Home to 20 national parks and many more private game reserves, South Africa is the ideal safari destination if you’re after a sighting of the notorious ‘Big Five’. With both a ranger and tracker on hand to lead the way, be sure to tick them off as you catch a glimpse: lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffaloes (as well as many, many more). And if it’s more than just wildlife you’re after, you can extend any of our South Africa safari holidays to include some of the ‘Rainbow Nation’s’ cultural highlights. This makes them perfect for all ages and stages of life, as the exhilarating and varied country lends itself to honeymoons and couples holidays, as well as family and multi-generational escapes.

South Africa safari holiday ideas

A few suggestions to get the holiday planning process started

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South Africa Safari Holidays Guide

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South Africa Testimonials

4 reviews
4.5 / 5
"Our honeymoon was absolutely incredible. The booking process was excellent, our consultant showed a great deal of expertise, listened to what we wanted and reassured us. The wraparound services you provide are superb, the whole honeymoon was easy and relaxed. The Original Travel app is extremely clear, as was the itinerary, and it was really useful and exciting to be able to refer back to this. The Concierges were AMAZING. They were so kind, kept in regular communication and were really helpful with recommendations."
Louise - London
Published on 5th September 2024
"To say we had the holiday of a lifetime would be an understatement. The attention to detail was unbelievable and it's those things that helped contribute to the great time we had. Given my brief was pretty vague(!), you did an incredible job at creating the most magical of holidays. I could wax lyrical about all the amazing things we saw and did but I won't bore you. But suffice to say, it really surpassed all of our expectations and then some! My husband loved it and both boys have got some memories that will last them a lifetime. The team (and I mean a team!) listened to my rather vague ideas and came up with a wonderful plan for my holiday, which had a significant meaning and they were really respectful of that. Their attention to detail was fantastic, their communication was great and the holiday itself was wonderful in every way. They even handled my last-minute panic (my son was ill 48 hours before we were due to travel!) with calmness, reassuring me and putting an alternative plan into place, should we have needed it (thankfully we didn't!). I would not hesitate to recommend them or indeed use them again. The only downside - they have rather spoilt me for holidays as I only want to do big, 'holidays of a lifetime' with them....! Incredible on every level. The locations, the staff, the resorts, the little touches, the smooth transitions, the planning, the detail - just fantastic. "
Peter - London
Published on 24th April 2018
"Loved the lodge, such a beautiful spot, great wildlife. The park wasn't that big so was good for the kids as we weren't driving for hours to see game, but we always saw something. The lodge staff made it really special and organised a special dinner out in the bush for my husband's 40th birthday. The kids LOVED it... they woke up this morning (back at home) and asked, 'can we go on game drive this morning?'."
Kevin - Nottingham
Published on 21st March 2019

Kruger National Park is perhaps the best-known of South Africa’s game reserves, and for good reason, as the wildlife viewing here is matched by few other parks. Kruger is also home to the third-largest canyon in the world, Blyde River Canyon, which boasts stunning panoramic views across verdant valleys. Sharing a border with Kruger, and no less magnificent, is Sabi Sands Game Reserve. Here, you can stay at Singita Boulders lodge which offers the perfect blend of modern luxuries and authentic touches. With your own private deck, plunge pool and a world-class wine cellar at your disposal, you might be tempted to spend the holiday enjoying these luxuries but you definitely won’t want to miss the twice-daily game drives. Sabi Sandsboasts superb wildlife sightings, with hyenas, elephants, rhinos and cheetahs roaming the reserve, and our expert rangers will locate the best lookouts.


KwaZulu-Natal is another luxury safari location which mustn’t be overlooked. As one of the country’s largest provinces, the region is home to the Drakensberg Mountain range and picturesque Maputaland coastline, making it ideal for both trekking and diving. There’s also a whole host of cultural heritage to discover on our South Africa safari holidays, including the Anglo-Boer battlefields of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift. If it’s a more varied safari experience you’re after, then Phinda Game Reserve plays host to some truly magnificent marine wildlife, including turtles and dolphins, as well as close to 400 species of bird and the classic ‘Big Five’.


For a family adventure, we have South Africa safari holidays which include activities to keep every generation entertained. Enjoy the spa at your luxury lodge, safe in the knowledge that your mini wildlife-wanderers will be living out their Lion King dreams on reserve-wide scavenger hunts.

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