Safari Holidays to South Africa and Namibia for independent travellers.

For those who want to enjoy a safari, but who don't want to take malaria tablets, the 3 major malaria-free safari areas in South Africa are the Eastern Cape, the North West Province (including the Pilanesberg National Park and the Madikwe Game Reserve), and the Waterberg.

Visitors should note that the Greater Kruger Park is a malaria area, and KwaZulu-Natal is also considered a low-risk malaria area.

Ask us to recommend a safari in a malaria-free area.

The Eastern Cape

Only a 90 minute drive from Port Elizabeth, the Big 5 game reserves of the Eastern Cape are ideal for people who wish to combine a beach holiday or the ever-popular Cape Town and  Garden Route with an African safari.

Eastern Cape Safari Lodges: Shamwari, Kwandwe, Gorah, Lalibela, Amakhala, Kariega

North West Province & The Waterberg

Conveniently situated for Johannesburg, the game reserves in these areas are an ideal place to start or end a trip to South Africa for visitors using Jo'burg Airport. Pilanesberg actually surrounds the resort of Sun City, making this a popular holiday combination.

North West Province Safari Lodges: Madikwe, Pilanesberg

Waterberg Safari Lodges

Staying in a Private Safari Lodge

Most lodges offer a fully inclusive rate, which includes outstanding accommodation, all meals, and morning and afternoon guided game drives in 4x4 open safari vehicles each day. Some may also include unlimited drinks or other activities such as guided walks.

You can read more about what you can expect from a stay in a private safari lodge here.

If you would like us to include a safari in one of these lodges as part of your personally planned trip to South Africa, please click here.

Alternatively if you are looking to book just a safari you can either ask us to recommend a safari, or browse our selection of lodges and book directly through this site by clicking here.

Self-Drive Options

There are a couple of lodges in Pilanesberg that offer just dinner, bed & breakfast (DBB) for those intending to self-drive in the Park, and they also offer 2 hour guided game drives (at an additional cost) into the Park. To read more about self-drive safaris, please click here.

The Addo Elephant National Park is ideal for those wanting to do a self-drive safari in the Eastern Cape.

Guided Day Trips

Several of the lodges in the Eastern Cape (Shamwari, Amakhala and Kariega) also offer day visitor programmes for people staying overnight in Port Elizabeth or at other accommodation in the area, who are on a tight time schedule or budget but who still want to experience a safari, albeit it only for a few hours.

For those staying in Sun City, a guided 3 hour morning or sunset game drive into Pilanesberg can be booked from the Welcome Centre.