South Africa Safari

South Africa - Bushveld Meander Safari: Kruger & Zululand walking

Small group lodge / cabin accommodated safari - 12 nights / 13 days

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A 13-day lodge & cabin accommodated safari.  Explore the big game of Kruger National Park, plus hiking Swaziland, and the Zulu Kingdom.  Visit the wetlands, wildlife and beaches of KwaZulu-Natal, before heading to the mountains of the Drakensberg! Summary • A comprehensive introduction to the northern part of South Africa – game viewing and scenery! • Exciting trip with culture, wildlife, adventure, walking, mountains and beaches. • Kruger NP, Swaziland, Zululand and Drakensberg. Why travelers like this trip • Variety - a tour that covers so much of the African experience, from the game reserves to the cultural interaction and scenic beauty of northern South Africa. • National Parks and wildlife areas - We visit national parks en route ranging from the awesome Big 5 of Kruger NP to the rhino reserves of Kwa-Zulu Natal. • Culture and history - South Africa has a unique and interesting cultural diversity, which we experience through contact with local people as often as possible. Particularly the Zulu and Swazi peoples. • Scenery - breath-taking scenery along the entire route! • Small group - traveling in groups of up to 12 people creates a friendly, holiday atmosphere. • Walking - every opportunity to get out and walk in the areas such as Mpumalanga, Malolotja Mountains, Mkuzi GR, Drakensberg (Dragon mountains). Walks are easy to moderate exertion and optional. Duration from 1 - 6 hours. Departs: Johannesburg, South Africa on Sunday at 6:30am.       Ends: Johannesburg, South Africa on Friday at 6:00pm. Group size: Guaranteed from 4 guests; 12 guests maximum. Highlights • Mpumalanga Panorama Route – sight seeing • Kruger National Park – game drives • Swaziland – mountain walks, cultural adventure • Battlefields – museums • St Lucia – walk and game drives • Drakensberg Mountains – mountain walks Includes • 12 nights in hotels, cabins & guest houses • Entrance fees • Transport in minibus / safari truck • Meals as per itinerary • Professional guide

Note: This safari has a walking focus. We include 5 day treks to explore different scenic areas of beautiful South Africa.
Note: Accommodation specified in the itinerary is subject to availability. Alternatives will be nearby and of a similar standard.

DETAILED SAFARI INFORMATION:
Accommodation
• Mpumalanga, Graskop Mogodi Lodge - 2 twin share bedrooms in each chalet with 1 bathroom shared between 2 bedrooms. Swimming pool, bar, restaurant, telephone.
• Kruger, National Park chalets - twin share chalet (or lodge tent) with en suite facilities. Swimming pool, bar, restaurant, telephone.
• Swaziland, Malolotja Nature Reserve mountain cabins - 2 bedrooms per cabin which are twin share with 1 bathroom and 1 washroom shared between 2 rooms.
• St Lucia, Flamingo Resort - 2 twin share bedrooms in each chalet with 1 bathroom shared between 2 bedrooms. Swimming pool, bar, restaurant, telephone.
• Battlefields, Battlefields Country Lodge - twin share chalet (or lodge tent) with en suite facilities. Swimming pool, bar, restaurant, telephone.
• Drakensberg, Sungubala / Tendele chalets – bedrooms are twin sharing with shared ablutions. (Smaller chalets may also be used subject to availability, these are twin share en suite).

Transport
• On foot - easy to moderate walks throughout the tour.
• Vehicle - for longer distance travel, place to place, we use custom-built safari trucks with 12 forward facing seats. Comfortable touring and good for game viewing. Large, sliding windows and viewing hatches give everyone a good view; or Toyota Hiace minibuses with 10 forward facing seats (roof rack and trailer for equipment and baggage); or Mercedes Sprinter minibuses with 16 forward facing seats (and trailer for equipment and baggage). There are a couple of long days of traveling but the vehicles have a comfortable cruising speed. The emphasis of the trip is “getting out and doing things."

