striped Weasel, Aardvark, Aardwolf, Leopard (Cape subspecies), Cape Grysbok, Black Rhino, Cape Mountain Zebra, Plains Zebra, Brown Hyena, Cheetah, Honey Badger, Temminck’s Ground Pangolin, African Wild Cat, Cape Fox, Bat-eared Fox, Black-backed Jackal, Suricate (Meerkat), Southern African Hedgehog, Striped Polecat (Zorilla), Cape Clawless Otter, Common Hippopotamus, Giraffe (Southern), Common Eland, Gemsbok (Southern Oryx), Klipspringer, Black Wildebeest, Red Hartebeest, Tsessebe, Sable Antelope, Roan Antelope, Springbok, Mountain Reedbuck, Grey Rhebok, Steenbok, Common Duiker, Riverine Rabbit, Smith’s Red Rock Rabbit, Cape Hare, Scrub Hare, Southern African Springhare, Cape Porcupine, Common Warthog, Water Mongoose, Large Grey Mongoose, Cape Grey Mongoose, Yellow Mongoose, Cape Rock Sengi (Elephant Shrew), Karoo Rock Sengi, Western Rock Sengi, Karoo Round-eared Sengi, Cape Genet, Chacma Baboon, Rock Hyrax, Cape Dune Mole, Cape Golden Mole, Southern African Ground Squirrel, Cape Fur Seal, Southern Right Whale, Humpback Whale, Bryde’s Whale, Minke Whale, Orca (Killer Whale) Heaviside Dolphin, Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin, Dusky Dolphin, Long-beaked Common Dolphin, Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, numerous mice, dormice, bat, shrew, mole, mole-rat, and rat species.
The reptile, amphibian, and lepidoptera of this region are also fascinating.
Our Kalahari and Great Karoo region wildlife tours lead you to the more open landscapes where the wildlife mix changes to more semi-desert adapted species, where the nocturnal operators become our primary interest.
We visit remarkable private and public reserves that provide the best opportunity to see rare and elusive species that many struggle to see on their regular wildlife adventures.
Protected areas we often visit include: Kgalagadi National Park, karoo National Park, Mokala National Park, Tankwa Karoo National Park, KhoiSan Karoo Conservancy, Marrick Safari, although many other productive options exist.
We typically book comfortable semi-luxury lodges and national park accommodation, but luxury private lodges in select world-class reserves are also available.
Some target species include Aardvark, Caracal, Black-footed Cat, Aardwolf, Striped Polecat, African Wild Cat, Meerkat (Suricate), Cape Fox, Bat-eared Fox, South African Hedgehog, Cape Porcupine, Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Brown Hyena, White Rhino, Roan, Sable, Gemsbok (Southern African Oryx), Smith’s Red Rock Hare, and Eastern Rock Sengi (Elephant Shrew). At the same time, sightings of other mammals, such as Cape Mountain Zebra, Common Eland, Common Tsessebe, Red Hartebeest, Springbok, Greater Kudu, Grey Rhebok, Mountain Reedbuck, Klipspringer, Yellow Mongoose, Cape Hare, Springhare, Steenbok are likely.