December 9th, 2010
All you GoTravel24.com readers have spoken with your votes and it's thanks to you we've managed to put together your top five lodges in South Africa.
We should be deservedly proud of the abundance of our game reserves, many of which are within easy driving distance of our cities. We also get to enjoy the economic boost as the ever-present flow of tourists keeps the industry going, and many conservation projects and social initiatives are funded as a result of people looking at our collection of animals.
So here are the top five reserves out of the 19 options you had:
We have a tie for fifth place as Hluhluwe Game Reserve and Kgalagadi Transfrontier both hauled in 7% of the vote.
Hluhluwe: The oldest game reserve on the continent. Known for its white rhino conservation back in the middle of last century, this 114-year old park in northern KwaZulu-Natal boasts the Big Five and a mass of bird and other animal species. The Lobombo mountain range flanks one side of the park and the extraordinary Great St Lucia Wetland Park is close-by.
White rhino in Hluhluwe. Photo by WondersofAfrica.com.au
Kgalagadi Transfrontier was originally the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park (in South Africa) and the Gemsbok National Park (in Botswana), but now it's one 36 000 square kilometre, cross-border reserve. It's two biggest features are the gemsbok herds and black-maned lions, but there is still a huge variety of savannah-dwelling creatures to see. Kgalagadi means "place of thirst" which is fairly appropriate as there is annual rainfall of 200mm. This also means that the animals there move around a much larger area than in other reserves due to the scarcity of food.
A gemsbok roaming the savannah. Photo by http://de.academic.ru.
In third position with 8% of the vote comes Pilanesberg National Park - another home to the Big Five, and claims that it "accommodates virtually every kind of mammal of southern Africa". The huge variety is created by an overlap in climate between the dry Kalahari and wetter Lowveld. Bordering on the famed glitterati of Sun City, the Pilanesberg offers an alternative to screeching slot machines and pasty bodies at the Valley of the Waves. Geologically, the reserve is fairly unique as it is the result of a volcanic eruption many million of years ago which created the surrounding hills.
Elephants having a cooldrink. Photo by Eyefetch.com.
The countdown continues with Tsitsikamma National Park flying in at number two with 10% of the vote. This is probably the most beautiful game park in the country to get to as it requires a drive along the Garden Route to get there. It's also a reserve that offers marine life as an option: dolphins and whales can sometimes be seen off the park's coastline. The mild year-round means that the park retains its greenness and lushness, so you can enjoy the natural outdoors in January or June. One of the top activities here is a Canopy tour - basically a set of foofie slides between trees - where you get to view this gorgeous scenery from 30 metres above it.
Tsitsikamma - coastal and forest animals. Photo from Wikimedia Common.
And your number one favourite game reserve in the country, fairly unsurprisingly, is the granddaddy of them all. Yep, it's the Kruger National Park that pretty much wiped the floor and won with a solid 36% of the vote. The sheer size of Kruger is extraordinary - it is nearly 19 000 square kilometres - bigger than Gauteng - and hosts all the game you could ever wish to see. According to a 2004 count, there are over 1500 lion, nearly 30 000 buffalo, 11 500 elephant - the numbers are staggering. And it's over 100 years old so they certainly know what they're doing. The science that goes into accommodating so many animals in such a massive space is incredibly detailed so that we, as good South Africans, can enjoy the beautiful things our land has to offer.
A curious leopard in Kruger. Photo by RealAdventures.com.
Do you think the vote was correct? Drop us a comment and tell us why you agree or disagree.
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Best ParkSubmitted by M Carlin on Sun, 12/12/2010 - 04:59. |
Kruger is magnificent top to bottom, but I do think Addo deserves a spot in the top five! |
Best ViewSubmitted by M. Carlin on Sun, 12/12/2010 - 04:48. |
Looking towards Cape Town from Robben Island |
Best parksSubmitted by Tobie Schalkwyk on Fri, 12/10/2010 - 08:48. |
I somehow feel that the St. Lucia Wetlands belonged somewhere in the best 5. I've just come back there from a 1st time visit (staying at Cape Vidal inside the Wetlands park) and it must be one of the most beautiful stretches of land in SA. Sure, it only has 4 of the big 5 (missing out on lions), but even so... Similarly the most beautiful viewpoint in SA is from the top of the Sentinel in the Drakensberg - the starting point of the Thugela river via a 1km waterfall. And it's not on your list, so I can not vote... |
Nat ParkSubmitted by PC on Fri, 12/10/2010 - 07:41. |
I personally love all of them. Kurger is one of the best, but even Marekele has it's own beauty. This is a subject that can be discussed for hours and hours. |
Best ViewSubmitted by Anonymous on Fri, 12/10/2010 - 07:21. |
Has to be the Kruger because Africa is all about the bush and its animals. Not beaches, the coast or flowers! |
Kruger ParkSubmitted by Christo on Thu, 12/09/2010 - 14:01. |
You don't have to pay a fortune to have fun or enjoy a reserve. I've been to the Kruger Park 4 times already and I'll keep on going at least once a year. The park is so big that you can experience different environments in the same holiday :) |
Most amazing viewsSubmitted by Marianne on Thu, 12/09/2010 - 11:03. |
Sunsets in the Karoo and stargazing!!!! Nothing else compares to it! |
God's WindowSubmitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 21:22. |
