Malaria-Free Safaris in the Waterberg
The Waterberg has been described by some as South Africa’s best keep secret. Its rugged beauty, together with its diverse plant and animal life, has led to the development of the Waterberg Nature Conservancy, an amalgamation of conservation areas covering more than 150,000 hectares.
The individual reserves that make up this area all vary in size, but are an ideal safari destination for visitors to South Africa who will be arriving or departing through Johannesburg, or spending some time at Sun City. Most are within a comfortable 3-4 hour drive from Johannesburg, meaning that visitors can easily arrive on a morning flight, and be at a game reserve by lunchtime or early afternoon - but certainly on a game drive the same day!
Equally, if you are departing on an evening flight from Johannesburg, you can enjoy your last morning in South Africa out in the bush searching for elephant and lion - safe in the knowledge that you can comfortably be back at the airport in time for a late afternoon/early evening check in at the International Departure Terminal.
Many of the reserves are home to the Big 5 of the African bush - elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo and the elusive shy leopard - as well as the other wildlife you would hope to see on an African safari - so antelope, zebra, giraffe, jackal, hyena, cheetah, warthog may all be seen on game drives if you are lucky. Not to mention an array of birdlife that will keep any birder happily peering through their binoculars.
Other lodges offer horse-back safaris - an exhilarating and intimate way of viewing game in their natural habitat.
Finally, if this is not enough to tempt you, the area is malaria-free, making the lodges a great choice for families and others who want to enjoy the African wildlife without the worry of taking anti-malarial precautions. Several of the lodges can also be taken on an exclusive basis, which is ideal for families or groups of friends travelling together, and who want to enjoy complete personal service and total flexibility.