·· Malaria-Free Safari:
The Big Five Without the Bugs
FOR those travelers who do not want to use anti-malaria medication, South Africa has a number of superb malaria free wildlife destinations in Addo, Madikwe, Pilanesberg and Waterberg - the only true malaria-free safari regions in Africa, although Etosha in Namibia can also be considered as it is an extremely low risk malaria region.
As these areas are free of the malaria carrying Anopheles mosquito, they are obviously also good choices for family safaris, and the traveler will find a number of child-friendly safari lodges available in Addo, Madikwe, Pilanesberg and Waterberg reserves. Of these parks, the best prospects for encountering the Big Five are Addo and Madikwe.
Madikwe Game Reserve lies on the border of South Africa and Botswana and is a one hour flight out of Johannesburg, the main international entry point into Southern Africa. The park can also be accessed by self drive - it is a 5 hour drive west of Johannesburg International Airport, where you can collect a car rental.
En route to Madikwe, the traveler can spend one or two nights in the Pilanesberg National Park. The famous Sun City resort with its casinos, Valley of the Waves and ongoing entertainment, is another good stopover for travelers wanting fun and amusement alongside a safari.
Madikwe - which has a wonderful diversity of landscapes and vegetation - not only boasts the Big Five, but also has Cheetah and Wild Dogs, making it a "Super Seven" reserve.
The Waterberg region is a 2 to 3 hour drive north of Johannesburg, and can also easily be combined with Madikwe. There are a number of superb family safari lodges in Waterberg, also offering horse riding, mountain biking and other exciting adventures for young and old.
Addo Elephant Park lies near the south-eastern coast of South Africa, close to the city of Port Elizbeth, which is well linked by air to Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, so it is also an easy self drive option and makes a great start or end point to a vacation which includes Cape Town and the beautiful Garden Route.
Addo is constantly being enlarged and will ultimately be one of the largest parks in South Africa, stretching from the high escarpment mountains of the Eastern Cape down to the rocky shores of the Indian Ocean.
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