Must say that there are many stupendous places in our country but God's Window is my favourite. Another awesome view not mentioned in the list are the mountains surrounding Franschoek. Bob. |
Blouberg, LimpopoSubmitted by Anonymous on Wed, 01/06/2010 - 08:03. |
From the summit of Blouberg near Alldays, Limpopo. Spectacular views North to Zimbabwe, West to Botswana, East to the Soutpansberg and South over the Machabeng hills. |
Is Kruger the best or just the most visited park?Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 01/03/2010 - 18:58. |
Whilst i think the top 5 are all great, perhaps Kruger wins because it is the reserve most likely to have been visited by locals. I personally think Kgalagadi is much more interesting than Pilanesberg but probably less visited being more remote and harder to drive to and within. |
sunsetSubmitted by eugene on Sun, 01/03/2010 - 16:48. |
The best sunsets for are in the Kalahari otherside kuruman. |
MOST BEAUTIFUL SUNSETS IN SOUTH AFRICASubmitted by Trudi on Sun, 01/03/2010 - 10:52. |
you left out my favourite MAGNIFICENT sunset place - THE KARROO. |
Best viewSubmitted by Anonymous on Sat, 01/02/2010 - 11:17. |
The view from the top of the Ampitheatre is better than that from Cathedral Peak. You chose the wrong Drakensberg option. |
CATHEDRAL PEAKSubmitted by LOUIS SCHOEMAN on Sat, 01/02/2010 - 11:07. |
THE VIEW FROM CATHEDRAL PEAK MUST BE OF THE BEST IN SOUTH AFRICA. |
SOUTH AFRICA'S BEST VIEWSubmitted by Anonymous on Sat, 01/02/2010 - 11:03. |
It would be interesting to know who is voting as I am sure that a great number of voters have not visited all the sites. For me Table Mountain slightly outweighed the Bloubergstrand view as there are many possible views and it is unusual as a photographer to be able to experience aerial views of this magnitude. |
best view everSubmitted by Chantelle Kleynhans on Sat, 01/02/2010 - 09:15. |
3 rondawels near graskop. |
Top game reservesSubmitted by Arnie on Sat, 01/02/2010 - 08:29. |
Pleased to see Hluhluwe made it. I have been there in the past 2 weeks and was contented. It seems to be well looked after and managed. Hope this is kept up or even improved on. Will definitely go again. |
Kruger?Submitted by Dusty on Sat, 01/02/2010 - 06:29. |
Can we now have a vote to see which SA Game Reserve is the best on a South African budget? |
Namaqualand during SpringSubmitted by Anonymous on Fri, 01/01/2010 - 02:45. |
I voted for Namaqualand during Spring because that is where I was born and where I grew up. As kids the gous blomme were so tall that when we ran through them we had pollen on our chests. These days they don't grow quite that tall any more, but they are nevertheless still spectacular. I am now 64 an still get teary eyed when I see Namaqualand in the spring. |
SA's top game reservesSubmitted by RudiS on Wed, 12/09/2009 - 11:15. |
I am surprised that the Kruger recieved such a low percentage of the vote. I hope this doesn't reflect that we do not realise how lucky we are to be allowed there, and effect impact to it, with our tourism activities. Vote for the Kruger sunsets, Yeah!!! |
@ Anonymous, 18.36 on TueSubmitted by gt24.editor.simon on Wed, 12/09/2009 - 08:03. |
Hi, You are indeed correct. This is based totally on feedback we have received from readers - it isn't scientific. Thanks for your comment - there are very few countries where 22 000ha is not big enough! Haha. Regards, |
The 'rich' reserves not present!Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 12/08/2009 - 18:36. |
Interesting to see the top international reserves that host Singita, Mala Mala and Royal Malewane (Thornybush reserve) don't get mentioned. But I think thats great, because it shows that there is something for everyone, the rich foreign market get their thing and the locals are able to do the same. @ James, it depends what you want from a reserve. If you want to drive in, see the big 5 and drive out, then you might as well go to a zoo IMHO. I've been fortunate to live on a large reserve, and quite frankly, even 22000ha is not big enough. I shudder at the thought of a 'compact' reserve - but again there is a market for that. Whether it can be classified as the top reserve for that reason is questionable. Also bear in mind that these surveys are not scientific in any way and merely an indication of readers favourite reserves (am I correct Ed?). Kruger Park, I believe is a phenominal reserve that really is an absolute treat, and IMHO the best for what I look for in a reserve. |
Game reservesSubmitted by James on Tue, 12/08/2009 - 17:02. |
Pilanesberg should come out tops, it is compact, and often within a day one should have been able to see all the notable inhabitants at a reasonable cost and close to the Major cities in Gauteng at a very reasonable cost. |
@DocSubmitted by gt24.editor.simon on Tue, 12/08/2009 - 14:53. |
Hi Doc, Thanks for your comment. We researched these views quite thoroughly across a broad spectrum of people - apologies for your selections not making it in. They are indeed stunning. We do appreciate all feedback we get from our readers and would love you to suggest a poll for us in future. You can contact us on info@gotravel24.com. We look forward to hearing from you. Kind Regards, |
re: Favourite scenerySubmitted by Margaret on Tue, 12/08/2009 - 10:04. |
As an afterthought, the sunset in the bush is also unbelievable, but I think my favourite (if it had been on the list) would have been the view from Chapman's Peak. But let's be realistic, we can't have all the beautiful places on one list. It would be reams and reams. God bless South Africa. |
re: Most beautiful spotsSubmitted by Margaret on Tue, 12/08/2009 - 10:01. |
I had a hard time choosing - eventually settled on Blouberg Strand, but our WHOLE country is SO beautiful. We are truly blessed. And I love the people too ... well, most of them anyway. Getting excited about all the visitors coming to see the World Cup here. This is our chance South Africa. Let's get it right. |
