Mpumalanga Reserves

Mpumalanga Nature & Game Reserves

The private game reserves for which Mpumalanga has become renowned are touted amongst many as being the best wildlife safari destinations in South Africa. These private game reserves and fine game lodges are perched along the western border of the Kruger National Park, which means that they share many of the exciting species found in the world-renowned park. There was a time that there were fences between the game reserves and Kruger, but most of these have been removed so that the wildlife can roam the countryside freely in their natural habitat.

While many of the wildlife species can be found in all or most of the parks, each game reserve has its own unique appeal and offers its own take on the game viewing experience.

The Kruger National Park is certainly a highlight of Mpumalanga. Self-driven and guided safaris are on offer here, allowing visitors to get the most out of their African safari experience. Because of the variety of predators and dangerous animals here, only closed vehicles are permitted and off-road driving is forbidden. This park is home to the Big Five – lion, elephant, rhinoceros, leopard, and buffalo. In addition, there are loads of antelope, birds, and insects to keep nature-lovers enthralled. Apart from the various game reserves within the national park, the province is home to dozens more. These include the Sabi Sands Game Reserve and the Verloren Vallei Nature Reserve.

Night game drives in the Kruger National Park are conducted by experienced park rangers in large vehicles, for the fun and safety of the visitors. In the private game reserves, day and night game drives are best enjoyed in open game-viewing vehicles to allow for uninterrupted views of the bush and its animals.

At game lodges in the private reserves, the driver and tracker who accompany you on excursions are expert rangers and are in contact with the other vehicles on game drives. This means that you have a much better chance of finding fantastic wildlife species; including the Big Five. The vehicles in the private game reserves may even head into the bush (off the road) to follow animals at a safe distance, so that visitors can see them in their natural habitat.

The game and nature reserves of Mpumalanga celebrate the diverse fauna and flora of the region, and combine this with a range of accommodation options.