Upon arrival at Johanesburg airport, you will be transferred to the lodge via road transport. This normally takes around 3 hours including a short break.
Following lunch (subject to flight arrival time) there will be an opportunity to get settled in the pristine surroundings, take a dip in the pool and get acquainted with the lodge and personnel.
In the early evening, our hosts at Sebatana Rhino Lodge will serve a refreshing cocktail and afterward there will be a briefing regarding your stay at Matswani. You will be instructed in how to respectfully live in the bush and which precautions to be aware of.
Following the manager’s reception and briefing dinner will be served in the restaurant.
Day 2 – Wildlife talk and Museum visit and Game Drive to observation deck
After breakfast, we will go on a drive in the open Land Cruisers to the settings in the middle of the bush where the guides will give a wildlife talk with regard to which species of animals, birds and plants we will find throughout the upcoming week. The guide will also explain the area’s history and what the scenery is like at Sebatana Private Reserve. After the wildlife talk we will return to the lodge where we will visit the museum and wine cellar before going back to the centre where the chefs will be serving lunch.
After lunch and some relaxation our guides will pick us up in one of the Land Cruisers for a game drive that will take us to Christina’s Wallow, or rather some of the way there. To have the least amount of impact on the wildlife, we will make some of our way there on foot. Christina’s Wallow is a hide, where you will have a direct view of a watering hole which is used by many different species of animals, such as meerkat, giraffes, impalas, wildebeest, etc. In other words, it is important to have your camera ready as you are almost guaranteed some superb viewings of African wildlife.
After about 45 minutes animal spotting from the hide, we leave Christina’s Wallow and continue on a safari before returning to the lodge.
Before dinner our bar manager invites guests for a happy hour in the bar.
Day 3 – Half day big five safari and night safari (Options at additional cost enquire for price)
Day spent enjoying the 5 star Rhino Lodge
Half day big five safari
Night safari
Optional extras
Half Day Big Five safari
Today is a chance to experience the famous Big-5 animals in the beautiful African bush. We will be exploring one of the largest and most diverse private reserves In South Africa with more than 40.000 hectares of wildlife in rich and beautiful surroundings. This area, is in one of the few UNESCO protected areas in the world, and in itself is an amazing experience with breath taking landscapes. Here we have the opportunity to discover more than fifty different mammals including Lion, Elephant, Leopard, Rhino, and Buffalo. Besides the Big-5 we also have the chance to encounter some of the rarer and more unique species such as the Brown Hyaena, Cheetahs, Wild Dogs, Earth Wolf and more than 300 different kinds of birds.
As a private reserve there are extensive restrictions to how many guests that can visit the area each day, ensuring clients an exclusive and intimate experience with nature and wildlife in perfect balance. It does not get more authentic that this.
Sebatana is an active part owner of this unique reserve and proud to work within such a ground-breaking environment. Besides the park staff there is also a large number of volunteers working and researching. The findings and results are openly shared with various National Parks and reserves throughout the country and beyond.
Night Safari
At dusk, when the sun sets over the African bush, we depart from the Safari Lodge.
It is a spectacular experience to watch how the bush changes and how a completely different animal kingdom emerges. Night Safari takes place in open Land Cruisers, where we use powerful spotlights. We must use all our senses, in particular our eyes and ears, as suddenly the spotlight will detect a pair of eyes reflected in the light. This is an intense experience and something you should not miss out on.
Our guide will, throughout the safari, whisper different information about the wildlife we encounter here in the dead of night. On a night safari, we may be lucky enough to spot animals which we do not usually see during the day, such as leopard, caracal, bush baby, porcupine, antbear and more. The quietude is a characteristic of the African night, it may seem spooky and suddenly you may hear something that sounds as though the bush is ‘crying’. Such sensory perceptions are a strong characteristic of a night safari.
