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Trek South Africa's Drakensberg and go on safari in Kruger
We first pick up the land only clients from the start hotel before proceeding to the airport for the arrival of the group flight. We then transfer to the town of Graskop perched on the edge of the Mpumalanga escarpment. It is a long drive but we stop at regular intervals to take in the spectacular scenery and to visit the well-known Mac Mac Falls. En route we travel through South Africa's highest town, Belfast (1970m), and the scenic Long Tom Pass. We also take the opportunity to stock up on supplies such as drinks and snacks. * Mogodi Lodge or similar*
We drive through some stunning countryside this morning, starting with the stunning views at God's Window. If we are lucky, God's Blanket may be down, a majestic cloud inversion that gives you the feeling of being on top of the world. We visit the fascinating rock formations at Bourke's Luck Potholes, before stopping for the most breathtaking views over Blyde River Canyon, the 3rd largest canyon in the southern hemisphere. In the afternoon we enjoy our first walk of the itinerary, a loop walk that includes the Leopard, Guineafowl and Kadishi-Tufa trails. Along the way we will have further views on Blyde River Canyon, walk through forest and stop at Tufa Waterfall. *Blyde Canyon Forever Resort or similar*
Distance in Km: 9
Distance in Miles: 6
Activity Hours: 4-6
After breakfast we drive to Letaba Ranch Reserve, our base for the next two days. We will have some to time to relax and enjoy the views from camp before heading out for an afternoon game drive. *Mtomeni Safari Camp or similar*
The Letaba Ranch Game Reserve is part of the Greater Kruger area and is particularly known for elephants and buffalos. This morning we head out on a game walk in search of some Africa’s iconic wildlife. The walk is about 2-4hrs (depending on temperatures) and is led by a local guide and tracker. The afternoon is free to relax or go an optional game drive. * Mtomeni Safari Camp or similar*
Distance in Km: 10
Distance in Miles: 6
Activity Hours: 2-4
We head on to Kruger National Park, justifiably one of the most famous wildlife parks in the world. It is also one of the oldest, established by the South African president Paul Kruger in 1898. It has arguably the greatest variety of animals of any park in Africa, with lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, black and white rhino, as well as cheetah, giraffe, hippo and many species of antelope and smaller plains game. We game drive (in our vehicle) through the park where we have an excellent chance of seeing a wide variety of wildlife. We arrive at our campsite in the Kruger in the late afternoon just before the camp gates close to maximise our game-viewing chances. * Skukuza or Pretoriuskop camp or similar*
Up before sunrise this morning for a game drive (in our vehicle) at, arguably, the best time of day for game-spotting. We return to camp for breakfast and to pack up before moving onto a new country: Eswatini (Swaziland). We leave the Kruger park at around lunch time and have a short stop to resupply before crossing the border into Eswatini (Swaziland). We drive to the hilly Malolotja Nature Reserve (3 hours), where we spend a relaxing evening in the cabins ready for a long walk the next day. * Malolotja Cabins or similar*
There is superb flora here and we take a day-walk on one of the picturesque walking trails. Over 280 species of birds have been spotted in this reserve, as have many antelope species. You will have great views and the chance to spot various eagles or even the very rare Bald Ibis. The Nkomati River cuts a gorge through the park and flows east in a series of falls and rapids before it meets the lowveld. Our walk will take us to the Malolotja falls viewpoint and then on to the upper Majolomba falls and a great lunch spot. 8 hours walking. * Malolotja Cabins or similar*
Distance in Km: 15
Distance in Miles: 9
Activity Hours: 8
Today we head out of Eswatini (Swaziland) and back into South Africa. On the way we visit Ezulwini Valley Craft Market before heading south through rural Eswatini (Swaziland). Upon leaving Eswatini (Swaziland) we move on to St Lucia. The small town of St. Lucia is both by the Indian Ocean and by lake St. Lucia and is known for its crocodile and hippo populations (hippos are sometimes seen wandering in town). The lake itself is Africa’s largest Estuary and a haven for birds. As well as land animals, the proximity to the ocean means it is possible to go swimming and even whale watching (June – November). * Shonalanga apartments or similar*
Getting up early we will head down to the dock and board a boat on the nearby lake. We spend 2 hours exploring the lake by boat with an excellent chance of seeing some of the many resident Hippo's, crocodiles and Fish Eagles. We return to our apartments for breakfast and then pack a picnic lunch for the short drive to Cape Vidal, a long stretch of beach along the Indian Ocean. Along the way we stop at bird-hides and there’s a small chance of spotting rhinos. We spend the afternoon relaxing on the beach or walking to mission rocks. * Shonalanga apartments or similar*
Distance in Km: 5
Distance in Miles: 3
