Practical info ...
This trip can be done with a guide or self driving. In the latter situation, you will still have a guide/ranger English in Imfolozi.
Trip start : Johannesburg airport.
Trip end: Johannesburg airport.
Groups...
Guided trip : 4 min- 7 max.
Self drive trip : 2 min - 8 max.
Age min: 16 years old.
Accommodation...
In chalets or comfortable bungalows. In Imfolozi, nights are spending in tents in a bushcamp open in the bush (no fences). Tents for 2 people, bed and blankets furnished.
This tour can also be done with 11 nights in camping.
Meals...
For the guided trip, meals are prepared by the guide or the cook.
On self drive all your accommodations are self catering with a kitchen. Anyway you can also go to the restaurant.
Comfort and difficulty...
This trip is accessible to the largest number (kids over 16 years old). No experience is required but good health condition is important regarding the number of walks. At Imfolozi the comfort is basic (bush bathroom, no electricity).
Conditions...
What is included...
Guided trip :
All accommodations, meals included, minibus transport, all activities mentioned, entrance fees in parks, equipment, French speaking guide, guide/ranger armed during walking trips.
Self drive trip :
All accommodations, hiring car for the duration of the trip with insurance and unlimited kilometers, entrance fees in the parks, guides/rangers armed and meals in Imfolozi.
What is not included...
Guided trip :
International flights, meals excluded drinks, souvenirs, and gratuities.
Self-drive trip :
International flights, meals (except Imfolozi), drinks, souvenirs, gratuities, petrol, toll gates.
Day by day
D1 : Johannesburg…
Your guide will meet you at the airport. This is a day to get to know each other and prepare the trip with the rest of the group and the team. Depending on your time of arrival we may have time for a short visit of the city. Meals to your own account.
D2: Ithala Reserve…
Transfer eastward for Zoulouland! Lunch on the way. We enter Ithala Nature reserve mid afternoon. This reserve is spectacular by its mountainous and green landscapes and its rocky formations among the oldest in the world. Man has been living there for more than 20000 years and numerous artifacts dating from the Stone Age sprinkle its grounds. The wildlife is impressive, especially the big mammals which abound: giraffes, zebras, rhinoceros, elephants, buffaloes due to the absence of large predators such as lion.
Transfer to our camp (while observing our first animals) where we settle down for 3 nights! As much as possible, we use an exclusive camp for our group, situated in a private sector of the reserve! This camp accommodates a maximum of 10 persons in 5 comfortable chalets offering a magnificent view on the reserve.
D3-4: Ithala Reserve…
During these 2 days, in the morning we discover the reserve on foot for 3 hours accompanied with a ranger, and we feel the thrill of tracking. We learn not only on the big animals but also on the whole ecosystem, the flora, the insects, the tracks, the interaction of animals and plants. We enjoy the comfprt our exclusive camp during the middle of the day. Mid afternoon we set out for a game drive.
D5: ISimangaliso Wetland Park (Greater St Lucia) - Cape Vidal…
We continue eastward towards the Indian Ocean for the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (eg Greater St Lucia). We stop in the St Lucia's coastal village to have lunch (at your expense).
Our home for three nights is Cape Vidal – unquestionably one of the most interesting regions of the park. It is situated on a narrow strip of land which separates the Indian Ocean from the lake. It is an ideal place from which to relax on the beach, discover the secret world of the coral reef and to explore on foot. Overnight in chalets inside the park.
D6-7: Cape Vidal…
ISimangaliso Wetland is a 2700km2 protected wetland which became a UNESCO world heritage site in 1999 because of the exceptional diversity of its ecosystem and for its beauty. It contains in particular savanna forests, a unique lake system, a littoral and coral reef. This park protects a unique ecosystem of estuarine lakes and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park includes several biomes such as savannah and dune forests, estuarine lakes and coral reefs. This incredible place supports prolific bird life and numerous aquatic and terrestrial species. It is a truly unique park where visitors can see hippo, crocodile, elephant, dolphins, whales and giant turtles in one place - to name only a remarkable few!
You have two days to enjoy the site and you can book a number of optional activities (at your expense). The possible activities are boatcruise on the lake (to spot hippos and crocs) or offshore (to spot whales and dolphins). It’s also possible to do kayaking and in season ( November/February) night excursion to witness see turtles laying their eggs.
And of course you may just relax and enjoy the beach or snorkel (equipment to be rented at St Lucia). We can also explore the park aboard our vehicle in search of the wildlife.
D8-10 : Imfolozi: walking safari...
Umfolozi, kingdom of the rhinoceros...
We depart Swaziland by its south border and around midday we enter one of the most scenic game reserves of South Africa: Hluhluwe-Imfolozi. Besides the 300 bird species, lion, elephant, buffalo and 80 other mammal species, Imfolozi boasts the largest rhino population of Africa. With its landscape of rolling hills, abrupt cliffs and meandering rivers, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi is unrivalled in its aesthetic character and the range of walking safaris it offers!
Wilderness safari...
The southern section of the reserve (30 % of the total area) is a protected wilderness area, entirely devoid of roads and permanent camps. This sector of the park is only accessible on foot, for groups of no more than eight people. So that is how we will discover the captivating atmosphere of Imfolozi: on foot, accompanied by armed rangers and spending two nights camping in a secluded, basic, tented camp. You can’t get closer to nature!
Note...
The bush camp is approximately a two-hour walk away from our main camp. During this first walk only, guests are required to carry a small backpack containing the personal belonging you’ll need for the three days you’ll spend in the bush. Towels and beddings are provided!
D11 : Zoulouland – Battlefields...
After breakfast, we spend another 2 hours in the reserve to look for animals. Then we set off in the heart of Zoulouland, through the "Battles fields" where took places so numerous famous conflicts in between the various groups of this country. We stop on one of the historic sites and shall visit the museum which redraws the events. Lunch on site (at your expense). We settle down in a lodge in the region. Have dinner to the restaurant at your expense.
D12 : Drakensberg – Golden Gate Park...
Departure for the Drakensberg where we settle in the attractive countryside village of Clarens, which bost numerous, well preserved and maintained historical houses, has a quiet atmosphere with a good choice of quality restaurant. Lunch at the restaurant (excluded).
In the afternoon, we take a walk in Golden Gate National PArk. Besides its exceptional mountainous landscapes, Golden Gate shelters an interesting wildilfe:black wildebeast, elands, springbok, zebras graze in the meadows of the park and the big birds of prey are many (only place of the country where we can observe the Bearded Lammergeyer).
D13 : Drakensberg – Royal Natal Park...
Today is dedicated to climbing the Amphitheatre, starting from Sentinel and continuing through the ladders of the same name. At the top, we will be rewarded with a breathtaking view of the land which stretches infinitely in front of us. We will also see the highest waterfall of Southern Africa: Tugela Falls, which drops 300m in three jumps (maybe dry at certain times of the year). About 6 hours walk return. Camping at the same place.
D14 : Drakensberg - Johannesburg…
A last morning to enjoy the charming town of Clarens. Depending on the time of your flight we will leave in the morning or early afternoon. Lunch at your own account. Drop off at Johannesburg airport. End of your trip ! .