Johannesburg - From stargazing to butterflies, safaris are part of South Africa’s DNA.
People travel from across the globe to experience game drives, plant explorations, and to immerse themselves in the wild African bush. But if you look a little deeper, you can find the most weird and wonderful safaris to expand your experience of the southern slice of Africa -.
Global search engine Cheapflights.co.za has investigated some of these unusual safari options. Here are some of the travel jewels they shared ahead of the holidays and the festive season.
Stargazing Safari
South Africa has some of the best star-viewing skies, especially away from the cities where the cosmos comes to life. Driving to the Karoo in the Northern Cape, you can stay overnight in the small town of Sutherland. The town isn’t heavily populated, resulting in less pollution, so you will be able to see the stars clearly. And because it is also quite cold and located at a high altitude with low rainfall, you can visit there any time of the year to stargaze.
While you’re in the northern Cape, head across to Quiver Tree Forest, situated between Nieuwoudtville and Loeriesfontein, Cheapflights recommended: “The spider-like branches of the trees give a different dimension to your stargazing experience.”
Heading to the western Cape, another stop on the stargazing adventure is the South African Astronomical Observatory in Cape Town (SAAO), which is home to the largest single optical telescope in the southern hemisphere. On the second and fourth Saturday of every month, at 20h00, there are open nights at the SAAO, where stargazers can see presentations of astronomy and physics, and if the skies are clear, view the stars through telescopes set up for the night.
“So it’s a good idea to have your stargazing safari around those times, and while you’re on that side of the Cape, you can also drive on to the Cederberg Mountains, where the dramatic landscape of rock formations and scenic views make for a perfect stargazing night,” Cheapflight said.
Best time to stargaze: All year, but July to August in the winter months allow for greater clarity of skies when its not raining.
Average daily car hire price in Cape Town per day: about R 733
Glamping Safari
Experience South Africa’s bushveld - with a touch of glamour. Glamping is where nature meets modern luxury, and where you can enjoy being immersed in nature but without having to sacrifice your creature comforts and luxuries in your accommodation, Cheapflights revealed.
“With some of the most incredible wildlife experiences in the world, the Kruger National Park is an ideal spot to do a self-drive glamping safari,” the website which searches sites that compares flights, hotels, and rental cars said.
“You can enjoy the more rustic feel of camping in the heart of the bush, going on self-drive game drives, having evening braais beneath the stars - then retire to a luxury tent with a comfortable bed, and all the amenities and facilities you would expect from a well-appointed room.”
The search engine added that decks outside many of the tents make for incredible spots to enjoy the sunset or sunrise in the Kruger National Park, and even view some wildlife.
Best time to glamp: May to September in the winter, where rainfall is low and animals congregate around waterholes.
Average car hire price in Johannesburg per day: about R 783
Aardvark Safari
Aardvarks are one of the strangest, most enigmatic animals in Africa. “They are shy and nocturnal, so spotting an aardvark isn’t easy,” Cheapflights said.
South Africa’s Karoo and southern Kalahari are some of the noted areas for spotting aardvarks. “You’ll need to take a night drive to increase your chances of spotting these elusive creatures because they come out to feed at night, this is when you’ll be able to spot them.”
Having the sharp eyes of a seasoned guide is very useful when trying to spot an aardvark, as they know what footprints to look out for and what feeding areas to take you to, to increase your chances of spotting this shy “earth pig”. “But if you’re on a self-drive aardvark safari, then look for evidence of their burrows and digging around termite mounds,” Cheapflights said.
“Their distinctive three-toed tracks are good indicators that an aardvark is/has been in the area.”
Best time for an aardvark safari: Winter months of June to August, which allow you to potentially see them in daylight hours from midday onwards as they come out to forage for food before the temperatures drop in the evenings.
Average car hire price in George per day: about R 930
Culinary Safari
If gastronomic travel is your thing then a food and wine safari is right up your alley, Cheapflights said.
“A Cape culinary safari in Cape Town, for example, could see guests travelling with local expert guides on a whirlwind experience of Cape Town’s highlights, from Boulders Beach to Table Mountain, with opportunities to try eclectic foods along the way and enjoy the top-class cuisine at the Cape Grace hotel.”
The site added that travelling onwards to Franschhoek in the Cape Winelands brings guests the wine heartland of the country, where they can experience local wines and wine estates, sample locally-crafted cheeses and brandy, and indulge in chocolate tastings.
“Take a cellar tour, and enjoy a culinary course at one of Franschhoek’s most well-known restaurants - and visit a different restaurant for every lunch,” they said.
Moving from there to the Greater Kruger, experience incredible game viewing in open-topped vehicles complemented by night drives as you search for nocturnal species, the search engine said.
“Then indulge in home-grown and produced culinary delights at a lodge, with local food and wine pairings bringing you the most exquisite tastes of South Africa.”
Best time for a food and wine safari: This is an any-time type of safari, but if you’re doing tastings in the Cape Winelands, November to January are your best months.
Average car hire price in Cape Town per day: about R 733
Butterfly Safari
If you’re a butterfly enthusiast, Cheapflights recommends a butterfly safari to experience the soft and magical presence of South Africa’s incredible butterflies
“In the Eastern Cape, Port St. Johns is a great destination for butterfly flying.”
“It is surrounded by forests, where you can see butterflies in numbers, especially if you take a quiet walk through the forests.”
Cheapflights said that the Northern Cape has fewer butterflies because it’s so windy, but if you visit the Goegap Nature Reserve just outside Springbok between September and November, you could see some very impressive butterfly species.
“The Western Cape is also fairly low in butterfly inhabitation, but if you visit the Knysna Forest between December and February, you can see some lovely butterflies at the Brenton Blue Butterfly Reserve at Brenton-on-Sea along the Garden Route,” it said.
Best time for a butterfly safari: In Gauteng, the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens in Johannesburg, and the Pretoria National Botanical Gardens are great to visit between October and June to see butterflies.
Further east in KwaZulu-Natal, is probably where you’ll see the richest butterfly inhabitations, especially in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, where you’ll find masses of butterflies congregating around the dune soapberry bushes along the dune forest trails in May.
Average car hire price in Durban per day: about R 674
Cheapflights is a global travel search site that compares flights, hotels, and rental cars. Founded in 1996, Cheapflights is an online travel pioneer and continues to make it simple for travellers to find great deals. Cheapflights is managed by KAYAK, part of Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG). For more information, visit cheapflights.co.za.