Leaving the coast behind, we head 300kms towards the battlefields where the British and Zulus fought in 1879. After lunch we go on a 4hr hike along the fugitive trail. The trail follows the route taken by the British survivors from the battle of Isandlwana. The British and colonial force was armed with rifles, mountain guns and rocket battery were facing 20,000 Zulu warriors armed with spears. By the end of the battle there were only 65 British and Colonial survivors. After our hike we transfer 50kms to our lodge for the night. * Battlefields County Lodge or similar*
Distance in Km: 10
Distance in Miles: 6
Activity Hours: 4
We continue our journey to the beautiful Royal Natal National Park, particularly known the distinctive natural Amphitheatre. The Drakensberg is a basalt escarpment forming the border between Kwa-Zulu Natal and Lesotho and continuing into the Free State. It means 'Dragon Mountains', but the Zulu named it Quuathlamba ('the Barrier of Spears') - a more accurate description of the sheer, forbidding, jagged escarpment. This afternoon we go for walks in the local area from our lodge where we will be staying. There are a number of walks we can chose from such as to policeman’s helmet or to some bushmen paintings. * Thendele Chalets or similar*
Distance in Km: 8
Distance in Miles: 4
Today we follow the Thukela river, past Protea trees (the national flower of South Africa as well as the name of their cricket team), indigenous yellow wood forest and mountainous grasslands to the natural Amphitheatre and Thukela Waterfall viewpoint. The walk takes us into the heart of the Royal Natal National park and offers stunning views of the dramatic northern Drakensberg Mountains. 6 - 8 hours walking. * Thendele Chalets or similar*
Distance in Km: 16
Distance in Miles: 9
Activity Hours: 6-8
As the bus takes our luggage to our next lodge, we head along trails by foot. The start of our trail follows a contour line and takes us via Tiger Falls and Gudu Falls. We then head up as we walk through the Mahai Valley crossing the river and walking via the crack past the Mahai Falls, eventually reaching the Basuto Gate and our destination. The hike should take about 6hrs including stopping for lunch. *Witsieshowk Lodge or similar*
Distance in Km: 12
Distance in Miles: 7
Activity Hours: 6
In the morning we drive the short distance (15km) to the trek start point at the Sentinel gate. From here we trek along the edge of the mountains, possibly chaperoned by mountain baboon or if we are lucky by the resident Bearded Vultures, up to the ladders, which take us to the top (2,900m). We then follow the Thukela River to the edge of the waterfall and enjoy the stunning views across the amphitheatre and our previous day’s route. We then walk back to the vehicle and transfer the short distance (15km) to our lodge. The hike should take about 6hrs including stopping for lunch. *Witsieshowk Lodge or similar*
Distance in Km: 15
Distance in Miles: 9
Activity Hours: 6
There will be an optional short final morning walk in these wonderful mountains, with a local guide, before driving back to Johannesburg in time for our flight this evening. The land portion of the trip ends upon arrival in Johannesburg. 3 hour optional walk. Please note that if you are organising your own flights these should not be earler than the group flights due to the distance we need to travel back to the airport. **
* 9 days walking
* Mixture of wildlife spotting and walking
* Altitude max 2900m, average 1250m
* Group normally 4 to 12, plus local leader. Min age 16 yrs
* 11 nights log cabins and chalets and 3 nights permanent tented camp
All breakfasts, 11 lunches, 7 dinners included.
In the itinerary we state which meals are included on which day. The list
below provides an indication of what these will consist of: Breakfast -
cereals, coffee, tea and toast, the occasional cooked breakfast. Lunch -
cheese, cold meats, salads, bread or rolls. Dinner - potjies (stew), braais
(barbecue), stir fries, pasta. Most generally cooked on the open fire. Please
be aware that we need at least two weeks notice to deal with special dietary
requirements (e.g. vegetarian or allergies.) For this reason if you did not
indicate these on your booking form please advise the Exodus office as soon
as possible. The tour leaders do all the shopping, meal planning and cooking
for each group. He/she will always try to obtain fresh produce wherever
possible. Each tour has 2 cool boxes for meats and fresh produce and 1 cool
box for cold drinks. We will supply the following drinks: fruit squash served
with breakfast and tea or coffee served with breakfast and dinner. All other
beverages will be at your own expense. We do not supply bottled drinking
water although it is available at many shops on tour if you want to buy it
yourself at +/-R10.0 / lt. (£0.60). For meals not included, dinners can cost
on average £12‐18 ($20‐30) per person and lunches from £5 to £8 ($8
to $13). Please note on days when the group are on morning game walks or
drives we will have an early morning cup of tea or coffee and rusks followed
by the walk. Once we return to camp we will have a large brunch at around
11am. In the early afternoon we will have a snack style lunch and dinner will
be served after completion of the optional game drives.
