This exciting safari begins in Johannesburg, in the province of Gauteng, meaning 'the place of gold'. Explore this, the economic hub of South Africa; visit Soweto, the Ndebele people, Gold Reef City, the Magaliesberg hills and the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site where humankind is believed to have begun.
Follow the trails of early trekkers, goldminers and transport riders eastwards; spend time among the African wildlife on a game-viewing safari through the world-renowned Kruger National Park. Enjoy a scenic drive among the hills and rural villages, stay at a nature reserve and visit a unique arts venue in the Kingdom of Swaziland. Relax and hike in the remote coastal haven of Kosi Bay in Maputaland where you could view loggerhead and giant leatherback turtles as well as birding gems such as Pel's fishing owl, narina trogon, knysna louries, purple crested louries and palmnut vultures. Spend time in Zululand, meet the locals, hike in the Drakensberg mountains, view bushman rock art and the diverse flora and fauna of the region.
DURATION
17 Days and 16 nights. Shorter versions can be done
in 5, 7, 9, 12 and 14 days.
BEST TIME
Year round. The Kruger Park area and KwaZulu-Natal
are warm in winter, and mostly hot in summer. Turtle season in Maputaland is
November to February, with the eggs being laid in November and December and
hatching between January and February.
DAY 1 & 2 GAUTENG
You will be met by Vanessa at Johannesburg International
Airport and taken to your choice of lodging. Vanessa grew up and studied in
Johannesburg and knows the area well.
ACCOMMODATION
GUESTHOUSES AND HOTELS IN JOHANNESBURG
For those who would like to see Johannesburg's malls,
art galleries, African art shops and markets there are excellent guesthouses
and hotels in the Melville, Sandton and Rosebank areas.
LUXURIOUS RAILWAY CARRIAGE
Head for the hills and visit a 'goblin garden' and
charming restaurant built by the owner/artists, set in a beautiful Magaliesberg
forest. Sleep in a luxuriously renovated antique railway carriage.
DIE RING OSSEWAHERBERG
Overnight Voortrekker style in an en-suite ox-wagon
at this country inn which consists of South Africa's largest private collection
of renovated ox-wagons.
MOUNTAIN SPA AND NATURE WALKS
Mount Grace is a romantic country retreat
offering gracious and generous hospitality, set in the Magaliesberg hills. Expect
a new level of luxury and privacy where the spacious cottages spread through
10 acres of magnificent indigenous gardens. After settling into your suite you
may want to make use of the numerous recreational and sports facilities, including
swimming, power walks, horse riding, mountain biking, tennis and croquet. Or
go on a botanical walk, relax in the privacy of your own garden patio, listen
to the birds and enjoy the fresh mountain air. The new spa offers outdoor hydrotherapy
in natural rock pools of varying temperatures, specialist spa therapies, including
massages, salt scrubs, detoxifying and hydrating body wraps as well as a range
of feel-good face and skin treatments using world-class product ranges.
The superb service at Mount Grace is extended to their wonderful meals, which are served either in the elegant indoor dining room or out in the garden among the trees. In addition there are healthy eating choices available at their spa café - everything from salads to sauvignon blanc. The Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site is close by.
DAY 3 LOWVELD
After breakfast we head east across the highveld,
crossing historic trails used by elephants, indigenous people, voortrekkers,
gold prospectors and early traders. Either fly 'Out of Africa' style from Johannesburg
to your lodge and get an eagle's view of this part of Africa, or take the scenic
drive option, exploring places such as the early Voortrekker town of Sabie at
the foot of the Northern Drakensberg range, the view at God's window, and the
Blyde River Canyon, finally dropping down into the lowveld. There is a wide
choice of unique, adventurous and luxurious lodgings that will make your safari
dream come true.
TREE HOUSE LODGE
Spend the night in one of seven unique reed and
thatched en-suite tree houses! They blend into the environment whilst maintaining
an element of luxury. No nails are used in the construction, instead, the houses
are built around the trees so that they continue to grow through the rooms.
