Top Choices by Wild Safari Guide
Situated in the shadow of Table Mountain, Cape Town is regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world and boasts a wide range of game reserves near the city centre. The Mother City has all the amenities that lure visitors from across the globe—a rich cultural history, a vibrant nightlife and top-notch attractions. It is indeed a case of location, location, location. Because within a couple of hours from the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle, there are a handful of wildlife destinations to fulfil the need to get close to the natural world.
Wild Safari Guide has picked five game reserves near Cape Town where visitors can observe a whole host of animals amid the rich flora of the Western Cape.
Image by Aquila Private Game Reserve
Aquila Private Game Reserve
Three Hours From Cape Town
Aquila Private Game Reserve is situated in the valley between the Langeberg and the Outeniqua Mountains and is of substantial size at 10,000 hectares. The members of the Big Five (the elephant, buffalo, rhino, lion, and leopard) roam within its boundaries while a great number of other species can also be spotted. Overnight accommodation facilities are available while safari options include guided game drives, as well as quad bike and horseback safaris. Visitors can either drive themselves to the reserve or arrange to be picked up at their hotel or guesthouse in Cape Town.
Image by Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve
Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve
Two and a Half Hours From Cape Town
Inverdoorn is another game reserve near Cape Town that is home to the Big Five. At 10,000 hectares, the reserve is also a wildlife haven for gemsbok, springbok, zebra, eland and hippos. An experience not to be missed is the walk with giraffes where visitors can observe these statuesque animals at close quarters. The cheetah conservation project was founded in 2001 and has contributed greatly to the biodiversity of the area. The overnight facilities are perfectly suited for families and larger groups.
Image by Fairy Glen Private Game Reserve
Fairy Glen Private Game Reserve
One and a Half Hours From Cape Town
Fairy Glen offers a safari experience of a different kind with the Brandwacht Mountains towering above the landscape below. Sightings of elephants, rhinos, buffalo and lions are a daily occurrence while a lucky few could catch a glimpse of the leopard as this elusive cat roam free in the local valleys. At least 250 bird species flutter about in the unique fynbos vegetation. Visitors can partake in guided game drives, nature walks and horseback safaris. If choosing to stay overnight in the luxury chalets, guests will be woken up by the sound of roaring lions.
Image by Buffelsfontein Game and Nature Reserve
Buffelsfontein Game and Nature Reserve
One Hour From Cape Town
Buffelsfontein most certainly counts as another gem of a game reserve near Cape Town. Situated on the spectacular West Coast, the reserve offers unforgettable game drives to be enjoyed by kids and adults. The feeding of carnivores forms part of the guided game drives. Lions, cheetahs, buffalos, giraffes, zebras, blue wildebeest, red hartebeest and several other species roam within the 1,600-hectare property. Whether on a budget in need of more luxurious facilities, the accommodation at the reserve will suit all tastes.
Image by Sabona Wildlife Reserve
Sanbona Wildlife Reserve
Three Hours From Cape Town
Sanbona is a malaria-free reserve of 58,000 hectares in the vicinity of the Warmwaterberg Mountain in the Little Karoo. Safari-goers will be able to spot all members of the Big Five as well as a great number of other fauna and flora species across the wide-open plains. Culture vultures can get a glimpse of years gone by with unique examples of San rock art believed to be more than three-thousand years old. Overnight facilities are available and cater for anything from an intimate experience to a family breakaway.
About Wild Safari Guide
Wild Safari Guide is an online platform dedicated to bringing you the largest collection of national and safari parks across Africa. Uniquely curated by travellers for travellers, we strive to connect the intrepid at heart to extraordinary safari experiences.
About South Africa
Weather in Cape Town
National Parks in South Africa
Addo Elephant National Park near the city of Port Elizabeth is the third-largest national park in South Africa, and home of the Big Seven added the Great White Shark and Southern Right Whale.
Home to the southern-most tip of Africa, the meeting spot for the Indian and Atlantic Oceans and the iconic Agulhas Lighthouse, Agulhas National Park is situated near Struisbaai.
The Agulhas National Park is an open access park with no pay points. The Lighthouse museum remains closed during this period.
Near the small town of Kakamas, approximately 120km from Upington in the Northern Cape of South Africa lays the Augrabies Falls National Park.
Bontebok National Park was first proclaimed in 1931 near Bredasdorp, but the park was moved to its current location to suit the habitat requirements of the bontebok.
Along the south coast of South Africa lies one of the most beautiful stretches of land, the Garden Route National Park.
Situated near Clarence in the north eastern part of the Free State Province of South Africa, the Golden Gate Highlands National Park is known for its spectacular scenery at the foothills of the Maluti Mountains.
Right on Beaufort West’s doorstep lays the Karoo National Park, definitely a gem worth spending a couple of nights at, surrounded by the beautiful Nuweveld Mountains.
Once the red sand of the Kalahari sticks to your soles, it will be hard to brush off. The ideal place to experience this is the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
The largest national park in South Africa needs no introduction. Stretching from Malelane in the south to Pafuri in the far north at the border with Zimbabwe, the Kruger National Park covers nearly two million hectares.
Marakele National Park lies in the heart of the Waterberg Mountains near Thabazimbi in South Africa’s Limpopo Province.
You will be met by large open sandy plains and rocky hilltops as soon as you enter through the gates of Mokala National Park, approximately 80km from Kimberley in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa.
Just a stone’s throw from Cradock in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa lays the Mountain Zebra National Park, a park synonymous with crystal clear skies and breathtaking scenery.
Find out more about the park here.
Scenes of mountains dipping into the sparkling oceans meet you at the Table Mountain National Park, situated in the Western Cape Province of South Africa,
Keen to get away from the city and spend some quality time doing absolutely nothing? Just four hours from Cape Town in South Africa near the town of Calvinia you will find the Tankwa Karoo National Park.
The crystal blue azure waters of the Langebaan Lagoon are the central focus point of the West Coast National Park.
