South Africa The Southern Beauty

South Africa, located on the very southernmost tip of the African continent, has a broad range of cultural diversity, wildlife and plant life making it a great place to visit. The country has a large and varied wildlife given the wide number of climatic zones and varied landscape and is home to some of the worlds most renowned wildlife parks, game reserves and lodging enthralling all those who visit given its uniqueness from a wildlife perspective.

The country's efforts to retain its game life is well documented and its efforts to protect numerous elephant and its big cat populations has ensured that this South African region still enjoys a hugely varied wildlife for all those who visit. The population of elephants in Kruger has risen from a mere 120 elephants in the early 1900's to over 10,000 today in Kruger alone. Another animal brought back from the bring of extinction is the famous white Rhino which can also be seen in abundance in Kruger.

The biggest game reserves in South Africa are commonly referred to as the Big Five, however there are a number of smaller game reserves which offer a more pleasant, affordable and intimate experience when visiting South Africa. All in all there are approximately twenty game reserves worth visiting, each one vying for visitors based on different ecosystems, micro climates and vegetation unique to the landscape of the area. There is also a broad range of accommodation to suit visitors which vary from stays in traditional tribal villages, game lodges, hotels or for the brave at heart why not stay in a township where you will experience the cultural diversity on offer. For those who wish to enjoy a first world holiday experience there is a broad range of accommodation to suit every budget and taste from sophisticated luxurious hotels, theme parks, restaurants and very clean beaches.

In search for an exceptional wildlife experience, it is hard to beat the variety on offer in South Africa's Savannah regions and the famous Bushveld area. Kruger is world renowned and it is probably the oldest and largest of South Africa game parks. Upon visiting Kruger you can expect to see a variety of big cat species such as the lion, tiger with other main animal features being the abundance of white rhino, leopard and with over 20,000 buffalo there is always preying to be seen. In addition to these there are over 130 species of mammal and the bird life is world renowned.

Kruger was the first park which was setup in 1898 when the president of South Africa Paul Kruger decided the area needed to be protected from those who sought to destroy the natural wildlife of the country. The Boer war put a stop to this initiative temporarily however British influence and finance was used to further protect the area with the development of the Sabie Game reserve which was later joined to form the larger Kruger Game Park reserve. The park was opened to the public in the 1920's at currently the park is approximately 350 km in length and about 65 km in width. The park has become one of South Africa primary tourist destinations attracted by the array of safari options and the superb accommodation facilities that the park boasts.

Traversing the park is a network of access routes which offer a great insight to the huge variety of wildlife and coupled with the huge variety of guided touring options, bush walks, experienced rangers and wildlife treks available the park is a must see sanctuary for all those who visit the country. You can find more South Africa travel information at Gohop.ie.

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Sarah Maple writes for Gohop.ie who offer cheap flights and cheap flights to Cape Town.

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