[OffshoreAndy]

We are looking at going on Safari for a few days while in Rocklands this summer. Anybody done similar and have any advice particularly on good reserves on the west cape rather than a long flight to the Kruger, recommended tour operators etc.
Also a 'nice' [ other half approving] place to stay  once in Rocklands.
Cheers

[T_B]

We stayed in Lavender Cottage at Alpha Farms as part of our honeymoon. It's basic, but nice:

http://www.alphaexcelsior.co.za/accomm_lavender.php

We were advised to have a base here, then go to Cape Town when the weather was bad/or we were tired. This worked really well in that the bouldering season is low season, so there are lots of nice hotels/apartments in Cape Town/Winelands to stay at,  that can be booked at short notice.

Franschhoek for food/wine.

You have to fly up to J'Burg for Big Game, unless you go to one of the reserves inland from Cape Towb. This is what we did. Drove v early morning about 2.5 hours to Aquila http://www.aquilasafari.com/

Not a proper safari experience really, but I thought it was pretty good value for what it was. Warning: it's bl*ody cold up there - much colder than Rocklands or Cape Town.

[SA Chris]

What do mean by safari? Most of the larger game parks will let you self-drive in your own car to see the animals, or you can go out with a guide in one of their vehicles.

As Tom said, there are several smaller reserves scattered around the Western Cape Area, but to go to one of the bigger national parks with the "big 5" you will need to go to Kruger (you could do some excellent sport climbing at Waterval Boven while you are there) or Addo near PE (a long day's drive or an internal flight away), or one of the larger ones in KZ Natal.

[OffshoreAndy]

Cheers for the replies. Forgot to mention we will be on honeymoon hence wanting to mix and match climbing  with the usual tourist stuff and add a bit of luxury. Will have a look at the links. What was not proper about the safari Tom? - was it you only saw a few animals  or just the same type.
We are more keen on an organised tour than a self drive and would like to stay in one of the reserves for a few days rather than drive in, drive out. Not sure if they all offer this. If you saw/read the long way down they stopped at a lakeside lodge and watched the animals at the watering hole -that looked awesome so would hope to find somewhere similar.
Thanks

[SA Chris]

If you want to do a few days in a reserve plus some tourist stuff it's probably worthwhile heading to Addo. You can drive along the "Garden Route" with all the nice beaches and stuff, maybe do it over 2 days if you have the time. Could even stop at the (in)famous Storm's River Bungee jump.

Once you are in the reseve you have your own choice to either book in with one of the rangers and go on a tour with them on the back of a open top landrover / truck some days, and drive about on your own on others. If you go out witht e rangers they have good knowledge as to what animals are where, and have radio comms with other rangers so you can make the most of your time. Driving around on your own can be pretty fun too, as you are going at your own pace, and can have a few "exciting" moments, like when an elephant herd walks past you and you can just about rech out your window and touch them. Plus you can stop and chill out in the hides at the watering holes for as long as you want, which can be great for close encounters. We had a herd of about 20 elephants come down for a drink and a bath while we were in one. Night drives are highly recommended as so many animals are nocturnal and you travel out with a spotlight to go see them. These are usually only with a ranger.

[T_B]

What was not proper about the safari Tom? - was it you only saw a few animals  or just the same type.

They have the 'Big 5' but they only have enough space for a couple of elephants and they only have 2 giraffes, for example. But the park feels reasonably big - big enough that we didn't get to see any Lions as they were hiding.

Other honeymoon tip - Hermanus for Whales if you're there for bouldering/whale season. We saw them breaching about 100m off shore.

[SA Chris]

Sorry, meant to add that more info. All the reserves have accomodation of one type or another, ranging from permanent tents (complete with own electrical power etc) to 5 star chalets, either inside the reserve (safely fenced!) or just outside the gates overlooking watering holes etc. And often with a nice restaurant where you can eat the same animals you have seen that day (I recommend ostrich steaks).

As per above, Hermanus is a great stop but be aware whales are seasonal, and you are unlikely to see any in SA summer and early spring.