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The Blyde River Canyon area (also often known as the Panorama Area) offers welcome relaxation after the excitement of a safari. This area of sculpted peaks and deep ravines, tumbling streams and green valleys is only two hours drive from the private game lodges and the Kruger National Park, and three hours from Johannesburg.

It connects the Kruger with the amazing geological features of the Drakensberg Escarpment. One of the major highlights of the region is the Blyde River Canyon Reserve, the third largest canyon of its kind in the world and home to spectacular wildlife and birdlife. Other highlights include the breath-taking waterfalls in Graskop and Sabie, Lisbon and Berlin Falls, Gods Window and Pilgrim’s Rest, home to the early gold prospectors.

The region provides a marked contrast to the sub-tropical bushveld, with scenic mountain passes, relaxing walks, horse riding and even golf on offer. The drive alongside the Blyde River Canyon, a majestic red sandstone gorge with sheer cliffs plunging into waters below, is magnificent. Many of our country lodges are close to either Hazyview or White River. This region also offers a number of adventure activities including treetop canopy tours, ziplines, quad biking, The Elephant Sanctuary and even white water excitement (after good summer rains.) The heart-warming Cheetah Research and Breeding Centre at Hoedspruit and the Shangaan cultural village are also well worth a visit.

A safari is nearly always an important part of a holiday in Southern Africa - words cannot describe the thrill of tracking a leopard on the hunt or observing a breeding herd of elephants at a waterhole. Covering nearly 2 million hectares, the Kruger Park is one of the largest national parks in the world, with the greatest diversity of species with 147 mammals and 510 birds. One of the finest nature reserves in Africa, the Kruger is a vast wilderness of thorn trees, prolific game and sub-tropical heat. It is home not only to The Big Seven - elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino, cheetah and wild dog, but also to an abundance of smaller, equally fascinating animals and birdlife.

Within the National Park there are a number of private concessions and safari lodges, as well as the simpler Park board restcamps.

This important Indian Ocean Port city lies less than 100km from the South African border and the southern tip of the country. With its sub-tropical climate, beautiful bay and the blend of Portuguese architecture, African spontaneity and Portuguese-African cuisine, Maputo is a interesting city to visit. Modelled on Portuguese harbour cities such as Lisbon and Porto, Maputo has wide avenidas (avenues), lined with trees broadly in a grid formation. It is very prettily situated on a cliff overlooking Maputo Bay and the Indian ocean.

Maputo fell into disrepair during the civil war which raged through Mozambique in the 80's and the outskirts of the city show both the poverty and Eastern communist bloc influence. However the centre of the city has successfully reclaimed the old charm of this African-Portuguese city.

Officially known as the ‘Kingdom of eSwatini’ and still referred to as Swaziland, this tiny landlocked nation boasts a rich historical and cultural heritage and is Africa's last remaining absolute monarchy. Swaziland encompasses a diverse array of ecosystems featuring towering mountains and low-lying savannah, tangled rainforests and lush river valleys. Highlights of this laid-back land include the mesmerizingly beautiful ‘Valley of Heaven’, the handicraft haven of the Malkerns Valley and the Hlane Royal National Park, famed for its white rhinos, antelopes and lions. Visitors can look forward to excellent wildlife watching, rafting, mountain biking, and hiking along a network of scenic trails which traverse spectacular mountainous landscapes.

Stretching across 13 000 hectares, towards the Kruger area in South Africa, Kapama Private Game Reserve provides an authentic African safari experience. The reserve offers a range of stylish accommodation options across four refined lodges and bush camps from a traditional African safari camp to top-notch luxury suites. Kapama is home to the Big Five and is known for its diverse wildlife experiences which can be enjoyed on one of many game drives offering fascinating encounters with plentiful wildlife. Visitors can look forward to a variety of wonderful activities including: excellent game viewing, enjoying a relaxing spa experience and stargazing after a lamp-lit dinner under the African night sky.

