Kusini Serengeti
Arusha Region
Grassland biome
Price on request
Grassland stays
Across Africa
Singita Kataza House
Northern Province Rwanda
Grassland biome
Price on request
Singita Kwitonda Lodge
Northern Province Rwanda
Grassland biome
Price on request
Sasi Bush Lodge
Bergville
Grassland biome
Supports Royal Drakensberg Education Trust and 2 others
From R 5,400 a night
&Beyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge
Arusha Region
Grassland biome · African elephant · Lion
Price on request
Chisa Busanga Camp
North-Western Province
Grassland biome · Sausage tree
Price on request
Duma Manzi Wilderness & Wellness Retreat
Richmond
Grassland biome
From R 5,990 a night
The Corner House
Parkview, Johannesburg
Grassland biome · Jacaranda
Supports Friends of Zoo Lake and 2 others
From R 2,900 a night
Dragonview Lodge
Cathkin Park
Grassland biome
Price on request
The Cavern Drakensberg Resort & Spa
Drakensberg, Bergville
Grassland biome
Supports Royal Drakensberg Education Trust
From R 4,280 a night
Sungubala Eco Camp
Drakensberg, Bergville
Grassland biome · Spotted hyena · Leopard
Supports Royal Drakensberg Education Trust
From R 1,140 a night
Drakensberg Vultures View
Cathkin Park
Grassland biome
From R 1,691 a night
Kasteelkop Guest Farm
Frankfort
Grassland biome
From R 640 a night
Forellenhof Guest Farm
Wakkerstroom
Grassland biome
Supports BirdLife South Africa
From R 1,500 a night
Penwarn Farm
Underberg
Grassland biome · Blesbok · Serval
Supports Zululand Conservation Trust and 3 others
From R 1,200 a night
Berghouse & Cottages
Drakensberg, Bergville
Grassland biome
From R 1,950 a night
Remote Corner
Parkview, Johannesburg
Grassland biome · Small spotted genet · Spekboom
Supports Friends of Zoo Lake and 2 others
From R 850 a night
Montusi Mountain Lodge
Drakensberg, Bergville
Grassland biome · Bushbuck · Common eland
Supports Royal Drakensberg Education Trust and 1 other
From R 6,800 a night
Qambathi Mountain Lodge
Nottingham Road
Grassland biome · Bushbuck · Serval
From R 4,100 a night
Monte Bello Estate
Vaalbank, Bloemfontein
Grassland biome
From R 1,850 a night
Mont d'Or Clarens
Clarens
Grassland biome
From R 1,100 a night
Sanctuary Mandela
Houghton Estate, Johannesburg
Grassland biome · Jacaranda
Supports Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital
From R 4,850 a night
Mwembezi Gorge Bush Camp
Majete Wildlife Reserve
Grassland biome · Baobab · Sausage tree
From R 6,623 a night
Thawale Lodge
Majete Wildlife Reserve
Grassland biome · African elephant · Cape buffalo
From R 3,228 a night
Grassland covers the high interior: the Highveld, the Free State, the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and the foothills of the Drakensberg. It looks empty at a glance and is anything but. Almost all of its diversity is below ground or at ankle height, in bulbs, orchids and perennials that survive fire and frost, which is why a ploughed grassland never comes back. It is the most transformed biome in the country and the least protected.
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It is also the country's crane landscape. All three South African crane species, the blue crane, the grey crowned crane and the wattled crane, depend on grassland and the wetlands inside it, which is why BirdLife South Africa concentrates so much of its work here. Summer, from November to March, is when the grassland is green, the migrants are in, the wildflowers come up after burns and the afternoon thunderstorms roll across the high country. Winter is straw-coloured, frosty, very clear and the best time for walking and for big-sky views from the Berg.
Stays are farm cottages, trout lodges in the Midlands, sandstone houses on the Free State side and the foothill lodges under the Drakensberg escarpment.
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit the grasslands?
Summer, November to March, for green country, wildflowers, breeding birds and dramatic storm light. Winter is dry, frosty and very clear, which suits walking, mountain views and cranes gathering at wetlands. Both work; they are simply different trips.
Where are the best grassland stays?
The KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and the Karkloof, the Drakensberg foothills around Bergville, Winterton and Underberg, the eastern Free State around Clarens and Fouriesburg, and the Highveld farm country. Many are working farms or trout estates.
Why are grasslands important for birds?
They hold the breeding range of all three South African crane species and a long list of grassland endemics such as Rudd's lark and the Botha's lark, most of which live nowhere else. Because grassland cannot be restored once ploughed, the remaining patches matter far more than their size suggests, which is why BirdLife South Africa works here.