Exploring South African National Parks South Africa enjoys an incredibly diverse range of flora and fauna, from the arid deserts of the north to the lush forests of the south. The country's national parks are some of the best places to experience this diversity, offering visitors the chance to see everything from lions and elephants to rare bird species and stunning landscapes. Some parks are better known than others. If you want to explore the road less travelled, pick one (or more) of the lesser-known parks and head over there. Most can be explored by self-driving or guided game drives