Differences Between Game Reserves & National Parks - Pros and Cons

Since I continually receive emails and messages on social media stating that accommodations in Kruger National Park are not satisfactory, but privately owned game reserves are too expensive, I have outlined the differences for you. Additionally, I will share a more affordable option to get up close to the animals. I really don't have time to respond to every single inquiry about this. Therefore, here is a brief summary of the most important points.

Private Game Reserve: Accommodation in comfortable lodges "all-inclusive" with a private ranger and 2 to 3 game drives

National Park: Cheaper, self-managed and simpler accommodations or camping. There are (poor) restaurants or self-catering

Fewer other tourists in private game reserves, which means less traffic and everything is more relaxed

Private game reserves: Rangers are allowed to leave unpaved roads, while in the national park, everyone must stay on paved roads.

National Park: Bound by opening hours, rarely night game drives (only guided), in the game reserve more flexibility regarding this. Rangers are not bound by schedules.

Unique safari experience in game reserves, but discovering animals on your own has its own charm

If you're interested in a safari in South Africa, you'll quickly come across the term "game reserve." Whether in Greater Kruger or along the Garden Route, game reserves are privately owned parks. They offer you more exclusive options for game drives.

These areas are private reserves that provide exclusive accommodations featuring safaris (game drives) and bush walks. The lodges are often high-end, 4- to 5-star accommodations and are very exclusive. The best-trained rangers and trackers in South Africa work here, possessing extensive knowledge about the wildlife, plants, and climatic conditions.

When you book your stay, a morning and an afternoon game drive is usually included. Often, walking safaris on foot (in the afternoon) or night game drives (which I love) are included. In very exclusive lodges like Sabi Sands (Earth Lodge) or Klaserie, you are assigned a personal ranger who is always present during your activities.

The drives usually take place in open 4x4 vehicles. These vehicles are specially modified for safaris, typically Toyota Land Cruisers or Land Rovers. In South Africa, there is often a seat in the front for a tracker, who often comes from one of the surrounding communities and has grown up with the local environment and wildlife. They see things that you might miss.

Of course, the price in a private game reserve is significantly higher than in the rest camp of SAN Parks in Kruger National Park.

I have already visited the following private game reserves:

Here, I have noted the biggest differences between a national park like Kruger and a private game reserve.

There are private reserves that are particularly popular and well-known. One of the best and most exclusive is the Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, spanning 6,500 ha in the southwestern part of the Kruger National Park (Greater Kruger National Park). It is especially known for the density of wild cats that call this place home. I even managed to see a white rhino here years ago. They are truly extremely rare and should never be tagged with geo-coordinates, photographed, or uploaded.

In this area, there are significantly fewer safari guests and thus fewer vehicles on the move compared to the national park. This means that during a sighting of a rare animal, there are usually only 2 to 3 vehicles present. Wildlife observation is much more relaxed.

In Kruger National Park as in all other national parks in South Africa, you are allowed to drive yourself as long as the gates are open. However, once it gets dark, you must leave the park or be in the rest camp for overnight accommodation. Most roads are paved and can be easily driven with a regular rental car. You do not need a 4x4 and can travel at your own pace.

Disadvantage: You are only allowed to exit at rest camps and designated areas. In private reserves, the ranger allows you to briefly use a bush toilet or exit the vehicle for a sundowner.

In private game reserves, you can only drive up to the accommodation yourself. Personal game drives are prohibited. This may seem like a disadvantage to some, but I see it as an advantage. You are in a private park with your own ranger in a suitable, open safari vehicle. You sit much higher, have a better view, and receive extensive information from the ranger.

Even as an old hand with more than 50 game drives in Africa, I still enjoy learning about animal behavior, identifying new birds, or learning to read new tracks.

You are with absolute professionals, making it highly unlikely that you won't see any animals. Private reserves often have a higher density of wildlife. After spending 2 weeks in a camp, I recognize the advantages of a particular area. The animals have their "Circle of Life." This means that you can expect giraffes to frequent a spot every few days to lick salt and obtain essential minerals. This means that you become familiar with the regular animals after a while.

However, since we are not at a zoo, animals may change their behavior. Especially lions, cheetahs, and leopards have their favorite places, but finding them can still be a challenge sometimes.

