Wildlife Tour In South Africa & Swaziland

Beginning in Johannesburg this morning, the rest of the day is free to relax after the long flight, making full use of our lodge’s inhouse Jacuzzi and refreshing pool to ease away the stress of the journey.

Overnight Lodge (H+)

Leaving behind the city this morning, we drive up into the airy uplands of Eastern Mpumalanga (formerly Transvaal). This area has been inhabited since stone age times, and with its plentiful rivers, multiple waterfalls, beautiful craggy escarpments covered in vegetation and colourful birdlife, it is easy to understand why. Travelling via the quaint trout fishing town of Dullstrom we’ll stop for a well earned break amongst its charming coffee shops, before continuing through Long Tom’s Pass to our overnight camp. After setting up camp we pay a visit to the breathtaking viewpoint at the aptly named ‘God’s Window’, to admire the awe-inspiring panoramas across the Blyde River Canyon. Stretching for some 26 kms, the canyon is the third largest on the planet and one of the most spectacular in Africa, with dramatic canyon walls that rise some 600-800m from the river below. This region’s economic wealth however lies below ground and during the 19th century this entire area was, quite literally, one giant gold mine. Settlers, miners and missionaries flocked to the region and today there is still evidence everywhere of those gold rush days. Our camp lies close to the old mining town of Pilgrim’s Rest, a perfectly preserved outdoor museum and national monument that presents us with a feeling for what life was like for those early fortune hunters; with miner’s cottages, a schoolhouse, church and even a local newspaper office providing us with a chance to learn a little something of the region’s fascinating past.

Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Our journey continues through the stunning landscapes of the Mpumalanga Escarpment, towards the famous gamelands of Kruger National Park, one of the world’s premier game reserves. Covering an area larger than Israel, the park was established in 1898 to protect big game (which had almost been hunted to extinction) and is now one of the most prolific animal habitats in South Africa, committed to animal conservation. A large number of species are present in the park, including elephant, lion, black and white rhino, leopard, cheetah, giraffe, zebra, wild dog, hyena, wildebeest and almost all of South Africa’s species of antelope. Bird life is just as impressive with crowned cranes, bee-eaters, sunbirds and vultures. We have two days here to enjoy the glory of this magnificent park, with morning and afternoon game drives included.

Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast

Leaving Kruger behind we drive south, to the small kingdom of Swaziland, a tiny, inde-pendent land inhabited by a people who continue to revere their king and retain their age-old culture and traditions. The Kingdom’s largest protected area, Hlane Royal National Park is a 30,000 hectare refuge of Swazi bushveld that is home to white rhino, elephant, lion, leopard and a rich diversity of birdlife. Set amidst the vast expanse of the Lubombo Conservancy and presenting us with one of the country’s finest wilderness reserves, this was once the private hunting ground of the royal family and is today held in trust for the Swazi people by the present king, Mswati III.

Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning there is an opportunity for an optional game drive (at your own expense), before we enjoy an included game walk this afternoon in the company of a local ranger. The park is an area of flat lowland, covered in ancient hardwoods, grasslands and shallow pans, providing an ideal haven for an assortment of wildlife. Splitting into smaller groups makes it much easier to get close to some of the park’s abundant game, including hopefully the resident white rhinos. Birdlife includes bateleurs, Cape vultures and long-crested eagles, whilst its landscapes provide home for the southernmost nesting site of the marabou stork.

Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Heading back across the border into South Africa, our destination today is the magnificent Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve, once the hunting grounds of the Zulu kings. This reserve has achieved remarkable success over the years, with an ambitious rhino conservation programme that has brought the rhino back from the brink of extinction. As a result it now supports the densest rhino populations in Africa, with both black and white varieties in residence. It is also home to lion, cheetah, leopard, wild dog, crocodile and hippo and is a bird watchers paradise, with over 300 species recorded here. Our journey takes us through some spectacular scenery in the Ezulwini Valley and past numerous traditional homesteads, stopping off en route to visit the Ngwenya glass blowing factory, before we finally end the day amongst the scenic landscapes of Hluhluwe-Umfolozi.

Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Established in 1895, the reserve covers some 96,000 hectares and contains an impressive diversity of flora and fauna. One unusual feature to the park is its hilly terrain, allowing some great views out across the surrounding savannah and thick forests. This can aid game spotting no end and Hluhluwe is renowned as one of the best wildlife reserves in Kwazulu-Natal. Larger mammals to be seen include buffalo, blue wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, elephant and large numbers of impala. The park is also home to sizeable populations of the rare nyala and, of course, the white and black rhinos. With such a rich concentration of game the predators are never far behind and lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena and jackal all reside here in healthy numbers. We spend the day exploring the park’s diverse habitats, from the woodlands to the north, where elephants roam and the forests hide the rare samango monkey, to the thornveld and grasslands to the south, which support large herds of kudu and waterbuck.  Bird species include the rare bateleur eagle, the green coucal, southern-banded snake eagle and the rare African broadbill. The Hluhluwe River flood plain is also of the few areas in South Africa where it is possible to see yellow, pink and orange-throated long claws.

Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Driving through the historic landscapes of KwaZulu Natal this morning, we follow the eastern coast to the city of Durban, the country’s busiest port and one of its prime tourist spots. Located on the shores of the Indian Ocean, Durban has a rich colonial history and, on arrival, we will take a short tour of the city before continuing to Underberg. Set beneath the imposing peaks of the Southern Drakensberg Mountains, Underberg is well named, the towering barrier of Southern Africa’s highest ranges providing a breathtaking backdrop to the town. Known to the Zulus as uKhanlamba (Barrier of Spears), the Drakensbergs run for some 1,000 kilometres, from the Northern Provinces to the Eastern Cape and are a rich mountain haven for a staggering variety of flora and fauna.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today we transfer to smaller vehicles for a full day’s tour through the Sani Pass and into the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. Entirely surrounded by South Africa, this tiny enclave is the world’s southernmost landlocked country, measuring just 30,000 square kilometres and populated almost entirely by Bantu speaking Basotho. These high alpine landscapes hide a wealth of natural beauty and boast, amongst other things, the world’s second highest waterfall (Tugela Falls), a staggering variety of endemic plants (many of which are seriously endangered) and nearly 300 species of birds, accounting for 37% of all Southern Africa’s non-marine avian species.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

As we head away from the Drakensberg Mountains this morning, we turn south, towards the Eastern Cape and its lush forests, a full day’s drive that takes us through some of the most scenic countryside in the region. Lying along the western edge of the Amatola Mountains, the picturesque village of Hogsback sits amidst a forested landscape, whose ethereal beauty is believed to have inspired Tolkein’s vision of Middle Earth for his Lord of the Rings trilogy. Surrounded by ancient Afro-montane forests, it sits in the shadow of three mountain peaks, whose similarity to the wild hogs that haunt the forests, earned the village its distinctive name. 

Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Heading inland this morning we drive next to the expansive reserves of the Addo Elephant Park, home to over 450 elephants, as well as Cape buffalo, black rhino and the almost exclusive flightless dung beetle. The park covers some 164,000 hectares, but plans are in place to expand that to a staggering 360,000 ha, which will encompass a marine reserve providing sanctuary to the world’s largest breeding populations of Cape gannets and the second largest population of African penguins. After setting up camp we’ll enjoy a game drive this afternoon. The park currently boasts 5 of South Africa’s 7 biomes and, besides its famous elephants, it also includes habitats that provide a haven for leopard, lion, great white sharks and southern right whales, as well as a rich heritage of archaeological and historic sites. Over the next two days we will have an opportunity to discover some of this rich diversity for ourselves, with morning and afternoon game drives and evenings camped beneath the dazzling blanket of an African night sky.

Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

This morning we follow the coastline west, towards the majestic landscapes of the famous Garden Route and the beautiful setting of Tsitsikama National Park. Tsitsikamma is a marine and forest park, stretching for some 80 km, from a lagoon at Nature’s Valley, to the mouth of the Groot River. The third most visited park in South Africa, Tsitsikamma translates as ‘Place of Much Water’ and was proclaimed Africa’s first Marine National Park in 1964. Today it represents one of the largest Marine Protected Areas on earth, conserving some 11% of South Africa’s Temperate South Coast rocky shoreline. Camping amongst this stunning setting for the next two nights, we’ll have ample opportunity to enjoy something of its natural charms. 

Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today has been left free to follow your own preferences, with options for hiking, relaxing and wildlife viewing all on offer. The park is covered in a variety of flora, including wild flowers and forest vegetation, whilst animal life to look out for include Cape Clawless otters, duiker, dolphins, African black oystercatchers and a wide variety of seabirds. Sandwiched between the deep blue waters of the Indian Ocean and the misty heights of the Tsitsikamma Mountains, these spectacular vistas present some of the most scenically beautiful along the entire coast, with the seas off this coast presenting rich feeding grounds for dolphins and whales. You may choose to take some scenic hikes in the park or simply wish to relax on the beach, whilst farther afield offers possibilities to feed elephants at Knysna Elephant Park, or perhaps do some bird spotting at nearby Birds of Eden, the world’s largest free flight bird sanctuary.

Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

As we continue our journey towards the Western Cape we head next into the stark and arid landscapes of the Little Karoo, towards the town of Oudtshoorn and the traditional heart of South Africa’s ostrich farming industry. As we turn our back on the ocean for a while, we head into the rugged peaks of the Outeniqua Mountains, taking the road that leads from the town of George and through the Outeniqua Pass to the Dutch colonial towns that lie amongst the central high plateau of the Karoo. After settling in to our camp we’ll take an afternoon tour of a local ostrich farm, learning a little more of the region’s remarkable connection with this flightless giant. Farmed originally to satisfy a fashionable demand for ostrich feathers amongst Europe’s elite during the latter years of the 19th century, the industry provided some rich pickings for local farmers, until the market collapsed in 1914. Today the region accounts for some 75% of an industry that employs over 20,000 people, although the ostriches these days are farmed more for their meat than their feathers.

Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Driving through the Breede River Valley we head for the town of Worcester this morning, located in the heart of one of the Western Cape’s largest wine and fruit producing valleys. South African wines are rightly considered amongst the finest in the world and today we will have a chance to try some for ourselves as we make our way west. We then head for journey’s end and Cape Town, without doubt one of the most vibrant and beautifully located cities on the planet, set before the iconic backdrop of Table Mountain. Founded by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, as a refuelling point along the trading routes between Europe and the spice rich lands to the east, Cape Town grew over the next century to become a thriving settlement. Over the years that followed the city absorbed the cultural influences of its colonial masters as well as freed Muslim slaves, who all left their mark on this city in one form or another.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

We spend the whole day enjoying a comprehensive sightseeing tour of some of the many attractions that the Cape Peninsula has to offer. One of the highlights is a visit to the Cape of Good Hope, first seen by a European in 1488 when Diaz sailed round it on his search for a sea route to the East Indies. A century later Sir Francis Drake described it as ‘the fairest cape...in the whole circumference of the earth’. It was another century however before the Dutch East Indies Trading Company established a permanent settlement here, to supply passing ships with cattle and water traded from the indigenous Khoi herders. We’ll climb to a viewpoint at Cape Point where there is the Cape Point lighthouse and views over the rocky south eastern tip of South Africa.  Historically, this area would have filled early mariners with nothing short of dread. We will also visit the African Penguin colony at Boulders Beach, just on the outskirts of Simon's Town. This is one of only two mainland colonies anywhere in the world for these amazing, and sadly endangered, creatures, commonly known as Jackass Penguins because of their donkey like braying. From here we return to Cape Town for our final evening.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Included meals: Breakfast