K3 | 5-nights | Rhino Post Safari Lodge & Plains Camp (home of Rhino Walking Safaris) | Kruger National Park

Travelling

Check in time for Rhino Post Safari Lodge is between 13h00 and 15h00.  

Many of our guests fly into Skukuza Airport and make use of a 25 - 40 minute road transfer to the lodge, or fly into Nelspruit (Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport) from where the transfer time to the lodge is approximately 2 ½ - 3 hours. 

For those who wish to undertake the approximately six-hour self-drive from Johannesburg, we recommend you leave at around 07h00 to allow for a rest-stop or photographic opportunities along the way.

Should your journey begin at Rhino Walking Safaris, please ensure that you reach Rhino Post Safari Lodge by 13h00 for your transfer at 14h00 in an open 4x4 game vehicle to Plains Camp (home of Rhino Walking Safaris).  

Upon arrival 

Upon arrival at Rhino Post Safari Lodge you will be greeted by our friendly front-of-house team and welcomed with a chilled home-brewed iced tea or drink from the bar on our main deck overlooking the dry river bed before you are shown to your suite. 

Guests are offered a high tea at 15h30 in the lounge overlooking the waterhole in front of the lodge before departing for an afternoon / evening game drive at 16h00. Our high teas offer a selection of savoury snacks and cakes as well as teas, coffee and fruit juices.

Game drive safaris at Rhino Post Safari Lodge are conducted by professional guides in specially adapted open 4x4 vehicles.

In addition to game viewing within our wilderness concession we have the exclusive use of 170 kilometres of road within the KNP after dark when other visitors are confined to camp.

In order to preserve the environmental integrity of our concession and the KNP we do not drive off demarcated roads.

Our afternoon drives stop for sundowner drinks and snacks at sunset before continuing into the night in search of wildlife, particularly predominantly nocturnal species. 

The drives return to the lodge in time for guests to freshen up and enjoy a drink before a sumptuous dinner on the deck or in the dining room. Dinner is sometimes complimented by even more game viewing as animals come down to the waterhole to drink and smaller creatures, such as genets or owls, occasionally pop by the deck whilst on forays for their dinner.
 

Additional Extras:

In–room massages

In-room massages are available at an extra cost and pre-booking is required. Indulge in a massage in the privacy of your room, or on your deck overlooking the riverbed. We offer a variety of massages which are listed on our menu. 

Each morning at the lodge you will receive an early wake-up call, although you won’t beat the birds out of bed, and will have time for a cup of tea or coffee, fruit, muffins or biscotti before heading out on your game drive.

The ideal time for game viewing is early morning and the late afternoon and evening as this is when many wild animals and birds are most active.

On the drive you may encounter a wide range of wildlife and your guide will surprise you by spotting animals and birds that those unused to the bush may not even notice. Every game drive is an adventure and each has its own special moments. 

Sometimes you may spot elephants quietly feeding under giant Jackal berry trees along a river bank and at other times you may be lucky enough to see a tiny Pearl-spotted owl calling loudly from the top of a small bush, even in daylight! Everything you see on a drive has a story attached to it and your guides will share their knowledge of not only the mammals and birds but also reptiles, insects, flowers and trees.

Midway through your game drive, your guide will stop for a tea or coffee break before returning to the lodge.

Once back at the lodge, brunch will be served, and our lodge managers will happily help out with answering any questions you may have about what you have seen on the drive or about life in the bush.

Brunch is usually served between 10h00 and 10h30 but this is dependent on the season and the length of the morning drive. 

Between brunch and high tea, you may find yourself in need of a rest whether it be unwinding at the pool, relaxing on the deck overlooking the waterhole or having an early afternoon nap in your room.

Tea is once again served at 15h30 before departing for the afternoon drive, sundowners in the bush and the after-dark drive back to the lodge before snacks and dinner.

Additional Extras:

In–room massages

In-room massages are available at an extra cost and pre-booking is required. Indulge in a massage in the privacy of your room, or on your deck overlooking the riverbed. We offer a variety of massages which are listed on our menu. 

Each morning at the lodge you will receive an early wake-up call, although you won’t beat the birds out of bed, and will have time for a cup of tea or coffee, fruit, muffins or biscotti before heading out on your game drive.

The ideal time for game viewing is early morning and the late afternoon and evening as this is when many wild animals and birds are most active.

On the drive you may encounter a wide range of wildlife and your guide will surprise you by spotting animals and birds that those unused to the bush may not even notice. Every game drive is an adventure and each has its own special moments. 

Sometimes you may spot elephants quietly feeding under giant Jackal berry trees along a river bank and at other times you may be lucky enough to see a tiny Pearl-spotted owl calling loudly from the top of a small bush, even in daylight! Everything you see on a drive has a story attached to it and your guides will share their knowledge of not only the mammals and birds but also reptiles, insects, flowers and trees.

Midway through your game drive, your guide will stop for a tea or coffee break before returning to the lodge.

