Walking South Africa

Explore the big game of the Kruger National Park. We enjoy hiking Swaziland, before heading into the Zulu Kingdom. We visit the wetlands, wildlife and beaches of KwaZulu-Natal, before heading to the mountains of the Drakensberg.

Highlights
Mpumalanga Panorama Route – sight seeing
Kruger National Park – game drives
Swaziland – mountain walks
Zululand – game drives & cultural village
Battlefields – museums
St Lucia – Hluhluwe game reserve game drive
Drakensberg Mountains – maintain walks

Includes
12 nights in hotels, cabins & guest houses
Entrance fees
Transport in Safari Truck or Minibus
Meals as per itinerary
Professional guide

Day 1 - 2 MPUMALANGA
 After the tour briefing, we depart Johannesburg at 06:30am and head east towards Mpumalanga. During the afternoon we visit the gold mining town of Pilgrims Rest, explore Bourkes Luck Potholes and the viewpoint over God’s Window. We then make our way to our chalets near the escarpment. We spend the next day exploring the Blyde River canyon on foot. [chalets Bx1 Lx2 Dx2]
[B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner]

Day 3 - 4 KRUGER NATIONAL PARK
Big Game Safari. We spend the next 2 days on game drives in search of the elusive leopard, the majestic lion and the mighty elephant. Exciting game viewing on morning and afternoon game drives with the midday spent out of the heat resting in the camp. Our professional guides will impart their extensive knowledge of ecology, fauna and flora during our time in the bush. Night game drives with spotlights are available (own expense). [tented lodge or chalets BLD]

Day 5 - 6 KINGDOM OF SWAZILAND 
 We enter the Kingdom of Swaziland and travel through a lush fruit farming area before heading into the mountains of Swaziland. We spend 2 nights in Malalotja Nature Reserve with a full day to get out and walk through this seldom explored mountainous reserve. The Swazi people have a rich cultural heritage and we will visit the craft and medicine markets as we pass through the capital (on day 7), Mbabane. [cabins BLD]

Day 7, 8, 9 ST LUCIA
We cross back into South Africa and head into the Zululand heartland. We visit a traditional village to learn more about the proud Zulu culture, and get a chance to meet the local people. We base ourselves on the shores of Lake St Lucia – a Unesco world heritage site. The park's uniqueness lies in its remarkable combination of estuarine lakes, subtropical coastline, forests and wildlife. We will spend a day in the Hluhluwe game reserve where rhino conservation has been a priority. We then have another full day free to explore the St. Lucia estuary and the beaches, as we enjoy a boat cruise or kayak excursion (own expense). [cabins Bx3 Lx2 Dx1]

Day 10 BATTLEFIELDS
We leave the coastline and make our way through the scenic hills and valleys of Zululand to the small town of Dundee. Here the battles were fought between the Zulus, British and the Boer troops - war cries still resound in the hills. We spend time at Rourkes Drift and Islandwana battlefields with an informative visit to the Tulana museum. [lodge BL-]

Day 11 - 12 DRAKENSBERG
 Witness the grandeur of the Drakensberg or Ukhahlamba “Barrier of Spears” Mountains. We overnight at the base of the “berg” and spend a day walking the trails or taking a dip in the clear streams. The crisp mountain air is refreshing and invigorating and our lodge is a fantastic place to relax at the end of our tour. [tented lodge or chalets BLD]

Day 13 JOHANNESBURG/TOUR ENDS
Morning free to take a last walk in the mountains before we make our way back to Johannesburg. Tour ends at +/-18:00pm.[BL-]

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM:
Several times a year we operates a trip for underprivileged children from SOS Children’s Village to visit Pilanesberg Game reserve, introducing the children to the wildlife, the importance and of conservation and helping broaden their horizons. Should you wish to help in this project, please contact our office.

Please note:
Selected departure dates are available for Hearing Impaired Travellers (HIT). Please contact us for more information. These departures will be run by one of our tour leaders and a signing translator and are available as specific deaf clients and friends departures.