Spending Time with Family on a South Africa Safari

Taking the family on a South Africa safari is one of the best options if you’re looking for a malaria-free safari. The country is blessed with a great variety of malaria free reserves and this doesn’t mean compromising on big game viewing either. This part of Africa has an excellent array of wildlife and if you visit one of the private reserves adjacent to the Kruger or in the Waterberg or the Eastern Cape, you are guaranteed sightings of the Big 5; lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo. A South Africa safari offers families a tremendous experience with the very best in big game viewing, beautiful scenery, luxury accommodation and excellent food. South Africa is unique in that it offers families not only a great safari experience but a variety of destinations including Cape Town, the Cape Winelands and the Garden Route. Accommodation in Southern Africa is world class so your family can expect to be spoiled with ultimate comfort and fine dining.

Whale Watching with the Family

Every year between June and November thousands of whales migrate to the coastal waters of South Africa to calve and nurse their young. Taking the family to see these amazing creatures is the perfect way to conclude a South Africa safari. The beautiful and unspoilt Garden Route coastline stretches for over a thousand miles from Cape Town to the picturesque town of Port Elizabeth and it can be arranged for you and your family to take a self-drive trip or a boat to see large numbers of whale. Getting up close to a whale is an unforgettable and exhilarating experience for all the family, especially the children. The whales are actually very friendly and will often come within 5 metres if you’re travelling by boat. The whale watching region is also populated with large numbers of dolphin, cape fur seals, penguins and great white sharks.

Visiting the Kruger National Park on a South Africa Safari

The iconic Kruger National Park in Southern Africa has a vast landscape with spectacular African wildlife that fills it. A safari here is ideal for families who want to be sure they see the Big 5 game while being surrounded by luxury and comfort. The reserves surrounding the Kruger have very few tourists so families can enjoy private game drives all to themselves. The Kruger is one of Africa’s largest reserves covering an area of 19,000 square kilometres. As well as the Big 5, your family will be in the presence of elephant, buffalo, rhino, lion, leopard and cheetah. The park also has an amazing Birdlife with more than 700 species including eagles, vultures, ostriches and cranes. Your family will truly appreciate the excitement and thrill of a South Africa safari in Kruger National Park

Periyar National Park is a famous tiger reserve, located between the Western Ghats in Kerala. Spread across an area of 777 sq km, the dense forests cover the park. Known as ‘Thekkady’ because of its location, it lies around 120 km from Kochi. Renowned for its scenic beauty, it is probably among the few places, where you can see the elephants in their natural habitat. Surrounded with dense evergreen, semi-evergreen forests, the park looks beautiful.

The distinct geographical features like climate and topography of the park support the varied flora and fauna. The terrain of the park is oscillating. It boasts of several narrow water streams.

The park houses around 240 bird species and 100 species of butterfly. You can see tigers and elephants here. Other animals which you can see here are mouse deer, barking deer, gaur, dole, sambar, wild pigs and Indian wild dog. The various animals like rare common langur, lion-tailed macaque, the Nilgiri langur and bonnet macaque are the centre of attraction here. Surrounded by the aromatic spice gardens, the park offers a refreshing experience to the tourist. You can explore it with a good guide who elaborate the medicinal value of every spice. The bird species that you can see here include darters, kingfishers, cormorants, racket-tailed drongos and the great malabar hornbill.

The Periyar national park also offers ample opportunities for enjoyment and recreation. You can enjoy swimming in the lake or can go for angling in Thekkady. The motor launches are also available throughout the day for boat ride on the lake. Tourists can also enjoy the exciting treks through the forest to the Mangla Devi temple.

They can visit this sanctuary from the months of October to June. During summer, it is easy to see chitals and elephants as they gather close to the lake. However, during weekends the place gets too much crowded.

Lies amidst the park, there is a beautiful lake. It offers a pleasant look to the tourists. The lake and the surrounding of dense forests provide a feeling of freshness to the tourists. The other factors which insist the tourists to visit the park again and again are the boat cruising, bird watching and many more.

Rated as the best wildlife sanctuary in India, Periyar is the best place for wildlife photography, tiger watching and elephant herds. You can enjoy both the wildlife as well as the adventure at their best in this famous tiger reserve of India.