Itinerary

Day 1 JOHANNESBURG to MPUMALANGADeparting from Johannesburg at 06:30am we head east towards Mpumalanga. A landscape characterised by mountains, panoramic passes, valleys, rivers, waterfalls and forests. We will camp the night in the old gold rush town of Pilgrims Rest, a living museum dating back to 1873. We explore the quaint town, visit Mac Mac falls and God’s Window viewpoint [ camping - LD] 

[B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner]
Day 2 & 3 KRUGER NATIONAL PARK
Big game country - exciting game drives provide us with excellent game viewing. Spot lion, elephant, rhino and other animals in one of the last African wildernesses. Early morning & afternoon game drives get us close to the wildlife. [camping BLD ]

Day 4 KINGDOM OF SWAZILAND
The mountainous Kingdom of Swaziland, led by King Mswati III, is one of only 3 monarchies in Africa. Swazi’s are proud of their traditional lifestyle & cultures. We explore the Malolotja reserve on foot to enjoy the mountain scenery, rare birdlife, and the 95m high Malolotja waterfall. Overnight in log cabins with fantastic panoramic views. [ cabin BLD ]

Day 5 & 6 ZULULAND
After visiting craft markets near Mbabane, we re-enter South Africa. Mkuzi Game Reserve is a safe haven for the endangered black rhino. We have a full day to game drive and stop at waterhole hides and watch game come down to drink. In the afternoon we visit a local Zulu village to learn about their culture, traditions and lifestyle. [ camping BLD ]

Day 7 & 8 DRAKENSBERG MOUNTAINS
Moving further south to the base of the Drakensberg (Dragon Mountains). We have two nights at the foot of the mountains allowing time for walking along beautiful mountain stream paths, looking for Bushman rock paintings or just enjoying spectacular views. [camping BLD ]

Day 9 & 10 LESOTHO
We travel through the towering red sandstone cliffs of Golden Gate en route to Lesotho. Quaint villages and towns offer interesting stops along the way. We cross the border and head to southern Lesotho to our overnight chalets at Malealea. This lodge nestled in the mountains forms our base for two nights. The next morning we are up early and spend the day trekking with a local guide and his pony through the rugged mountains. [chalets BLD ]

Day 11 KAROO NATIONAL PARK
Descending from the Lesotho highlands we make our way into the great Karoo. It covers most of central South Africa and is a vast semi desert. It has become famous for its sheep and ostrich farming industries, and roadside stalls selling handmade windmills. [guesthouse BL- ]

Day 12 ADDO ELEPHANT NATIONAL PARK
A conservation success, Addo Elephant N.P. offers a unique wildlife area, famous for the Addo Elephants. We head out on game drives in search of elephant, black rhino, lion, buffalo and leopard. Evening viewing at the floodlit waterhole allows us to watch the nocturnal animals. [ camping BLD ]

Day 13 & 14 TSITSIKAMMA
Indigenous Tsitsikamma forests surround the campsite at Storms River mouth, and there are walks up the Storms River Gorge and along the rocky coastline. There is an option of the world’s highest bungi jump (own expense). Whales may be seen in season (July to November). [ camping BLD ]

Day 15 WESTERN CAPE
After visiting "The Heads" in Knysna, a town nestled on a tranquil lagoon we travel south along the Garden Route towards the famous wine regions of the Cape. We pass the Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve and Threewaterkloof pass to our campsite near Franschhoek for the evening. [camping BLD ]

Day 16 & 17 CAPE TOWN
We enjoy a morning walk in historic Franschhoek. 
Visit Stellenbosch, for wine tasting and a cellar tour. Explore Cape Town and the “mother city’s” many attractions; visit Cape Point, the Cape of Good Hope, Chapman’s Peak drive, the harbour at Hout Bay, enjoy the famous beaches and the V&A Waterfront. Optional visit to Robben Island (own expense). Meals at a variety of local restaurants (own expense). ). [guesthouse B - - ]

Day 18 TOUR ENDS - TRANSFERS
We climb Table Mountain in the morning admiring the views over Table bay and Cape Town. Spend the afternoon catching up on last minute curio shopping or just lazing on the beach absorbing the Cape's sunshine. (Should you want to book the optional Robben Island excursion please ask your tour leader to help you on the first few days of the tour. ) Tour ends at +/-18:00pm [B - -].

