OVERVIEW

You will be collected from your hotel or OR Tambo Airport between 6:30 and 6:45 am. Alternatively, you can be picked up from the airport shuttle and bus terminal between 6:45 and 7:00 am. We will then depart at 7:15 am. You can also fly directly to either Skukuza Kruger National Park, or Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport and be collected by your safari guide at no additional cost. We’ll travel directly to our lodge in Hazyview and arrive between 11:30 am – 12:00 pm.

You have time to relax and enjoy a light lunch, thereafter enjoy a swim or walk around the beautiful lodge and walking trail. We’ll depart from the lodge at around 3.45 pm for a sunset/night safari in Kruger National Park. The sun sets early in the winter months, meaning you will have a longer night safari, and in summer you will enjoy the beautiful sunsets while on safari. You’ll then return to the lodge at around 8.00 pm for a lovely dinner and a good night’s rest, preparing for your full-day safari tomorrow.

Main Destination:

Kruger National Park (South Africa)

Accommodation:

Umbhamba Eco Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located just outside Kruger NP

Meals & Drinks:

• Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

All safaris start before sunrise, as this is the best part of the day, not knowing what to expect. After a short drive to the park, we enter the park gates and your guide will have an idea of the best areas to find the wildlife, including the Big Five and plains game. This is the finest time of the day to see predators.

The lodge will arrange breakfast packs and your guide will stop after about 3 hours for breakfast, a bathroom break and a chance to get coffee. You continue with your safari. Kruger offers a variety of ecozones and each one has a different range of wildlife. You visit rivers, waterholes, forests, savannah and bushveld regions.

We will then stop for lunch at a rest camp, where this meal will be for your own account. You’ll have time to do some curio shopping or enjoy a cold beer! The guide will then continue with the safari heading towards the lodge, arriving at around 3.30 – 4.00 pm. It’s now time to relax, swim and have a great dinner.

Main Destination:

Kruger National Park (South Africa)

Accommodation:

Umbhamba Eco Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located just outside Kruger NP

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & dinner (Lunch not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Today you’ll visit God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, Blyde River Canyon (world’s 3rd-largest canyon), Lisbon Waterfall, the 3 Rondawels and the town of Graskop.

God’s Window allows you an incredible panoramic view from the escarpment where it immediately drops 1,300m below. You can see as far as Kruger and Mozambique on a clear day. There is a fantastic short walk through a natural rainforest environment.

Bourke’s Luck Potholes is a stunning, natural formation created by water erosion over hundreds of years. The Bourke’s Luck Potholes have round carvings and holes of different sizes formed in the Truer River and Blyde River confluence in the red sandstone. Your guides will brief you on the history of the region. You can use small footbridges and walk over the chasms, looking at the water flowing through the cracks and holes. There are also several small but beautiful waterfalls in the area. We’ll spend about 1 hour here, and it’s a great walk of about 1 km in total.

Main Destination:

Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve (Panorama Route, South Africa)

Accommodation:

Umbhamba Eco Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located just outside Blyde River Canyon

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & dinner (Lunch not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

You depart before sunrise for your last Kruger safari. Your guide will focus on animals we could not find on the first 2 safaris and hope for lion and leopard as they are most active in the early mornings. The Kruger has 158 mammal species and over 550 bird species, your guide will help you find as many as possible.

No safari is ever the same. Kruger has a huge network of roads to choose from and guides will drive in different areas of the park in different seasons, giving you the chance of more sightings. After a short breakfast and a coffee stop, we’ll continue with the safari, returning to the lodge at around 11 am. Here, you’ll say goodbye to your guide and freshen up before the journey back to Johannesburg.

You will be collected by the shuttle at around 11.30 am and returned to Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport, arriving between 5 and 6 pm. On arrival, check in for your flight to Cape Town, where you will be met by either myself or my colleague & transfer to your hotel.

Main Destination:

Cape Town (City, South Africa)

Accommodation:

Radisson RED V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

• Mid-range hotel located in or near Cape Town

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Highlights:

1. Clifton, Camps Bay & Chapman’s Peak: Situated along the Atlantic Seaboard, the beaches of Clifton & Camps Bay offer pristine waters that make these beaches popular.
2. Cape Point: Situated on the tip of the peninsula, with the Indian & Atlantic Ocean on either side, Cape Point NP spans across rugged landscapes, lush fynbos & open spaces. No tour is complete without a visit to Cape Point.
3. Simon’s Town & famous Boulders Penguin Colony: Simon’s Town has a charming naval town atmosphere & vibrant history. Explore historical sights and museums. Nearby is Boulders Beach, the only place in the world where you can swim alongside penguins.
4. Stellenbosch Town: The Cape Winelands lie outside Cape Town & it’s where you find the top wine estates. Historical Stellenbosch has stunning period architecture.
5. Zevenwacht Wine Estate tour: Be guided around the stunning wine cellars of this old established estate. Treat yourself to a tasting of the estate’s finest wines & cheeses.

