Countries: South Africa , The Kingdom of Eswatini
Destinations: Panorama Route , Kruger Park & Surrounding Area , Piggs Peak , Kwazulu-Natal - Elephant Coast , KwaZulu-Natal - Battlefields , Drakensberg
Group Size: 12
Duration (days): 14
Number of Adults: 12
Number of Children: 0
A walking focused safari exploring a variety of scenic and cultural destinations within South Africa, including a visit to the beautiful Kingdom of Swaziland. This is an active holiday and the day walks range from leisurely to challenging and provide a unique adventure for those interested in a walking holiday. Highlights include visits to the old mining town of Pilgrims Rest, the game reserves of Zululand and Kruger, the Dundee battlefields and the majesty of the Drakensberg.
Itinerary Outline
Day 1 - 2 : Panorama Route
We depart Johannesburg and head east to Mpumalanga. During the afternoon we visit the gold mining town of Pilgrims Rest, and the viewpoint over God’s Window. Stretch our legs on a short walk from Mac Mac Pools and then make our way to our chalets on the edge of the escarpment. We are up early the next morning for our first long walk at the Blyde River. We walk from the rim of the escarpment down into the canyon with views over the Three Sisters and the river below, before making our way back up the escarpment again. After lunch we spend the afternoon exploring the forests and waterfalls which make Mpumalanga a beautiful destination. An exciting optional activity is the Graskop Gorge Lift, which lowers you down for a walk through the lush Afromontane forest below (own expense).
For a varied, diverse, exciting and fulfilling holiday, one would be hard pressed to find a country in Africa, or the world, which offers more. South Africa has it all, including wildlife, mountains, deserts, beaches, forests, numerous cultures, first world cities, untouched landscapes, casinos, amusement parks, exciting activities, excellent roads and infrastructure, off road 4 x 4 routes, fantastic food, good wine, great sports stadiums, incredible people and a triumphant history.
The Panorama Route in Mpumalanga starts at Nelspruit where you can visit the Lowveld Botanical Garden.
It moves on to White River where you can go play golf and visit a Motor Museum. Sabie brings tons of adventure with activities like 4x4 trips and abseiling. Pilgrims Rest has a few spectacular pubs and restaurants, which is a must if you want to experience the culture of the town.
Graskop is the highlight of the Panorama Route, with attractions like:
- God's Window
- Lisbon Falls
- Berlin Falls
- the Pinnacle
- Bourke`s Luck Potholes, and
- Blyde River Canyon
The Panorama Route ends at the Swadini Forever Resort, which has tons of activities from boat trips to Microlight fights.
Mogodi Lodge is superbly situated just fifty metres from the Graskop Gorge Falls with a magnificent view over the Mpumalanga Lowveld. An ideal location for guests to enjoy the abundant natural beauty of the surrounding area. From Mogodi Lodge one can go on forest walks, berg hikes or a scenic drive along the Panorama Route. Mogodi Lodge offers Self Catering Chalets for those who prefer to cater for themselves as well as Hotel Rooms on Bed & Breakfast basis. In addition we have the world famous “Big Swing“ over the gorge as well as a Restaurant, Swimming Pool and Chapel for weddings.
Day 3 - 4 : Kruger Park & Surrounding Area
An early breakfast and we make our way to Kruger National Park. We enter the national park in our open safari vehicle and spend the day on an exciting game drive. Your guide will interpret the signs of bush as we hope to see elephants, rhino and possibly the elusive leopard. We stop for a picnic lunch before completing our game drive in the late afternoon as we exit the park and make our way to our private game lodge in the Greater Kruger area. A highlight of our tour is the early morning game walk the next day with a local ranger. Quietly we venture into the bush, learning the tracks and other signs of the wildlife we hope to find on foot.
