Cape Town is a city like no other. Glittering high rises sit alongside historic Cape Dutch buildings and Art Deco architecture, all embraced by the rugged crags of Table Mountain and the ocean. It is, in fact, one of three capital cities in South Africa, offering history, nature and culture in abundance.
With multiple daily direct flights from London, and one-stop flights from several of the UK’s regional airports, Cape Town makes a natural starting point for a South Africa holiday, or a fantastic destination in its own right. But, would a trip to South Africa really be complete without a safari? Luckily, going on a safari from Cape Town is not as difficult as you might think. Within a few hours, you can go from the city centre to a game drive in the vast Little Karoo Desert, so even if you’re short on time, a safari can be easily incorporated into a Cape Town holiday.
Cape Town is situated within the Western Cape, an incredibly diverse and stunning region of South Africa. From the dramatic, rocky coastlines of the Cape Peninsula to the lush Winelands, the arid Karoo desert or the Cape Floral Kingdom, there is a new, mesmerising landscape around every corner.
These dramatic landscapes lend themselves to some incredible safari experiences. On game drives and walking safaris, you can truly immerse yourself in the striking landscapes of the Western Cape. The region houses extraordinary diversity of wildlife, boasting populations of large game, some of the most iconic safari animals, and even rich marine life.
The entirety of the Western Cape is malaria-free, making it an accessible and year-round destination, ideal for both a first safari and returning travellers, as there is a huge range of experiences on offer. Choosing which Western Cape safari reserve you’d like to visit depends on how much time you have, and the kind of safari experience you’d like. Here’s an introduction to three unique safari reserves near Cape Town to help you decide.
Go for: an affordable and accessible ‘Big 5’ safari experience near Cape Town
In as little as an hour-and-a-half’s drive from Cape Town, you can reach Aquila Private Game Reserve. This 10,000 hectare private conservancy is situated in the Little Karoo Desert, between the Langeberg and Outeniqua Mountains. The landscape is rugged, breathtaking and rich in wildlife.
Boasting one of the most accessible options for a safari near Cape Town, Aquila Private Game Reserve offers several experiences, starting at half day safari tours, up to multi-day packages. You can really tailor your Aquila experience based on your budget and time.
Aquila Private Game Reserve aims to offer an authentic African adventure close to the city. Despite being just a stone’s throw from Cape Town, there is certainly no shortage of wildlife. All of the ‘Big 5’ safari animals can be found at Aquila (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo), alongside giraffe, zebra, hippo, ostrich, wildebeest, springbok and an abundance of birdlife.
If you’re only in Cape Town as a stopover or a short city break, then incorporating a half day Aquila safari is a great option. You can choose between an early morning safari, an afternoon, or a sunset safari, which includes a two or three hour game drive, and time to enjoy Aquila’s facilities and dining options.
Aquila’s full day safari packages have a range of options to choose from. As well as traditional 4×4 safaris, you can explore Aquila Private Game Reserve on a quad bike tour or on horseback.
For overnight stays at Aquila, there are three accommodation options, from a budget-friendly lodge to luxurious cottages. There are a range of facilities to enjoy between game drives, including a swimming pool, a spa, a fire pit, and a gift shop. Dining in the restaurant is buffet-style, featuring a huge range of South African and international cuisine, and there is a bar where you can enjoy a traditional sundowner.
There are several ways of getting to Aquila Private Game Reserve from Cape Town. The drive takes between one-and-a-half to two hours, and it is an easy enough route, if you’ve hired a car. Simply follow the scenic N1 out of Cape Town, towards Worcester, winding through the Cape Winelands. Taking the R46 turnoff from the N1, and you’ll find the entrance to Aquila about 3km along the road.
Aquila also offer shared transfers between Cape Town and the reserve. The mini buses seat up to 10 guests, and there are several standard transfer times each day. Although it’s important to note that, for some of the half day safaris, transfers are not available so you have to self drive. Private transfers are also available, at an additional cost, if you’d like to be collected from the airport, or outside of the standard transfer times.
Go for: a luxurious, conservation focused ‘Big 5’ safari.
Sanbona is one of South Africa’s largest privately-owned nature reserves. Spanning 62,000 hectares, the reserve’s protected ecosystems are real biodiversity hotspots, housing rich wildlife. Around three-and-a-half hours’ drive from Cape Town, Sanbona Wildlife Reserve sits within the Little Karoo Desert, a fascinating ecosystem of dramatic cliffs and vast arid desert, dotted with succulent vegetation.
While Aquila can be easily combined into a shorter Cape Town itinerary, with the day trip safaris, Sanbona Wildlife Reserve lends itself to longer, more luxurious safari experience. As it sits off South Africa’s scenic Route 62, just outside Montagu, Sanbona makes the perfect safari destination for combining with a visit to the Winelands or a road trip along the Garden Route.
There are several accommodation options available within Sanbona Wildlife Reserve, from a tented camp, to a luxury lodge, or family-focused stays. Each, however, offers a more luxurious experience, with swimming pools, spas and high-end dining options.
