Safari Parks & Reserves

Operated by &Beyond, Phinda is one of KwaZulu-Natal's premier private game reserves, renowned for its remarkable seven distinct habitats within a single reserve. From sand forest and wetlands to palm savannah and bushveld, this diversity supports an extraordinary range of wildlife including the Big Five and endangered species such as cheetah and black rhino. Phinda is also a pioneer in community conservation, working closely with surrounding communities. The reserve offers a low-malaria-risk safari experience with world-class guiding and award-winning eco-lodges.

The |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site straddling the Orange River between South Africa and Namibia. The South African portion — the Richtersveld — is Africa's only mountain desert and one of the most botanically rich arid regions on Earth, with over 2,700 plant species including extraordinary succulents and the bizarre halfmens tree. Covering 5,920 square kilometres of rugged, otherworldly landscape, the park features dramatic gorges, barren mountains, and the life-giving Orange River cutting through the desert. This is not a typical Big Five destination but rather a landscape of extraordinary beauty, home to Hartmann's mountain zebra, klipspringer, and the Nama people who have inhabited this harsh terrain for millennia.

Amakhala Game Reserve is a collection of family-owned farms in the Eastern Cape's Bushman's River valley that have been consolidated into a 7,500-hectare private Big Five game reserve. Situated in the malaria-free Frontier Country between Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown, Amakhala offers an accessible and family-friendly safari experience. The reserve's mix of Valley Bushveld, grassland, and riverine forest supports all Big Five plus hippo, hyena, giraffe, and over 250 bird species. Amakhala is particularly known for its conservation work, including successful rhino breeding programmes and elephant reintroduction. Its proximity to the Garden Route makes it a popular safari add-on for coastal road-trippers.

Augrabies Falls National Park protects one of the world's great waterfalls, where the Orange River thunders 56 metres into a massive granite gorge that the Khoi people named 'Aukoerebis' — place of great noise. During flood season, the falls can reach 400 metres wide, creating a truly spectacular sight in the semi-arid Northern Cape. Covering 820 square kilometres of arid Karoo landscape along the Orange River, the park features moon-like rock formations, quiver trees, and the 18-kilometre-long gorge carved by millennia of river erosion. Wildlife includes klipspringer, springbok, gemsbok, black rhino (reintroduced), and the park is one of the best places in South Africa to see the elusive African wild cat.

Balule Nature Reserve is a 40,000-hectare private reserve forming part of the Greater Kruger ecosystem, with fences removed to allow free wildlife movement between Balule and Kruger National Park. The reserve occupies a prime position along the Olifants River, one of Kruger's most scenic waterways. Comprising several member properties, Balule offers an affordable entry point to the Greater Kruger experience with all of the Big Five and the privilege of off-road driving and night drives not permitted in Kruger itself. The Olifants River frontage provides excellent game viewing at waterholes and river crossings, particularly during the dry winter months when animals concentrate along water sources.

Bontebok National Park is a small but historically vital conservation area near Swellendam in the Western Cape, established specifically to save the bontebok antelope from extinction. By the 1830s, fewer than 17 bontebok remained in the wild — making it the rarest antelope in Africa. Today, thanks to this park, the population has recovered to over 3,000. Covering just 28 square kilometres along the Breede River, the park protects endangered Cape fynbos vegetation — one of the world's six floral kingdoms — alongside its signature bontebok. Other wildlife includes Cape mountain zebra, grey rhebok, red hartebeest, and over 200 bird species. The park's scenic setting beneath the Langeberg Mountains makes for a pleasant stop on the Garden Route.

Camdeboo National Park surrounds the historic Karoo town of Graaff-Reinet — South Africa's fourth-oldest town — and protects the remarkable Valley of Desolation, where towering dolerite columns rise 120 metres from the valley floor in a geological spectacle formed over 100 million years ago. Covering 194 square kilometres of Great Karoo landscape, the park encompasses the Nqweba Dam and surrounding plains, grasslands, and Karoo scrub. Wildlife includes Cape buffalo, Cape mountain zebra, springbok, kudu, and over 250 bird species including the endangered blue crane. The park is a unique blend of natural heritage, geological wonder, and Karoo cultural history.

