When it comes to a safari holiday in Aaaafrica (say it in a deep, James Earl Jones voice) Kenya and Tanzania often steal the… ahem… lion's share of the limelight. With their wide open savannahs, enormous herds of wildebeest thundering across the plains and alluring names like the Ngorongoro Crater it's no wonder they attract thousands of safari-seekers each year.

Although South Africa may not match them for grandeur, what we lack in size we more than make up for in diversity. From homesteads in the Cape mountains to the last-word in luxury tents and gravity-defying lodges that will take your breath (and a healthy chunk of your bank balance) away, there are idyllic wilderness areas spread across South Africa just waiting to be explored…

Western Cape
Tell anyone that you're going on a safari holiday and my bet is that the last place they'll expect you to be going is the Western Cape. More famous for its vineyards and beaches, the Western Cape is slowly building a name for itself as a great place to enjoy a wilderness – with a bit of safari thrown in – escape.

With Cape Town far and away the country's most popular tourist destination it's easy to see why visitors would far rather have their safari cake in the Cape than fly 1500-kilometres to the more famous game parks of the Lowveld. Throw in the lack of malaria, dramatic mountain scenery and a host of attractions within easy reach and it's no surprise that the province now boasts some excellent wilderness escapes. With hot sunny summers and chilly wet winters, Spring and Autumn are the 'secret season' in the Western Cape, when the weather is (usually) fine and the tourists are few and far between.

Tucked away in the far reaches of the Cederberg mountains (about 270km north of Cape Town), Bushmanskloof Wilderness Reserve & Retreat (www.bushmanskloof.com) is undoubtedly one of the Western Cape's hidden gems, although a stay here is less about the wildlife and more about the wilderness. Yes, it's a 7500-hectare private reserve and sure, it's got antelope and a selection of game… but don't expect the big five or many toothy predators, even if there are elusive Cape Mountain Leopard in these hills.

A regular highlight (especially for locals) is the annual selection of speciality weekends. Whether it's star-gazing under the crystal clear Cederberg skies, learning more about the region's diverse fynbos (the reserve is a stone's throw from the floral wonderland of the Biedouw Valley) or getting gastronomic with a Food & Wine weekend, the special breaks offer great value for money as well as another good reason to leave the big city for the big mountains.

Just over some more southerly big mountains from Cape Town (an easy 90-minute drive through the picturesque winelands) is a good place to squeeze a wildlife experience into a trip to Cape Town. The four-star Aquila Private Game Reserve (www.aquilasafari.com) offers a quick and easy way to get up close to the Big Five, with a wide variety of animals on offer, but at just 4500 hectares don't come to Aquila expecting wide open wilderness. It's a good (and affordable) spot to tick a few sightings off your list, but if you've got a few Rands to spare and are looking for that idyllic safari escape you'd do well to try the luxurious Sanbona Wildlife Reserve in the Klein Karoo.

The scenic Route 62 from Cape Town to Oudtshoorn is probably better known for its lush vineyards and quaint country towns than Big Five safaris, but when a rather large earthquake in 1969 (the same one that flattened Tulbagh) shifted the tectonic plates and turned off the springs that fed many of the fields of fruit trees between Montagu and Barrydale, the Klein Karoo reclaimed its own.

Sanbona (www.sanbona.com) has two lodges, but the historic Tilney Manor is without doubt the main attraction. Once the manor house of a thriving fruit farm dating back to the 1800s, there are just six luxurious suites on offer, so first-name service and homely hospitality is guaranteed. The manor house has comfortable lounges and a cosy dining room, but the suites are the real highlight here.
Private verandahs overlooking the vastness of the Klein Karoo, beds big enough for Jacob Zuma and all his wives, romantic free-standing baths and naughty outdoor showers make this a fantastic romantic getaway.
Given the harsh landscape you're unlikely to see large herds of game stampeding across the horizon, but the magic of Sanbona is that this is the only real Big Five reserve in the Western Cape, where the ecosystem by and large looks after itself. There are no animals in large bomas, no feeding and no tour buses pulling in for their zoofari experience.
Swing south off Route 62 and the N2 freeway will bring you to the lush foothills of the Langeberg Mountains near the town of George. Here, the Garden Route Game Lodge (www.grgamelodge.co.za) marks the entrance to South Africa's world famous Garden Route coast. This malaria-free private game reserve is home to an abundance of animal and bird life including the Big Five, and is a popular stop for visitors touring from Cape Town up the east coast.

