Malaria and which game reserve to choose?
We are often asked, by families especially, to recommend a non-malaria game lodge. To put it simply, there are three non-malaria areas in South Africa which offer good ‘Big Five’ game-viewing:
Madikwe
Eastern Game
Waterberg
But to focus only on these areas leaves out arguably the primary game-rich area of South Africa, the Kruger National Park, which lies in a seasonal malarial area and the Mashatu game reserve which is considered very low risk. Also there is no escaping the risk of malaria if you want to go to Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Victoria Falls, Mozambique and of course East Africa.
The risk of malaria varies considerably – by season and by micro-area. We break up malaria areas into the following categories:
High Risk
Intermediate Risk
Intermediate Risk (Seasonal)
Low Risk
Intermediate Risk (Seasonal) needs some explanation. What this means is that the winters (between May and August) are sufficienly cold at night that there are usually very few or even no mosquitoes during the winter period but the area offers an intermediate risk during summer. Of course this can’t be guaranteed but it is a fair generalization. It is always necessary to check the latest information with your doctor.
Children and Malaria Areas
Each family has to weigh up their own priorities and I cannot influence that choice. As a general rule I wouldn’t recommend an Intermediate or High Risk area for a child under 6 years but if you are going to a seasonal intermediate/low risk area, that could be a different matter.
To protect against Malaria we recommend taking Malaria prophylactics, using inspect repellant liberally and covering arms and legs at least one hour before sunset. If this is going to be a problem for your family, then you should think twice, but don’t dismiss some of the prime wildlife areas of South Africa especially if you are traveling in July or August…
Your specialist safari tour operator, such as Cedarberg African Travel, will be able to give you seasoned advice about the relative malaria risks of different lodges.