Safari Parks & Reserves

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.

Khutse Game Reserve is a gateway to the Kalahari and the closest game reserve to Gaborone, making it popular for weekend getaways. The reserve features a series of fossil pans surrounded by Kalahari bush, attracting desert-adapted wildlife including springbok, gemsbok, and brown hyena. During good rains, the pans fill with water and draw large numbers of animals, offering a genuine Kalahari experience at budget-friendly rates.

The Zambezi Region, formerly known as the Caprivi Strip, is Namibia's lush northeastern panhandle — a narrow finger of land extending between Angola, Zambia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. Watered by the Zambezi, Kwando, Linyanti, and Chobe rivers, it is strikingly different from the rest of arid Namibia. This green region of floodplains, riverine forests, and wetlands supports the highest concentration and diversity of wildlife in Namibia, with large populations of elephants, buffalo, hippos, crocodiles, and a rich variety of antelope and bird species. It also serves as a critical wildlife corridor connecting Etosha to the Okavango Delta and Chobe ecosystems.

Zulu Nyala Private Game Reserve is a family-friendly safari destination in northern KwaZulu-Natal, covering 1,500 hectares of bushveld between Hluhluwe and Mkuze. The reserve takes its name from the magnificent nyala antelope that thrives in the region's dense riverine bush — KwaZulu-Natal being the global stronghold for this beautiful spiral-horned species. Zulu Nyala offers Big Five viewing (lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino, and leopard) in an accessible and affordable package that has made it popular with both international visitors and South African families. The reserve features the Heritage Safari Lodge and Zulu Nyala Game Lodge, both offering guided game drives, bush walks, and cultural experiences that showcase Zulu heritage. Its location between Hluhluwe-iMfolozi and iSimangaliso makes it a convenient base for exploring the wider KZN safari circuit.

Mikumi National Park is one of Tanzania's most accessible safari destinations, located adjacent to the northern boundary of Nyerere National Park and bisected by the main highway from Dar es Salaam to Iringa. Covering 3,230 square kilometers, the park's open grasslands and flood plains of the Mkata River valley are often compared to the Serengeti for their sweeping vistas and abundant wildlife. The Mkata Floodplain at the heart of the park is where most wildlife concentrates, offering excellent sightings of elephants, giraffes, buffalos, wildebeest, zebras, and a healthy population of lions. Mikumi is particularly popular with Dar es Salaam residents for weekend safaris and is frequently used by researchers from the University of Dar es Salaam. Its ease of access and lower fees make it an excellent budget-friendly alternative to the northern circuit parks.

Adjacent to Victoria Falls, Zambezi National Park stretches along 40km of the upper Zambezi River. The park offers excellent game viewing within easy reach of Victoria Falls, with sable antelope as a special highlight and stunning river scenery.

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.

Erindi Private Game Reserve is one of Namibia's largest private reserves, covering 700 square kilometres of diverse bushveld, grasslands, and rocky hills in the central highlands. The name means 'Place of Water' in the Herero language, referring to the natural springs that sustain abundant wildlife year-round. Erindi has become one of Namibia's premier Big Five destinations following an extensive rewilding programme that reintroduced lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffalo. The reserve's floodlit waterhole at Old Traders Lodge provides extraordinary nocturnal game viewing, rivalling anything in Etosha.

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.

Thornybush Game Reserve is a premier Big Five private reserve in the Greater Kruger ecosystem, covering 14,000 hectares of classic lowveld bushveld adjacent to the Timbavati and sharing an unfenced boundary with Kruger National Park. The reserve takes its name from the thorny bushveld that characterises its landscape, dotted with marula, knobthorn, and leadwood trees along seasonal riverbeds. Thornybush hosts a collection of luxury lodges ranging from family-friendly options to exclusive-use villas, each offering twice-daily game drives with expert guides. The reserve is particularly well-regarded for its intimate safari experience with strict vehicle limits at sightings, excellent predator viewing, and a strong community upliftment programme that benefits surrounding villages.

Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park and Reserve is Kenya's premier marine wildlife destination, located off the south coast near the Tanzanian border. The park encompasses four small coral islands surrounded by pristine reefs and is famous for its large resident pods of bottlenose and humpback dolphins, as well as seasonal humpback whale sightings. Covering 28 square kilometres of protected ocean, Kisite offers some of East Africa's best snorkelling and diving with exceptional visibility reaching 20 metres. The coral gardens are home to over 250 fish species, sea turtles, and occasional whale sharks. The park is accessed by traditional dhow sailing boats from Shimoni, adding to the romance of the experience.

Perched on the edge of the Zambezi Escarpment, Chizarira is one of Zimbabwe's wildest and most remote parks. Known as the "lost world of Africa," it offers dramatic gorges, pristine wilderness, and walking safaris with virtually no other tourists.