South Africa offers a wealth of wildlife-spotting experiences throughout the year.
Other than wildlife, South Africa has a number of seasonal phenomena for travellers to spot when the time is right. From wildflower, sardine, bird and marine safaris, to the best times to enjoy wine and sport in 2021, here?s a guide on what to see when in South Africa:
January-February: The wine safari
South Africa is well known for wine and the Western Cape is the perfect place to head during South Africa?s summer months. The rolling hills and sun-drenched vineyards of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are home to an array of wineries, from large, leafy wine estates and luxury boutique vineyard hotels, to affordable guest houses and quaint bed and breakfast places. Guests can embark on a wine safari on the Franschhoek Wine Tram, a vintage-style open-air railway tram which stops off at a number of vineyards for tastings and cellar tours, as it journeys through the heart of the Franschhoek Valley. January and February are peak season in Cape Town and the surrounds are abuzz with locals and visitors, with enough wine for everyone. The Franschhoek Wine Tram costs ?13 for a hop-on-hop-off ticket.
March-April: A walking safari
The shoulder seasons in South Africa are the best time to take an active holiday in the Western Cape, with warm and pleasant climate and blue skies. Walking safaris are a fantastic way to explore the natural environment and wildlife, with enough time and space to spend near the vegetation and the smaller wildlife on the ground. Gondwana Game Reserve on the Garden Route, offers a three-night Pioneer Trail walking safari, where guests spend each night at a different tented fly camp, covering 7-10km each day and discovering local flora and fauna along the way. The three-night Pioneer Trail costs ?786 per person, which includes, sharing a tent, including accommodation, daily activities, all meals and select local beverages.
May: The traditional Big Five safari
The best time to go on safari for optimum game viewing in the north of the country is during the dry season, from May to September, when the vegetation is sparse and water levels are low. The national park tariffs are also lower in the winter season, making a trip better value and less crowded. The Kruger National Park, easily accessible from Johannesburg, offers incredible game viewing opportunities. Shambala Private Game Reserve in Limpopo, a two-hour drive away from Johannesburg is a great place to spot the Big Five during the winter months. All-inclusive stays at Zulu Camp, Shambala Private Game Reserve starts from ?615 per room, per night.
June: The sardine safari
The Sardine Run is an incredible wildlife spectacle, viewable from the Eastern Cape from May to July, when many millions of sardines travel from the cold southern oceans off Cape Point, up the northern Eastern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal. From a boat trip, visitors can witness this famous annual natural event, as the Atlantic waters churn with predators from both the water and air descending on the massed sardines. Scuba Dive Adventures offer holidays to witness the Sardine Run with a mix of marine and land-based activities. Scuba Dive Adventures offers seven-night stays and diving holidays from June 26 to July 3, 2021, to witness the spectacular Sardine Run, from ?2,400 per person, based on two people sharing. Price includes seven nights full board accommodation, diving and specified land-based activities, return airport transfers and return internal flights. Price excludes international flights.
July: The sport safari
Rugby fans can head to South Africa in July and August 2021, to see the British and Irish Lions take on the Springboks in the much-anticipated international rugby union tour. The tour will take place between July 24 and August 7, 2021 and features a three-match test series in Cape Town and Johannesburg, with a number of local practice games in the lead up. Thousands of fans are expected to visit South Africa for the tour and enjoy the country?s incredible wildlife, scenery, history and vibrant cities in between games. Lions Rugby Travel offer an array of match and travel packages to suit different requirements. Price for one-test tour, including tickets to the first match and flights costs from ?2,495 per person.
August: The wildflower safari
August marks the start of spring in South Africa, when spectacular displays of wildflowers can be seen throughout the Cape. Postberg in the West Coast National Park, is a 40-minute drive away from Cape Town, where visitors can see the vibrant colours of orange daisies, yellow pietsnot and purple vygies. In the Northern Cape, Namaqualand?s vibrant flower fields contain as many as 3,500 different species of plants, of which at least a thousand are unique and found nowhere else in the world. The annual event usually happens in August and only lasts for a few weeks, making the natural phenomenon even more special to catch. Cederberg Travel offers a Spring Wildflower Tour for travellers to experience the beautiful blooming season. The tour costs start from ?868 per person sharing a room, for travel in August 2021 and can be tailored to individual requirements.
September-October: The marine safari
The lower season months from June to November is a good time for whale watching off the coast of South Africa, as the Southern Right Whale and Humpback whales come closer to the shoreline and make their way from Hermanus in the Western Cape to St Lucia up in KwaZulu-Natal. Famous as a premier spot to view whales, Hermanus is a pretty town on the Garden Route, with spectacular views over the ocean, within a distance of two-hours from Cape Town. A marine safari with Southern Right Charters to spot the whales as they migrate, swim and play in the waters, costs from ?47 per person.
November-December: The bird safari
The upper central and far northern regions of South Africa witness the first arrivals of migratory birds in November, making it the perfect time for bird-focused safaris. Kruger National Park and Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve in the north of the country, are known for migrant eagles like Wahlberg's and Lesser Spotted Eagles. The Langebaan Lagoon within the West Coast National Park is considered one of the best wader-watching spots and is visited by sandpipers and stints. Birding and Wildlife Safaris offer a 12-day birding holiday to Kruger National Park and onto the KwaZulu-Natal coastline and wetlands from ?3,028 per person, sharing, based on four people.
For more details about South Africa visit: www.southafrica.net