From your private balcony you could watch herds of animals passing below, or
meet a giraffe eye-to-eye.
Game drives and micro-light trips are among the activities on offer here. Enjoy the rock swimming pool, sundowners at the waterhole lookout, or relax at the tree house bar. After dark, dinner is served in the Boma or on the veranda. The food here is wholesome and traditionally South African.
OTTER'S DEN
For an unusual bushveld adventure, take a forest
trail and a suspension bridge crossing to this secluded camp deep in the riverine
bush on the Olifants River. This private tented camp caters exclusively for
one group at a time, so you have the swimming pool, candle-lit dinner, bar and
herd of grunting hippos in the river all to yourselves!
WITS
RURAL FACILITY
Spend the night at the 'Wits Rural Facility', the 'bush campus' of Wits University,
where all sorts of interesting community and conservationally-orientated projects
are conducted.
DAY 4 & 5 KRUGER
These days are devoted to enjoying the spectacular
untamed wilderness of the Kruger National Park and the relaxation that comes
with spending quality time in the African bush. There is nothing to compare
with sipping a morning cup of coffee on your private patio, whilst a family
of giraffe slowly browse their way through a stand of acacias nearby. Or the
thrill of close encounters with prides of lion, elephant herds, a lone leopard,
buffalo, black and white rhinoceros, zebra, kudu, wild dog, hyena, martial eagles,
bataleurs, vultures and many others.
PRIVATE GAME LODGES, KRUGER NATIONAL PARK
These lavish all-suite lodges, surrounded by magnificent
trees and an abundance of animals and bird life, enable you to enjoy exceptional
accommodation standards, outstanding service and superb cuisine. The lodges
incorporate the romance and elegance of the past colonial era, and reflect in
unique style the indigenous Zulu and Shangaan cultures.
Situated among riverine forest, the intimate lodges command sweeping views across the bushveld. Suites have their own private lounge, secluded outdoor deck and some have a private swimming pool. The suites are equipped with air-conditioning, a romantic fireplace, glass fronted en-suite bathrooms and indoor and outdoor showers.
Daily open Land Rover and walking safaris, plus spotlight night safaris, accompanied by a personal game ranger and tracker team is offered to afford you the opportunity to see the "Big Five".
DAY 6 & 7 SWAZILAND
In the morning we leave the park and drive south
into the Kingdom of Swaziland. Northern Swaziland has beautiful mountains and
rolling hills where many Swazis live in traditional grass-roofed huts, grow
mielies (corn), herd cattle and sell arts and crafts at the roadside. We will
visit the Ezulweni and Malkerns valleys which are the hub of Swaziland's art
world. We may be lucky enough to catch a concert performed by talented African
musicians at the funky semi-outdoors Shakespearean-styled theatre, "House
on Fire". The gallery, theatre and the sculptures for sale are worth investigating,
as are the other stylish crafts at "Gone Rural". The attractive orange
adobe Marondelas restaurant is the place to have fresh trout for lunch.
We will spend two nights at the nearby Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary. Walks, fantastic birding, mountain bike and horse riding trails, all offer the opportunity to get close to the warthog, zebra, wildebeest, nyala, hippo, guinea fowl, and other animals that live in this safe haven.
Spend a night in an en-suite Swazi beehive hut! Or stay in a chalet in this cheerful and relaxed camp among indigenous palms, euphorbias, acacias and many other attractive plants. The camp incorporates a picturesque lake where you can enjoy a drink in the safety of a wooden deck at the waters edge and stare eye-to-eye with a hippo! Warthogs wander through camp, avoiding close encounters with people and the birdlife along the watercourse here is superb! Relax in one of the open thatched lounges or sit around one of the great log fires that are lit every night, and enjoy the wholesome food cooked up by the enthusiastic staff.
Alternatively, enjoy a luxurious and charming stay at Reilly's Rock, previously the Reilly family homestead, a personal and tranquil haven with an almost spiritual link to years gone by. This secluded retreat is ideal for that sought-after solitude embraced by nature's harmony. The lodge, situated in the heart of Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary has beautiful en-suite rooms and a magnificent old garden with enormous trees. Enjoy coffee on the veranda at dawn, and look out for the elusive purple-crested loeries and the flash of their bright red wing feathers.
