During this safari, the focus is on walking and exploring scenic and cultural destinations within South Africa, including a visit to the beautiful Kingdom of Swaziland. This is an active holiday, and the day walks range from leisurely to challenging and provide a unique adventure for those interested in a walking holiday. Highlights include visits to the old mining town of Pilgrims Rest, the game reserves of Zululand and Kruger, the Dundee battlefields, and the majestic Drakensberg.
| DEPARTURE/RETURN LOCATION | O.R. Tambo Airport |
| DEPARTURE TIME | Be available 2hours before flight |
| INCLUDED | |
| NOT INCLUDED |
During this safari, the focus is on walking and exploring scenic and cultural destinations within South Africa, including a visit to the beautiful Kingdom of Swaziland
We depart Johannesburg and head east towards Mpumalanga. During the afternoon, we visit the gold mining town of Pilgrims Rest and the viewpoint over God’s Window. Stretch our legs on a short walk from Mac Mac Pools, then make our way to our chalets on the edge of the escarpment.
We are up early the following day for our first long walk at the Blyde River. We walk from the rim of the escarpment down into the canyon with views of the Three Sisters and the river below before making our way back up the escarpment. After lunch, we spend the afternoon exploring the forests and waterfalls that make Mpumalanga a renowned destination. An exciting optional activity is the Graskop Gorge Lift, which lowers you down for a walk through the lush Afromontane forest below (at your own expense).
An early breakfast and we make our way to Kruger National Park. We enter the national park in our open safari vehicle and spend the day on an exciting game drive. Your guide will interpret the signs of bush as we hope to see elephants, rhino and possibly the elusive leopard. We stop for a picnic lunch before completing our game drive in the late afternoon as we exit the park and make our way to our private game lodge in the Greater Kruger area.
The following day we have a pre-dawn start, entering Kruger National Park in the hopes of catching the early day light game viewing. Returning to the lodge in the afternoon we venture out on a short bush walk, learning the tracks and other signs of the wildlife we hope to find on foot.
We enter the Kingdom of Swaziland and travel through a lush fruit farming area before heading into the mountains. We spend two nights on the outskirts of Malalotja Nature Reserve with a full day to walk through this seldom-explored mountainous reserve. The Swazi people have a rich cultural heritage, and we will visit the craft and medicine markets on day seven as we pass through the capital, Mbabane.
Crossing back into South Africa, we head towards our lodge on a private game reserve in the Msinene Nature Reserve. We take a walk with our local walking guide, who will point out some of the 540+ bird species found in the area and track the shy nyala antelope in the riverine vegetation of the Msinene River. The following morning, we visit Hluhluwe Game Reserve, a key area for rhino conservation, and visit a modern Zulu village to learn more about their culture. Enjoy the sunset and the bush sounds before a hearty dinner at the lodge.
We leave the coastline and make our way through the scenic hills and valleys of Zululand to the small town of Dundee. Here, battles were fought between the Zulus, British, and Boer troops—war cries still resound in the hills. We spend time at the informative Talana Museum before we settle into our lodge and have some free time in the afternoon.
The following morning, we explore the Islandlwana battlefield before we embark on an exciting 4 to 5-hour hike tracing the steps of the two British fugitives through the undulating hills of Zululand to the Buffalo River. Later in the day, we will visit Rourkes Drift before returning to the lodge.
Witness the grandeur of the Drakensberg Mountains or uKhahlamba, locally known as the “barrier of spears.” We overnight at the base of the berg (alt. 1600m) and spend a full day walking the mountain trails before taking an invigorating dip in the clear mountain streams of the Royal Natal National Park. The crisp mountain air is refreshing, and our lodge is a fantastic place to relax and enjoy the splendor of the mountain views.
We start the day with an early breakfast and make our way to Witsieshoek at the foot of the magnificent Sentinel Peak. At the end of a rough gravel road, we start our trek, which includes a short chain ladder section, to the top of the Drakensberg Amphitheatre and the beautiful Tugela Falls (alt. 3000m), offering unparalleled views down into KwaZulu-Natal. After our walk, we make our way to the lodge perched high in the mountains (alt. 2300m) overlooking the Mont-aux-Sources mountain range.
A leisurely start to the day, with the chance to spot the endangered bearded vulture soaring overhead, before we make our way back to Johannesburg. The tour ends at approximately 5:00pm.
