South Africa: Serene, Spirited & Secretive Safari Adventures

Being serenaded by the glorious song of southern double-collared sunbirds is one thing; having Cape mongoose and rock hyrax running across my feet is another. But the real scene-stealer is happening far ahead of the white horses dancing across Walker Bay before me, where a breaching whale appears to be having the time of its life.

While I sit here on Hermanus’ famous cliff top path, basking in warm spring sunshine, I can see a catamaran in proximity to the spectacle. Just a few hours earlier, we’d been aboard her ourselves, enjoying close encounters of our own kind.

Our introduction to whale watching began with a humpback surfacing directly off our bow, just as we’d set our sights on a pair of southern right whales. The calf had been inquisitive, and the female, wonderfully indulgent of her offspring. For the best part of the morning, we’d observed the ‘little’ one use Mum as an anchor – resting its tail on her and rolling over and over as it manoeuvred position, boldly coming ever closer to gaze up at us and contemplate our existence. The appreciation was mutual.

Our second whale-watch was sublime, characterised by baby breaches bathed in opalescent light, whilst low cloud cover blurred the line between sea and sky, creating an exquisitely hazy backdrop. Our third and final trip featured lob-tailing, lunging and perhaps ten or so cetaceans stretching along the dune-lined horizon. Cape fur seals photobombed our images, African penguins delighted, and our four-hour lunch pairing at Creation Wines was simply sensational.

Clearly our South Africa’s Wildlife of Land & Sea had got off to a good start, but the gratification continued when we flew on to Klaserie in the Greater Kruger area.

An obliging African wildcat kick-started proceedings, and spotted hyenas proved to be at the forefront of the action, popping up repeatedly during our stay. We found them within a pack of wild dogs with pups (literally), loitering for scraps at a leopard kill, being chased off by a pair of territorial black-backed jackals, and having a stand-off with lions over a blue wildebeest carcass.

Watching herds of elephants visit our waterhole from the pool between drives, and an afternoon spent with a crash of white rhino, were other highlights. All in all, we were nothing short of spoilt.

So, that’s the serene and spirited covered from our title – but what about the secretive? Well, venture off the beaten track, deep into the interior, on our South Africa’s Rare Mammals & Birds itinerary, and all shall be revealed. The reward for extended night drives included tens of aardwolf sightings and four aardvarks for starters. Yes, you read that correctly, but feel free to read it again.

We also observed striped polecat, brown hyena, eastern rock sengi (elephant shrew), bat-eared fox, Cape fox, roan and sable, plus there’s potential for caracal, black-footed cat and meerkats too – making this trip a winner for uncommon, sought-after species.

South Africa’s national bird, the blue crane, was prevalent, as were a myriad of raptors and owls during the search for Ludwig’s and kori bustard, Karoo, blue and northern black korhaan, and more. Our trip culminated in a stay at the Madikwe Game Reserve, home to the Big Five, and where cheetah, wild dogs and lions with cubs on kills were simply the icing on the cake.

Lastly, our Kalahari Conservation Experience in Green Season also came up trumps, with ongoing wild dog, cheetah and pangolin monitoring sitting comfortably alongside sightings of black and white rhino, Kalahari lion and newborn wildebeest. Migrant birds were in attendance too – all framed by a wildflower-filled, verdant wilderness of astounding natural beauty.

If you've been inspired by Helen, you can find our whole collection of South Africa wildlife holidays on our country page. For further information and guidance, contact our expert team today.