Safari in South Africa

Today, you’ll depart from your selected airport, with connecting flight(s) along the way.

Upon arrival in Johannesburg, you’ll be met by our local partner, who will drive you through the beautiful South African landscape to the 4-star Kruger Gate hotel. The hotel is situated beside the Sabie River, with colourful panoramic views of Kruger National Park.

Depending on your arrival time, you can spend the afternoon enjoying the spectacular views from the large communal terrace or the observation tower – or relaxing by the pool.

The morning is yours to enjoy a lie-in, have breakfast, and relax after your journey. If you can’t wait to begin your adventures, you can add a morning game drive on this very first morning.

If not, your first game drive in Kruger National Park awaits this afternoon, travelling in a four-wheel-drive safari vehicle.

Kruger National Park was established as a game reserve as early as 1898 and became a national park in 1926. The park stretches approximately 350 km from south to north and around 65 km from east to west. Covering approximately 20,000 km², it is South Africa’s largest national park. It is home to 146 different species of mammals, around 520 bird species, and 120 species of reptiles. There are not only many different species, but also large numbers of each one. For example, the park is estimated to have around 11,000 elephants, 2,000 lions, 1,000 leopards, 35,000 buffalo, 35,000 zebra, and well over 150,000 antelope. The plant life is just as diverse, with 2,000 different species ranging from mosses, grasses, and trees to vines and cacti.

The park offers everything from vast grassy plains to areas with rocks, lakes, and streams. In the afternoon, the animals gather by the lakes and streams to drink, and you may even be lucky enough to witness elephants bathing. During the game drive, your guide will try to spot as many different animals as possible and will certainly be on the lookout for antelope – because where there are antelope, there are predators too. With a little luck, you may even catch a glimpse of the elusive leopard.

Dinner will await you back at the hotel.

A game drive in the National Park is an incredible experience. But a guided bushwalk through the wild African wilderness is – in our opinion – almost even more magical! Experiencing nature from a safari vehicle is one thing. Being on foot is something else entirely. Your senses become heightened, and sounds and scents are much more pronounced than when you are sitting in a vehicle. That’s what you’ll experience today!

You’ll depart from the hotel early in the morning and be driven to an area of Kruger National Park, where an exciting bushwalk awaits.

Your guide is specially trained to walk through the wilderness. They’ll teach you how to interpret nature’s signals by using your sense of smell, listening, looking out for signs, and observing like a true pathfinder. You’ll learn about animal behaviour and how to identify animals by their tracks. During the walk, you’ll hear about and learn to recognise many of the smaller animals and plants that you don’t have time to see when travelling in safari vehicles.

If you’re lucky, you may spot curious giraffes or slightly nervous zebras from a safe distance. They react very differently to people when they encounter them on two legs in the wilderness rather than sitting in a safari vehicle.

Bushwalks are not permitted for children under 12.

Remember to read our practical information about clothing requirements for a bushwalk.

You’ll return to the hotel in the late morning, and you can choose to spend the rest of the day relaxing, enjoying the pool, or perhaps having a massage in the hotel spa. You can add one of our optional excursions if you’d like even more experiences today.

After yesterday’s bushwalk, it’s time once again to experience Kruger’s magnificent animals from the safe confines of a safari vehicle. A full day on safari awaits, and you never quite know what might be hiding around the next bend.

You’ll set off early from the lodge, as the morning is an ideal time to be on safari. Many of the animals are active before the heat really sets in, while in the middle of the day, they seek shade and rest. That’s why the lodge will provide you with a breakfast pack to enjoy along the way at a suitable spot. At lunchtime, you’ll stop in one of the park’s authorised areas, where you’ll find both a café and a small shop.

It’s impossible to know in advance what you’ll see – and that’s precisely part of the charm of safari. Your guide will stay in contact with the other guides in the area, who help one another locate some of the more elusive animals. With a bit of luck, you may spot a leopard or another of Kruger’s shy predators. But remember to take time to appreciate the animals you encounter again and again, too. For example, watch how the giraffe uses its long tongue to weave between the thorns of the acacia trees, or take a moment to admire the zebras’ truly unique stripes. And look up from time to time – Kruger is also home to an impressive variety of birds, many of them adorned with colours that almost rival those of the larger animals.

At the end of the day, you’ll return to the lodge after a long day in the bush. Hopefully, your camera will be full of wonderful photos and your head full of new safari memories.

Today, you’ll enjoy a wonderfully scenic full-day tour along the Panorama Route through the dramatic Drakensberg Mountains.

In many places, the cliffs of the Drakensberg Mountains have a rusty-red hue, creating a striking contrast with the green trees and vegetation.

You’ll experience Blyde River Canyon, which is up to 700 metres deep and 60 kilometres long, making it the third-largest canyon in the world.

You’ll stop at the three main viewpoints along the canyon: God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, and the Three Rondavels.

The stop at Bourke’s Luck Potholes is one of the day’s most spectacular highlights. Over thousands of years, water and sand have worn cylindrical holes into the rock, creating an impressive sight. You can get right up close to this natural phenomenon via bridges built across the unusual formations.

The Three Rondavels are three beautiful and distinctive rock formations whose appearance resembles the round huts once found in local villages in many parts of southern Africa.

There are also many waterfalls along the Panorama Route, and you’ll stop at one of them. It may be Berlin Falls, where the water plunges 150 metres into a lake. Alternatively, you may stop at Lisbon Falls, where the Blyde River divides in two before cascading 92 metres down an almost vertical cliff and coming together again in a single stream. There are many other waterfalls, and your guide will decide where you stop that day.

Along the way today, you’ll stop in one of the small towns on the route, where you’ll have the opportunity to buy lunch – and perhaps a souvenir or two.

The day is yours to spend as you wish.

After breakfast, you’ll be driven to Johannesburg, where your journey home will begin. There will be connecting flights along the way.

You’ll arrive at your selected airport after an unforgettable adventure.