South Africa Walking Safaris

How a walking safari in South Africa works

Small groups of guests are led by qualified and experienced game rangers and guides who are skilled at reading tracks and interpreting the bush. You’ll learn about tiny insects and reptiles, how guides track big game and also the finer elements of the fragile ecosystem which surrounds you… and of course if you’re fortunate, you’ll experience exhilarating experience of encountering wildlife on foot, including the Big Five.

Your guides will carry a rifle, but this is only used as a last resort. The purpose of a walking safari is to have a holistic experience, not to put you or the wildlife in a dangerous situation. Often wildlife sightings will be at a greater distance than they would be in a vehicle with the objective being to view the animals peacefully, without disrupting their natural behaviour.

In some instances, walking safaris will encourage you to leave your watches and mobile phones behind (unless you’re using it to take photos), which encourages you experience the freedom of not being bound by time or continuously meeting deadlines and appointments – allowing you to disconnect to reconnect.

Hluhluwe Imfolozi National Park, Kwa Zulu Natal

This is considered by many in the industry to be the true home of walking safaris in South Africa and within this Hluhluwe National Park there are some excellent options available with plenty of wildlife to encounter on foot including the Big Five. Most of the walking safaris take place in the vast wilderness areas of the Imfolozi section of the reserve, taking you over rolling hills, sand-banked rivers, open plains and acacia forests. The reserve has played an integral role in the survival of both the black and white rhino, if you’re lucky you may get to encounter these magnificent creatures on foot.

Kruger National Park

Nearly 50% of the entire Kruger National Park is dedicated to wilderness which means that around half of it is devoid of tourists. These are the areas which the famous wilderness trails take place. Here is just a small selection available of the best walking safaris in the Greater Kruger Area.

Timbavati Private Nature Reserve – Considered to be one of the best options for a walking safari in the Kruger area and is classic Big Five and Game country. As with walking safari in Hluhluwe Imfolozi, there is a myriad of experiences available from the primitive trails where you carry everything you need to be self-sufficient to the base camp trails options. A typical walking safari in the Timbavati lasts three to four days.

Limpopo Trail, Kruger National Park – Located in the northern Pafuri section of Kruger, this walking safari offers the opportunity to explore one of the remotest corners of the national park. Huge forests of fever trees, vast herds of antelope as well as the Big Five. Nights are spent at a base campsite with walks taking place in the morning and afternoon – the middle of the day is spent relaxing around camp.

Klaserie Trail, Klaserie Private Nature Reserve – The least commercially developed of all the Kruger Private Game Reserves, thus offering a truly rustic, remote and pristine wildlife experience. Each day is spent walking through the 8,000 hectare private area and each night is spent in a new location in a fully set up mobile camp site in a scenic location. Klasierie enjoys a high leopard population – can you imagine the adrenaline rush of spotting a leopard on foot, even from a distance?