Kruger Park & Surrounding Area
About a 6 hour drive, or a 1 hour flight, from Johannesburg, Kruger National Park is South Africa's largest and most famous national park. With nearly 2 million hectares, and an enormous variety of species (336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals), you can ensconce yourself in Africa's wilderness with ease. Bordering the park to the west is a number of private game reserves, with luxury lodges and exceptional game viewing. Inside the main park, visitors can drive themselves, and have access to remarkably low priced accommodation options.
Makuwa Safari Lodge is a bushveld retreat located in the Greater Kruger area on a private game reserve that bustles with buffalo, plains game and bird activity. Idyllic accommodation in whitewashed houses with thatched roofs and broad patios offers sweeping views of the wilderness and the distant Drakensberg Mountains. Manicured lawns dotted with acacia, marula and fig trees surround the lodge, while all around the property untouched bushveld provides a perfect habitat for a wealth of predators, mammals and birdlife.
Day 5 - 6 : Piggs Peak
We enter the Kingdom of Swaziland / eSwatini and travel through a lush fruit farming area before heading into the mountains. We spend 2 nights on the outskirts of Malalotja Nature Reserve with a full day to walk through this seldom explored mountainous reserve. The Swazi people have a rich cultural heritage and we will visit the craft and medicine markets on day 7 as we pass through the capital, Mbabane.
Despite being the smallest landlocked country in the Southern hemisphere, and the second smallest country in continental Africa, Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, more than makes up for its lack of size with a hugely diverse range of attractions and activities.
As one of the few remaining monarchies in Africa, culture and heritage are deeply engrained in all aspects of Swazi life, ensuring an unforgettable experience for all who visit. As well as the rich culture, the overwhelming friendliness of the people makes all visitors feel truly welcome and very safe.
Add to that stunning scenery of mountains and valleys, forests and plains; plus wildlife reserves across the country that are home to The Big Five; and a fascinating mix of modern and traditional festivals, ceremonies and events, and you have all that’s best about Africa in one small but perfectly formed and welcoming country.
Piggs Peak is the only settlement of any size in North West Eswatini. The town’s name is often Africanised in local parlance to ‘Spiggy-Speegy’, or even just ‘Spiggy’. Whatever its pronunciation, it derives from the French prospector William Pigg, whose son, ironically, went on to marry a girl with the surname Hogg. Pigg made his fortune not in bacon but gold, after discovering a reef in the nearby hills in 1884. His ‘peak’ was the nearby summit of Emlembe, Eswatini’s highest mountain. As mining developed in the region – first gold and then asbestos – the intersection of the Bulembu supply road with the Mbabane–Matsamo corridor became a local hub, offering services to settlers. This was the origin of today’s town, and also its entry route for tourists.
Framed by Malolotja’s majestic peaks rests Swaziland’s northern highland Paradise, Hawane Resort. Situated 2 hours south of Kruger Park, 3.5 hours from Johannesburg and west of Mozambique, the breathtaking beauty of the area and it’s spectacular views transport visitors into a mult-dimensional experience which offer as much adventure, solitude, adrenaline or tranquility as desired.
If the stunning views aren’t enough to keep you entertained, there is a fully equipped games room and toys for indoor and out that will amuse all ages.
On-site facilities include the swimming pool, horse riding, archery, Bush Spa, sauna, shop, babysitting services and fully equipped, private conference facilities for up to 78 people.
The resort also encourages guests to experience their House Boat on Maguga Dam on an overnight or day basis as well as a premium Malolotja Canopy Tour experience located in the nearby Malolotja National Park.
Listed in Portfolio featured accommodation and rated Highly Recommended by AA Travel, the resort offers specialized Activities found nowhere else in the country!
It’s renowned restaurant, run by the well-known Ugandan chef, Richard Wangoolo is not only a culinary delight, it is part of the Hawane experience. Thatched, intertwined wood and a huge central fireplace provide the warmth while the step down glass porch with seating brings in the light.
African-fusion cuisine from across the continent grace the menu with a wide selection of vegetarian and spiced dishes to suit all palettes. Feel free to sample something special from the resort’s wine cellar. You will also find a hand-picked selection of South African wines and spirits there for you to enjoy.