En route we will stop at “Flintstone Cave”, where the light from the fireplace will greet us. The chef has prepared a lovely three course dinner, and beautiful tables have been set for you. To sit in the middle of all that darkness with the fireplace illuminating your surroundings, enjoy an exquisite dinner and a glass of red wine is truly a world-class experience. When everyone has finished, we will continue our safari through the bush.
Day 4 – Walking trail, game drive and tribal evening (Optional price on application))
Following a hearty breakfast we will commence our walking trail. Our experienced guide will explain the characteristics of the Waterberg Mountains, with regard to the impressive fauna south of the equator and the distinctive surrounding nature. Simultaneously, you will gain some insight into the animal breeding and feeding areas, especially exciting when learning more about antelope behaviour. After a couple of hours we will return to the lodge for a bit of relaxation and a well-deserved lunch.
Mid-afternoon we will go on another amazing safari in the reserve. Most guests cannot get enough of the diverse wildlife at the Sebatana private reserve and here we get another chance to try and find and observe our favourite animals. Our guides will make sure to ensure that we can cross as many animals off our list as possible during the drive.
Tribal evening
In the evening we are invited to a private dinner at our chef’s, which gives us the opportunity to experience how the indigenous black population once lived, and sometimes still do. This is an extraordinary chance to ensure that you gain some historical insight into African culture and lifestyle, in addition to a contemporary awareness.
The local culture and lifestyle are in many ways incredibly exciting, and we will be able to taste the unique food and beverages. We are also introduced to some of their customs and traditions. In many ways we should envy their way of life, they may not be rich in assets, but they are wealthy in human experiences and especially in respect for one another and their values.
The indigenous black population often expresses themselves through song and dance. Tonight we have arranged for children and young adults to come and entertain with dances and old traditions they proudly retain despite the colonial attempt to “change” them. The dancers who come to entertain us, are all part of a heritage foundation, which works to preserve the local traditions and culture.
Day 5 - Pilanesberg National Park (optional activities price upon application)
Day spent enjoying the 5 star Rhino Lodge
Pilansberg National Park
Pilanesberg National Park, the third largest in South Africa, is a three hour drive from the Safari Lodge. A drive through picturesque mountain formations, developed through millenniums and which stretches through 600km’s/373mi’s of South African landscape. Pilanesberg covers an area of approx. 55,000 hectares/ 135,908 acres and was created through the gradual increase of merged plots.
In our open safari vehicles we drive through the massive area while our professional guide shares their knowledge of the various wildlife.
All safari vehicles driving in the park are in constant radio contact, so we will immediately know if anyone else for example spots elephants and be able to make our way there quickly. This ensures the substantial likelihood that you will have a marvellous wildlife experience.
Pilanesberg National Park is a beautiful area situated in a volcanic landscape with its impressive mountain formations and open plains. It is home to a wide range of antelopes and one of the world’s largest populations of the endangered white rhino. Simultaneously, Pilanesberg offers “the Big Five” – lion, elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros and leopard – in addition to giraffes, hippopotami, cheetahs and hundreds of species of birds and so much more.
Before tonight’s dinner our guides will invite guests for a cocktail in the Rhino bar.
Day 6 – Game drive with Champagne bush brunch
Immediately following sunrise, we leave the lodge and begin our safari.
Our best chance at spotting wildlife up close is during the early morning hours. The antelopes move through large areas to find the best browsing, but also to find the best protection against leopards, hyenas, caracals and other predators. We drive around in an open Land Cruiser, which ensures the best possible view and photo opportunities.
Later in the morning, when hunger arises, we end our safari at Kudu Rock. Here we will serve a wonderful, traditional and lavish African Champagne Brunch, while you enjoy the magnificent view of the African bush.
Afterwards we return to the lodge, where you will have the opportunity to relax and reflect on the many impressions garnered throughout the morning and previous days. The afternoon offers a possibility to take individual walking tours following suggested route itineraries on the reserve.
Before dinner our bar manager will once again be ready for a happy hour in the bar.
