South Africa – the North and East

After your arrival at OR Tambo airport in Johannesburg you are greeted by a transfer driver. Welcome to South Africa!

Your driver takes you to your guesthouse in Pretoria. Here you have some time to rest and freshen up before setting off in the early afternoon with your guide on a city tour of Pretoria, visiting both the Union Buildings and the Voortrekker Monument Museum.

After breakfast there is a short briefing from your guide. Then your luggage is stowed in the tour vehicle and your two-week South Africa safari can begin.

You drive south through the Free State province to the picturesquely situated little town of Clarens, home to many artists and craftspeople.

After lunch (at your own expense), a short drive takes you into Golden Gate National Park. Be fascinated by the grandiose mountain scenery and remarkable rock formations. Today’s destination, Greenfire Drakensberg Lodge, is located very close to Royal Natal National Park in the midst of the majestic Drakensberg.

The wonderful peace and quiet up here invites you to relax and linger. After a shared dinner at the lodge, you can let the day end cosily by the fireplace or retire early.

You spend the night at Greenfire Drakensberg Lodge.

Today various outdoor activities against the spectacular mountain backdrop of the Drakensberg are on your programme. There is a wide choice, and the decision is yours.

Various hiking trails are available and, depending on your physical fitness, you can marvel at well-preserved San rock paintings, with a bit of luck watch the rare Cape vultures, or enjoy the grand panoramic view of the Drakensberg and the Maluti Mountains in Lesotho as well as Sterkfontein Dam from a viewpoint.

You can also explore the dreamlike mountain region on a horse ride; riding options for both beginners and advanced riders are available (optional). Experience a day in the great outdoors and enjoy the stunning landscape.

Today you start the day with a generous breakfast in a wonderful atmosphere. As soon as your suitcases are packed, an adventurous 4x4 transfer takes you back to your tour vehicle.

Then you make your way through the green rolling hills of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and via Pietermaritzburg towards the coast.

At Howick the Nelson Mandela Capture Site awaits you, where a visitor centre and an impressive sculpture commemorate this historic moment in South Africa’s history. You then continue past the multicultural port city of Durban and finally reach the town of St Lucia on the Indian Ocean.

Depending on your arrival time, in the afternoon you have the chance to stretch your legs after the long drive with a stroll through the little town, which lies right on the Indian Ocean.

Alternatively, the beach invites you to take a walk or simply relax. For dinner you go to a restaurant in town (at your own expense).

Overnight stay at Forest Lodge.

Today you visit the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and explore its flora and fauna on a game drive.

It is not unusual to spot rhinos, waterbuck, nyala, buffalo and large herds of kudu, and perhaps you will be lucky enough to watch a leopard hunting.

Fantastic views of the Indian Ocean are offered from various viewpoints and, in whale season, there is even a small chance of seeing southern right whales frolicking in the sea.

With hopefully many impressive wildlife sightings in your luggage, you finally reach Cape Vidal. There you have the opportunity to combine a game drive, unusually, with a refreshing swim in the Indian Ocean.

In the afternoon a boat trip on the St Lucia Estuary is on the programme. Hippos, crocodiles and many different water birds can be observed from the boat. In the evening you have dinner together at a restaurant in town (at your own expense).

Today starts early. You drive to the nearby Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, one of the most scenic parks in southern Africa, and set off on a game drive.

The park is best known for its breeding projects for black and white rhinos. With a bit of luck, though, the rest of the Big Five (elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard), various antelope species and a multitude of bird species can also be observed in their natural habitat.

You stop at Hilltop Camp for lunch (at your own expense). After more wildlife viewing on the way to the park exit, you finally head north to one of South Africa’s oldest private game reserves: the Pongola Game Reserve.

Your destination is AfriCamps at White Elephant Safaris. Enjoy the sunset with a cold drink and the wonderful view over the bushland, Lake Jozini and the Lebombo Mountains in the distance. Over a delicious dinner you can let the day end cosily.

Today starts with a boat trip on Lake Jozini or a bush walk. Immerse yourself in nature and keep an eye out for large and small wildlife.

Your South Africa safari then continues across the border to Eswatini, the Kingdom of Swaziland.

At the Mantenga Cultural Village, an authentically reconstructed cultural village, you get to know the culture of the Swazi and their history and experience their traditions first-hand.

In the afternoon you reach the Foresters Arms Country Hotel, your accommodation for today.

Today it is your turn to shape the day’s programme! The evening before, your guide presents the wide range of excursions Eswatini has to offer and, together with you and your fellow travellers, decides on today’s programme.

Look forward to a slice of authentic Africa, friendly people, a rich cultural heritage and beautiful natural landscapes.

Depending on the weather and your mood, you can explore the surroundings of your accommodation or the Milwane Wildlife Reserve on horseback, by mountain bike or on foot (all optional). Alternatively, you can visit the colourful markets or gain an insight into Swaziland’s craftsmanship.

At a candle factory, watch how the famous “Swazi Candles” are made by precise handwork. Or marvel at a glass workshop where real works of art are created from recycled glass.

You spend another night at the Foresters Arms Country Hotel.

Today you leave Swaziland behind; your trip heads back to South Africa.

Kruger National Park, the country’s largest wildlife conservation area, which was first founded as a game reserve and received national park status in 1926, is your destination for the day.

This scenically varied park of approx. 20,000 square kilometres offers a habitat for all the animal species found in southern Africa. Not only considerable herds of elephants, rhinos, buffalo, lions and leopards can be found here, but also around 150 other mammal species, more than 500 bird species and almost 100 different reptiles.

In the afternoon you explore the wildlife-rich southern part of Kruger National Park on game drives.

You will stay at Skukuza Rest Camp, which is run by the national park authority.

Today, too, exciting wildlife viewing is the focus. In the morning you set off on an extended game drive in an open safari vehicle in search of the animals that live here.

In the early evening you can go on a night game drive accompanied by a ranger and, with a bit of luck, track down nocturnal animals (optional).

You spend another night at Skukuza Rest Camp.

Start today with a walking safari with a park ranger (optional). Back at camp, breakfast is already waiting for you.

Afterwards you go on one last game drive. Keep an eye out for wildlife you have not yet seen in the last few days. You never know what is hiding around the next bend.

At midday you finally leave Kruger National Park behind and make your way to the cosy Gecko Lodge near Hazyview.

Spend the rest of the afternoon as you please. Relax in the large garden, go for a walk or cool off in the rock pool.

Dinner and overnight stay at Gecko Lodge.

Along the Panorama Route you explore some of the sights today. Look forward to a dreamlike panoramic view from the God’s Window viewpoint.

In good weather you can look across the lower-lying Lowveld as far as Kruger National Park. You also visit Bourke’s Luck Potholes and the viewpoint over the Three Rondavels, three gigantic rocks reminiscent of African round huts.

Here you are offered a wonderful view over the remarkable Blyde River Canyon.

You spend one more night at the Gecko.

You drive through the province of Mpumalanga heading west back to Johannesburg airport. You arrive there in the early afternoon.

This is where your two-week safari through South Africa ends, and you can fly home the same evening.

Breakfast

If you would like to extend your South Africa trip, we recommend our 20-day round trip Fascination South Africa. From Johannesburg you fly on with your travel group to George and travel along the Garden Route to Cape Town.