Dulini Game Reserve is an ultra-exclusive private concession within the western Sabi Sand Wildtuin, bordering Kruger National Park. With just three intimate lodges sharing this pristine section of bushveld along the Sand River, Dulini offers one of the most private and luxurious safari experiences in all of southern Africa. The reserve benefits from the same exceptional wildlife viewing that makes the Sabi Sand famous — outstanding leopard sightings, Big Five encounters, and wild dog movements through the area. Dulini's section of the Sand River provides a permanent water source that draws dense concentrations of game, particularly during the dry winter months. Traversing rights across the wider Sabi Sand ensure vast game-viewing areas.

Golden Gate Highlands National Park is named for the brilliant shades of gold and ochre cast by the sun on its sandstone cliffs, creating one of South Africa's most visually stunning landscapes. Located in the rolling foothills of the Maluti Mountains in the Free State, the park is a scenic wonderland quite unlike any other South African national park. Covering 340 square kilometres of highland grassland and sandstone formations at altitudes between 1,892 and 2,829 metres, Golden Gate supports rare species including the bearded vulture (lammergeier), bald ibis, grey rhebok, eland, and black wildebeest. The park contains important San rock art sites and serves as a base for hikers tackling the famous two-day Ribbok Trail.

Greater Makalali Private Game Reserve is a 26,000-hectare community-owned Big Five reserve in Limpopo Province, formed when local communities pooled their land for conservation and ecotourism. The reserve represents one of South Africa's most important community-driven conservation projects, directly benefiting the Sekororo and Mametja communities. Located between the Drakensberg escarpment and Kruger National Park, Makalali's mixed bushveld terrain of mopane woodland, riverine forest, and open savannah supports all Big Five plus cheetah, wild dog, and over 300 bird species. The reserve offers excellent game viewing at a fraction of the cost of neighbouring Sabi Sand or Timbavati, with the added value of meaningful community engagement.

Idube Game Reserve is a private concession within the renowned Sabi Sand Wildtuin, offering exceptional Big Five game viewing with a particular reputation for close-up leopard encounters. The name 'Idube' means 'zebra' in Zulu, and the reserve has been operated as an exclusive safari destination since the 1980s. Situated in the central Sabi Sand with open traversing rights across approximately 10,000 hectares, Idube shares the same extraordinary wildlife as its neighbours — Londolozi, Sabi Sabi, and MalaMala. The reserve's mix of savannah, riverine bush, and open grassland provides varied habitats. With only one lodge and limited guest numbers, Idube delivers the intimate, uncrowded game viewing that makes the Sabi Sand the world's premier private safari destination.

Inyati Private Game Reserve is one of the original members of the Sabi Sand Wildtuin, with a safari heritage dating back to 1927. The name means 'buffalo' in Zulu, and the reserve's prime position along the Sand River has made it a legendary Big Five destination for nearly a century. With traversing rights across 10,000 hectares of prime Sabi Sand bushveld, Inyati offers the same world-class leopard sightings and Big Five encounters as its prestigious neighbours. The Sand River frontage creates a natural gathering point for elephants, buffalo herds, and predators during the dry season. Inyati's two lodges maintain a classic safari atmosphere with experienced rangers who know the resident wildlife intimately.

Ithala Game Reserve is one of KwaZulu-Natal's hidden treasures, a dramatically scenic reserve set in the rugged gorges and cliffs of northern Zululand. The reserve protects some of the oldest rock formations on Earth — geological deposits dating back 3 billion years — alongside a rich diversity of wildlife and birdlife. Covering 296 square kilometres of deep valleys, towering cliffs, and bushveld plateaux, Ithala supports white and black rhino, elephant, buffalo, giraffe, and over 320 bird species. The park notably does not have lion, which allows for a different ecological dynamic and excellent viewing of species that are often overshadowed in Big Five reserves. The self-catering Ntshondwe Camp, perched on a cliff edge, is considered one of the finest bush camps in KwaZulu-Natal.

Kapama Private Game Reserve is one of the Greater Kruger area's largest private reserves, spanning 13,000 hectares of diverse bushveld in the Limpopo Province. The reserve is home to the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC), which plays a critical role in the conservation of cheetah, wild dog, and other vulnerable species. Kapama's terrain includes open savannah, dense bushveld, and seasonal waterways that support all of the Big Five alongside cheetah, hippo, and diverse birdlife. The reserve operates four distinct lodges ranging from family-friendly to ultra-luxury, making it one of the more versatile safari destinations in the Greater Kruger area. Elephant-back safaris, once Kapama's signature activity, have been replaced by ethical elephant interaction programmes.

