Tabla de contenidos para Go! Wild Places 2023 en go!

A good name for a movie about South Africa’s national parks and nature reserves would be There’s a Kudu on my Stoep. You’ll see a kudu almost anywhere, from Mapungubwe to Hluhluwe to the Karoo. I’ve even seen one in the Richtersveld, but that was a fluke! Kudus are majestic animals and it was an easy choice to select this bull, photographed by Chad Cocking, as our cover star. Of course, there’s also the subtext of a kudu bull being the symbol of SANParks, the custodians of some of our greatest wildlife refuges. The Kruger National Park is the most popular of these and we know how much you love it. The Kruger has its challenges. We know about the poaching issues, but a recent report by investigative journalist Julian…

BOTSALANO Once you’ve been bitten by the Botswana bush camping bug, you’re hooked for life. There’s just something different when you camp with no fence between you and the wildlife - a scenario that’s surprisingly rare in South Africa. Since I first experienced bush camping in Botswana in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in the early 1990s, I’ve always been looking to replicate the experience this side of the border. I first heard of Botsalano Game Reserve about 13 years ago. I often scour forums, blogs and social media to find rustic campsites. I read about Botsalano on the SA 4×4 Community Forum ( 4×4community.co.za) and not long afterwards my wife and I visited for a long weekend. The reserve is less than 300 km from our home in Randburg…

Out on the lagoon, flocks of pale pink flamingos seem embroidered on the turquoise water. Closer, a herd of eland browse quietly, lifting their heavy heads from time to time to watch me. The view from the top of Seeberg never disappoints, and on this near-windless winter afternoon, it’s pulling out all the stops. You can see most of the West Coast National Park from Seeberg: Postberg to the west, Geelbek visitor centre to the south; Schaapen Island is hidden towards the north, just offshore from the town of Langebaan. A pair of rock kestrels swoop down, just skimming the rocks while calling constantly. At the foot of the viewpoint is a jumble of rocks where dassies dart from one safe nook to the next. Agama lizards bask in the…

RESERVES EASTERN CAPE MOUNTAIN ZEBRA NATIONAL PARK This park was proclaimed to protect the endangered Cape mountain zebra. You can see hundreds of them these days, as well as lion, cheetah and buffalo. DO THIS: Hike with a guide up Salpeterkop (1 514 m) - it's about a 90-minute climb (R455 p.p). You can see a chessboard that British soldiers carved into rock during the Anglo-Boer War. You can also track a cheetah on foot: R505 p.p. (no kids under 12). Daily conservation fee: R63 per adult; R31 per child aged 2 — 11; free with a Wild card. ACCOMMODATION: Main camp: Camping with power from R380 p.n. for two people; plus R104 per extra adult; R52 per extra child aged 2 - 11 (maximum six people per stand). Self-catering…

RESERVES NORTH WEST PILANESBERG GAME RESERVE Trade the elephant statues of nearby Sun City for the real thing in this Big Five reserve. It’s in the crater of an extinct volcano and therefore surrounded by a ring of hills. There are animals galore and 300 recorded bird species. You can explore in your own car or on a guided game drive, as well as on foot (walking safari) or even in a hot air balloon! (See mankwegametrackers.co.za) DO THIS: Pilanesberg has six bird hides. Mankwe on the edge of Mankwe Dam is the most popular. It’s built in a C-shape, extends into the water and allows you to take photos facing east and west for good light at dawn and dusk. Birds like to perch in the dead trees in…

The Orange River bucks down the gorge in waves, tumbling 56 m into a pool far below. The brown water crashes and swirls against the granite and a cloud of spray hangs in the air. I’m drenched in seconds, but it’s fun: The river smells of mud and sun-baked rock and offers relief from the relentless Northern Cape heat. A rainbow curves over my head and brown-veined butterflies flit about. If you’re brave, you’ll stand on your tippytoes at the viewpoint and peer over the railing to the frothing pool below. The roar of the river drowns out everything; all you can think about is water and floods and washing away. This is what it’s like when the Orange River raises its voice at Augrabies, about 40 km north-west of…

SWIM HERE Each town has its own main beach, but there are also several lesserknown beaches. To the south-east of Pringle Bay is a small peninsula where the Hangklip Lighthouse is situated - follow Hangklip Road through town (it becomes High Level Road). On the western side of the peninsula is a quiet bay called Grootbaai. The bay to the east is Moonshine Bay - the turquoise water will remind you of Mauritius. (Just colder! - Ed.) To get to Moonshine Bay, carry on along High Level Road past the Hangklip Lighthouse to the gate of Sea Farm Private Nature Reserve. Before you reach the gate, turn right onto the dirt road and follow it along the reserve border until it reaches a dead end. Betty's Bay has numerous wetlands:…

1 Walk with the animals Yes, on foot - like the rhinos, zebras and secretarybirds! The best way to get to know the Kruger is to walk in the veld. You'll feel the grass against your legs and you'll rest in the shade of a tree in the middle of the day. Look around: Animals do the same thing during their lunch hour. You'll learn the lay of the land and the curve of the rivers, and sometimes you'll drink water from holes in the sand dug by elephants. You'll walk with two guides, carry everything you need on your back, and sleep under the stars. The Kruger Trail is one of the wildest hiking adventures on earth. The trail runs from Pafuri in the north to Malelane in the…

