There are two main types of safaris, the do-it-yourself and the guided safari. The plethora of options with guided safaris are simply too numerous to discuss here so we’ll just list a few basic points you’ll want to think about before you put down your deposit. Continue reading though for the do it yourself (DIY) options as these abound as well and can often be far more enjoyable.
A few things are good to remember whichever you choose however. First is that only 2-4 days of a safari is necessary. Anything beyond that and you will likely develop “cabin fever” inside the car and simply not appreciate where you are and what you’re doing. Second is …

South Africa is not a small country, not only is it large in size but it also has a tremendous variety of things to do and see. The expected game viewing and safaris, the relaxing Indian coastline, beautiful forests, tasty food, a unique history of gemstones and apartheid all combine to make any trip to South Africa an unforgettable one.
ESSENTIALS
Budget:  You can think of South Africa like any other western destination in this regard. Plentiful ATMs provide you with cash which you’ll spend as if you were at home in Australia, Europe, or the USA. South Africa is not a budget destination but with a little work it can be visited relatively inexpensively.
Transportation: If you are …

The decision to purchase the South African wild card park pass was an easy one. We were coming to Africa and we were told that within South Africa we could do our own game drives and safaris and not pay for an expensive tour or guide. With a little more research we realized that this would save us loads of money as compared to paying for these services in South Africa or elsewhere in Africa. With the SANParks Wild Card pass we were able to save even more money.
Before you decide to purchase the card be sure to do a little research on the park fees you’re due to pay without the card. For us, over …

We rented a Hyundai Atos from Tempest Car Rental for 6 weeks of touring through South Africa. A few reasons we chose Tempest include:
They were the only company operating in South Africa that would give us a special month long rate, this rate was cheaper than the next best offer by far.
They were the only car company that allowed us to enter Swaziland, Lesotho & Namibia free of charge. (Note: There was a fee for Botswana however and Zimbabwe was not permitted. This was consistent with all other car rental agencies where we inquired)
They allowed us to return the car to a different location for a smaller fee than all the competition as well.
Basically we chose …