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In many respects, the Eastern Cape is a microcosm of the best of South Africa. Here are swathes of surf-lashed beaches, big industrial cities, desert horizons and green and quiet walking trails winding over mountain passes and along coastal cliffs.

And while safaris in the Eastern Cape may not pack the same punch as in Kruger, there is still plenty wildlife here and a diverse network of national parks and game reserves in which to enjoy the animals.

Read on for my essential guide to the best safaris and game reserves in the Eastern Cape.

Addo Elephant National Park South Africa

Addo Elephant National Park, one of the Eastern Cape's top safari highlights

The best Eastern Cape safaris

The best game reserves in the Eastern Cape

Eastern Cape

Shamwari Game Reserve

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler
Place

Best game reserve for: Family holidays and luxury lodges Perhaps the best regarded — and most exclusive — of all the private game reserves in the Eastern Cape, Shamwari is a short drive to the east of Addo Elephant National Park. Like that park, it is home to a large number of classic African safari mammals including rhinos, elephants and lions. What makes this park really stand out from the wildebeest herd is the range of activities available alongside classic safari drives. There’s a rhino awareness centre, a big cat sanctuary, plus field guide courses and conservation volunteer opportunities for those who want a deeper look at South African conservation techniques. With a dedicated children’s coordinator and a range of child-friendly activities, this is one of the better family safari destinations in the country. Shamwari is only open to guests at its very plush lodges and the Edwardian manor house.

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Eastern Cape

Addo Elephant National Park

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler
Place

This, one of South Africa’s largest national parks, is best known for its namesake elephants. But this diverse park, which includes river valleys, mountains, savannahs, forests and beaches, has much more to offer. A few lions saunter in and out of the shadows, and buffalo, various antelope and even rhino are all present, but there are also plenty of unexpected safari animals including Cape fur seals, penguins, southern right whales and — for those brave enough to go for a paddle — great white sharks. But it’s those elephants that most people come to see. When the park was formed back in the 1930s there were fewer than a dozen elephants here. Today there are more than 600 and sightings are almost a given. As well as fantastic wildlife, Addo has excellent tourist facilities and accommodation, easy access, a good road network and, with hiking, kayaking and horse riding, plenty of activities to get you out of the cramped safari vehicle. This is also one of the better family safari destinations.

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Eastern Cape

Amakhala Game Reserve

Anthony Ham
Anthony Ham
Place

Of all the private reserves in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, Amakhala is my pick. Relatively unheralded and yet filled with animals, it offers the kind of safari experience that will appeal to families as well as to veteran safari visitors. Big cat, elephant and rhino sightings are consistently excellent, and the habitat here enables an unusual range of activities, from standard game drives in an open-sided 4WD to walking safaris and boat trips.

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Eastern Cape

Lalibela Game Reserve

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler
Place

Best game reserve for: The Big Five and big city access Spanning five different ecosystems and home to an impressive range of plants and animals, this malaria-free, Big Five reserve is the only private reserve in the Eastern Cape that has no public roads running through it. This means that the wildlife here (which as well as the Big Five also includes zebra, impala, giraffe, cheetah and jackal among others) can be seen in a still and pristine environment that feels a long way from human hands. Fortunately though, civilisation and a gin and tonic are always on hand at one of the park’s luxury lodges. Being only about an hour from Addo Elephant National Park and the city of Port Elizabeth, means that Lalibela is easily reached.

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Eastern Cape

Kwantu Private Game Reserve

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler
Place

Best game reserve for: Family holidays and Big Five safaris At 6,000 hectares, the Kwantu Private Game Reserve is a relatively small reserve by African standards, but with all the Big Five present as well as a host of less celebrated creatures it’s easy to fill several safari days here. As with many Eastern Cape reserves, a heart-pumping vehicle safari is not the only reason to visit. The reserve also offers swimming pools, top-class accommodation, a domestic animal “touch” farm, herb garden, reptile centre, museum and sports. This is also a highly recommended family safari park. The reserve is open to day visitors (although they must use park vehicles and have a guide) which can reduce the exclusivity aspect a little.

