South African safaris during the World Cup

A fake elephant, giraffe and rhino greet you at the gate. The cost is only about $14 (100 rand) per person and you can drive yourself over the dirt roads or hire a guide. While there are no elephants here, you can see buffalo, rhino, ostrich, oryx, zebra and more in the open.

Feeding times for the lions, cheetahs and wild dogs are 1 p.m. Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Owner Ed Hern said the meat comes from local farms.

The feedings are quite popular, so it’s best to go on a Wednesday, when it’s less likely locals will be going.

There’s also a reptile farm and an animal nursery where you can get a close look at baby rhinos, tigers, leopard, rare birds, pygmy hippos and lions. For a small fee, you can pet the lion cubs.

While there is game on a few reserves in the Western Cape, the focus there is more on the local flora known as fynbos, said Liesl Brink, spokeswoman for Cape Nature.

Still, during a few hours’ drive from World Cup host city Cape Town through to Simon’s Town and down to the Cape of Good Hope, you can see penguins — yes, penguins — and possibly some baboons and ostrich.

The baboons in the Cape of Good Hope nature reserve are accustomed to humans — almost too much so. They have been known to bother tourists and steal things from cars, so be sure to keep your windows and car doors closed.

For the most promising option to see game in southern South Africa, take an hour or so drive from host city Port Elizabeth or a seven-hour drive from Cape Town along the Garden Route to the Addo Elephant Park. Though the drive from Cape Town will take a day, it’s stunning along the well-traveled Garden Route, which passes through the Tsitsikamma Forest where there have been rare sightings of elephants.

Addo is the only Big Five national park in the southern half of the country. It’s known for its 300-strong elephant herd. But the park also has spotted hyenas, black rhino, kudu and ostrich. You can drive yourself or go on a two-hour guided tour.

A tip for those new to safaris: Ask other drivers, especially the guides, where they last saw elephant or lion or buffalo. The animals move around a lot, but if you have a general idea where they are, it’s likely you’ll spot some. Patience is the key. And upon that first close sighting, you’ll understand what makes safaris so enthralling.