Safari parks to visit while TEFL teaching in South Africa
TEFL teaching in South Africa is on the up. With more and more destinations across the untamed country now on offer to graduates than ever before, it’s becoming a great place to go and hone your skills in the classroom while adventuring somewhere totally new. And boy is it new! Wild plains of swaying savannah grasses meet rugged mountains, rivers meander and the roaring Southern Ocean whips the cliffs. You’ll see galumphing elephants, lions, Cape buffalo, whales and more…
Sabi Sands Game Reserve
Any folk TEFL teaching in South Africa in need of some luxury on that weekend off would do well to look to the safari packages of the famous Sabi Sands Reserve. With opulent game lodges with four-poster beds, bubbling hot tubs and sweeping views of the Kruger plains, this one’s perfect for unwinding after that tough lesson on gerunds. Oh, yea, and you might just catch a glimpse of a wandering lion pack, a cheetah, or a lanky giraffe while you’re at it!
Garden Route National Park
Forever buffeted by the roaring waves of the Southern Ocean, the craggy walls of rock that delineate the Garden Route National Park eventually give way to a wondrous array of mountain and fynbos habitats. These are packed with bush pigs and Cape mongoose, wild cats and African weasels, making them perfect for anyone in search of a more curious array of creatures. However, it’s the chance to see bottlenose dolphins and splashing whale pods around the coast of Tsitsikamma that really draws the crowds – especially if you’re looking to start checking off that bucket list while TEFL teaching in South Africa!
Addo Elephant National Park
Sat just a stone’s throw from Port Elizabeth (the home of the myTEFL South Africa internship!), the Addo Elephant National Park is certainly one of the most accessible safari parks to visit while TEFL teaching in South Africa. Following recent expansions, it’s now one of the largest in the country, covering more than 1,500 square kilometers of land across the lush mountain reaches of the Eastern Cape. Safari trips here can be taken on the duo of looped 4X4 roads, which delve through the plains and woods, past lion packs and warthogs, Cape buffalo, and a whopping 600 individual elephants!
iSimangaliso Wetland Park
From the shimmering Kosi Bay lakes on the edge of Mozambique to the dense coastal forests where only the hardiest of 4X4s can go, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park is a real tapestry of different South African wilds. The reserve sits just 2.5 hours up the coast from the centre of Durban, where it offers travelers the chance to see a real medley of both marine and land animals. Yep, you can spend the morning wandering the salt-washed dunes in search of leatherbacks and loggerheads, before hitting the inland reaches in the afternoon for the savannah elephants and splashing hippos.
Kruger National Park
For decades, Kruger National Park has been arguably the most high-profile safari destination in all of Africa (sorry Kenya et al!). Tucked up in the north-eastern edge of the country, it covers a mind-boggling 20,000 square kilometers. Between its boundaries are winding waterways and thorn forests, sickle shrubs and glowing red plains, all stalked by the fabled Big Five game (African lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, African leopard, Rhino). Oh, and did we mention there’s some of the most luxurious safari lodges on the planet here too? Nice.
Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park
Although the human history of the iconic Hluhluwe–Imfolozi is said to go back all the way to the Stone Age, and it’s the ancestral home of the great Zulu kings, the region is also known as a magnet for wildlife seekers. That’s because the seemingly endless swathes of acacia savannah and the rugged escarpments of the Hluhluwe mountains here are home to the legendary Big Five game, not to mention Nile crocs, hippos, hyenas, impalas and oodles, oodles more besides!
Malolotja Nature Reserve
Okay, so you’ll have to take a road trip across the Swaziland border to discover the highveld wonders of the Malolotja Nature Reserve. The trip promises to be a breathtaking one though, as you weave past the waxy jungles and sugar plantations north of Mbabane and up to the windswept plateaus. In the distance, the outline of jagged peaks forms the horizon, while curious highland cycads and orchids bloom in the fields nearby. There’s over 200 kilometers of hiking paths open for the walking safari – just be ready to encounter jumping rock hyraxes, formidable horned blesbok and even the occasional zebra as you go!
Are you just back from TEFL teaching in South Africa? Can you think of any other great game reserves to visit on those weekends off? We’d love to hear about them in the comments below!