South Africa is one of the biggest and most well known safari destinations. Everyone has heard of Kruger National Park, but there are other less well known reserves that deserve no less attention, as well as a host of other attractions to suit every visitor.

Highlights include:

Kruger National Park. Nothing can prepare you for the sheer size and variety of Kruger. Here you can go on spectacular game drives, stay at a bushveld camp and generally get to feel the rhythm of life in the two million hectares that make up South Africa’s largest wilderness game reserve. Kruger hosts a number of rest camps which, when you first visit them, can seem like small towns. All of these are fenced and contain a range of shops, restaurants and accommodation. At some of them you will even find banks and swimming holes. But as nice as these are it’s not for the amenities that one visits Kruger. Due to the sheer variety of wildlife it’s said that you have a better chance of spotting the big five (lions, elephants, hippos, buffalos and rhinos) than anywhere else in the region. Aside from these you can expect to see zebras, giraffes, warthogs, kudus and leopards, not to mention over 500 species of bird and 380 indigenous tree species.

The Madikwe Game Reserve is situated a mere four hours' drive from Johannesburg and Pretoria adjacent to the border of Botswana. This reserve has become known as one of South Africa's most unsurpassed safari destinations and, being malaria free; it’s very popular with families.

Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park. At 96,000 hectares this is by no means a small park. The park has elephant, rhino (black and white), leopard and giraffes – to name but a few. Animals range widely throughout the park and it is best visited during winter.

The Karoo. If it’s space and silence you desire then there are probably few better places than the Karoo. A vast semi-desert, the Karoo is hauntingly beautiful and is also home to the very rare (and extremely small) mountain zebra.

Swaziland. This small kingdom is nestled between South Africa and Mozambique, and is characterised by beautiful mountainous scenery with lush forests.  It might be one of the smallest countries in Africa but what it lacks in size it makes up for in culture, superb walking trails and a relaxed ambience.