The activities on offer are elevated too, upholding a focus around conservation and education. Staying at Sanbona Wildlife Reserve, you can enjoy ‘Nature Drives’, travelling through two different biomes, and diverse habitats including the Karoo’s quartz fields. These landscapes are home to an abundance of wildlife, with the ‘Big 5’ living alongside giraffes, cheetahs, hippos zebras and antelope. As well as the chance to spot wildlife, there is an emphasis on learning about the environments they live in. Sanbona offer nature walks, so you can get even closer to the flora and fauna, or you can enjoy expert-led tours. You can also enjoy birdwatching excursions, searching for some of the 200 species that can be found at Sanbona.
Beyond the wildlife, you can enjoy fantastic stargazing, thanks to the minimal light pollution in the Klein Karoo. With a high-powered telescope, a dedicated ranger will use a laser point to guide you through the different constellations.
The easiest way to get to Sanbona Wildlife Reserve from Cape Town is to self drive. This takes around three-and-a-half hours, and the route is scenic. You are able to drive right up to your chosen lodge when you reach Sanbona, but you’ll ideally need a 4×4 vehicle for driving within the park. You may encounter large game during your drive in the reserve, so make sure to go slowly and stick to marked roads.
If you prefer not to drive, private road transfers or even charter flights can be arranged, but they come at an additional cost.
Go for: ‘Marine Big 5’ safaris and an immersive, restful escape into nature.
Grootbos Nature Reserve may not be the first place that comes to mind when you’re seeking a safari. You won’t find any of the ‘Big 5’ game in the reserve, but you will find extraordinary biodiversity in a different way. The reserve’s 3,500 hectares encompass forest-clad mountains, wild flowers meadows and a striking coastline, rich with marine life.
Going on unique water safaris you can discover the ‘Marine Big 5’, whales, sharks, dolphins, seals and penguins. It is also a place where you can just totally retreat into nature, enjoy the stunning scenery, and learning about the region’s incredible flora and fauna.
Grootbos Private Nature Reserve offers a unique safari experience. Encompassing sprawling wild flower meadows, forest-clad mountains and a striking coastline, the reserve offers incredible biodiversity. It sits between the towns of Gansbaai and Hermanus, both known for their rich marine life, making Grootbos an incredible desination for water safaris. You can see all of the ‘Marine Big 5’ animals from Grootbos: whales, sharks, dolphins, seals and penguins.
Sitting in the heart of the ‘Cape Floral Kingdom’, the plant-life within Grootbos Nature Reserve is also spectacular. Led by an expert guide, you can enjoy a botanical 4×4 tour, learning more about the landscapes that surround you. In addition to marine and nature safaris, there is a huge variety of activities on offer. These include horse riding, hiking, bird watching, fatbike tours, river cruising, shark cave diving, wine tasting and more.
Within Grootbos Nature Reserve there are several options for accommodation, each with a boutique and luxurious feel. With a private deck to soak in the views, a plunge pool to cool off in after a day out on safari, and gourmet dining showcasing local ingredients, staying at Grootbos invites you to slow down and relax.
Driving to Grootbos Nature Reserve from Cape Town takes around two hours. Take the N2, continuing over Sir Lowry’s Pass and turning onto the R43 after Houhoek Pass and driving through Hermanus. Grootbos Private Nature Reserve is also easily accessible from the Garden Route. The N2 brings you west past Swellendam and Riviersonderend, 10km past Riviersonderend turn onto the R326 to Stanford, where you join the R43, following it for 13km to reach Grootbos.
Although it is further from the city, the Eastern Cape also makes a fantastic malaria-free safari destination from Cape Town. The region is made up of diverse landscapes, from the semi-arid Karoo Desert in the west, to the temperate rainforests of the Tsitsikamma region.
All of the main Eastern Cape safari reserves are home to the ‘Big 5’ safari animals (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino), many of which have been successfully reintroduced to the region through conservation projects. Wildlife like zebra, giraffe, hippo, antelope and cheetah are also commonly sighted within the Eastern Cape, so the game viewing in the region certainly rivals many of South Africa’s more popular safari destinations.
From Cape Town, the Eastern Cape is accessible on a self drive, following the scenic Garden Route, so the journey itself becomes a highlight of the holiday. Alternatively, a short domestic flight to Port Elizabeth or to a reserve’s private airstrip means you can reach the Eastern Cape in just a few hours. Most lodges can arrange private transfers from Port Elizabeth airport as part of your package, with the drive typically taking around an hour. This accessibility means an Eastern Cape safari pairs perfectly with a Cape Town city break, or it makes an excellent addition to a Cape Town and Garden Route itinerary.
There is a variety of private safari reserves within the Eastern Cape, each offering a different experience. Here’s an introduction to two fantastic Eastern Cape reserves, that are some of the the most accessible from Cape Town.
Go for: a luxuious ‘Big 5’ safari near the Garden Route.