In national parks, you can also book guided tours via the SAN Parks website. However, these are often conducted in larger vehicles. Therefore, the game drives are cheaper. Rangers typically have the same training as those in private reserves, but they are often not very good. Statements are often incorrect and far-fetched. You can also book walking safaris and sometimes even night game drives. In terms of quality, I found those in private areas to be significantly better regarding ranger quality.

In private game reserves, rangers are allowed to leave designated roads with their vehicles when an animal is sighted. Going off-road is the ultimate experience during a game drive.

In national parks, you are bound by opening hours. You are not allowed to be on the road after dark. This has the disadvantage that you will practically never see nocturnal animals (bush babies, chameleons). Unless you book a tour in one of the camps. Nevertheless, you are here bound by schedules.

In contrast, a night game drive in a private game reserve is part of the program. For me, it's a highlight because we were often able to observe leopards hunting for hours. When this is the case, rangers are flexible and can agree with you and the kitchen staff to extend the duration of the drive beyond what was planned. Rangers in private reserves have no restrictions.

A stay in a game reserve includes accommodation and at least 2 to 3 meals a day, along with a minimum of 2 to 3 game drives or a walking safari with a personal ranger. The accommodations are luxurious and all 4 to 5 stars. As a result, game reserves are much more expensive than the rest camps in national parks. However, you can cook and grill for yourself in the national park. Advantage: You save quite a bit of money.

Both national parks and private game reserves are committed to wildlife conservation. The difference is that national parks are state-owned while game reserves are private. More and more private reserves are springing up in Greater Kruger - the areas surrounding Kruger - that were once hunting reserves. Therefore, it may be that newer private reserves have fewer animals.

However, it can also work the other way around when the fences between private reserves and the Kruger National Park are torn down, and the boundaries become invisible. Animals can then return to ancient pathways that have been denied to them for a long time.

The advantage of wildlife conservation is that more can be done in private reserves due to the availability of more funds. I was able to witness how, in collaboration with entrepreneurs (financial backers), GVI, and EcoTraining, rhinos were dehorned in a specific area of a reserve. This is, however, a topic of controversial debate (I am writing a separate post about this). You can watch the video here on YouTube.

It is said that national parks and the government are corrupt. South African Airways still allows the transport of hunting trophies. Why? It makes no sense. Additionally, the government charges a hefty fee for the permit for dehorning. It's extremely expensive, and the effort is high. It's hard for us to understand.

What is becoming prevalent in some private reserves, and which annoys me, is that it feels like a zoo. They use radios (walkie-talkies) and communicate with others. There are special frequencies for lions, elephants, leopards, etc. In the morning, you are asked which animals you would like to see today, and of course, everything is done to make the clients, who are paying a lot of money, happy.

There is a specific reserve where these practices are common. Therefore, I prefer places like Klaserie Private Nature Reserve or Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, which are among the two largest wildlife reserves. Sightings are not guaranteed here, but the experience is unforgettable.

Since private game reserves are often smaller and often have fences, the density of wildlife is often greater. The herds are often smaller. You will encounter a huge elephant herd less frequently in private game reserves than in Addo Elephant Park, Kruger Park, or Hluhluwe. The terrain is also often limited, meaning there can only be one leopard or cheetah. There simply isn't enough space for more in the area.

My solution for everyone who finds a private game reserve too expensive but wants to get close to the animals is Eco Training or GVI. EcoTraining trains all rangers in South Africa and increasingly in Botswana and Kenya, who will guide you. GVI is an organization that has teamed up with Bushwise to provide travelers a glimpse into wildlife conservation projects and volunteering around the world, including South Africa for 1 to 2 weeks (of course, longer is also an option).

I myself participated in a ranger course with EcoTraining in South Africa and an ecoQuest for 2 weeks in the Maasai Mara in Kenya. In collaboration with GVI, I also participated in rhino dehorning (watch the video on rhino dehorning here).

There is no right or wrong choice between a national park or a game reserve. It depends on your budget, whether it's your first time on safari, and what type of wildlife observation you prefer. I enjoy both. However, having attended multiple ranger courses and gained significant experience, I can now find animals that others might not see so quickly. I can read tracks and recognize based on the landscape whether I might find a particular animal here. Because grass is not just grass.

If you want to experience a combination of both, you should definitely check out the introductory courses offered by Eco Training or the conservation projects by GVI. Here you stay in camps or luxurious accommodations in the game reserves, and there are no fences. You can't get closer anywhere else for this price, and you contribute to wildlife conservation.

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