South Africa takes conservation of its incredibly rich and variegated natural heritage very seriously in the form of 21 national parks, representing a wide variety of the flora, fauna, and climates of South Africa, many of them within the same park.
Of the country's 9 provinces, only Kwa-Zulu Natal is without a national park. The majestic landscapes of South Africa are preserved in their pristine form here, complete with their unspoiled ecosystems. Most of them provide the opportunity to see big game, such as elephants, lions, buffalo, springbok, zebras, tigers, and the like, but each park has its own special focus, whether animal, aquatic, reptilian, or vegetative. Whether dense forest, grasslands, sea coast, savanna, semi-desert, or floral, South African national parks have what you want.
Some parks are very developed, offering a huge range of accommodation and recreational facilities. At the other extreme are those parks that provide little more than roads for 4x4 vehicles and almost unimproved spots to pitch a tent on. So whether you want the comfort and security of full facilities, guided tours, and cell phone access, or the challenge of what is close to wilderness survival, or any degree of independence that falls in between, there is at least one South African national park - probably several - that cater to your tastes.
The bird life protected on South African national parks makes a visit to them a must for the keen birder. Many parks preserve archeological treasures from the ancient peoples that once inhabited the land, including wall paintings and the like viewable by the tourist. Stargazers are in their element in most of these parks, as most of them are far removed from towns and cities, revealing the full starry wonder of the night sky.
Nearly all of the parks charge the visitor a daily conservation fee, usually more expensive for the tourist than for locals.
Be warned that, if driving, credit cards are not accepted for fuel. Please make sure you have cash with you for this purpose.
Do not remove ANYTHING from a national park, and take EVERYTHING with you that you brought, including litter.
Do not defecate on the ground in a national park, and if you really really have to, do it at least 50m away from paths and streams, and bury it.
To reserve accommodation at a national park, call Central Reservations in Pretoria between the hours of 7.30am and 5pm on weekdays, or 8am and 1pm on Saturdays, Tel. +27 (0)12 428 9111, or mobile +27 (0)82 233 9111.
Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site is in the north-east of the country, covering over 28,000 hectares, on the border with Zimbabwe and Botswana, where the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers meet. It is part of the Limpopo-Shashe Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA). It is renowned for its outstanding scenic beauty, which includes mopane and riverine forests, sandstone formations, and a huge array of animal life, such as giraffe, white rhinoceros, elephants, and a variety of antelopes. It offers excellent bird watching, with over 400 species resident there, including Pel's fishing owl, the kori bustard, and tropical boubou. Beasts of prey can also be sometimes sighted. It is remarkable, too, for its baobab trees, and is home to the world's largest baobab tree, with a circumference of 31 meters, and aged over 3,000 years. As well as its natural attractions, it offers sightseeing of great cultural and historical interest in the form of the "Lost City" of Mapungubwe Hill, site of a civilization that was using iron in the 10th century and prospered by trade with places as far away as India, China, and Egypt in the 13th century, accessible via the Route of the Lost Kingdoms. Only about a third of the roads in the park are usable by normal vehicles. The rest require a 4x4.
The Tshugulu Eco Route is a highly recommended 45km 4x4 trail offering the chance to view wild animals.
Accommodation available in the Park includes the park's main Leokwe Camp in the east of the Park amidst the sandstone formations, and near the Treetop Hide and the Confluence View Site & Picnic Area, and with swimming pool; Limpopo Forest Tented Camp This camp in the west of the park in the Limpopo riverine forest near the Maloutswa Pan hide, offering great birding opportunities; Tshugulu Lodge, a luxury lodge, with swimming pool, for 14 people (14 beds in 7 bedrooms) that must be fully booked by a single group. No unguided walking permitted because of the danger of wild animals, but has offers exclusive use of a 4x4-only 40 km eco-trail; the Vhembe Wilderness Camp in the east of the park, very close to the Limpopo River and Mapungubwe Hill; and the Mazhou Camping Site in the west of the park near the Limpopo Forest Tented Camp with a capacity of 10 caravans or tents, electricity available (Tel: +27 (0) 15 534 2014).
Marakele National Park (formerly Kransberg National Park) is in the Waterberg mountains of Limpopo Province, 250 km north of Johannesburg. It forms part of the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, and became a park in 1994. Its ecosystem is unique in being located on the climatic border between the drier western and moister eastern parts of South Africa. The landscape is one of contrasts, with high mountains and deep valleys. Nearly all the game species are represented here, and a huge variety of birds, including the rare Cape vulture, which is best viewed from the top of the Waterberg massif, accessible by vehicle. Besides the Cape vulture, the park offers, in particular, sightings of the African elephant, large numbers of which were introduced here in 1999, various kinds of rhinoceros, kudu antelope, and other rarer antelope varieties such as reedbuck, mountain reedbuck, eland and tsessebe. Watch out for thieving chacma baboons and vervet monkeys around campsites. The Park's Kwaggasvlakte plains can be traversed by ordinary vehicle, but most other roads require a 4x4.
Marakele 4x4 Eco Trail. (3 days, 2 nights). Covers the wilderness area of Marakele National Park. The trail goes along the eastern boundary of the Park, over the Waterberg Mountains, and is led by professional guides who lead and commentate on what you are seeing.