Bordering Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Botswana, the Limpopo Province is South Africa’s northernmost province renowned for its quintessentially African vistas. This region is known for its immense natural beauty featuring rugged mountains meeting pristine savannah plains sheltering a diverse array of wildlife. It encompasses the Makgabeng Plateau, the Blouberg Mountains, and a variety of towns and cities surrounded by a host of reserves including the world-renowned Kruger National Park. Visitors flock to this province to discover the fossil-rich caves of Makapansgat, explore the archaeological site of Mapungubwe and enjoy an authentic safari experience.

Situated in southeastern Zimbabwe, the capital of Masvingo Province, Masvingo town was formerly known as Fort Victoria. It is located near the Unesco-listed Great Zimbabwe National Monument, the ruins of an ancient city of mysterious origins that dates back thousands of years and shows evidence of an advanced civilisation. Masvingo serves as an excellent base from which to explore several attractions such as this in the surrounding region, including beautiful Lake Mutirikwi Recreational Park, the enthralling Kyle Dam, and the Kyle National Reserve, home to abundant wildlife. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the neighbouring Mushandike National Park, known for its stunning natural landscapes.

Located in central Zimbabwe, stretching over vast savannah grasslands, Antelope Park is a unique game reserve and the country’s premier private wildlife park. Set in the African bush, the park offers visitors picturesque views and is known for its strong ecotourism and a world-famous lion rehabilitation centre. Popular activities include camping, horse riding, fishing, boating, bird watching, canoeing, day and night game drives, feeding and walking with lions, elephant encounters, and magnificent sunset boat cruises. The park is home to over 20 mammal species, including wildebeest, giraffe, kudu, impala, hartebeest, and zebra, as well as 150 different species of bird including vultures, rollers, sunbirds, and hornbills.

The Matobo Hills National Park, just half an hour's drive south of Bulawayo, is the ancestral home of the Matabele people. This majestic landscape of massive granite boulders is imbued with great spiritual significance and is known for its rich human history. The numerous rugged red-tinged outcrops ('koppies') have eroded over thousands of years conjure up spectacular balancing acts, perched on each other at gravity-defying angles. The surrounding woodland savanna is home to diverse flora and fauna and some of the best-preserved San (Bushmen) paintings in Southern Africa.

The Matabele chief Mzilikazi, gave the reserve its name, Matobo, after the boulders which reminded him of bald heads. The reserve is compact, easily accessible and is home to an impressive range of wildlife including the highly endangered black and white rhino, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, cheetah, hippo and warthog as well as Africa's largest concentration of the elusive leopard. But there are no lions or elephants. The upside of this is that it is possible to explore the park on foot independently.

Indeed the gorgeous wooded valleys make it a dream destination for hikers, climbers and nature lovers alike. The area was so much a favourite of the British colonialist, Cecil John Rhodes that he arranged to be buried there at a beautiful spot high on the rocks aptly named World's View.

Hwange National Park is Zimbabwe's largest and oldest game park, home to a profusion of wildlife, including giraffe, lion, zebra and approximately 40 000 elephants. It lies only two hours' drive south of Victoria Falls en route to Bulawayo so it’s easily combined.

Its size necessarily includes a range of vegetation and a resulting diversity of game, from the dry southern acacia bordering the Kalahari to the northern mopane woodlands, valleys and granite hills characteristic of the north. Hwange is big game country with massive herds of elephants, especially visible at the end of the dry season in September. There’s also a sizeable population of wild dogs thought to be among the largest groups in Africa. Game-viewing in Hwange is made easier by the shallow salt pans throughout the park. These natural salt pans offer the perfect cooling mud bath for elephants.

The game lodges are either in private concessions or adjacent to the park. Here you take part in early morning and late afternoon game drives in open 4x4 vehicles and game walks. The best time to visit Hwange is in the dry winter months from July to October when the animals are forced to congregate around these water pans and ponds for much-needed water.