The danger level in Cape Town is kept to a minimum
Cape Town safari tours are an expanding business, if the increasing amount of private game reserves and tour operators within easy reach of the Mother City is anything to consider. The nearest wildlife reserves are all privately owned; with the nearest being less than 90 minutes drive away from Cape Town. Being so close, it poses no danger to Cape Town populace and visitors. If you are joining your Cape Town trip with a visit to the Garden Route there are many wildlife options on the way which can simply be incorporated into your itinerary. Addo Elephant Park is the nearest national park to Cape Town but unfortunately it is not quite close at all. It is about 800km east, which may mean at least nine hours driving time. But Addo is less than 30 minutes drive from Port Elizabeth, a city well supplied by low cost airlines that fly direct from Cape Town. Port Elizabeth lies at the far extremity of the Garden Route from Cape Town, so one can simply put together an itinerary that includes an Addo safari, exploration of the Garden Route and a stopover to Cape Town regardless of which end of the trail your choose to begin. Many of the closest game parks to Cape Town are themselves Big Five reserves that host Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Leopard and Buffalo. However, as wilderness zones need to be very large to contain big cats and mega-herbivores in a totally wild environment, the enclosures such as those close to Cape Town keep their predators in secure corrals and feed them rather than allowing them hunt for themselves. Thus the Capetown dangerous level is kept to a minimum. This means that they are more similar to safari parks than truly wildlife experiences. Most of Cape Town tour operators provide safari packages, either as day tours or overnighters from the city. If a day trip is your only alternative, ask your host for a recommendation and book in advance. To record your sightings, a performing camera with a telephoto lens is vital. If you are truly serious about your photos, go a step further and buy a tripod and a double-dose of fortitude, though this can be hard when sharing a vehicle with other game spotters. The danger in Cape Town tours are more related to camera shaking issues than wildlife.