Once back at the lodge, brunch will be served, and our lodge managers will happily help out with answering any questions you may have about what you have seen on the drive or about life in the bush.

Brunch is usually served between 10h00 and 10h30 but this is dependent on the season and the length of the morning drive. 

Travelling

At 14h00 you will be transferred by 4x4 to Plains Camp (home of Rhino Walking Safaris), a trip which takes about 30 minutes and is a mini-game drive in itself.

On arrival

After settling into your 19th century explorer-style luxury tent and being shown around the camp, high tea is served followed by a briefing by your guide on the ‘do’s & don’ts’ of bush walking by your guide. 

Rhino Walking Safari guides meet the stringent requirements of the South African National Parks (SANParks) and our senior staff are amongst the best available. All walks are led by two armed guides.

After the guides have been through the safety precautions, you will set off on a short introductory walk which is always an exhilarating experience.

You will later return to the vehicle in time for sundowners and enjoy a short night drive before returning to camp. 

All walking trails are enjoyed in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the midday heat, with the average duration of the morning walk being between 3 and 4 hours. 

During the morning walk there is a stop for a rest and light snack.

The length of the evening walk depends on the time of the year, but usually lasts not more than an hour and is typically combined with a short game drive. Some guests prefer to opt out of the walk and go on a game drive instead, but this can only be done if all the guests at the camp agree. 

On each walking safari our guides will share their wealth of “bush culture’’ - not only identifying flora and fauna but also explaining the medicinal uses of plants, local folk lore and interpreting wildlife tracks in the sand.

Walking through the bush heightens all the senses and offers visitors unrivalled opportunities to become immersed in the rhythms of nature. The alarm calls of Red-billed oxpeckers may alert your guide to an old buffalo feeding in the reeds along a riverbed, a porcupine quill reveals that Africa’s largest rodent foraged along a trail during the night and the fresh tracks of a pride of lions means that the vultures may soon be in business. 

Although game drives offer the opportunity to get very close to wild animals this is not the case when people are walking in the bush; animals scent or see humans on foot very quickly. While this means that it is more difficult to get close to animals, being on foot is considered by many people to be more rewarding because the walker encounters animals on their own terms, just as would have happened before vehicles existed. The tracking of animals and immersion of senses in the sounds and smell of the bush, and even the feel of leaves or tree bark, creates a true sense of being part of the environment.

A hearty brunch is served after getting back from the morning walk.  Choose to take the opportunity to cool off in in the plunge pool or simply relax on the deck while doing some more game-watching over the Timbetene Plain.

High tea is followed by an afternoon walk and short evening game drive. 

Drinks around the fire, followed by dinner complete the day.

Your morning schedule will be the same as the previous day – an early morning call, a walking safari and then a leisurely brunch.

After a light snack and tea or coffee you’ll be taken on another safari walk. After the walk there will be the chance to freshen up and brunch will be served.  You’ll then be transferred to Rhino Post Safari Lodge for check out.

Depending on your travel arrangements, you may need to forego the morning activity at Plains Camp (home of Rhino Walking Safaris). 

PLEASE NOTE:             

The order of accommodation may change from that described above as it is dependent upon availability and the day of arrival. All activities are weather and access dependent. 
 

Optional Sleepout from Plains Camp (home of Rhino Walking Safaris)

Sleepouts are optional and need to be pre-booked.

Our Sleepout experience operated from Plains Camp or by special request from Rhino Post Safari Lodge, is unique amongst lodges in the Kruger National Park and offers guests the experience of sleeping under the stars on elevated platforms.

Sleepouts are totally weather dependent. The first guests to reserve a trail determines whether a Sleepout will be included on that trail or not. If the first guests who reserve the trail request the Sleepout then all guests on that trail will do a Sleepout. If the first guests to book the trail stipulate that they do not wish to do a Sleepout then nobody on that trail will be able to do a Sleepout.

Should you opt for the Sleepout experience, our trail guides will provide you with a light-weight backpack in which to carry a change of clothes and essential toiletries.  After tea, your guides will lead you on an hour-and-a-half walk to the Sleepout decks, stopping along the way to view wildlife.

The platforms are elevated about four metres above the ground and guests sleep on individual sleeping decks in a tent made of mosquito netting. After you have settled onto your deck, you will enjoy sundowners overlooking the waterhole. While your dinner is being prepared over an open fire the night sounds will bring another dimension to your bush experience. Your guides will ensure your safety at all times. 

The four decks accommodate a maximum of 8 people and there are two bathrooms that each have a flush toilet and shower.

After coffee or tea and a light snack the next morning, you’ll walk back to Plains Camp for breakfast and a shower or swim.

Note:

1. Sleepouts will be cancelled in the case of inclement weather
2. The first guests to reserve a walking trail determine whether a Sleepout will be included on that trail or not. If the first guests who reserve the trail request the Sleepout then all guests on that trail will participate in the Sleepout. If the first guests to book the trail stipulate that they do not wish to do a Sleepout then the Sleepout option will not be available.