Safaris without the bite

IF WATCHING The Lion King on DVD is about as close as you think you’ll get to a safari in these frugal times, then you might want to think outside the enclosure.

Africa’s national parks are vast areas of protected wilderness open to the public, offering world-class wildlife viewing without the hefty price tag of some of the luxury private game reserves.

What they lack in off-road, up-close experiences, national parks more than make up for with minimal entrance fees, dramatic vistas and the knowledge that animals are free to roam in these immense areas, some measuring up to 8,000 square miles.

As part of a tour you’ll be hosted by an expert guide in a minibus or open-top 4x4, while staying strictly on the roads and marked areas, they’ll get you as close to the action as possible.

Alternatively, you can hire a car, collect a map at the gate and drive yourself. Most parks have a range of affordable, comfortable lodges and hotels within their boundaries or nearby.

The following week-long holidays combine quality three- or four-star accommodation in or around Africa’s best national parks, with some costing as little as £1,200 per person including flights and guided drives.

KRUGER ADVENTURE

With more than 7,720 square miles, you could spend weeks exploring South Africa’s flagship game reserve, the Kruger National Park.

A few days will be enough to clock up the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino), see more antelope than you can shake a stick at and take in the dramatic Drakensberg mountains and other sights along the way.

One of the best-value places to stay is Shishangeni Lodge within a 15,000 hectare concession near the Mozambique border.

Morning and afternoon game drives will take you right to the animals when they’re most active, while evenings are spent relaxing in your private chalet complete with fireplace, indoor and outdoor shower and game viewing deck, listening to the sounds of the bush.

Travelmood (0800 011 1945 / www.travelmood.com) offers a seven-night Best of Kruger tour from £1,363pp (two sharing), including accommodation at Zulu Nyala Country Manor in Johannesburg, the Hippo Hollow Country Estate in Hazyview and Shishangeni Lodge, with return flights from Gatwick.

GAME ON IN KENYA

The mighty Maasai Mara in south-west Kenya is possibly Africa’s best-known reserve, and not just for its abundance of wildlife spread across more than 580 square miles of plains, forest and woodlands.

The park is also home to the Maasai people and a safari here is as likely to involve cultural experiences with this nomadic tribe as it is to seek out the

Big Five. Whether you’re visiting for the first time or are an Africa aficionado, it’s hard to forget the sight of herds of zebra and giraffe grazing on the vast grassland plains, monkeys, buffalo and elephants wallowing in the Musiara Swamp or (if you’re lucky and are visiting between July and October) more than 1.3 million wildebeest galloping across the plains in their annual migration.

Stay at the 84-room Mara Simba Lodge, built in wood and stone on a dramatic bend in the Talek river, with two game drives a day and optional balloon flights over the park.

The tour, taken in a small group, also visits Aberdare National Park, with a night at the legendary Treetops Hotel, and the lakes of Nakuru and Naivasha, where more than 450 species of bird have been recorded.

Somak Holidays (020 8423 3000 / www.somak.co.uk) offers a six-day Thorn Tree Safari from £1,158pp (two sharing), including accommodation at the Treetops Hotel Aberdares, the Lake Naivasha Simba Lodge in Lake Nakuru and the Mara Simba Lodge in the Masai Mara, and return flights from Heathrow.

TRUNK ROUTE

Watch baby elephants trailing behind their mothers at South Africa’s Addo Elephant National Park.

This 630 square mile park was set up to protect the mammals in the Eastern Cape after the elephant population dwindled to just 11.

Today, more than 450 of the gentle giants roam the malaria-free park, also home to buffalo, lion, leopard and rhino.

Elephant House is a simple but elegant guesthouse with just nine rooms, all furnished in colonial-inspired style with wide verandahs, comfortable sofas, old maps and family photos lining the walls.

A tea tray is delivered at dawn, before guests are taken on small-group drives into the park.

Rainbow Tours (020 7226 1004 / www.rainbowtours.co.uk) offers a seven-night holiday to the Eastern Cape from £1,824pp (two sharing) including accommodation at Elephant House, neighbouring Amakhala Game Reserve and return flights from Heathrow.

GRAND DAME OF NAMIBIA

Etosha National Park, which covers an incredible 8,600 square miles in northern Namibia and has been protecting wildlife for more than 100 years, is fondly known as the grand dame of African national parks.

At its centre is a salt pan, an 80 mile-long former lake that covers a quarter of the park and forms a stunning backdrop for viewing wildlife.

The arid environment and vast landscapes mean mammals can be spotted at great distance across the park, and with tourism concessions few and far between and most driving along rough gravel tracks, this feels like wild Africa at its best.

A collection of small, mid-market and luxury hotels have opened around Etosha’s main gates in the last few years, many of which operate their own guided game drives into the park.

Mushara Lodge near Von Lindequist gate is a fine example. It’s family run and has ten thatched chalets around a private pool, stylish colonial-inspired décor and excellent cuisine complemented by a vast cellar of regional wines.

Expert Africa (020 8232 9777 / www.expertafrica.com) offers a seven-night holiday in Namibia from £1,680pp (two sharing), including four nights at Mushara Lodge with two guided game drives per day, one night in Windhoek and return flights from Gatwick.

Prices are for travel in March or April 2009 and include all tours, transfers and most meals. All the trips are fully escorted.