Day 6 – Game drive to Sunset rock Half day big 5 safai optional cost to be advised
Mid-afternoon we will set off on another amazing safari which will end at Sunset Rock. A place and an experience, former guests have said to be one of the absolute highlights of the entire tour. This is where we will enjoy a glass of chilled champagne while the sun slowly sets over the Waterberg Mountains in a cascade of red and orange colours.
Right here in the middle of the grandiose African landscape, at a time of unending beauty, you will feel as if no time is passing – and wish it never would. This is truly the epitome of overwhelming happiness, the African way.
Following sunset, we return to the lodge where our accomplished chefs are ready with yet another feast.
Half day big 5 safari
Today we enjoy the ultimate safari experience with another half day big 5 safari, allowing good opportunity to find Africa’s most attractive species in their natural element. A fantastic experience that is continuously amongst our most popular tours at Sebatana.
Day 8 - Apartheid Museum, Johannesburg and Soweto
Following an English breakfast, and perhaps a final dip in the dipping pool, it is time for one of the hardest moments of our tour; a final farewell to Sebatana.
While the staff wave goodbye (and hopefully “see you again sometime”) we head for Johannesburg, where our first stop will be an emotional one. We visit the Apartheid Museum which was inaugurated, as the first of its kind, in 2001. The museum gives us an emotional insight into how the indigenous black South African population, from 1948 until the final abolition of apartheid in 1994, lived an unimaginable existence.
During the afternoon we leave the museum, but not the apartheid history, behind. Our next stop is South Western Townships – or as it is better known, Soweto. Placed only 15km/9mi from the Johannesburg city centre this, at one time famous and infamous, neighbourhood covers an acreage of just 63km2/24sq.mi. It is estimated that approx. 4 million people reside in this small area. Originally, Soweto was only supposed to be a temporary residence for the mineworkers. However, in 1923 as part of the notorious “Urban Areas Act”, it was converted into a township/ghetto for Johannesburg’s black population.
Throughout the years, and especially during the apartheid era, Soweto has been at the centre of numerous riots and violent historical events. Within the last 10 years, the neighbourhood has undergone a significant change where a large amount of the sheet metal shacks have been replaced with proper housing. Today, Soweto has much better areas with schools, a university, sport clubs and hospitals. Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Winnie Mandela still reside in Soweto.
During the trip we also make a stop at the famous Hector Pietersen Memorial where you usually will have the opportunity the buy some souvenirs at the local crafts market. Rounding off our visit to Soweto, we will then continue on to Johannesburg or Jo’burg as the locals call it. While driving through the city, you cannot help but feel the pulse of what characterises South Africa’s largest metropolis. An economic and industrial focal point, where little over 120 years ago there was nothing but untouched savannah. Today it is the predominant economic centre of South Africa.
The history of Johannesburg began when the Australian prospector George Harrison found gold in Witwatersrand in 1886. The news spread like wildfire and within a short period of time, a long list of mining companies appeared in the area and established no less than 14 goldmines. Within a year, the gold mining industry was so comprehensive that a need for a stock exchange emerged. That was the reason why businessman Benjamin Minors Woollan initiated the opening of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, which is currently the world’s 17th largest. Only two of the original gold mines still exist on the outskirts of Johannesburg, however they are still active to this day. Early in the evening we arrive at O.R. Thambo International Airport. While you await your return flight, you have time to look back at nine unforgettable days, filled with inciting impressions and lavish experiences. This is a tour which will remain pleasantly in your thoughts for a long, long time to come, perhaps forever.
Overnight flight return to UK early following morning via Amsterdam
KLM
KL0592Johannesburg O R Tambo Intl (A)Amsterdam Schiphol Airport06-Jul-2018
23:1507-Jul-2018
10:25Economy (V)0
KLM
KL1075Amsterdam Schiphol AirportManchester Intl (3)07-Jul-2018
12:3507-Jul-2018
12:55Economy (L)
Overnight flight return to UK early following morning via Amsterdam
