If you’re a fan of shows like Meerkat Manor or similar documentaries, you’ve probably wondered how you could see meerkats up close.
Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to do, as long as you get to South Africa first and know where to go.
One of the easiest ways to see them is to visit the Kalahari Meerkat Project.
The project is a research center dedicated to studying the behavior of these cute little creatures.
You can visit the project for a half-day, or two weeks (on a “Friends visit“) and watch the meerkats go about their daily routines.
For people wanting to stay with the meerkats longer, you can also opt to volunteer for a period of 12 months — the current deadline to volunteer is July 13, so apply quick if you want to join them.
Yet another great place to see meerkats is just outside the Little Karoo town of Oudtshoorn at De Zeekoe guest farm.
The meerkats here are available to visit any time of the year, just try not to go when it’s raining as they will stay underground.
The lodging at the guest farm is pretty great, too.
If you just want to go to the area for a day and skip staying at the guest farm, you can book with Meerkat Adventures instead.
And if you’re feeling lucky and don’t want to visit one of these places, you can try your luck at finding them in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on the border of South Africa and Botswana.
While most people are there to see cheetah, wildebeest, and lion, rest assured, you can see meerkats there as well.
