South Africa - Scenic Route… (trip)

South Africa - Scenic Route Safari

  • Johannesburg Airport, South Africa
  • Active & Adventure
South Africa, Africa

from $2,255* per person18 DaysYear-round
Comfort accommodations Exertion level: 3
Operator: Eyes On Africa 12 people max
Highlights
• Mpumalanga Panorama Route – sight seeing
• Kruger National Park – game drives
• Swaziland – mountain walks
• Zululand – game drives & cultural village
• Drakensberg Mountains – mountain walks
• Lesotho – trekking with local guide with pony
• Karoo – visit a quaint Karoo town
• Addo Game Reserve – game drives
• Tsitsikamma – forest and coastal walks
• Cape Town – Cape Point & Table Mountain

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Locations visited/nearby

South Africa, Africa

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Special information

  • This is a custom departure, meaning this trip is offered on dates that you arrange privately with the provider. Additionally, you need to form your own private group for this trip. The itinerary and price here is just a sample. Contact the provider for detailed pricing, minimum group size, and scheduling information. For most providers, the larger the group you are traveling with, the lower the per-person cost will be.

Itinerary

DAY 1; (1 Night)
JOHANNESBURG to MPUMALANGA, South Africa  [Camping - lunch & dinner]

Departing from Johannesburg at 06:30am we head east towards Mpumalanga. A landscape characterized 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.


Includes: Entrance to Mac Mac falls & God’s Window.
Overnight: Campsite – good ablution facilities & hot showers.
Distance / Time: 350kms, ± 5 hours, excluding stops for sightseeing & lunch.
Optional Activities: N/A

DAYS 2 - 3; (2 Nights)
KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, South Africa  [Camping - breakfast, lunch & dinner]

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.

Includes: Entrance to Kruger National Park, morning & afternoon game drives.
Overnight: Campsite – good ablution facilities, hot showers, swimming pool, restaurant & shop.
Distance / Time: 150kms, ± 2 hours + 3 x 3 hour game drives.
Optional Activities: Night game drives in National Park open game viewing vehicles.

DAY 4; (1 Night)
KINGDOM OF SWAZILAND  [Cabins - breakfast, lunch & dinner]

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.

Includes: Entrance to Malalotja Game Reserve.
Overnight: Cabin – each cabin sleeps a maximum of 6 people in 2 bedrooms and a loft room which share ablution facilities, hot showers.
Distance / Time: 200kms, ± 4 hours, excluding 2-3 hour morning drive out of Kruger, shopping stop in Malelane, Jeppes Reef border formalities & stops for sightseeing etc.
Optional Activities: N/A

DAYS 5 - 6; (2 Nights)
ZULULAND, South Africa  [Camping - breakfast, lunch & dinner]

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.

Includes: Entrance to Mkuzi Game Reserve, morning and afternoon game drive & Zulu village visit with local Zulu community guide.
Overnight: Campsite – good ablution facilities, hot showers & swimming pool.
Distance / Time: 300kms, ± 4 hours, excluding border formalities + game drives in Mkuzi.
Optional Activities: N/A

DAYS 7 - 8; (2 Nights)
DRAKENSBERG MOUNTAINS, South Africa  [Camping - breakfast, lunch & dinner]

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.

Includes: Morning and afternoon hikes in the Drakensberg Mountains.
Overnight: Campsite – good ablution facilities, hot showers, shop & telephone.
Distance / Time: 500kms, ± 7 hours, excluding stops for sightseeing & lunch. The last 50km is a slow gravel road.
Optional Activities: N/A

DAYS 9 - 10; (2 Nights)
LESOTHO  [Chalets - breakfast, lunch & dinner]

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 local guides and their ponies through the rugged mountains. Ponies have been used for hundreds of years by the Basotho as transport through the Drakensburg.

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 sustainable method. Thus providing income, and better living standards for the Malealea villages and the local community.


Includes: Mountain trekking with local guides & their ponies.
Overnight: Hut – shared ablution facilities, hot showers, bar & telephone.
Distance / Time: 450kms, ± 7 hours, excluding border formalities, shopping in Maseru & stops for sightseeing & lunch.
Optional Activities: N/A

DAY 11; (1 Night)
KAROO, South Africa  [Guest House - breakfast & lunch]

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.

Overnight: Guesthouse – twin or quad share rooms, with shared facilities.
Distance / Time: 500kms, ± 7 hours, excluding border formalities, shopping & stops for sightseeing & lunch.
Optional Activities: Town tour with local guide

DAY 12; (1 Night)
ADDO ELEPHANT NATIONAL PARK, South Africa  [Camping - breakfast, lunch & dinner]

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.

Includes: Entrance fees to Addo Elephant National Park, afternoon & morning game drives.
Overnight: Campsite – good ablution facilities, hot showers, restaurant, bar, shop & floodlit waterhole.
Distance / Time: 300kms, ± 4 hours excluding stops for sightseeing & lunch and game drives.
Optional Activities: Night game drives in National Park open game viewing vehicles.

DAYS 13 - 14; (2 Nights)
TSITSIKAMMA NATIONAL PARK, South Africa  [Camping - breakfast, lunch & dinner]

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).

Includes: Entrance fees to Tsitsikamma National Park.
Overnight: Campsite – good ablution facilities, hot showers, restaurant, bar & shop.
Distance / Time: 220kms, ± 3 hours excluding stops for sightseeing.
Optional Activities: Bungi jumping, whale watching & treetop canopy tour.

DAY 15; (1 Night)
WESTERN CAPE, South Africa  [Camping - breakfast, lunch & dinner]

After visiting “The Heads” in Knysna, a town nestled on a tranquil lagoon we travel south along the Garden Route towards the Hottentots Holland Mountains. We stay in a UNESCO protected biosphere reserve, which has remained isolated and remarkably unspoiled so close to the larger towns of the Western Cape. We enjoy and afternoon walk in this wonderful wilderness area.


Includes: Entrance fees and afternoon walk in the wilderness area.
Overnigh: Campsite – good ablution facilities, hot showers, shop & telephone.
Distance / Time: 520kms, ± 6½ hours, excluding stops for sightseeing & lunch.
Optional Activities: N/A

DAYS 16 - 17; (2 Nights)
CAPE TOWN, South Africa  [Guest House - breakfast x2]

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 harbor 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).


Includes: Cellar Tour, entrance fees to Penguin colony & Cape Point National Park.
Overnight: Guesthouse / hotel – Twin rooms with en-suite facilities, swimming pool & restaurant.
Distance / Time: 175kms, ± 2 hours + full day Cape Peninsular tour on day 17.
Optional Activities: Robben Island cruise, Shark Cage diving, Seal colony visit.

DAY 18
TRANSFERS  [Tour ends - breakfast]

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. Tour ends at 6:00pm.

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