Walking with meerkats is one of those fascinating and exciting things that will appear on most people’s “must-do” lists; traditionally you’ve had to head up to remote parts of the Kalahari desert, staying in exclusive lodges to be able to do it – either that or content yourself with watching Meerkat Manor on the television! But now there is a very accessible reserve near the Klein Karoo town of Oudtshoorn offering this experience. You arrive early in the morning and meet your guide, who will walk you to the meerkat burrow before sunrise. You then watch as the meerkats emerge from the burrow, warm up, perform their morning rituals and greetings, and then you follow them as they set off to forage. All the while your guide will be filling you in on what the meerkats are up to and the highly structured and significant nature of every tiny action they take. The tour lasts about three hours and is a wonderful way to get to know these fantastic animals on a very close and personal basis! You need to be staying in or around Oudtshoorn to get to the reserve early enough. If it's raining, it's highly unlikely that the meerkats will emerge from their burrows and the tour may have to be cancelled.