An enormous country with a landmass almost five times the size of Britain and twice that of France, but what makes it so fascinating is the sheer diversity of its geography. To the north is the Kalahari Desert with its black-maned lions and beguiling meerkats. The subtropical east is lapped by the warm Indian Ocean and golden beaches, while the stormy and icy Atlantic pounds the Western Cape. The northeast is churned by the Limpopo River and is home to the vast and rightly famous Kruger National Park, the oldest and most successful of all wildlife preservation areas in the country.

The country also enjoys a stellar reputation for dining, from braais (BBQs) to food markets to fine dining, all with a simply divine and ethnically diverse quality. Road-trippers are spoilt for choice; the country has a relatively well-maintained and signposted network that traverses vast, empty valleys and jaw-dropping mountain passes, notably the garden route stretching along the coast.

For many, the main drawcard is the game reserves, where species co-exist as they have for millennia in a primal wilderness that speaks to the soul. South Africa still offers among the best-value safari opportunities coupled with limitless luxury comparable to any on the continent.

Safari Guru mainly focuses on a few select areas of South Africa for safari itineraries; the Kruger National Parks wildlife-rich and beautiful adjoining private reserves, offering excellent species diversity, service, and luxury. There are malaria-free and kiddie-friendly options for the family, taking in the sights and sounds of the impressive Kalahari or Eastern Cape. Or we can combine your Cape Town and Cape Vineyard indulgence with an oceanic safari on the Cape Coast to witness some of the biggest congregations of breeding southern-right whales accessible to humankind, and a savannah safari, accessing some of the best wildlife areas on the continent.

EMAIL SAFARI GURU WITH YOUR DATES, GROUP SIZE AND SAFARI WISHLIST—AND LET US DESIGN YOUR SOUTH AFRICA JOURNEY.

Before you book a South Africa safari, there is a short list of things every traveller should think through — passports, malaria cover, seasons, light-aircraft luggage limits and how tipping actually works on the ground — and Safari Guru's South Africa Safari Requirements fact sheet covers each of them, drawn from our own years planning journeys into the Delta.