South Africa Intensive

After your arrival at Johannesburg airport, you pick up your reserved rental car directly at the airport and drive to your accommodation in Pretoria. You can spend the rest of the day recovering from the overnight flight at your accommodation, or take a half-day excursion in the Johannesburg or Pretoria region. Overnight at Brooks Cottage. Your exciting South Africa road trip has begun!

After an early breakfast, you set off north through Gauteng and Mpumalanga. Pass Emalahleni and Mashishing (formerly Lydenburg) and continue to Pilgrim's Rest, a sleepy gold-rush town on the Panorama Route. Stroll through the village with its historic sites and take a little journey back to the time of the gold rush. Later you drive on to your accommodation in Hazyview, Little Pilgrims Boutique Hotel. The next day is ideal for an extensive exploration of the Panorama Route. Visit Blyde River Canyon, Bourke’s Luck Potholes and God’s Window. A stop at the “Graskop Gorge Lift” is also worthwhile. On a walk along a purpose-built walkway, you enjoy a grand view over the fascinating gorge. For the night, you drive back to Little Pilgrims Boutique Hotel.

Day 5/6 driving distance: game drives

The coming days are all about “pure safari”. Through Phabeni Gate or Paul Kruger Gate, you enter the famous Kruger National Park, one of the best places for wildlife sightings in southern Africa and a highlight of your road trip through South Africa. With a little luck, you will see the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino). You spend two nights at Skukuza Camp and one night at Lower Sabie Camp inside the park. In all camps, you have the option of booking guided safaris by day and by night as well as guided bush walks. You can have breakfast, lunch and dinner at the camp restaurant, or bring your own food if self-catering.

Breakfast (day 4)

Please note | In peak season, some camps may be fully booked. After consultation, we will then rebook you into other camps.

Alternatively, stays in a classic safari lodge are also possible for an additional charge. The lodges are mainly located in privately run game reserves bordering Kruger National Park. The game drives take place under the expert guidance of a ranger. If you are interested, please get in touch – we will gladly provide you with a quote.

You leave South Africa and cross the border into Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). In Manzini, you have the chance to visit one of the colourful markets and souvenir shops with handmade works of art. Eswatini is far more rural than South Africa, and the area around Mbabane is excellent for hikes and excursions into the mountain regions. You stay overnight at Mogi Boutique Hotel, near which there is a candle factory where you can not only buy the famous Swazi candles but also watch how they are made.

Kosi Bay is still a very untouristy place in South Africa and, hopefully, will remain so for many years. The main attraction here is the system of four freshwater lakes connected by channels. The river that flows through all these lakes finally empties into the Indian Ocean. You take a boat trip across the lakes and see fish eagles, cormorants and the artfully made fish traps built by the inhabitants of this area, which can only be marvelled at here. A snorkelling trip and a beach day on the long sandy beach are a must. It is truly impressive how the warm water of the river meets the colder water of the Indian Ocean, and the mix of freshwater and saltwater fish is also worth seeing. You spend both nights at Utshwayelo Lodge. None of the activities can be undertaken on your own, as a 4x4 vehicle is needed to drive in the area.

Today you drive on to St Lucia. This small town offers a range of activities. You can take a boat trip on the estuary and watch hippos and crocodiles in and by the river. With a little luck, you will also see elephants or other animals coming to the riverbank to drink. Relax on the beach and take long beach walks. The surrounding area is also a paradise for bird lovers. In the months from November to March, turtles come ashore at night to lay their eggs on the beach and can be watched doing so. From St Lucia, also visit Cape Vidal, where, besides more great beaches, there is also the opportunity to snorkel. You stay overnight at St Lucia Wetlands Guesthouse. In St Lucia, there are several restaurants within walking distance.

After an early breakfast, you drive past forests and sugar cane plantations and arrive at the largest reserve for white rhinos: Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. Through a large-scale breeding project, those responsible here have succeeded in housing the largest number of the rare black rhinos. For this reason, your chances in this park of seeing this endangered species are far better than in other parks. But the nature reserve is also otherwise one of the most beautiful parks in southern Africa, not least thanks to its hilly landscape. Besides the rhinos mentioned, lions, elephants, leopards and buffalo – the rest of the Big Five – also live in the park. For the night, you drive back to St Lucia to St Lucia Wetlands Guesthouse.

Next you visit Durban, the commercial metropolis on the Indian Ocean with its large population of Indian descent, which is also noticeable in the streetscape. Visit the Indian Market, immerse yourself in the smell of spices and incense and buy various curry blends or other spice creations. The botanical garden, the aquarium and the rickshaw drivers on the beachfront promenade are also worth a visit. For the night, you drive to Umdloti, around 19 km north of Durban and just moments from the sandy beach of the Indian Ocean. You stay overnight at Greenfire Dolphin Coast Lodge.