DAY 8, 9, 10 & 11 MAPUTALAND
From Swaziland we go to an almost forgotten coastal
haven: Kosi Bay is a subtropical paradise where loggerhead and giant leatherback
turtles return to breed between November and February every year. Kosi Bay has
a series of four lakes, each with a slightly different character, an estuary
and pristine beaches with rocky reefs where tropical fish fascinate the snorkeller.
The local people have a complex and ancient system of catching fish in reed
traps, using the tides. The hillsides are dotted with ethnic grass-roofed huts
and shady waterberry trees. African fish eagles soar over head, and this is
the spot to see the rare palmnut vultures that feed exclusively on the raffia
palm nuts. Forest birds include the elusive narina trogon and purple-crested
as well as knysna louries. Spend the night at the atmospheric and luxurious
Kosi Forest Lodge.
ADVENTURE BLEND EASY HIKING SAFARI
My favourite way of enjoying the diversity of this
area is to hike. Spend the first night at Kosi Forest Lodge and then two nights
at the tented camps on the Kosi hiking trail, one on First Lake, and one at
Banga Neck, between the ocean and Third Lake. Then return to Kosi Forest Lodge
on the fourth night.
NOTE: Some members of your group may prefer to stay at the lodge and go on day trips, while others hike for two days. The terrain is easy going and backpacks will be fairly light (around 22 pounds). For the serious hiker, there is a four day round trip hike!
DAY 9 FIRST LAKE, KOSI BAY HIKE
We take in a quiet morning canoe trip to see the
palmnut vultures near fourth lake, and then cross the third lake, Nhlange ('place
of reeds'), second lake, Mpungwini ('place of firewood') and first lake, Makhawulani,
by boat, look at the famous fish traps, perhaps see hippos, flamingos, and other
water birds on the way and then settle into a gorgeous rustic tented camp, set
in indigenous forest, with a view over the watery expanses. The accommodation
consists of five large comfortable safari tents built on wooden platforms with
mosquito netting on all the doors and windows. This is part of the newly revamped
Community Hiking Trail, which used to be run by the local parks board. We will
be joined by a knowledgeable local guide who will lead us on an afternoon walk
to the estuary known as Enkovukeni ('rise and fall'). We move through lush coastal
dune forest and grasslands, then mangroves and finally reach the ocean and river
mouth to swim and snorkel.
If we are lucky, we can buy fresh fish from the local fisherman and cook it in the traditional way, on the campfire! Enjoy the absolute peace of knowing you are in a place that can only be reached by foot or by boat.
DAY 10 BANGA NECK, KOSI BAY HIKE
After breakfast we hike 14 kms over forested dunes,
do some bird watching and get fantastic views of the lakes. Encounter local
villages and stop in at the 'Tuck shop' - the bush 'corner shop' for a cold
soda. After walking along the ridge which separates the lakes from the ocean,
we will drop down onto the beach for the last part of the hike. This rustic
tented camp has an ocean view. Spend the afternoon at your leisure, perhaps
swimming and snorkeling in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Take a short
night hike to one of the bush bars! If it is turtle season you can go on a nocturnal
turtle tour with the parks board officials.
DAY 11 KOSI BAY HIKE, KOSI FOREST LODGE
Leave mid-morning, and hike 7kms over vegetated
dunes to Fourth Lake. It has the freshest water, which is darkened by the tannins
from the dense forest vegetation that surrounds it. Look out for the elusive
narina trogon and knysna loeries. We will be collected on the other side of
the forest by a Land Rover from Kosi Forest Lodge. Spend the afternoon relaxing
and relish the luxurious lodge dinner.
DAY 12 ZULULAND
Leave Kosi Forest Lodge after breakfast and drive
southwest through Zululand.
