Scattered along the unfenced western boundary of the world-renowned Kruger National Park, private game reserves combine with the Kruger to establish one of the world’s largest game reserves. This incredible destination offers visitors excellent Big Five game viewing opportunities and an array of luxury safari accommodation complete with world-class cuisine, relaxing spas and private pools. Visitors can look forward to fascinating night-drive safaris, guided nature walks, and open-top safari adventures. Some of these prestigious private reserves include: Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve, Thornybush Private Game Reserve, and Timbavati Private Game Reserve, to name a few.
Situated just north of Mbombela in Mpumalanga, South Africa, White River is a quiet, peaceful town made up of a large farming community. Culinary types will delight in the town’s renowned delicious tropical fruits, tasty vegetables and wineries, while history lovers should stroll around town and check out White River’s early Lowveld architecture, or explore the fascinating White River History and Motor Museum. Three dams, thick forests, a picturesque botanical garden, and distinctive rock formations enhance the splendour of the area, making it an ideal base for hiking and nature photography. Several incredible reserves can also be reached easily from here, including the world-famous Kruger National Park. Other highlights include a reptile park, a wonderful art studio, and numerous craft and antique shops. The Born Biking Indoor Skate Park appeals to active travellers.
Known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya—“The Smoke That Thunders”—Victoria Falls is one of the world’s great natural landmarks. Straddling the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe, it forms a vast curtain of water that fills the air with mist and sound. The Zimbabwean side grants the most dramatic views, where mist rises like ghostly curtains and rainbows arc through the spray. Measuring about 1,708 metres across, it is regarded as the largest single continuous sheet of falling water on Earth. The adjacent town of Victoria Falls provides a convenient base for exploring the region, with a wide range of activities from scenic flights and microlight trips to white-water rafting, bungee jumping, kayaking, and safaris into Chobe National Park.
Hwange National Park is Zimbabwe’s largest game reserve and one of its most diverse. The north-western and northern sections of the park highlight this variety particularly well. The north-west features open grasslands, mopane woodland, and wide views stretching toward the Botswana border. These open plains support regular movements of elephant and buffalo, and attract consistent predator activity, especially lions during the dry months when grazers concentrate around water points.
Further north, the landscape becomes more rocky and broken, marked by sandstone outcrops, seasonal streams, and natural springs. These springs hold water long after other areas have dried, drawing wildlife into the region late into the season. This area also carries significant history, with the Bumbusi National Monument, stone ruins, and rock engravings offering insight into early settlement in the park.
Together, these regions show Hwange’s gradual shift from open plains to more rugged, water-dependent terrain, each supporting its own wildlife patterns and habitats.