After a leisurely breakfast, your road trip through South Africa takes you via Pietermaritzburg and Mooi River into the central Drakensberg, close to Giant’s Castle National Park. Here you have the opportunity to hike on various trails within Giant’s Castle National Park or in the surrounding areas. From the car park of Giant’s Castle National Park, a short walk takes you in the footsteps of a people who once walked the same paths as you do today: the Bushmen. You visit the impressive San rock paintings and the small museum attached, and can then hike along various paths beside the picturesque river (depending on your own fitness) through the truly unique landscape. You stay overnight outside the park at Antbear Guesthouse.

A long driving day lies ahead of you today, so you should set off early. Your journey takes you to the former Transkei, and the picturesque Wild Coast is your destination. The approach to Coffee Bay, with a view of this unique backdrop of dark, overgrown, mighty cliffs, white sandy beaches, green hills and deep-blue ocean, is impressive. On a coastal walk you can marvel at the famous natural monument “Hole in the Wall”, shaped by the power of the sea. Optional activities such as horse riding, kayaking and boat trips for whale watching are offered locally. You spend the night at the Ocean View Hotel.

The journey continues towards East London. Your destination today is Crawford’s Beach Lodge on Chintsa Bay. Spend the afternoon on the beach, relaxing, surfing or kayaking. Alternatively, a horse ride along the beach or a quad bike tour is possible. You spend the night at Crawford’s Beach Lodge.

Continue to Colchester and the Elephant Footprint Lodge. The lodge is two kilometres from the southern gate of Addo Elephant Park and offers an ideal base from which to explore the park. Use the afternoon for an extended safari and look for the Addo elephants. With a bit of luck, you can of course also see all the other wild residents of the park here, such as zebras, various antelopes, lions and much more. You spend the night at the Elephant Footprint Lodge, outside the park.

After breakfast, the journey continues to Tsitsikamma National Park. Tsitsikamma National Park is a paradise for birdwatchers and lovers of impressive coastal landscapes. It is also world-famous for its “Otter Trail” hiking route, and you should take the opportunity to go for a short hike. You spend the night outside the park at At The Woods Guesthouse.

Along the scenic R102 you drive via Natures Valley to Plettenberg Bay. Stop there for a light lunch and a short walk in Robberg Nature Reserve before continuing to Knysna. Knysna is an ideal base from which to explore the highlights of the Garden Route. How about a boat trip on the Knysna Lagoon or a stroll in Wilderness Nature Reserve? The coastal path in Mossel Bay, with its lighthouse, also offers lovely views of the ocean. You spend the night in a standard room at Stannards Guest Lodge.

From Knysna you drive via George and the impressive Outeniqua Pass into the Little Karoo. The rivers that spring from the mountains feed this otherwise rather dry region with water. Tobacco, fruit and wine grow here. Visit an ostrich farm and the cave-like chambers of the Cango Caves. Later you drive to your accommodation outside the town. The next day, a several-hour excursion over the picturesque Swartberg Pass is well worthwhile (weather permitting). The pass leads to the sleepy mountain village of Prince Albert and, via Klaarstroom and De Rust, back towards Oudtshoorn, with various sightseeing stops along the way. You spend two nights at Thabile Lodge.

You drive along Scenic Route 62 via Calitzdorp, Ladismith, Montagu and Swellendam to Hermanus, near Gansbaai. This small fishing town is South Africa’s “whale capital” and, from June to November, the best place to watch the giants of the sea. Keep an eye out for the “telltale” spouts of water created when the whales exhale. But even outside the whale season, the region offers spectacular hiking trails along the coast or in the neighbouring forests. Those seeking peace and quiet will also get their money’s worth here. You spend the night at Bamboo Guest House.

Many visitors agree: when the conversation turns to the most beautiful city in the world, Cape Town is always mentioned in the same breath as San Francisco. The unique flair of this city, with the ever-present Table Mountain as a backdrop, its perfect location by the sea and the scenic hinterland captivate every visitor. A highlight at the end of your self-drive round trip through South Africa. The sights in Cape Town are so numerous that you have to decide in advance whether you would like to visit Table Mountain, Lion’s Head, Blouberg Beach, Camps Bay, or, or… You spend the night at Rosedene Guesthouse. Cape Town offers a wide choice of restaurants.

Start the day early and take an excursion to the Cape of Good Hope. Along the picturesque Chapmans Peak Drive you drive across the Cape Peninsula to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. Afterwards your journey leads via Fish Hoek and Muizenberg into the wine region. Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek form the wine centre of South Africa. Beautiful wine estates, fringed by vines and sheltered by the surrounding mountains, invite you to linger and to enjoy wine tastings. Hiking enthusiasts will get their money’s worth in Jonkershoek Nature Reserve. Optionally, wine tastings combined with cycling tours, hikes and sightseeing tours are possible. You spend the night at the lovely Wedgeview Country House on the edge of town.

Depending on your departure time, a stroll through Stellenbosch and its souvenir market is a good idea. Later you drive back to Cape Town Airport, where your self-drive round trip through South Africa ends. There you return your rental car and begin your journey back to Europe, arriving home with many new impressions and experiences.

Breakfast

Flexibility | Would you like to add a rental car, rearrange the route to suit your own wishes and ideas, or do you prefer more luxurious accommodation (private game lodges, golf resorts, etc.)? Please tell us your wishes and ideas in a personal conversation.