You could visit one of Zululand's game reserves, your last chance to spend time with these animals. The beautiful Hluhluwe Game Reserve's successful rhino breeding project was largely responsible for saving the status of the endangered white rhino. The black rhino population is still in danger due to habitat destruction. The black rhino lives in wooded areas, whereas the white rhino prefers grasslands.
Visit rural people and shop for craftwork such as Zulu baskets and beadwork. An exciting opportunity came about when local school children expressed an interest in meeting tourists. Every school day, at midday, one can listen to school childen singing traditional songs, the meanings and significance of which is explained to visitors.
ADVENTURE BLEND ACCOMMODATION
RURAL ZULU VILLAGE
Stay at the home of a traditional rural Zulu familiy,
in a special guest hut in their village. Join in the day-to-day life of the
family, milk the cows, feed the chickens, visit the fields and eat meals with
the family. The younger school-going children in the family translate for the
visitors. This is an especially unique experience.
DAY 13, 14 & 15 DRAKENSBERG
We spend the morning driving down the Zululand coast,
where the fearful King Shaka once ruled a massive 'impi' (Zulu army), wend our
way through the Valley of a Thousand Hills and up to the Drakensberg Mountains.
Being the highest range in South Africa at 10 000ft, the Drakensberg offers breath-taking scenery: a blend of dramatic rock faces, massive spires, plunging waterfalls, endless grasslands, rivers and forests.
Spend a couple of days leisurely enjoying this enchanting environment. There are fantastic hikes of all durations and intensity, fresh drinkable water, an incredible diversity of plantlife, animals such as baboon and eland that are seen regularly and approximately 300 recorded species of birds. Among these are the endangered wattled crane, cape vulture, black eagle, bald ibis and lammergeyer or bearded vulture. The Drakensberg was once home to the bushman and offers one of the richest rockart sites in the world with more than 600 sites and 22 000 paintings. There are numerous arts and crafts venues including the award-winning and internationally respected Ardmore ceramic studio. The Drakensberg Boy's Choir, who perform nearby on Wednesdays, is rated among the top boy's choirs in the world
ARDMORE CERAMIC STUDIO
"The vibrant ceramics of Ardmore,
ranging from functional domestic ware to sculptural art in the decorative African
tradition, offer a fine insight into the subtle influences of rural potters
at work in the Champagne Valley of KwaZulu-Natal. These artists combine the
elements of their tribal tradition with the uniquely naïve perspective
of a new world."
-From the book, 'Ardmore. An African discovery',
Gillian Scott.
Stay at the charming friendly Ardmore guestfarm at the foot of the majestic Drakensberg, next to the stables that house the ceramic studio. Accommodation is in comfortable, characterful and tastefully decorated thatched rondawels with en-suite bathrooms set in a beautiful garden. Have tea in the garden or next to the fire and enjoy an evening meal with the owners.
This is the perfect launch pad for Injasuti National Park with its gorgeous mountain walks. Here you can swim in crystal clear rock pools and view some fascinating rock art, including Battle Cave where you will find 750 paintings depicting a battle between two warring clans.
LOWER INJASUTI CAVE HIKE
NOTE: This hike can be done as a 11km (7mile) day
trip on day 14 or 15.
This is a wonderful opportunity to stir your soul with some down-to-earth camping and beautiful scenery. This is a pleasant overnight trip (heavy packs are not required) involving a night spent at Lower Injasuti Cave. The cave is light and airy, with a few bushman paintings at one end and an exquisite natural white rock swimming pool. The hike is an easy 17 kms (10 miles) each way with two side trips to see some excellently preserved bushman rock art, including Battle Cave. We travel up a valley thick with gorgeous Drakensberg vegetation where eland are often seen in the bush along the river. Eland are Africa's largest antelope and were apparently sacred to the bushmen.
DAY 16 GAUTENG
After a delicious breakfast, we leave the hospitality
of Ardmore and head north along the Drakensberg range, stopping to look for
Lammergeyers at the 'vultures restaurant' and then drive 300kms back to the
Johannesburg area for the last night.