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM: 
Our stay in Lesotho supports the Malealea community. Local guides, village accommodation and some of the fresh produce used in the lodge are sourced from the local villages in a responsible and sustain¬able method. Thus providing income, and better living standards for the Malealea villages and the local community.

PRE & POST TOUR ACCOMMODATION:
Due to the early departure time of this safari we recommend that you stay in Johannesburg the night before safari. Please indicate if you require assistance with airport transfers and hotel reservations in your enquiry .

Single supplement
If you are travelling on your own, we will “room” you with another same gender client so you do not pay extra when booking as a single person. If however, you request a single room, then the single supplement is applicable.

Local payment
A local payment is required on this safari and this will be collected by the tour leader on departure. This covers a portion of the local operational costs including entrance and park fees. This ensures that a major portion of your tour price goes directly into the country you are visiting, benefiting local communities and contributing to the conservation of the area.

Included

6 nights in hotels or cabins and 11 nights camping 
Entrance fees 
Use of camping equipment (except sleeping bags) 
Professional guide
Maximum group size: 12 travellers

Transport in Safari Truck or Minibus 
Vehicle - for longer distance travel, place to place, we use custom-built safari trucks with 12 forward facing seats. Your comfort is catered for with individual seats (with safety belts), ample legroom and large vertical sliding windows for unobstructed viewing and photography.
There are roof hatches for excellent "open" views and an integral cab and passenger compartment so contact with the driver is easy. Each truck also have large packing compartments, a built in kitchen, freezers, drinking water tanks, interior lights and gas stoves (to minimise use of wood and destruction of forest areas). There is also a pullout set of steps into the passenger compartment, making access for clients easier.

or Toyota Hiace minibuses with 10 forward facing seats (roof rack and trailer for equipment and baggage); or Mercedes Sprinter minibuses with 16 forward facing seats (and trailer for equipment and baggage). There are a couple of long days of travelling but the vehicles have a comfortable cruising speed.
The emphasis of the trip is “getting out and doing things”.

Meals as per itinerary 
We pride ourselves on giving very good healthy meals to our clients and will provide three meals per day, except where shown in the itinerary, where we try out local restaurants.
The tour leaders do the shopping and meal planning for each group. He/she will always try to obtain fresh produce wherever possible. A rough idea of what these will consist of is: Breakfast - cereals or coffee and toast or the occasional fried breakfast, Lunch - cheese, cold meats, salads on bread or rolls, Dinner - braais (local barbecue), potjies (stews), stir fries etc. We use regular plates, cups and cutlery. All cooking and eating utensils will also be provided.
We do cater for special dietary requirements (e.g. vegetarian or allergies.)
We will supply fruit squash served with breakfast and tea or coffee served with breakfast and dinner

Excluded

All other beverages will be for your own expense. We will not supply bottled drinking water although it is available at many shops on tour
Optional night game drive inside the Kruger National Park

Departures

Starts: Johannesburg – Finishes: Cape Town
2012-01-21    -    2012-02-07
2012-03-10    -    2012-03-27
2012-03-24    -    2012-04-10
2012-03-31    -    2012-04-17
2012-04-14    -    2012-05-01
2012-04-28    -    2012-05-15
2012-05-19    -    2012-06-05
2012-06-02    -    2012-06-19
2012-06-16    -    2012-07-03
2012-07-07    -    2012-07-24
2012-07-21    -    2012-08-07
2012-08-04    -    2012-08-21
2012-08-25    -    2012-09-11
2012-09-08    -    2012-09-25
2012-09-22    -    2012-10-09
2012-10-13    -    2012-10-30
2012-10-27    -    2012-11-13
2012-11-10    -    2012-11-27
2012-12-01    -    2012-12-18
2012-12-15    -    2013-01-01
2012-12-29    -    2013-01-15

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