Day 7 - 8 : Kwazulu-Natal - Elephant Coast
Crossing back into South Africa we head towards our lodge on a private game reserve situated on the Msinene Nature Reserve. We take a walk with our local walking guide who will point out some of the 540+ bird species found in the area and track the shy Nyala antelope in the riverine vegetation of the Msinene River. The following morning, we visit Hluhluwe Game Reserve, a key area for rhino conservation. Enjoy the sunset and the sounds of the bush before a hearty dinner at the lodge.
Kwazulu-Natal - Elephant Coast
KwaZulu-Natal's Elephant Coast is an eco-tourism destination in every sense of the word. It's renowned for its wetland and wildlife conservation efforts, both of which are major tourism drawcards.
It offers a host of eco-oriented pursuits, of which Big 5 game viewing, hikes and walks, scuba diving, and sea turtle tracking are the most popular.
The Elephant Coast, KwaZulu-Natal houses two of South Africa's greatest natural institutions, the World Heritage Site iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, made famous for its rhino preservation efforts.
iSimangaliso stretches for 220 km from Lake St Lucia to the Mozambique border. It is dominated by Lake St Lucia and the St Lucia estuary with its network of coastal lakes, dunes, subtropical forests, swamps and wetland systems that provide a haven for indigenous flora and fauna, especially bird life.
The park features several reserves, including the St Lucia Game Reserve, St Lucia Marine Reserve, the Sodwana Bay National Park, Maputaland Marine Reserve, False Bay Park and Mkuze Game Reserve, all of which promise exciting game viewing.
There are countless ways to explore iSimangaliso, including hiking, walking, forest and dune trails, boat cruises, canoeing and scuba diving the spectacular coral reefs at Sodwana Bay.
Inland, the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park is a conservation marvel renowned for its efforts to save the white rhino from extinction. Today it is home to more than 1 000 white rhino, lion, elephant, buffalo and leopard, providing an authentic Big 5 African safari experience.
The Elephant Coast's magnificent beaches are another major attraction, not only to visitors from around the world, but also to hordes of endangered loggerhead and leatherback turtles that lay their eggs in the dunes here between November and January.
Watch the sunset over the African bush from our deck. Enjoy a bush walk along the banks of the Msineni River, spend time bird watching in the riverene forest or enjoy the wildlife in one of the surrounding big five game reserves.
Zululand Lodge is located on a private wildlife concession bordering Phinda Game Reserve and offers tented, en-suite accommodation for up to 18 guests. Situated close to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the coastal town of St Lucia.
Day 9 - 10 : KwaZulu-Natal - Battlefields
We leave the bush of Zululand behind us and make our way through the scenic hills and valleys of Zululand to the small town of Dundee. Here battles were fought between the Zulus, British and the Boer troops - war cries still resound in the hills. We spend time at the informative Tulana museum before we settle into our lodge and have some free time in the afternoon. The following morning, we explore the Isandlwana battlefield before we embark on an exciting 4-5hour hike tracing the famous steps of two British fugitives through the undulating hills of Zululand to the Buffalo River. Later in the day we visit Rourkes Drift before returning to the lodge.
The battles fought in the rolling hills and valleys of northern KwaZulu-Natal some 120 years ago changed the course of South African history, and still today, the area now known as the ”Battlefields” seems to echo with the heroic and often tragic deeds of the past. The sites of famous skirmishes that rocked the British, weakened the Boers and broke the mighty Zulu nation continue to draw visitors.
A good place to start and to give some context to your visit to this fascinating and beautiful region of KZN would be to take a guided tour. Other options are to self-drive to each site with a good guidebook and just enjoy the beautiful and often haunting views, or for a wonderfully authentic experience, you can tour some places on horseback. Engaging the services of a qualified tourist guide will bring these sites to life. A great many forts established by the British during the South African wars have disappeared, while others, such as Fort Durnford near Estcourt, are now most interesting and somewhat quirky museums.
Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift are two of the most famous battlefields in the country, and also perhaps in British history, perhaps because it was here that, in a furious two-hour battle, Zulu forces armed primarily with traditional spears and shields thrashed the mighty British Colonial Empire forces, one of the few times they were ever routed by an indigenous army. Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded to those who defended Rorke’s Drift.
The guest house is the ideal base from which to visit all the historic attractions the area offers with easy access to the main road. Each of the ten individually decorated rooms has been thoughtfully designed to provide you with an oasis of comfort. From the moment you step inside, you’ll be captivated by the contemporary yet warm ambiance.
Our rooms accommodate between 2 to 4 persons, offering the perfect space for couples, friends, and families. Modern amenities such as en-suite bathrooms, free Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, and a well-equipped work desk are thoughtfully provided for your convenience.
Day 11 - 12 : Drakensberg
Witness the grandeur of the Drakensberg Mountains or uKhahlamba “Barrier of Spears”. We overnight at the base of the “berg” (alt. 1,600m) and spend a full day walking the mountain trails before taking an invigorating dip in the clear mountain streams of the Royal Natal National Park. The crisp mountain air is refreshing and our lodge is a fantastic place to relax and enjoy the splendour of the mountain views.
"Ukahlamba", or "Barrier of Spears" is a 200 kilmometre long mountain range, called the "Dragon Mountains" by the early Dutch voortrekkers.
Made up of awe-inspiring basalt cliffs, snowcapped in winter, which tower over riverine bush, lush yellowwood forests and cascading waterfalls, the range forms a massive barrier separating KwaZulu-Natal from the Kingdom of Lesotho.
Combining sheer natural beauty with a step back in time to the early tribes of Africa, the experience of exploring the Drakensberg is truly unforgettable.
Thendele Resort, one of the most beautiful, popular and scenic resorts, has the distinction of being the closest of the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife resorts to the high Drakensberg escarpment. The resort nestles below colourful sandstone cliffs close to forests of rare yellowwood trees and stretches of Protea savannah. It provides easy and quick access to some of the most splendid mountain hikes, trails and scenic settings in Africa. It is located close to the foot of the massive and iconic Amphitheatre flanked by the Sentinel and the Eastern Buttress. The ribbon-like Tugela Falls, headwaters of KwaZulu-Natal’s biggest river, is the 2nd highest waterfall in the world, and is a stunning backdrop to any picnic.
Day 13 : Drakensberg
We start the day with an early breakfast and make our way to Witsieshoek at the foot of the magnificent Sentinel Peak. At the end of a rough gravel road we start our trek, including a short chain ladder section, to the top of the Drakensberg Amphitheatre and the beautiful Tugela Falls (alt. 3,000m), offering unparalleled views down into KwaZulu-Natal. After our walk we make our way to the lodge perched high in the mountains (alt. 2,300m) overlooking the Mont-Aux-Sources mountain range.
Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge provides comfortable and scenic Drakensberg accommodation for hikers, climbers, adventure travellers and families. At 2220m above sea level, Witsieshoek is the highest lodge in the Northern Drakensberg and is the perfect place from which to explore the wonders of these incredible mountains in all their glory. The Lodge is the trailhead for the famous Sentinel Peak Hike that includes the chain ladders, and access to the top of Tugela Waterfall - the second highest waterfall in the world. There are a variety of other hikes in the area, as well as magnificent mountain biking trails.
Day 14 - Day of Departure
We start the day with an early breakfast and make our way to Witsieshoek at the foot of the magnificent Sentinel Peak. At the end of a rough gravel road we start our trek, including a short chain ladder section, to the top of the Drakensberg Amphitheatre and the beautiful Tugela Falls (alt. 3,000m), offering unparalleled views down into KwaZulu-Natal. After our walk we make our way to the lodge perched high in the mountains (alt. 2,300m) overlooking the Mont-Aux-Sources mountain range.