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Eastern Cape

Kariega Game Reserve

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler
Place

Best game reserve for: Big city access and self-drive safaris The family-owned and managed Kariega is a 10,000-hectare private reserve made up of former ranch and farmland. Restocked, as almost all the parks and reserves in Eastern Cape have been, with native wildlife that was wiped out in the 1800s and 1900s, Kariega today has thriving populations of all the classic large mammals of southern Africa. The coastal bush and lush river valleys give the reserve a rare scenic beauty. With a combination of quality accommodation, superb guides, lots of different activities and proximity to the beaches of the Garden Route, Kariega is almost the perfect destination for a short safari break.

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Eastern Cape

Pumba Game Reserve

Stuart Butler
Stuart Butler
Place

Best game reserve for: The Big Five and big city access Being very close to the sprawling city of Port Elizabeth and open to day guests (though only those who take one of the reserve’s organised safaris), means that Pumba Game Reserve receives a lot more visitors than some of the region’s remoter parks. As with any Eastern Cape reserve worth its salt, Pumba has all the Big Five as well cheetah, hippo, 300-odd bird species and unusual white lions. Alongside safaris, other activities include walking safaris, nocturnal game drives, specialist birding safaris, fishing, archery — and there’s even a spa for good measure.

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  • Shamwari Game Reserve

    Shamwari Game Reserve

  • Addo Elephant National Park

    Addo Elephant National Park

  • Amakhala Game Reserve

    Amakhala Game Reserve

  • Lalibela Game Reserve

    Lalibela Game Reserve

  • Kwantu Private Game Reserve

    Kwantu Private Game Reserve

  • Kariega Game Reserve

    Kariega Game Reserve

  • Pumba Game Reserve

    Pumba Game Reserve

Giraffe Kariega Game Reserve south africa

Giraffe in Kariega Game Reserve

Featured Safaris

Eastern Cape safaris: Need to know

Everything you wish you'd known before you booked

With easy access from major travel hubs, excellent tourist infrastructure and the possibility of slotting beaches, Cape Town and other attractions into the mix, the Eastern Cape is one of the most rewarding and deservedly popular wildlife destinations in South Africa, with a range of parks to explore.

In general, the parks and reserves in this region are smaller than those in the northern half of the country and lack something of the grand scale and wilderness found in other areas. Even so, with all the Big Five present, this is a great short safari destination.

Anthony Ham
By Anthony Ham

Going on safari in the Eastern Cape always feels a little like cheating. But why shouldn’t we see elephants and big cats and other safari specials not far from world-class beaches and the peerless city of Cape Town? Smaller reserves add to the sense of safaris that are custom-made for slotting into an all-round South African holiday.

Eastern Cape safari wildlife

The Eastern Cape contains many different ecosystems and this is reflected in the large range of different, and very diverse, species found here. How diverse? Well what would you think if we said that in the morning you could watch a lion yawning under the shade of a spreading acacia tree, and in the afternoon you could giggle at penguins, those classics of the ice-pack, waddling comically up a sub-tropical beach?

All of the reserves and parks listed here are home to buffalo, elephant, rhino, lion and leopard as well as a multitude of other big mammals. But the bird life is equally spectacular and includes some regional endemics. Talking of endemics, who would want to miss out on a date with the flightless dung beetle, Addo Elephant National Park’s endemic insect! Okay, so a photo of it isn’t going to wow your friends the way a picture of a snorting hippo might, but it does go to show what a depth of wildlife watching opportunities the Eastern Cape has.

Eastern Cape is a wildlife-watching destination all year round, but the prime months are April, when the summer rains should have ceased, the countryside is lush and green, and the temperatures are pleasant, and September and October when spring flowers bud in the semi-desert Karoo area.

Best time for Eastern Cape safaris

Eastern Cape is a wildlife-watching destination all year round, but the prime months are April — when the summer rains should have ceased, the countryside is lush and green, and the temperatures are pleasant — and September and October when spring flowers bud in the semi-desert Karoo area.

Back from the brink

Hunting and alternative land use decimated populations of large mammals throughout Eastern Cape in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, most of the private reserves in the region have been restocked with native wildlife and numbers of all the big mammals are rising fast.

About the author

The best Eastern Cape safaris

Stuart Butler

Stuart is an award-winning travel journalist covering safari, trekking and conservation in Kenya and Tanzania for the Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, BBC, Bradt Travel Guides, amongst many others. He is the author of Walking With The Maasai, a journey through some of Kenya's lesser-visited Maasai lands.

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