Eastern Cape, South Africa

• Wild Coast Meander – 5 day portered walking trail in superb coastal scenery
• Horse-riding and hiking in the Zuurberg mountains
• Attractive colonial architecture in Grahamstown and Graaff-Reinet
• Superb links golf courses at Port Elizabeth, St Francis and Port St Alfred

When to visit and How to get there
The Eastern Cape is in the transitional climate zone ie. it doesn’t have a distinct winter or summer rainfall pattern (though the rain falls mainly at night). As such it stays fairly lush and green year round. Generally the best time to visit is from August to early May. The winter months in the interior game reserves can get very cold, though the coast stays warmer.

The Eastern Cape is often combined with the Garden Route as you simply continue east from the Garden Route to Port Elizabeth and the malaria-free game reserves beyond (3 to 3½ hours drive). You can drive directly to the game lodges or you can be transferred from Port Elizabeth. You can also fly direct to Port Elizabeth from Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban.

Reasons to visit Eastern Cape

Malaria-free Game Reserves

If you have young children, or you don’t wish, or cannot, take anti-malaria medication, South Africa is unique in offering a number of malaria-free Game Reserves. It used to be that you had a make a trade-off between the quality of the game-viewing and the absence of malaria, but this is increasingly not the case as a number of the non-malaria reserves, Madikwe Game Reserve, the Waterberg, the Pilanesberg and the Eastern Cape game reserves, offer the Big Five (elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino and leopard) as well as plenty of general game. All of these area have witnessed a heart-warming return to wildlife conservation with a number of farms restored to natural bushveld, and the largest restocking of wildlife that Africa has ever seen. What is fair to say is that the Eastern Cape and the Pilanesberg are more accessible than the traditional safari areas. This means reduced travelling time but the greater accessibility can also translate into less of an ‘African safari’ feel. However this is not the case with Madikwe Private Game reserve and the Waterberg which lie in the far North-West of South Africa. We have visited most of the game lodges and can discuss the relative merits of each one.

• Jaci's Tree Lodge, Madikwe Game Reserve

Eastern Cape Family Safaris

The Eastern Cape has made quite a speciality of Family-friendly safaris given its proximity to the Garden Route, its malaria-free status and its adjacent Indian Ocean beaches. However be aware that there’s a knack to choosing which family-friendly game lodge is right for your family. Some of them have a very set children’s programme with kiddie game drives for younger children (usually 7 and under) and earlier meal times. This suits some, but not all, families. Other want to go on game drives as a family and spend quality time with each other. We have visited very lodge in the Eastern Cape and so are adept at being able to discuss the nuances with you.

• Mark's Camp in Lalibela Game Reserve

The Safari Experience at a private game reserve

So what is the pattern of a safari when staying at a private game reserve? This varies slightly from lodge to lodge but each aims to build their safari experience around the behaviour of the wildlife. You head out early in the moning on a open 4x4 game vehicle as this is the time when the animals are most active and often on the hunt. Your ranger is a font of knowledge about animal behaviour and so can help you interpret what you are seeing. You return in time for a late, and keenly awaited breakfast. Sometimes this takes the form of a brunch. The pattern of morning and evening game drives allows time in the middle of the day for relaxation in the comfort and luxury of the lodge. The 'chase' begins again in the late afternoon, with another game drive, which continues after dark. This just gives you time to swap safari tales over an excellent dinner, before you get an early night - in preparation for more pre-dawn excitement! At least one, if not all of your evening meals are likely to be taken in an open 'boma', under the stars around an open fire. Particularly informative are the guided bush walks with a tracker, which enable you to get closer to some of the smaller creatures and flora of the bush.