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Nature Reserves in South Africa with Great Outdoor Activities

Kruger National Park, West Coast National Park, Garden Route National Park and Kgalagadi National Park will give you the outdoor fun you been looking for.

Kruger National Park

The Kruger National Park is a popular holiday destination amongst locals and international travelers. Sprawling across two million hectares, the Kruger is South Africa’s largest game reserve and home to some of the highest concentration of game and bird species in Africa. There are a total of 147 mammal species and over 500 species of birds. Six ecosystems make up the Kruger, namely Baobab sandveld, mopani scrub, lebombo knobthorn-marula bushveld, mixed acacia thicket, woodland, and riverine forests. A total of 1,982 species of plants can be found in the park.

The Kruger offers a true wilderness experience and offers the option to self drive around the park or book guided activities. One can also choose between self catering accommodation, campsites, or luxury lodges that nestle in the surrounding private reserves.

The guided activities include wilderness hiking trails, morning, sunset & evening game drives, bush walks, mountain biking, 4×4 trails, bird watching, and golfing.

There are also outdoor dining experiences that enhance the overall safari experience.

West Coast National Park

West Coast National Park is just a short drive from the city of Cape Town and boasts a gorgeous backdrop of the azure blue lagoon, white sand dunes, rare fynbos, green wetlands and breathtaking ocean. The park is a real gem for hikers, mountain bikers, birders and nature-lovers.

The biggest draw to the park each year is the wild flowers and thousands of migrating birds. The flower season is at its peak from August to September and showcases a wide variety of flowers. Carpets of flowers can be seen in the SeebergMooimaak and Postberg areas.

Animals such as eland, red hartebeest, Cape grysbok, caracal and rock hyrax are frequently seen in the park, along with migrating whales and pods of dolphins.

Besides the annual flower season, visitors to the park can enjoy nature walks, hiking trails, cycling and mountain biking trails, bird watching, and seasonal whale watching.

Garden Route National Park

Garden Route National Park is the perfect destination for adventure enthusiasts and nature-lovers, boasting a breath-taking backdrop of majestic mountains, quaint coastal towns, and a wide range of outdoor activities. The Tsitsikamma Forest, Knysna Lakes, and Wilderness area all form part of the Garden Route National Park.

The accommodation varies from forest huts, log cottages, forest cabins, and campsites.

Savoring the outdoors, travelers can enjoy hikes and nature walks, wilderness trails, bird watching, kayaking, boating, mountain biking, scuba diving, snorkeling, river tubing, canoeing, scooters and Segway experiences.

Kgalagadi National Park

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a wilderness wonderland, covering an area of over 3,6 million hectares and boasting a semi-desert landscape. There are very few parks left in the world with this magnitude. It is the place of red dunes, clear big skies that light up at night with millions of stars, and where animals run wild.

There is a selection of self-catering rest camps that nestle in the park, along with more exclusive wilderness camps and a luxury lodge.

The game viewing experience is extraordinary, with a good chance of spotting black-maned Kalahari lions and possibly even a cheetah or leopard. One could even catch a glimpse of a hyena, honey badger, bat-eared fox, or meerkat. There are just over 300 species of birds in the park, most of which are migratory birds.

Activities offered in the park include morning and sunset game drives, along with 4×4 trails.

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