The water provided on this trip is safe and clean drinking water, normally
coming from bore-holes. It is not bottled water, however. If you would rather
have bottled water then this will be at your expense, though we would
encourage you to make use of the safe drinking water provided as this helps
diminish plastic consumption.
* 9 days walking
* Mixture of wildlife spotting and walking
* Altitude max 2900m, average 1250m
* Group normally 4 to 12, plus local leader. Min age 16 yrs
* 11 nights log cabins and chalets and 3 nights permanent tented camp
There are a few long drives (the longest being 6-7 hours on the first and
last days) but the reward is a trip that offers an amazing variety of
walking through diverse scenery, plus exciting game viewing, in a
comparatively short time.
This is primarily a walking trip, although there is still time to go on an
organised safari to Kruger National Park. This trip has an activity level of
3 (Moderate). Good health and reasonable fitness are important and you should
take regular exercise before travelling on this trip. Moderate trips are
either fairly easy medium-duration walks or harder, shorter walks. There is
some walking at higher altitude and occasional longer/harder days may be
involved. Generally underfoot conditions will be fair. On Day 10 there is a
small river crossing that we wade across but this is only attempted when
conditions are safe. We climb to a maximum of 2900m and a walking day is
normally 4 - 8 hours.
There are some ladders to climb while walking in the Drakensberg. The ladders
are in two stretches, a longer (about 30m/100feet) first stretch followed by
a shorter (about 15m/50 feet) one. Neither are quite vertical and they are
metal ladders with thick, square edged footholds and comfortable handholds.
Whilst they're not particularly physically challenging they can constitute a
slight mental challenge to some - but one that is worthwhile for the
incredible views from the top of the escarpment. The guides are extremely
experienced in taking our clients up and down these ladders and are always
happy to help.
The game viewing is generally at its best from July to September as
visibility improves with trees losing their leaves and because game is more
restricted to areas that have water. The bush at this time, however, is much
drier compared to earlier in the season and scenically the country is
generally at its prettiest in April - June. The migratory birds are visible
between October and April.
Legal Note: all group members joining this tour will be asked to sign an
indemnity form at the start of the holiday. This indemnity form is a
requirement of the South African Tourism Service Association which our local
supplier is a member of. As a client of Exodus Travels Ltd, your rights under
the Package Travel Regulations (1992) are unaffected, and Exodus remains
liable for the actions of our sub-contractors.
Chalets
All nights will be in chalets, log cabins and four nights in a permanent
tented camp. Some of the accommodation is en suite though in Eswatini
(Swaziland)and St Lucia we usually stay in cabins of 2 rooms sharing a
bathroom and a lounge whilst in Thendele we usually stay in cabins of 3 rooms
sharing 2 bathrooms and a lounge. The permanent tented camp in the Letaba
River Game Reserve is made up of large tents with beds and an en suite
bathroom. In the Kruger Park we stay in a permanent tented camp with shared
ablutions. It is possible to get laundry done in Eswatini (Swaziland).
Wifi is available most nights but is not always very reliable.
Single rooms are available throughout. Please note that on the nights in the
Drakensberg and in Eswatini (Swaziland) you might share a chalet/cabin with
other members of the group. However, you will still have a single room to
yourself.
All breakfasts, 11 lunches, 7 dinners included.
In the itinerary we state which meals are included on which day. The list
below provides an indication of what these will consist of: Breakfast -
cereals, coffee, tea and toast, the occasional cooked breakfast. Lunch -
cheese, cold meats, salads, bread or rolls. Dinner - potjies (stew), braais
(barbecue), stir fries, pasta. Most generally cooked on the open fire. Please
be aware that we need at least two weeks notice to deal with special dietary
requirements (e.g. vegetarian or allergies.) For this reason if you did not
indicate these on your booking form please advise the Exodus office as soon
as possible. The tour leaders do all the shopping, meal planning and cooking
for each group. He/she will always try to obtain fresh produce wherever
possible. Each tour has 2 cool boxes for meats and fresh produce and 1 cool
box for cold drinks. We will supply the following drinks: fruit squash served
with breakfast and tea or coffee served with breakfast and dinner. All other
beverages will be at your own expense. We do not supply bottled drinking
water although it is available at many shops on tour if you want to buy it
yourself at +/-R10.0 / lt. (£0.60). For meals not included, dinners can cost
on average £12‐18 ($20‐30) per person and lunches from £5 to £8 ($8
to $13). Please note on days when the group are on morning game walks or
drives we will have an early morning cup of tea or coffee and rusks followed
by the walk. Once we return to camp we will have a large brunch at around
11am. In the early afternoon we will have a snack style lunch and dinner will
be served after completion of the optional game drives.
