South Africa Safari

South Africa - Scenic Route Safari

Small group participation camping & cabins safari - 17 nights / 18 days

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An 18-day camping and cabin-accommodated safari through South Africa, trekking, cultural visits and wonderful game viewing in the Rainbow Nation! Summary • A comprehensive introduction to the Rainbow Nation - a world in one country! • Exciting trip with culture, wildlife, adventure, walking, mountains and beaches. • Kruger NP, Swaziland, Zululand, Drakensburg, Lesotho, Karoo, Garden Route and Cape Town. Why travelers like this trip • Variety - a tour that covers so much of the African experience, from the game reserves to the vibe of Cape Town and everything along the way. A world in one country! • National Parks and wildlife areas - We visit 10 national parks en route ranging from the awesome Big 5 of Kruger NP to the unique penguins and fynbos in the Cape of Good Hope. • Culture and history - South Africa has a unique and interesting cultural diversity, which we experience through contact with local people as often as possible. • Scenery - breath-taking scenery along the entire route - a world in one country! • 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), Lesotho trekking Storms River and Tsitsikamma NP, climb Table Mountain. Walks are easy to moderate exertion and optional. Duration from 1 - 6 hours. • Adventure - activities available include: riding an ostrich, Cango caving, Bloukrans - the highest bungi jump in the world! Departs: Johannesburg, South Africa on Saturday at 6:30am.       Ends: Cape Town, South Africa on Tuesday 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 • Zululand – game drives & cultural village • Drakensberg Mountains – mountain walks • Lesotho – trekking with local guide with pony • Karoo – visit a quaint Karoo town • Addo Game Reserve – game drives • Tsitsikamma – forest and coastal walks • Cape Town – Cape Point & Table Mountain Includes •11 nights camping, 3 nights guest house ensuite, 3 nights cabin with shared ablutions • Entrance fees • Use of camping equipment (except sleeping bags & pillows) • Transport in minibus / safari truck • Meals as per itinerary • Professional guide

Note: This tour covers a great distance. You’ll see all the highlights of this diverse country but this means we have to spend several days traveling This involves long days on the road, generally followed by a full day to explore the area. This is an all encompassing tour and a fantastic way to explore South Africa! The distance and travel times quoted above are an estimate only, and subject to local road conditions.

ADD-ON: All Scenic Route departures can be combined before the Cape to Victoria Falls Explorer Safari to create a complete circular safari in Southern Africa.

DETAILED SAFARI INFORMATION:
Accommodation
• Camping - 11 nights on safari we stay at designated campsites in national parks and towns. South African campsite facilities are generally very good. There are hot and cold showers, restaurants, washing facilities & laundries, post office/telephones, kiosks available at most of the campsites! All camping equipment is supplied, with the exception of your sleeping bag and pillow. The dome tents we use are 2.2 x 2.2 x 1.8 meters and putting them up or down takes only 5 minutes. Tents have built-in insect nets. We supply mattresses, which are about 5 cm thick, warm and comfortable. The camp chairs have a backrest.
• Swaziland, Malolotja Nature Reserve - 1 night, mountain cabins, 2 bedrooms per cabin which are twin share with 1 bathroom and 1 washroom shared between 2 rooms.
• Lesotho, Traditional Basotho Huts – 2 nights, bedrooms are twin sharing with shared ablutions.
• Karoo – 1 night we stay in a guest house. Rooms are twin sharing with 1 bathroom shared between 2 rooms.
• Cape Town, Sweet Orange Guest House or similar – 2 nights, guest house in a metropolitan area of Cape Town near the V&A Waterfront. Rooms are twin with en suite facilities. (or similar guest house).

Transport
• On foot - easy to moderate walks throughout the tour. Walks are 3 – 4 hours.
• 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 18 forward facing seats (and trailer for equipment and baggage). There are several long days of traveling but the vehicles have a comfortable cruising speed and this tour is all about the journey and not just the destination! 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, Zululand and Knysna, 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 itinerary, when we try out local restaurants.
• The tour leaders do the shopping and meal planning 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). Please advise requirements at the time of booking.
• 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 camping and 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 (ie: first week of tour) is a limited risk malaria area and 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 wash my clothes on tour?  There are facilities for hand washing your clothes along the way.

ADD-ON: All Scenic Route departures can be combined before the Cape to Victoria Falls Explorer Safari to create a complete circular safari in Southern Africa.

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