This tour allows you to experience Africa’s wildlife at it fullest.
First by discovering Kruger National Park where you will do game drives with a safari vehcile, followed by doing game walks and game drives two of the famous game reserves in the northern area: Timbavati and Balule, and ending with the beautiful scenery of the Blyde Canyon by stopping in all the main view points.
| Pick up: | Johannesburg – South Africa |
| Drop off: | Johannesburg – South Africa |
| Type of tour: | Midrange accommodation |
| Tour language: | English, French or Spanish |
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Welcome to Johannesburg! Today you will be received by your guide who will also show you the most amazing corners of the biggest city in Africa which is also known as the city of gold. One of our first stops will be vibrant suburb of Maboneng, a seSotho word meaning “place of light”. This magical urban neighborhood is the center of creative energy with a mix of restaurants, coffee shops, clothing boutiques, art galleries, retail and studio space. We will have lunch in one of the best restaurants of the prescient before discovering the old city center on foot where you will see Johannesburg’s oldest buildings and learn their history. This will be followed by some street art sightings that are scattered around the area and also around the city. We will then head towards our accommodation in the area of Mellville, a bohemian suburb known for its exciting bars, trendy restaurants and thriving student social scene. Dinner will be in a restaurant in town.
On this day we will drive towards the Kruger National Park, our biggest national park here in South Africa, 20,000sq km and home to a huge variety of animals including the Big 5. The Kruger National Park lies across the provinces of Mpumalanga and Limpopo in the north of South Africa, just south of Zimbabwe and west of Mozambique. Bounded by the Crocodile River in the south and the Sabie River in the north, the southern region is also host to the jagged ridge of the Lebombo Mountains along the border with Mozambique. We will then head towards our accommodation that is in the outskirts of the park, in the Southern Area of the Park, where we will be staying for the next two nights. Hoping to find the most amazing and elusive animals of the African bush, we will spend our days doing full days game drives with an open 4x4 safari vehicle. On day 2 we will embark on an afternoon safari and then on day 03 it will be a full day safari.
Today you will be heading to the Timbavati Game Reserve in the Greater Kruger Park area. In Xitsonga, the name 'Timbavati' means "the place where something sacred came down to Earth from the Heavens", and refers to the rare white lions of Timbavati. The reserve was established in 1956 by like-minded game farmers with the creation of the Timbavati Association, a 53,000ha surrounded by some of the most beautiful African bush landscapes and unspoilt wilderness and home to the famous big five and other wonderful species. We will settle in our tented camp for the next two nights. Upon arrival we will embark on an afternoon game walk and return to camp before dinner time. The next day we will start our morning by doing a morning walk follow by some free time during the hot hours of the day before our embarking on our afternoon game drive.
Early in the morning you will depart on a morning game drive in order to spot some of the wildlife that roam in the area before proceeding to the next stop. After breakfast you will be heading to a private Game Reserve which is situated in the vast Balule Nature Reserve, which is also part of the Greater Kruger National Park, this is Africa at its very best! A timeless place in the heart of wild Africa where nature rules and we are fascinated observers. A perfect for seeing the African wildlife and just blending with the bush. You will be spending 2 nights in this environment where the main goal is to relax and enjoy your wild sightings by doing game drives and game walks. On day 06 we will depart on an afternoon game drive and return to the Lodge before dinner time. The next day will start early in the morning for a morning safari, followed by some time at leisure before departing on an afternoon game walk, and be back before dinner.
From Balule Game Reserve we will drive towards the Blyde River Canyon. The Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve in the Mpumalanga province forms part of the Greater Drakensberg escarpment and features on the scenic Panorama Route. It was at this point that the ancient super continent, Gondwanaland, broke apart and Madagascar and Antarctica tore free from Africa some 200 million years ago. The broken edge of the continent was gradually tilted upwards by the weight of a vast shallow sea stretching west to beyond Pretoria. This sea, already ancient when Gondwanaland was split by these earth-shaping forces, left behind layer upon layer of dolomite and sandstone laid down as sediments over millions of years. The canyon is considered the third largest canyon in the world stretching for 26 km. We will continue exploring the famous viewpoints like: Three Rondavels, The Bourke’s Luck Potholes, popular for their formation and discovery of gold during the gold rush, Lisbon Falls and ending with the view of God’s window. We will spend our last night of the tour in the little town of Graskop.
Today you will make your way back towards Johannesburg but will be stopping along the way. Our first stop in the colonial village of Pilgrim Rest where you will free time to discover the town with its original buildings dating back to the late 1800’s thanks to the discovery of gold in the area. Then you will proceed to the town of Dullstroom which is the highest village in South Africa, 2200m above sea level, a town devoted completely to tourism. Here you will have the opportunity to walk around and admire some cafe’s, restaurants and curio shops. After lunch we will head black towards the city of Johannesburg where you will be dropped at your accommodation at the end of the day. Dinner in town.
Today we take the time to visit to the famous township of Soweto, home to around 1.5 million people and its neighborhoods range from Kliptown’s informal shacklands to the mansions of Diepkloof Extension, and Vilakazi Street, the heart of tourist Soweto. More like a city, this ‘township’ has worthwhile historical sites, a vibrant contemporary social scene and exciting new lifestyle attractions like the Orlando towers, the Hector Pieterson Museum and Mandela’s house in the bustling Vilikazi street, the only street in the world to have held two winners of the Nobel Peace Prize, Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. Your guide will drop you at the airport after your visit .
