Upon arrival at O.R. Tambo International Airport, you will be met by an airside representative and assisted to passport control and luggage collection to the arrivals hall, where you meet your driver and transfer to Sandton where you spend your first 2 nights including breakfast.
After check in, we recommend you take the hotel shuttle or taxi to Sandton City where you can wonder around the many shops, entertainment and restaurants.
Sandton City and surrounds have a big choice of restaurants for dinner before heading back to your hotel for overnight.
This morning you will be met at your hotel by your driver/guide for a full day tour of Johannesburg.
FULL DAY TOUR SOWETO AND THE APARTHEIT MUSEUM
Soweto is a cluster of townships, on the south-western flank of Johannesburg and was created in the 1930s. It is the biggest black urban settlement in Africa with a rich political history. A visit to Soweto is seemlessly combined with a stop at The Apartheid Museum for an indepth discovery of 20th Century South Africa, at the heart of which is the apartheid story – a nation’s resistance, courage and fortitude.
This morning you will be collected from your hotel and transferred back to OR Tambo International Airport in time for your flight to Skukuza.
Upon arrival in Skukuza, you will be met and transferred to your lodge where you spend the next 3 nights including all meals and daily scheduled activities.
Early morning and evening game drive safaris in an open-top Land Rover with an experienced game ranger, where one can enjoy sightings of the Big 5 and other wildlife in the region.
Unique walking safaris with an armed game ranger knowledgeable in all aspects of conservation, ecology and the environment of the bush.?
Bird watching and photographic safaris.
Cool off next to the sparkling pool, drinking cocktails and refreshments from the fully stocked bar, or relax in the shade of the Marula trees on the wooden deck overlooking the waterhole and watch the animals wander past.
Treat yourself to a deeply relaxing massage at the Notten’s Nature Spa.
Enjoy delicious meals and the fine company of both local and international guests.
Cultural tours can be arranged into the local Shangaan community to get an insight into their unique culture.
Golf trips can be arranged to the Skukuza Golf Course, which is 45 minutes away from Notten’s. This gives golfers a unique opportunity of playing a round of golf within the Kruger National Park.
Rise early for a game drive and return for breakfast in the camp. After breakfast, you will be transferred to Nelspruit and Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, where you collect your rental car for your onward trip to Swaziland.
From there, head for the mountain Kingdom of Swaziland for an optional visit to the Ngwenya glass factory where all the items are hand made from recycled glass. (For own account)
Drive through the capital, Mbabane, and continue to Mhlambanyatsi where you overnight in the mountains at Foresters Arms including breakfast.
This morning you have an early breakfast and then and optional visit to the Swazi Candles in the Malkerns Valley where you can watch the locals hand-moulding wax into a variety of interesting shapes. On this site there is also a market where the locals sell their craft, as well as other shops where you can buy items like batik, hand-woven cloth, colourful handbags, etc.
You then continue along the Ezulwini Valley towards Manzini, the country’s industrial centre, and then swing south towards Nhlangano on a scenic route where crossing every hill opens up a new vista.
Exit Swaziland at the Onverwacht border post and enter Zululand.
Travel southwards to St Lucia where you spend the next 2 nights.
Today, you have the day at leisure to explore St Lucia.
Recommended activity for your own account:
Head to the village of St Lucia and join a boat cruise on the estuary of the famous Lake St Lucia (proclaimed a World Heritage Site in 1999). The lake is a wildlife paradise with bird species such as fish eagle, Goliath heron and many more.
Your skipper/guide will show you the world of the hippo and the crocodile and the other mystic inhabitants of the "deep".
This morning head South to Durban where you spend the next three nights in Umhlanga Rocks including breakfast.
Today head out towards the Midlands and Drakensberg where you spend the next two nights exploring the region.
The Drakensberg, fondly known as ‘the Berg’, is a breathtakingly beautiful series of mountain peaks that forms the border between KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho.
The Royal Natal National Park and the awe-inspiring Amphitheatre Valley of the Northern Drakensberg are almost too spectacular for words! Photography enthusiasts, nature lovers and adventurers are drawn by the stupefying natural beauty, snow-capped peaks, scenic hiking trails, rivers, waterfalls and caves.
The ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park in the Central Drakensberg is a vast area and encompasses Cathedral Peak, the Champagne Valley, the quieter Injisuthi Valley, Giant’s Castle and Kamberg, famous for some of the best San rock art in the Drakensberg. The park forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and provides sanctuary to endemic and threatened species of plant and animals.
Whatever your interests, the Berg offers something for everyone! Head for the skies and try out the aerial cable trail, canopy tour, zip line or gorge swing. There is even a flying trapeze! Paragliding amongst these incredible peaks is also an unforgettable experience, and there are some challenging rock and ice climbing opportunities.
After breakfast this morning you take a leisurely drive to Johannesburg International OR Tambo Airport in time for your flight home.
The drive is around 430km (5 hours without stops and on a good road).