Situated along the Bushman’s River, just an hour from Gqwberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), Shamwari Private Game Reserve is one of South Africa’s most prestigous safari destinations. Spanning 25,000 hectares, five different biomes converge within Shamwari, creating a unique and spectacular habitat.
Conservation is at the heart of the experience at Shamwari Game Reserve. It offers an intimate and immsersive safari, the perfect contrast after you’ve explored the hustle and bustle of Cape Town. With Garden Route itineraries typically drawing to a close in Gqwberha (Port Elizabeth), a safari in Shamwari Game Reserve also makes a perfect addition to a self drive or guided tour of the Garden Route.
Shamwari offers an exclusive and luxurious safari experience. As it’s easy to reach from Cape Town or Port Elizabeth, and it is malaria-free, it is still an accessible destination for all travellers.
There are a range of experiences on offer to discover Shamwari’s wildlife. You can enjoy thrilling game drives in an open game vehicle, opt for an adventurous and immerseive bush walk, led by an expert guide, or even cruise along Bushman’s River, where you can spot incredible birdlife and groups of elephant or antelope as they gather at the water’s edge.
There are several safari lodges, all boutique and sophisticated, but catering to different preferences, with a more traditional tented lodge, a luxurious manor house, and a family-focused option. Each lodge offers gourmet dining, exceptional service and a range of safari experiences.
To drive to Shamwari Game Reserve from Cape Town, following the Garden Route is a great option. The scenic N2 highway links the Western and Eastern Capes, and it is takes a stunning, winding journey along the coastline. In total, the journey takes around 10 hours, so it’s best to break it up, spending about four days travelling from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, embracing all that the Garden Route has to offer along the way.
Alternatively, you can fly from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, then either drive or get a transfer for the hour’s journey to the reserve. Shamwari Private Game Reserve also has its own airstrip, so you can get a charter flight from Cape Town directly to the reserve.
Go for: a relaxed and intimate ‘Big 5’ safari just off the Garden Route.
In the heart of the Eastern Cape, and just 45 minutes from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), Amakhala Game Reserve offers incredible safaris, exploring the reserve’s 7,500 hectares of wilderness. The region’s diverse landscapes are really showing off at Amakhala, with scenery from vast open plains to riverine bush and sandstone mountains.
These varied landscapes are home to a rich population of wildlife. Alongside the ‘Big 5’, you can spot giraffe, zebra, springbok, cheetah and an abundance of birdlife. Amakhala is known for its strong focus on conseration, having been transformed from working farmland back into a thriving natural habitat, with many native species reintroduced.
At Amakhala, safaris feel immersive and unhurried. With two opportunities for game drives or other safari activities each day, led by an expert ranger, you can enjoy incredible wildlife sightings that feel off-the-beaten track. As well as traditional game drives, you can navigate trails on horseback, following in the footsteps of explorers. Walking safaris are also on offer, either opt for a ‘Non-Big 5’ tour, that teaches you about the incredible landscapes that the reserve encompasses and encounters small game, or you can track the ‘Big 5’ with the help of an experienced guide.
The reserve’s accommodation is varied, each boasting its own personality as they are run by individual hosts. From stylish safari lodges to intimate tented camps and family-friendly options, they all offer warm hospitality, all-inclusive dining and the perfect place to relax after a day of exploring the bush.
Reaching Amakhala from Cape Town is fairly straightforward, and it fits seamlessly into a Garden Route itinerary. The most popular option is to drive along the N2 (the Garden Route) so you can take in the region’s striking coastal scenery, spending a few days winding your way along to the Eastern Cape.
If you don’t fancy driving, it takes around an hour-and-a-half to fly from Cape Town to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). It’s then around a 45 minute transfer to Amakhala Game Reserve.
Going on a safari near Cape Town is much easier than you might first think, and there are lots of options. Choosing your perfect safari destination from Cape Town depends on your personal preference, and what kind of experience you’d like. Factors like the amount of time you have, and any other destinations you’d like to incorpoate also come into play.
At FREEDOM, our Africa Experts would be delighted to help you plan your perfect safari holiday, but here’s a summary to help you get started:
When you’re ready to start planning your trip, simply get in touch with our Africa Experts, or browse the itineraries below for some inspiration.
Cape Town | Stellenbosch | Oudtshoorn | Knysna | Plettenberg Bay | Port Elizabeth | Shamwari | Port Alfred
Cape Town | Grootbos Nature Reserve | Sanbona Wildlife Reserve
Cape Town | Stellenbosch | Shamwari Game Reserve
Cape Town | Stellenbosch | Oudtshoorn | Knysna | Plettenberg Bay | Port Elizabeth | Shamwari | Port Alfred
Cape Town | Grootbos Nature Reserve | Sanbona Wildlife Reserve
Cape Town | Stellenbosch | Shamwari Game Reserve
Grace joined the Marketing Team at Freedom Destinations after she returned from three months backpacking around Australia. Her long-haul travels have also taken her to Canada, the U.S. and South East Asia so far, but her destination wish list is far from complete!