Kariega Game Reserve is a family-owned, malaria-free Big Five reserve in the Eastern Cape, spanning 10,000 hectares of river valley bushveld between the Kariega and Bushman's rivers. The reserve gained international attention in 2012 when poachers horrifically attacked two of its rhinos, Thandi and Themba, sparking a global conservation response — Thandi survived and has since become an iconic symbol of rhino resilience. Kariega's varied terrain of valley bushveld, forest, fynbos, and river frontage supports all Big Five plus hippo, giraffe, zebra, and over 250 bird species. The dual river systems provide exceptional boat safaris and canoeing opportunities alongside traditional game drives. Five lodges cater to different budgets, from the rustic Settlers Drift to the luxurious Ukhozi Lodge.

Karongwe Private Game Reserve is a 9,000-hectare Big Five reserve in the Limpopo lowveld, formed by the merging of four former cattle farms in the Greater Kruger area. While fenced from Kruger itself, Karongwe has developed into an excellent wildlife destination with healthy populations of all Big Five and notably good leopard sightings. The reserve's diverse terrain — spanning Lowveld bushveld, riverine woodland along the Karongwe River, and rocky outcrops — supports a rich variety of wildlife including cheetah, wild dog, and over 300 bird species. Karongwe is particularly valued as a more affordable alternative to the Sabi Sand and Timbavati, offering quality Big Five game viewing and off-road driving without the premium price tag.

Karoo National Park protects a vast sweep of the Great Karoo semi-desert near Beaufort West, one of South Africa's most evocative and ancient landscapes. The park is a paleontological treasure trove — fossils embedded in its rocks tell the story of life on Earth over 250 million years, long before the age of dinosaurs. Covering 900 square kilometres of flat Karoo plains rising to the dramatic Nuweveld Mountains escarpment, the park supports black rhino, Cape mountain zebra, gemsbok, springbok, klipspringer, and the elusive black-footed cat. The night sky here is among the clearest in South Africa, making Karoo a premier stargazing destination. The Fossil Trail offers a fascinating walk through geological time.

Kwandwe Private Game Reserve is a 22,000-hectare malaria-free Big Five reserve along the Great Fish River in the Eastern Cape, widely regarded as one of the finest private safari experiences in southern Africa. The reserve's dramatic river valley terrain — with deep gorges, rocky outcrops, and rolling plains — provides a strikingly different landscape from the typical Lowveld bushveld. Kwandwe supports all Big Five alongside cheetah, black wildebeest, and over 300 bird species. The reserve is particularly noted for its exceptional guiding standards and conservation work, including the successful reintroduction of black rhino and a pioneering community partnership programme. With just four exclusive lodges, visitor density is deliberately kept extremely low.

Lalibela Wildlife Reserve is a family-owned, malaria-free Big Five destination in the Eastern Cape, encompassing 7,500 hectares of Valley Bushveld near the Bushman's River. Named after the ancient Ethiopian rock-hewn churches, Lalibela has been steadily building its reputation as a quality safari option for travellers combining wildlife with the Garden Route. The reserve supports all Big Five alongside giraffe, hippo, cheetah, and over 280 bird species. Lalibela operates three distinct lodges — including the innovative Lentaba Lodge with its wheelchair-accessible game-viewing vehicle — making it one of the most inclusive safari destinations in South Africa. The reserve's community upliftment programme provides education and employment to surrounding villages.

Lion Sands Game Reserve is a family-owned concession within the Sabi Sand Wildtuin, renowned for its innovative Treehouses — open-air sleeping platforms elevated in the canopy where guests spend the night surrounded by the sounds of the African bush with nothing between them and the stars. With traversing rights across 12,000 hectares of prime Sabi Sand bushveld along the Sabie River, Lion Sands offers the world-class Big Five game viewing that defines this iconic reserve. The Sabie River frontage is one of the most productive wildlife corridors in the Sabi Sand, attracting leopards, elephants, and buffalo. The reserve operates multiple lodges from the classic River Lodge to the ultra-luxury 1933 Lodge, plus three standalone treehouses.