Welcome to Africa! It's been a long journey but all of that is quickly forgotten as you arrive in Johannesburg and your adventure begins. After completing entry formalities and collecting your bags, exit the arrivals hall to meet the driver from the Aero Guest Lodge who will take you to this charming hotel in a quiet suburb of this dynamic city. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy as you please - we have provided a few suggestions for you but lazing by the pool and enjoying the near-perfect climate of the City of Gold is also a good option!
The Aero Guest Lodge can arrange activities for you to make the most of your time in Johannesburg, which is one of the most underrated and overlooked cities in Africa - don't make the same mistake as the others and miss your chance to explore. These are at your own expense and payment is made directly to the hotel, but highly recommended.
City tour - get to know the central areas with an expert local guide
Soweto tour
Meals except as stated (breakfast)
Optional extra activities such as city tours
It's an early start today - a taxi will take you to the Rivonia Hotel to meet the rest of the group for the tour briefing. We depart Johannesburg and head east to Mpumalanga. During the afternoon we visit the gold mining town of Pilgrims Rest, and the viewpoint over God’s Window. Stretch our legs on a short walk from Mac Mac Pools and then make our way to our chalets on the edge of the escarpment.
We are up early the next morning for our first long walk at the Blyde River. We walk from the rim of the escarpment down into the canyon with views over the Three Sisters and the river below, before making our way back up the escarpment again. After lunch we spend the afternoon exploring the forests and waterfalls which make Mpumalanga a beautiful destination. An exciting optional activity is the Graskop Gorge Lift, which lowers you down for a walk through the lush Afromontane forest below (own expense).
An early breakfast and we make our way to Kruger National Park. We enter the national park and spend the day on an exciting game drive. Your guide will interpret the signs of bush as we hope to see elephants, rhino and possibly the elusive leopard. We stop for a picnic lunch before completing our game drive in the late afternoon as we exit the park and make our way to our private game lodge in the Greater Kruger area.
A highlight of our tour is the early morning game walk with a local ranger. Quietly we venture into the bush, learning the tracks and other signs of the wildlife we hope to find on foot.
We enter the Kingdom of Swaziland and travel through a lush fruit farming area before heading into the mountains. We spend 2 nights on the outskirts of Malalotja Nature Reserve with a full day to walk through this seldom explored mountainous reserve.
The Swazi people have a rich cultural heritage and we will visit the craft and medicine markets on day 7 as we pass through the capital, Mbabane.
Crossing into South Africa we head towards our lodge on a private game reserve situated on the Ukuwela Conservancy. We take a walk with our local walking guide who will point out some of the 540+ bird species found in the area, and track the shy Nyala antelope in the riverine vegetation of the Msinene River.
This morning we visit Hluhluwe Game Reserve, a key area for rhino conservation and visit a Zulu village to learn more about their culture. Enjoy sunset and the sounds of the bush before a hearty dinner at the lodge.
We leave the bush of Zululand behind us and make our way through the scenic hills and valleys of Zululand to the small town of Dundee. Here battles were fought between the Zulus, British and the Boer troops - war cries still resound in the hills. We spend time at the informative Tulana museum before we settle into our lodge and have some free time in the afternoon.
This morning we explore the Isandlwana battlefield before we embark on an exciting 4-5 hour hike tracing the steps of the two British fugitives through the undulating hills of Zululand to the Buffalo River. Later in the day we visit Rourkes Drift before returning to the lodge.
Witness the grandeur of the Drakensberg Mountains or uKhahlamba “Barrier of Spears”. We overnight at the base of the “berg” (alt. 1,600m)
We spend a full day walking the mountain trails before taking an invigorating dip in the clear mountain streams of the Royal Natal National Park. The crisp mountain air is refreshing and our lodge is a fantastic place to relax and enjoy the splendour of the mountain views.
We start the day with an early breakfast and make our way to Witsieshoek at the foot of the magnificent Sentinel Peak. At the end of a rough gravel road we start our trek, including a short chain ladder section, to the top of the Drakensberg Amphitheatre and the beautiful Tugela Falls (alt. 3,000m), offering unparalleled views down into KwaZulu-Natal. After our walk we make our way to the lodge perched high in the mountains (alt. 2,300m) overlooking the Mont-Aux-Sources mountain range.
A leisurely start to the day, with the chance to spot the endangered bearded vulture soaring overhead, before we make our way back to Johannesburg. Tour ends at +/-17:00.
If you have the time, why not extend your stay in South Africa after your walking tour is over?
Get to know Johannesburg, fly to Cape Town or Durban or best of all, hire a car and explore at your own pace. We can assist with itineraries and ideas, so do not hesitate to get in touch!
