Tour Itinerary
Day 1 Johannesburg
Sawubona! Welcome to South Africa.
You can arrive at any time on day 1 as there are no activities planned until the important welcome meeting tonight at 6pm. Your leader will leave a note at reception telling you where this important meeting will take place. Your leader will collect your local payment at this meeting. After the group meeting there is the option of joining your group for dinner.
If you arrive early head out to see the sights of Jo'burg, such as the chilling Apartheid Museum, landscapes-filled Art Gallery or fun-filled Gold Reef City, an amusement park.
Tonight's accommodation is in comfortable two man dome tents at our beautiful, safe and exclusive Johannesburg camp. The toilet facilties have flush toilets and hot showers. On site, there is a swimming pool, bar and restaurant.
Days 2-3 Kruger National Park
After breakfast we continue to southern Africa's most famous premier game reserve, the Kruger, where we spend two nights. Enroute we visit the spectacular viewpoint for the Blyde River Canyon. We enter Kruger through one of the central gates and immediately begin game driving enroute to our campsite. The total driving time from Johannesburg to Kruger National Park including lunch and visiting Blyde River canyon is approximately 9 hours (600kms).
Our campsite tonight has hot water and flush toilets.
The following day we explore the diversity of the Kruger landscape ranging from rolling hills with granite outcrops to savannah grasslands during a full day game drive. In the evening, there is the option of taking an additional night drive with park authorities to spot nocturnal animals and perhaps even night-time predators. If you're interested in having more animal encounters while here, there is also the options of going on an early morning guided game walk.
While in Kruger we camp in two-man dome tents. Our campsite has flush toilets and hot showers.
Day 4 Hlane Royal National Park
We game drive out of Kruger and then it's only a short drive to the tiny Kingdom of Swaziland. The distance is about 120 kms, which will take us approximately 2 hours including the border crossings.
Swaziland is a landlocked country wedged between Mozambique and South Africa, set on the slopes of the Drakensberg Mountains. We hit the local market - always a great way to get to know a new country, before visiting the local candle factory which provides valuable employment to local women.
We spend tonight in the Hlane Game Reserve, a relatively small but very scenic and peaceful reserve. The highlight here is a rhino walking safari which gives you the unique experience of seeing white rhino from eye level.
Tonight we camp at a campsite with hot and cold running water.
Days 5-6 Ponta d'Ouro/Mozambique Beach Camp
This morning we drive the 140km from Hlane to the Golela Border Post where we exit the park. From here we head 210km to the Kosi Bay Border Post where we leave our safari vehicle behind, jumping into 4 wheel drives for the short drive (approx. 1 hour) to the coast. We camp at the beachside and enjoying two days of fun and relaxation. Options for you to choose from here include scuba diving, snorkelling, dolphin viewing and boat cruises.
Our campsite for these nights has flush toilets and hot and cold running water.
Day 7 St Lucia Estuary
Enroute to St Lucia we game drive in the prestigious Hluhluwe Game Reserve, the oldest game reserve in South Africa and home of the largest population of rhinos in the world. With luck, you might see both black and the white rhinos here, as well as the rest of the Big Five: lions, leopards, elephants and buffaloes. While game driving we drive very slowly to keep under national park speed limits, disturb any animals as little as possible and give you the best chance of spotting them. In total today we'll be driving for about 7 hours.
We arrive in time for an optional boat cruise on the St Lucia estuary where there is the chance to view hippos, crocodile and a large variety of bird life.
Tonight's campsite has hot showers and flush toilets.
Day 8 Durban
We wind our way down the coast to the seaside playground of Durban, where the tour ends late in the afternoon. Todays drive is 400km, approximately 4.5 hours driving time.
The journey concludes in Durban, South Africa's second most populous city and a tourist magnet thanks to its wealth of golden, sandy beaches and glitzy nightlife. Tonight you could explore the Golden Mile, a stretch of fine sands bordered on one side by frothy surf and on the other by an attractive beachfront of shops, restaurants and cafes.
Our tour finishes at the Happy Hippo Backpackers in Durban. From here shuttles are available to Durban airport.
No accommodation is provided for tonight, but we are able to arrange post trip accommodation should you wish at the Happy Hippo Backpackers. Please ask us at time of booking.