Marakele National Park, 7:30am to 5pm, 1 May to 31 August; 7:30am to 6pm, 1 September to 30 April. Tel: +27 (0)14 777 6929/6928 & 6931 Fax: +27 (0)14 777 1866
Mokala National Park replaced Vaalbos National Park in 2007, making it the newest of South Africa's national parks. It is almost 20,000 hectares, located centrally in South Africa, 80 km SSW of Kimberley, accessible from Cape Town by car on the N12. The park is named after a tree, the Setswana word "mokala" meaning "camel thorn" in English, or "Kameeldoring" in Afrikaans. The camel thorn is a prominent tree species of the southern African deserts, and was crucial to the well-being of the original inhabitants of the region, making excellent firewood, and its gum and bark having a wide range of medicinal properties, and its pods making good cattle fodder. Mokala National Park features dolerite (AKA diabase) hills and desert plains to the north and west. It is this variety of landscape that forms one of its main attractions.
Being a new park, Mokala has about 70 km of well developed roads. Among the activities that can be enjoyed here (or will be able to be soon) are day walks, bush braais, guided horse trails, sunset and night drives, stargazing, mountain biking, and excursions to view rock paintings. Birding opportunities abound. One of the most distinctive birds to be found here is the freckled nightjar which is very active and vocal during the nighttime hours. Game to be found here include eland, rhinoceros (black & white), wildebeest (black & blue), giraffe, roan antelope, springbok, steenbok, gemsbok, tsessebe, zebra, buffalo, kudu, and more. The vegetation here is classified as Savanna Biome (specifically Vaalbos Rocky Shrubland) and Kimberley Thornveld and Nama-Karoo Biome, the interaction of the two being one of the Park's unique characteristics.
Mokala National Park has three luxury lodges: Mosu, Mofele and Lilydale. Lilydale offers opportunities for fly fishing (catch & release only) and canoeing. There are also basic camping sites in the Park.
Temperatures range from just below zero degrees in June/July to over 40 in December/January.
Mokala National Park Tel: 053-204 0158/204 0164/204 0168 Fax: 053-2040176
Mountain Zebra National Park is a 28,000 hectare reserve in the Eastern Cape for the cape mountain zebra. It was established in 1937 to save the species from extinction, and the current population of these zebras is over 400. The Park is characterized by vast plains broken by large valleys. The zebras share this national park with other species, most notably blue crane, cape buffalo, Stanley's bustard, cheetah, and black rhinoceros. The area has also been home to humans for thousands of years, and there is prolific evidence of past cultures and civilizations here preserved in Cultural Heritage Sites. The climate is temperate without extremes of heat or cold.
Eagles, buzzards, ostriches, and the pale-winged starling are just some of the birds to be spotted here. Among the scores of animal species to be seen are, of course, the mountain zebra, as well as red hartebeest, eland and springbok. The environment consists of three biomes: Nama-Karoo, Grassland and Thicket.
Accommodation: the Doornhoek Guest House, a restored Victorian homestead and national monument, overlooking a lake, for 6 persons, 3 bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, and fully equipped kitchen; also, 2-bedroom, 4-bed family cottages; and, caravan/camp sites with communal ablutions and electricity supply.
Activities include game viewing from your own vehicle, guided game drives, the Impofu 3-day hiking trail, trips to view the San cave paintings, shorter walking/hiking trails, and two 10-15km 4x4 trails: the Sonnenrust and Juriesdam trails. Other facilities include a restaurant, swimming pools, and barbecue and bathing facilities for day trippers.
Mountain Zebra National Park is about 9 hours drive from both Johannesburg and Cape Town. The nearest town is Cradock, meaning you can stay in Cradock and visit Mountain Zebra National Park in a day.
Hours 7am-7pm (1 October - 31 March), 7am-6pm (1 April - 30 September)
Mountain Zebra National Park Tel +27 (0) 48 881 2427 or 3434; Fax +27 (0) 48 881 3943
Namaqua National Park in the far west of South Africa is home to over 3,500 plant species, about 1,000 of which are to be found nowhere but here. Fauna is plentiful, too, and includes the Namaqua speckled padloper, which is the world's smallest tortoise, duiker, steenbok, aardvark, porcupine, klipspringer, jackal, harrier hawk (not to mention over 100 other bird species), and various snakes and lizards. However, flora is definitely Namaqua's forte, particularly in August and September when the park's valleys are a mass of blooms. The park's bulb flora is the most prolific and varied of anywhere on earth. Besides flowers, the most conspicuous plant life is the quiver tree (Aloe dichotoma), a species of aloe native to Southern Africa.
The Park is made up of plains and peaks, with granite outcrops covering much of it. 4 of the highest peaks are over 1,500m high, and even the plains are far above sea level.
Compared with most other South African national parks, Namaqua leaves visitors very much to their own devices. Day trips and picnicking are the most common way to visit Namaqua National Park, viewing it by car. There is accommodation, however, with the 4 chalets of the Skilpad Rest Camp.
Hours 8am-5pm.
Namaqua National Park Tel. (027) 672-1948
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