Big 5 country safari

Meeting at the Mpumalanga International Airport around 11 am with your guide. Self-drivers will pick-up their vehicle. We will head to Hoedspruit by driving along the Panorama Route and the Blyde River Canyon. Arrival to Hoedspruit by late afternoon. Dinner at leisure. Overnight in bushvilla or lodge.

After breakfast, we drive toward the Leshiba Wilderness, a gem nestled in the Soutpansberg mountains, in the mystic land of Venda. Game drive by open vehicle in the afternoon. As an optional activity, horse-back safari (not for beginners). Overnight in the remote Hamasha Bushcamp. (bushcamp, B / D)

Hiking in the morning, through the valleys and the mountains of the reserve. In the afternoon, activities at leisure. You can walk along one of the hiking trails, join a game drive or go for a horse ride. (bushcamp, B / L / D)

After breakfast we start our drive to the border with Botswana. From the border post of Platjan, where we will park our vehicles, we will be transferred to the Serolo Safari Camp, in a secluded area overlooking a dry river bed. First game drive in the afternoon, after lunch. Return to the camp after dark, for dinner. (bushcamp, B / L / D)

Safari in this private concession in the northern Tuli Block. A land with high density of elephants and big predators, especially lion and spotted hyena. Escorted by an expert and armed ranger, we will try track these latter on foot. Overnight and all meals at the Serolo Safari Camp. (bushcamp, B / L / D)

Once back from the morning game drive, breakfast and transfer to the border. The rest of the day will be devoted to the discovery of one the remotest and more fascinating national parks of South Africa: Mapungubwe. Part of a a huge transfrontiers wilderness at the confluence of 3 nations: South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. From November to February, the park is a haven for birdwatching. Some areas are accessible by 4×4 only. (wilderness camp, B / L / D)

Our destination today is the Kruger National Park. We will enter from the Phalaborwa gate. This mining town is also where the marula fruit is harvested, before being delivered to the winelands for being processed and produce the delicious Amarula cream. If we won’t run short of time, we can even stop at the Amarula for some tasting. Our accommodation in Kruger is at the Olifants restcamp, perched on a hill overlooking the main perennial river of the park.  In the afternoon, you can book (optional) a mountain bike safari, where you well be escorted by an armed ranger. Dinner at the camp. (restcamp, B / D)

Accommodation at Olifants restcamp is in bungalow, with a braai for dinner. However, at your own expense, you can also dine at the restaurant.

Last chance for optional morning activities, like the river walk or mountain bike safari. After breakfast, we will head south, by driving along the scenic Timbavati gravel road. In the afternoon, we will explore the area around Satara, the ideal habitat for white rhinoceros and cheetah. Accommodation in bungalow at the Satara restcamp (restcamp, B / D)

At Satara too it is possible, always at one’s own expense, to dine at the restaurant of the restcamp. 

This morning we will try to access into a no-entry area of the park, where there are no roads but only 4×4 tracks. The trail is about 50 km long, including also a couple of public gravel roads. Unlike anywhere else in the park, it is possible to get alight from the vehicle, at your own risk. Return to Satara at the completion of the trail and pic-nic lunch at a site along the Timbavati road. After lunch, we’ll exit the park from the Orpen Gate, to enter in the Manyeleti Game Reserve, just around the corner. Our accommodation is at the rustic Ndzaka Camp, in a thick forest. Game drive by open vehicle in the afternoon. Return to the camp after dark for dinner. (bushcamp, B / L / D)

Game drives in the early morning and late afternoon in the wildest private reserve open to Kruger. Large herds of buffalos and elephants are roaming in Manyeleti, which is also known for the abundance of white rhinos and large predators. Cheetahs and wild dogs are also often spotted. (bushcamp, B / L / D)

Morning game drive, breakfast and transfer to the Mpumalanga International Airport. (B)