Local Payment
A local cash payment is required on this safari and this will be collected by the tour leader on departure. This payment covers a portion of the local operational costs including entrance and park fees, which are paid in cash locally. This ensures that a major portion of your tour price goes directly into the country you are visiting, benefiting local communities and contributing to the conservation of the area. The payment must be made in cash (South African Rand) and they cannot accept traveler’s checks nor credit cards.

Participation
An essential part of this safari is participation – from putting up your tent (while camping) or packing away in the morning to helping with meal preparation and cleaning up – it’s all part of your adventure and when everyone puts in a little effort the trip will run smoothly. Your tour leaders will do all the meal preparation but we do ask the clients to help with the washing up. Team spirit is part of the fun!

Shopping
Craft shopping for carvings, candles, batiks, wirework, paintings and clothing, in Swaziland and Zululand is some of the best in Southern Africa.

Food
• We pride ourselves on giving very good healthy meals to our clients and will provide three meals per day, except where shown in the itinerary, where we try out local restaurants.
• The tour leaders do the shopping and meal planning and meal preparation for each group. He/she will always try to obtain fresh produce wherever possible. A rough idea of what these will consist of is: Breakfast - cereals or coffee and toast or the occasional fried breakfast, Lunch - cheese, cold meats, salads on bread or rolls, Dinner - braais (local barbecue), potjies (stews), stir fries etc. We use regular plates, cups and cutlery. All cooking and eating utensils will also be provided.
• We do cater for special dietary requirements (e.g. vegetarian or allergies.)
• We will supply fruit squash served with breakfast and tea or coffee served with breakfast and dinner. All other beverages will be for your own expense. We will not supply bottled drinking water although it is available at many shops on tour.

Difficulty
• Anyone who is generally active and in good health should enjoy this trip. A combination of basic accommodation makes for a comfortable tour.
• Full itinerary with a couple of long driving days but also plenty of outdoors activity.
• Everyone is asked to help out with the running of camp on tour. In other words if everyone spends a little time setting up camp, preparing meals and cleaning up then the tour will run smoothly and everyone will have a good time. Participation is the name of the game.

Things you should know
• Includes park entrances.
• You will need a valid passport and visas for entry into Swaziland and re-entering South Africa.
• Luggage, please pack to a limit of 12kgs in a soft sports tog bag. Bring a daypack for walks.
• We recommend that you bring South African Rand for personal expenses on this trip. Travelers checks can be changed in most large towns. Major credit cards can also be used for optional activities and restaurant bills. Ask us for approximate costs of drinks and meals etc.
• The trip begins and ends at a local address; if you require transfers, please advise.  Transfers are US$45 each way.

Common questions about this trip
• What do I need to bring? A warm sleeping bag, comfortable clothes for warm days and cool evenings, walking shoes, a raincoat, hat and sunglasses, swimsuit, a small pair of binoculars also comes in very handy and most importantly - a sense of adventure!
• Is it safe? South Africa, like many countries, has its problems, but your guide knows the country intimately and will endeavor to show you the best parts while looking after you. Be aware, but not paranoid, and you will have a great trip!
• Do I need malaria tablets?  Mpumalanga, Swaziland and Zululand are limited risk malaria areas, but prophylactics are recommended.
• Can I charge camera batteries?  We recommend that you bring extra batteries as well as a 12/24-volt cigarette lighter adapter for charging in the vehicle if necessary. Charging in the vehicle will be at the discretion of the guide, as it will not be allowed if there is a risk of draining the vehicle's battery. The power supply of most of the countries you will be visiting is 220-240 volts.
• Can I buy camera film & memory cards? Film, memory cards and other photographic accessories will be available several times on tour. A camera with a zoom lens from wide angle to telephoto, 35-200mm, is advisable to capture both scenic and wildlife shots. Each vehicle is fitted with a 12/24V cigarette lighter – this should not be relied on for charging camera batteries and we recommend you bring a 2nd battery. Remember you can also charge your camera on those nights we use accommodation (SA 220V)

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