The water provided on this trip is safe and clean drinking water, normally
coming from bore-holes. It is not bottled water, however. If you would rather
have bottled water then this will be at your expense, though we would
encourage you to make use of the safe drinking water provided as this helps
diminish plastic consumption.
Transport is by minibus fitted with forward facing seats and towing a trailer
for equipment and luggage. For game drives on the private reserve we will use
an open 4-wheeled-drive Land Rover.
*Travelling flight inclusive from London: 17 days*
The group flight from London is an overnight flight departing the day before
Day 1 of the itinerary.
*Flights from London*
We normally use the scheduled services of South African Airways (depending on
availability). As flight timings and schedules change regularly we recommend
you call one of our specialist sales staff or your agent to confirm
up‐to‐date timings. Please note timings may change at a later date and
cannot be confirmed until approximately two weeks before departure.
*Travelling land only: 15 days starting and ending in Johannesburg Airport*
Your trip normally starts at the Johannesburg international airport in the
morning of Day 1 of the itinerary, at the group arrival time. Details of how
to reach the start point are provided in the Final Joining Instructions -
sent approximately two weeks before departure. (Land only clients can be
picked up at a local hotel 45 minutes before the group arrival flight and
transferred to the Johannesburg International airport)
Please note that if you are organising your own flights, your departure
flight should not be earlier than the group flights as we have a long way to
travel back to Johannesburg Airport on the last day.
Although the greater part of South Africa lies south of the tropic of
Capricorn, the temperature is moderated by the altitude. The average midday
temperature is likely to be about 22ºC on the coast and 24ºC inland. This
trip covers various different weather regions. Generally inland areas will be
dry between the months of April and October (although storms can occur),
whereas in the Drakensberg Mountains rain is more common at this time. In
August the nights can be very cold, especially in the Drakensberg where
temperatures can drop below freezing. However the days are warm and crisp
with generally cloud-free skies. During the months of November through
February rain can sometimes be expected and the temperature will be higher.
However, as anyone who has travelled to these parts will say, rain is often a
blessing, it manifests the local colours, drops the sometimes sweltering
temperatures and never generally lasts too long. It also means the night
times are incredibly clear.
Although the greater part of South Africa lies south of the tropic of
Capricorn, the temperature is moderated by the altitude. The average midday
temperature is likely to be about 22ºC on the coast and 24ºC inland. This
trip covers various different weather regions. Generally inland areas will be
dry between the months of April and October (although storms can occur),
whereas in the Drakensberg Mountains rain is more common at this time. In
August the nights can be very cold, especially in the Drakensberg where
temperatures can drop below freezing. However the days are warm and crisp
with generally cloud-free skies. During the months of November through
February rain can sometimes be expected and the temperature will be higher.
However, as anyone who has travelled to these parts will say, rain is often a
blessing, it manifests the local colours, drops the sometimes sweltering
temperatures and never generally lasts too long. It also means the night
times are incredibly clear.
Good trekking boots
Torch
Towel
Daypack (at least 25 litres)
Hat
Sun cream and sunglasses
Waterproofs
Water bottle
Please take neutral coloured clothing for the game walks.
Please note that hard-cases may not fit in the vehicle so please bring soft
bags.
We strongly recommend a good pair of binoculars and camera.
Walking poles may be useful on some of the hikes.
The Swazi lilangeni (plural Emalangeni) is linked to the Rand, and South
African currency can be used in Eswatini (Swaziland) but not vice versa.
We suggest you allow about 150 Rand per day for incidentals.
*Optional Excursions*
Kruger National Park night drives R265 per person.
Optional tree top canopy tour in Malolotja nature reserve is R600 per person
Tipping is expected but not compulsory in both South Africa and Eswatini
(Swaziland). Most grooms, waiters and local guides rely on tipping as part of
their wages. Our local staff are paid well and fairly for their work with
Exodus, but we would still recommend for your leader approximately £2 per
person per day.
* Travel insurance
* Single accommodation
* Visas or vaccinations
Ved skriftlig aksept av vårt tilbud bekrefter du/dere at våre betingelser er både lest og forstått og at evt kansellerings gebyrer kan tilkomme ved en evt. avbestilling av reisen.
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