Main Destination:

Cape of Good Hope (Cape Peninsula, South Africa)

Accommodation:

Radisson RED V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

• Mid-range hotel located in or near Cape Town

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Beer and wine (Other drinks not included)

You will ascend Table Mountain via a cable car & enjoy astonishing views over the city, Table Bay & Robben Island. Table Mountain is a 7th Wonder of the World & UNESCO Heritage Site. Visit the inner city and places like the Dutch East Indian Garden, Cape Castle, Malay Quarter & Green Market Square. Visit the only botanical garden situated in a World Heritage Site, with more endemic plant species than any other in the world. Experience Cape Towns’ oldest township with an excellent local guide.

Late in the afternoon, head along the West Coast where you can enjoy an amazing “postcard” sunset view of Table Mountain, Robben Island & Table Bay.

We are happy to offer you our rates on activities such as helicopter flips, shark cage diving, paragliding, hot air ballooning, whaleboat cruise, surfing lesson, seal snorkeling, guided hiking, etc. I’m available if you require a private tour!

Dine at Gold African Restaurant & savor exceptional cuisine from all over the African continent.

Main Destination:

Cape Town (City, South Africa)

Accommodation:

Radisson RED V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

• Mid-range hotel located in or near Cape Town

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

Depart Cape Town for your onward journey to Victoria Falls. Upon arrival, you will be taken to your lodge situated close to the falls. Relax, swim & enjoy lunch while observing wildlife. You will be collected from the hotel late in the afternoon and taken to the moorings for your sunset safari cruise on the mighty Zambezi River.

Affectionately referred to as the “river of life”, the Zambezi River is the 3rd longest in Africa, & runs through 6 countries before entering the Indian Ocean. The river evokes mystery and excitement with few rivers in the world remaining as pristine or little explored. I have seen leopard & lion on the river banks, Africa never ceases to amaze!

Transfer back to your lodge in Vic Falls by minibus, and enjoy a fine meal whilst soaking up the African savannah. Bon appetit! The lodge is within walking distance of Victoria Falls village, where interesting markets & fabulous eateries are available. Optional activities are available to you at preferential rates!

Main Destination:

Victoria Falls (Highlight, Zimbabwe)

Accommodation:

Shearwater Explorers Village

• Budget lodge located in or near Victoria Falls

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

Early morning, you cross the border into Botswana & continue to Chobe National Park (1-hour transfer), one of Africa’s greatest! This is a highly recommended optional safari activity, & our discounted rates apply to you.

You spend 3 to 4 hours on an open 4×4 safari vehicle with a professional ranger in this great park. Chobe National Park is home to Africa’s largest elephant population. It is famous for its wild dogs, huge buffalo herds & big cats, unmatched anywhere else in the world! After a hearty lunch on the banks of the Chobe River, embark on a safari river cruise & experience nature at its best! Here, you’ll get up-close & personal with hippo, crocodile & a mind-boggling array of waterbirds. You can see big herds of elephant & buffalo as they converge along the river waterfront.

Late in the afternoon, you return to Victoria Falls. You can perhaps enjoy an African buffet at The Boma Dinner & Drum Show, followed by interactive African drumming, theater & dance.

Main Destination:

Chobe River (River, Botswana)

Accommodation:

Shearwater Explorers Village

• Budget lodge located in or near Victoria Falls

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Taking its place alongside the pyramids and the Serengeti, Victoria Falls is one of Africa’s original blockbusters.

After an early breakfast, depart for your tour of Victoria Falls, guided by a park ranger. Named by the explorer David Livingstone after Queen Victoria in 1855, who said: “It must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight”. For millennia, it has been known by Africans as Mosi-oa-Tunya (the smoke that thunders). Ask your guide to point out Devils Pool on the edge of the falls, Zambian side. There could be adrenaline junkies swimming to the precarious edge of the falls. The Vic Falls as it is known, is a 7th Wonder of the World, one of the greatest natural sights anybody will ever see. Viewing spots have been maintained in their natural state. Please be careful.

We will offer you discounted rates on activities like helicopter or micro lighting over the falls, river rafting, bungee jumping, township tour, Devils pool & nocturnal safaris inside the Victoria Falls Park.

Main Destination:

Victoria Falls (Highlight, Zimbabwe)

Accommodation:

Shearwater Explorers Village

• Budget lodge located in or near Victoria Falls

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

After breakfast, if time permits, you’ll have the opportunity to do a last activity (most flights depart from Victoria Falls for Johannesburg at around 1 pm). Thereafter, you are transferred to Victoria Falls Airport for your onward journey to Johannesburg and finally, your home destination.

Whilst in Southern Africa, during, after or even before your tour, we will offer you our preferential rates on optional activities. They include helicopter flips, hot air ballooning, Devils Pool, bungee jumping, snorkeling with seals, shark cage diving, whaleboat cruises and more.

Main Destination:

Victoria Falls (Highlight, Zimbabwe)

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included