Game reserve

A game reserve is a protected area dedicated to wildlife, usually with more flexible tourism rules than a national park (private safaris, integrated lodges, sometimes regulated hunting in dedicated hunting reserves). In Southern Africa specifically, the term often refers to a privately concessioned reserve. For travelers, the big appeal is exclusivity: only the lodges within the reserve can run game drives there, so vehicle density at sightings is low. Sabi Sand (founded 1948, sharing an unfenced border with Kruger), Madikwe, and Phinda are flagship examples in South Africa. Compared to conservancies, game reserves are typically older, more institutional, and have concentrated ownership.