An insider’s guide to ten of SA’s lesser-known parks

We all know Kruger National Park and Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve, but have you heard of Dwesa Nature Reserve or of Mkhambati Nature Reserve? Here’s a list of ten of South Africa’s lesser-known parks that will leave you itching to do some ‘getting-away’.

Eastern Cape

Dwesa Nature Reserve
Dwesa lies along an unspoilt stretch of Wild Coast. It was established to preserve the unique biodiversity of the region’s coastal forests, southern sourveld grasslands and marine areas. Birdlife is good and includes species such as Narina trogon and mangrove kingfisher. Wildlife includes buffalo, eland and red hartebeest.

Enjoy walks with community guides, swim at the camp’s pristine beach, go fishing or follow one of the 4×4 trails. You can stay in wooden chalets or go caravanning or camping. Three of the seven self-catering chalets accommodate four people (from R530 to R600 a chalet); the rest sleep two people (from R270 to R300). Campsites range from R200 to R220 a night. Tel 043-705- 4400, e-mail reservations@ecparks.co.za, web www.ecparks.co.za.

Mkhambati Nature Reserve
Mkhambati lies on a breathtaking stretch of Pondoland coast north of Port St Johns. The roads can be a bit worse for wear, but the landscape makes up for it, with waterfalls plunging into the sea, forested ravines and grasslands teeming with game that includes eland, kudu, red hartebeest and zebra.

Accommodation comprises two lodges (from R1 650 a lodge, sleeps 10), cottages (from R400 a cottage, sleeps four) and rondavels (from R270 a rondavel, sleeps two). Tel 043-705-4400, e-mail reservations@ecparks.co.za, web www.ecparks.co.za.

Free State

Willem Pretorius Game Reserve
This reserve lies just north of Winburg beside the N1. There’s a large dam at its core, surrounded by a landscape that’s reminiscent of the East African savanna. Wildebeest and springbok frequent the plains, while you’ll find bigger game such as white rhino and buffalo in the bush-covered hills.

Entrance is R50 a person, camping is R60 a site. Five-bed self-catering chalets from R600 a night and six-bed chalets from R720 a night. Tel 057-651-4003/4, web www.sa-venues.com/game-reserves/fs_willempretorius.htm.

KwaZulu-Natal

Tembe Elephant Park
This park comprises grassland and sand-forest ecosystems and is home to more than 220 elephants, part of the great herds that used to migrate between Mozambique and Zululand. Tembe is home to the Big Five, a vast number of bird species and abundant antelope, including the Suni, one of the smallest in the world.

Rates for Tembe start from R1 245 a person a night in the low season and from R1 645 in the high season. Enquire about reduced rates for longer stays. The price includes all meals and game activities. Tel 031- 267-0144, e-mail info@tembe.co.za, web www.tembe.co.za.

Ithala Game Reserve
The Ithala Game Reserve encompasses the heights of the Ngotshe Mountains and the depths of the Phongolo River valley, whose eroding action over the millennia has revealed some of the world’s oldest rock formations. With a topographic profile ranging from 400 metres to 1 450 metres above sea level, Ithala’s terrain extends from lowveld and densely vegetated riverine valleys to highlying grassland plateaus. The game is suitably varied.

Camping is R110 a person a night. Accommodation is in three secluded bush camps and rates start from R375 a person. At Ntshondwe, the park’s lovely main camp, prices for self-catering chalets range from R430 to R750 a person a night sharing (R300 to R600 in the low season). Tel 033-845-1000, e-mail webmail@kznwildlife.com, web www.kznwildlife.com.

Limpopo

Hans Merensky Nature Reserve
This reserve lies along the south bank of the Great Letaba River to the west of the Kruger Park near Tzaneen. The great attraction here is that you can explore most of the reserve on foot. Hiking trails include the Mopane Interpretive Trail, the Letaba Trail which follows the river (wonderful for birding) and the Giraffe Trail, a three-day, 32-kilometre hike with overnight stops in well-appointed huts. Self-drive game viewing, mountain biking and horse riding are also available in Hans Merensky.

Eiland Spa is also situated in the reserve. Rates start from R65 a person sharing a rondavel. Tel 015-386-8000, web www.eilandspa.co.za or www.polokwane.info.

Makuya Nature Reserve
This 4×4-only reserve shares a fenceless border with the northern Kruger Park near the Pafuri gate. As such, it is a Big Five area, as well as a birding hotspot. The self-catering tented camp, Singo Safari Lodge, has a spectacular location on a cliff overlooking the Luvuvhu River and a baobab forest frequented by elephants and hippos.

Gate fees R10 a person, R20 a vehicle. Game drives are R120 a person. Two-person tents from R380 a night; four-person tents from R600 a night. There are kitchen and braai areas. Tel 015-290-7300, e-mail reservations@lwr.co.za, web www.wildliferesorts.org.

Marakele National Park
This park lies in the heart of the Waterberg Mountains and is home to a wide diversity of wildlife because of its location in a transitional zone between the dry western and moister eastern parts of the province.

The terrain comprises mountains, grass-clad hills and deep valleys. Yellowwood and cedar trees, five-metre-high cycads and tree ferns are some of the plant species you’re likely to encounter. Most of the large game species – from elephant and rhino to the big cats – are present in the park, as well as a decent bird count (including an enormous colony of endangered Cape vultures).

Camping starts from R145 for two people and safari tents from R775 for two. Tel 014-777-6929/012-428-9111, e-mail marakele@sanparks.org,
web www.sanparks.org.

Mpumalanga

Gustav Klingbiel Nature Reserve
This 2 200-hectare reserve lies along the scenic Long Tom Pass on the Drakensberg escarpment. It’s named after the late Gustav Klingbiel, a Lydenburg town councillor, who campaigned to have the area declared a reserve.

The main habitats of the reserve include thornveld and bushveld in the low-lying areas and montane grassland on the slopes and plateaus, while protea woodland occupies the higher altitudes.

There are four hiking trails, ranging from five to 20 kilometres. Apart from plenty of antelope, the bird life is excellent (more than 320 species recorded). Entrance costs R10 a person in a vehicle, R5 if you’re hiking. Tel 013-235-2213.

Northern Cape

Mokala National Park
Mokala, Sanparks’s newest reserve, is about 80 kilometres southwest of Kimberley. The landscape comprises koppieveld (hills) and open sandy plains, and is home to black and
white rhino, tsessebe, roan antelope and black wildebeest.

Mokala is the Setswana word for camelthorn. This tree is a vital resource for both wildlife and humans in this harsh landscape. The park has three lodges. Camping is R85 a site. Bungalows start from R85 a night (sleep four). Daily conservation fees are R18 a person a day. Tel 053-204-0158, e-mail tessw@sanparks.org, web www.sanparks.org.