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The Western Cape and Cape Town is home to an abundance of wildlife sanctuaries, nature reserves and national parks. Although you may not experience a traditional African safari like those in the Kruger Park and greater Africa, Western Cape game reserves offers a unique and interesting experience none the less, and is definitely worth the visit. Sanbona Wildlife Reserve:Sanbona Wildlife Reserve is a 54 000 hectare game reserve situated in the Little Karoo of the Western Cape. It is fast becoming one of the preferred destinations for both local and international visitors to the province. Sanbona is also proud to be home to the only free range white lions in South Africa.
Situated at the foot of the Warmwaterberg mountains between Barrydale and Montagu on the famous Route 62, the name Sanbona is a combination of the 'San' people who inhabited the area thousands of years ago and 'bona' representing their vision in order to position this portion of the Little Karoo.
Sanbona's main priority was to breed the rare White Lion for release into the wild and to release White Lion into areas it has been wiped out, like in the Timbavati region. According to research, the White Lion was spotted in the wild as far back as 1925 but has always been rare and fascinating.
The whiteness of the Lion is not due to albinism, but due to a recessive gene, similar to that of the rare White Tiger in Asia. These Lion are not different from the typical tawny African Lion, except for the colour of their fur. Cubs are born with completely white fur which darkens to a rich creamy colour as it grows. Table Mountain National Park (TMNP):Situated at the south-western tip of Africa, the TMNP consists of the beautiful Peninsula mountain chain which stretches from Signal Hill in the north to Cape Point in the south, a distance of about 60 kilometres.
This Cape Town game reserve is characterized by lush valleys, bays and beaches, flanked by the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean in the west and the warmer waters of False Bay in the east. TMNP also boasts 2 of Cape Town's most popular attractions within its boundaries, namely Table Mountain and the legendary Cape of Good Hope.
TMNP is world renowned for its rich, diverse and unique flora, and features rugged cliffs, steep slopes and sandy flats. The TMNP is renowned as been scenic, historical, cultural and a recreational asset. Nowhere else in the world will you find an area of such immense beauty and bio diversity within a metropolitan area, the vibrant and cosmopolitan city of Cape Town.
Popular spots to enjoy the scenery of simply to relax and enjoy a picnic with your family are located at the Signal Hill lookout, The Glen, Van Riebeek Park, Newlands Forest, Constantia Nek, Oudekraal, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Tokai, Witsand, soetwater, Buffels Bay, Bordjiesrif, Miller's Point and Perdekloof. Bontebok National Park:This national park is sheltered by the Langeberg Mountains and bordered to the south by the Breede River. This park is a sanctuary for Bontebok, Cape Mountain Zebra, Red Hartebeest and Grey Rhebuck. It is situated within the spectacular Cape Floral Kingdom, the smallest and richest of the world's six floral kingdoms.
Situated close to the historic town of Swellendam and 240 kilometres from Cape Town, this Western Cape game reserve is home to more than 470 plant species, including ericas, gladiolus and the South African national flower, the protea. Bontebok National Park provides a safe refuge for the Bontebok, an animal that has been hunted in the past. In 1930, it was estimated that only 30 Bontebok had remained, resulting in the establishment of the 2 786 hectare Bontebok National Park.
The park can support between 200-300 Bontebok, providing a suitable habitat for these grazers. There is now 2000 to 3000 Bontebok existing in the world today. Bontebok is also a great destination for bird watching, hiking, and fishing and swimming in the Breede River. Avis birders can enjoy sightings of the Secretary bird, Fish Eagle and Francolin, to name just a few. Agulhas National Park:Agulhas National Park is situated around the southernmost tip of Africa, which rich in natural beauty and cultural, earning this region national park status. This region boasts rich plant diversity, with about 2 000 species of indigenous plants, including 100 of which are endemic to the area. The Agulhas Plain forms part of the spectacular Cape Floral Kingdom due to its rich, unique, abundant and diverse flora.
Due to the wide variety of wetlands that occur in the area, this region attracts scores of water birds, and boasts 21 000 migrant and resident wetland birds annually. The coastline also supports a varied and diverse marine life, as well as rare coastal birds, including the African Black Oystercatcher. For lucky visitors, you may even be able to spot Southern Right Whale in the waters of the Agulhas coast during spring and summer.
Agulhas National Park is also a place of history, with many shipwrecks of early explorers scattered along the coastline. You will also be able to view historical monuments, including the legendary Cape Agulhas lighthouse, the water mill at Elim and various homesteads influence by the Europeans that once inhabited the area. Ko-Ka Tsara Game Reserve:This Western Cape game reserve, meaning 'small buck’s kloof' in Khoi, is situated in the Nuweveld Mountains of the Great Karoo, just 8 kilometres outside of Beaufort West. This reserve is spread over 30 000 acres of pristine Karoo veld, and is home to more than 20 species of game, including Giraffe, Kudu, Gemsbok, Wildebeest and Eland. The birdlife is also prolific, with nearly 200 different species. Karoo National Park:The Karoo National Park is situated close to the N1 highway between Cape Town and the hinterland, about 1000 kilometres south of Johannesburg and 500 kilometres north of Cape Town. Game viewing is great in the park due to the sparse vegetation in the area. Game that can be found include Red Hartebeest, Black Wildebeest, Eland, 2 Zebra species, Kudu and Springbok. Klipspringer can also be seen occasionally.
The birdlife in the park is prolific, with 20 plus pairs of Black Eagle, as well as Booted Eagle, Chanting Goshawk and Rock Kestrel, to name just a few. The Karoo National Park is also home to some reptilian fauna, including 5 species of fauna, a terrapin, an agama, 2 chameleons, a monitor, 18 snakes and several geckos, skinks and lizards. Swartberg Nature Reserve:This reserve is situated in the Oudtshoorn district between the Great Karoo and Little Karoo. It is bordered by the Gamka River in the west and the Uniondale/Willowmore road in the east.
The Swartberg Reserve spreads over 121 000 hectares of mostly state owned land, with the neighbouring Gamakort Nature Reserve, which forms part of the Swartberg, adds another 8 hectares, making this conservations area a vast 129 000 hectares.
At Swartberg Nature Reserve you will also get a historic experience as the area is rich in numerous rock paintings and artefacts found in caves scattered throughout the reserve. Three historic routes connecting the Great and Little Karoo lead through the reserve, namely the Toorwaterpoort is a train route, Meiringspoort that is used by motorists, and the untarred Swartberg Pass.
The reserve is abundant and diverse in flora, with renosterveld, mountain fynbos, Karoo veld, spekboom veld and any geophyte species. This region is a paradise in spring time, when plants blossom and the area is lush and green. The spectacular protea flowers in early autumn and attracts large numbers of sugarbirds and sunbirds. Mammals found in the Swartberg Nature Reserve include Klipspringer, Grey Rhebuck, Kudu, Baboon, and Dassie. At Gamkapoort you may see Springbok, Leopard and Caracal. Swartberg is also great for birding, and is home to more than 130 bird species, including Black, Gish and Martial Eagle, Cape Sugarbird and the Pied Kingfisher. | 