Eastern Cape
Hop to the eastern end of the Garden Route, past Port Elizabeth, and you reach what is perhaps the fastest growing safari destination in South Africa. Since Shamwari Game Reserve first brought the Big Five experience to the Eastern Cape in 1992, the stretch of N2 between Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown has mushroomed into one of the most popular game-viewing areas in the country; a malaria-free book-end to the traditional tourist route up the Garden Route from Cape Town.



Shamwari (www.shamwari.com) certainly lays claim to having the most land given over to big game in this part of the world, but there are a host of lodges offering top-notch accommodation with decent game-viewing to boot. One of my favourites is Pumba Private Game Reserve (www.pehotels.co.za/pumba), about 75 minutes drive from PE. The Eastern Cape has never been a hotbed of chic design and innovation, but evidently the designers of Pumba Water Lodge had some brought in special.

The 12 thatched cottages all open onto their own private timber deck with outdoor shower and plunge pool just a stone's throw from the Kariega Lake. Was that a hippo in the night, or your partner snoring? You're close enough to wonder which…

The Addo Elephant National Park (www.sanparks.org/parks/addo) is also in the area, so if pachyderms are your pet favourite then you'd do well to stop by. The reserve also offers a range of self-catering accommodation to suit all pockets.

KwaZulu-Natal
Speaking of elephants, the Elephant Coast in the far northern reaches of KwaZulu-Natal is the place to zoom to for a 'beach-and-bush-safari'. There are safari lodges spread throughout Zululand and the Elephant Coast offering everything from Zulu history to scuba diving and whale-watching along with your safari getaway.

Amakhosi, in the heart of Zululand, is a pretty regal place to end up. Meaning 'Place of Kings', the lodge is situated on the banks of the Mkuze River surrounded by the 12 000ha AmaZulu Private Game Reserve and offers just six luxurious River Suites, along with two Umntwana river suites for that special romantic getaway.

A touch further north, the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park has been renamed the iSimangaliso Wetland Park to reflect the various attractions that make up this enormous World Heritage site, which include Kosi Bay, Lake Sibaya, Sodwana Bay, Mkhuze Game Reserve, Lake St Lucia, Cape Vidal and Kosi Bay.

Unless you're working on your tan, the heat of summer in KZN could see you spending your safari at the poolside to escape the heat and humidity, and with balmy weather almost year-round there's no reason to suffer in the mid-summer sun. Only mad dogs and Englishmen, remember…

There's no threat of malaria in KZN except for the far northern corner bordering Mozambique, but even that is only really a problem in the height of summer.

Limpopo & North West
Completely malaria-free is the Waterberg region of Limpopo; a wild part of the province which is proving popular as a weekend getaway for stressed out Gauties. The heart of the area is the Waterberg Biosphere, which was declared a protected area by UNESCO in 2001, and the reserves in the area are bringing conservation and eco-tourism to an area better-known for hunting farms and biltong makers.

Tucked away near Vaalwater, Ka’Ingo Private Reserve & Spa is the kind of place where you leave your airs and graces at the door. No stuck-up tourists allowed. It may be five-star, and it is part of the prestigious African Pride portfolio (www.africanpridehotels.com), but Ka'Ingo is the kind of place where kids can run on the grass (the lodge is fenced, in case you were worried) and the rangers join you for a beer after your game drive. There's no haute cuisine here either… it's potjies, barbecues and South African favourites all the way, whipped up from morning till night. It's good rib-sticking stuff that'll ward off the icy nights in Limpopo – it gets cold up here in winter, so don't be shy to pack your woollies.

Also popular as a weekend getaway from Gauteng is the Pilanesberg National Park near Sun City, where you'll find lodges such as Ivory Tree and Kwa Maritane. A little further afield, the Madikwe Game Reserve is famous for its packs of wild dogs. Also malaria-free, Madikwe covers 75 000 hectares of prime game-viewing bush where you can also expect to see Black and White Rhino, plains game and over 300 species of birds.