RESERVES NORTHERN CAPE KGALAGADI TRANSFRONTIER PARK The Kalahari is pure magic: red dunes, camel thorn trees, the roar of a blackmaned lion in the dark… This arid park straddles the border between South Africa and Botswana and feels wild and pristine. DO THIS: You can explore the park in your own vehicle, but book at least one guided game drive during your visit. The main camps sometimes offer game drives in the morning or late afternoon - a drive takes about 2½ hours. Enquire at reception. R373,70 p.p; minimum two people per drive. Daily conservation fee: R110 per adult; R55 per child aged 2 - 11; free with a Wild card. ACCOMMODATION: The three main rest camps – Twee Rivieren, Mata-Mata and Nossob – have swimming pools, filling stations and…

RESERVES FREE STATE GOLDEN GATE HIGHLANDS NATIONAL PARK This park in the Maluti Mountains is known for its goldenhued autumn landscape, its poplar trees, sandstone cliffs and bearded vultures. In summer it's lush and green, in winter the mountains are dusted with snow. DO THIS: Drive the two game-viewing routes - Oribi Loop (4,2 km) and Blesbok Loop (6,7 km). Or walk in the veld - from Glen Reenen rest camp, the Echo-Ravine Trail climbs the mountain and later goes through a narrow sandstone ravine with a small waterfall.The hike takes about an hour. Daily conservation fee: R63 per adult; R31 per child aged 2 - 11; free with a Wild card. ACCOMMODATION: Glen Reenen rest camp: Camping from R300 p.n. (no power) or R330 p.n. (with power) for two…

RESERVES GAUTENG DINOKENG GAME RESERVE There aren’t many places where you can leave the noise and traffic of a big city and hear a lion roar in the wild only 40 minutes later. Dinokeng is the only place in Gauteng where you’ll find the Big Five roaming free, and thus it’s hugely popular, especially over weekends. Depending on which lodge or camp you choose, you can look forward to guided game drives, bush walks and fine dining. DO THIS: There’s a 140 km road network in the reserve and day visitors can explore in their own vehicles. A self-drive route permit costs R250 per vehicle for one day; R320 for two days and R380 for three days (includes vehicle entrance fee). Buy a map guide (R45) for stops, restaurants, picnic…

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to visit Addo Elephant National Park. I grew up in Cape Town and read about the elephants of Addo as a teenager. I was fascinated: The park’s founding story is epic, rooted in a desperate effort in 1931 to protect the last 11 remaining elephants in the area. (That’s just one cricket team…) These elephants, along with the last surviving herd of buffalo in the Cape, hid out in the thicket veld and they were so aggressive that game drives were not permitted in the park until 1980. Today, the park has a population of 650 elephants, most of which roam the 240 km2 Main Camp and Colchester sections, making Addo one of the densest elephant populations in the world.…

I come off the Highveld escarpment and tumble into the summery, thundercloud-rich province of KZN, on a day when the mielie fields stand tall and wavy. It is as close to paradise as you get. This road trip is a refresher - I want to reacquaint myself with some of the province’s smaller nature reserves and visit a few I haven’t been to before. It’s been more than 15 years since my last visit to Spioenkop Dam. I stop at the office to pay my R50 conservation fee. Hanging on the wall is a relic from decades ago: a retro, hand-painted poster titled “Natal Grassland Birds”, showing species like blue crane, crowned crane and secretarybird. Someone has taken their ClemenGold sticker off a naartjie and stuck it to the well-worn…

Michael Raddall IG: @michael_rads_ This was my first ever visit to the Kgalagadi. I booked three nights at Mata-Mata and two at Twee Rivieren. One morning, I drove north from Twee Rivieren along the Nossob River. Somewhere south of Rooiputs, I noticed the head of an animal popping up from the long grass. On closer inspection, I saw it was a mother cheetah and two cubs. She was on the lookout for prey below her in the riverbed. It seemed as if she Was struggling to keep the inexperienced cubs from giving away her position.Turn the page to see what happened next! GEAR: Olympus OM-D E-M1X; Olympus 300 mm lens SETTINGS: Shutter speed 1/1 000; aperture f4; ISO 200 Michael Raddall IG: @michael_rads_ After a while, the cheetah mother (see…

RESERVES KWAZULU-NATAL EZEMVELO KZN WILDLIFE BOOKINGS All rates listed here are valid until 31 October 2023. Reservations for iSimangaliso Wetland Park, HluhluweiMfolozi, Ithala and Ndumo game reserves can be made with the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife central reservations office 033 845 1000) or online at bookings.kznwildlife.com ISIMANGALISO WETLAND PARK When you pitch your tent at Cape Vidal, Sodwana Or Kosi Bay, it's easy to imagine you're somewhere further north in Mozambique. The Indian Ocean is warm and clear, and you share the empty beaches with nesting sea turtles, crabs, birds and the odd fisherman. The inland part of the reserve is as wild as the Kruger - maybe you'll be lucky and a leopard will appear like a ghost then vanish into the bush again. DO THIS: Female leatherback and loggerhead…

RESERVES LIMPOPO MARAKELE NATIONAL PARK Some of the Waterberg’s highest mountains are found in this park. Make sure to drive to Lenong Viewpoint on top of the mountain, for the tremendous view, and also to get a glimpse of the circling Cape vultures that nest nearby. DO THIS: There is a two-hour morning or sunset drive every day. R320 per adult; R160 per child aged 2 – 11. Daily conservation fee: R63 per adult; R31 per child aged 2 – 11; free with a Wild card. ACCOMMODATION: Bontle rest camp: Camping (with power) from R340 p.n. for two people; R104 per extra adult; R52 per child aged 2 – 11 (six people per stand). Safari tents from R1 530 p.n. for two people; R300 per extra adult; R150 per child…