Sample Scenic Safari Trail Self Drive

The vast Timbavati Private Game Reserve borders the Kruger National Park to the north. It is unfenced so the wildlife can travel freely between the Kruger and the Timbavati. Words cannot describe the thrill of tracking a leopard on the hunt or observing a breeding herd of elephants at a waterhole.

The Timbavati is one of the best areas for game-viewing in South Africa. You are likely to see large elephant herds and you'll have a good chance of spotting many of the so-called 'Big 5' - elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and rhino as well a variety of smaller mammals.

The Timbavati is known for its White Lion which are occasionally seen. This unique sub-species colouring is due to a rare recessive gene. Leopard sightings are also very good. Cheetah, wild dog and buffalo are also frequently seen moving through the reserve. It said to have the densest giraffe population in the world.

The Timbavati comprises a number of private game lodges which cooperate in conserving their valuable heritage. Drives are in the early morning and late afternoon when game is most likely to be active. You enjoy game drives in open-vehicle game drives with an experienced ranger and a local Shangaan tracker who work together to give you a deeper understanding of the wildlife and the natural cycles of the bush. Drives are in the early morning and late afternoon when game is most likely to be active. After enjoying the bush sunset, the evening holds a sense of anticipation as the rare and elusive nocturnal species begin to hunt.

Surrounded by subtropical fruit orchards, Hazyview is a small farming town and a gateway to the southern part of the Kruger National Park and the Panorama Escarpment. The town and its spectacularly scenic surroundings, serve as a popular adventure capital with a remarkable array of exhilarating outdoor activities on offer to suit all ages, tastes and fitness levels. These include, among others: mountain biking, quad biking, ziplining, tubing, abseiling, and river rafting. Whether you are eager to hike the Panorama Route with its breathtaking views and impressive waterfalls, visit the Shangana Cultural Village, or horse ride along the banks of the magnificent Sabie River, Hazyview has something for just about everyone.

Situated in eastern Mpumalanga, Badplaas, also known as eManzana or eBhadini, is a small town resting in the foothills of the Dlomodlomo Mountains. Meaning ‘Place of the Baths’ in English, Badplaas is a popular thermal resort town in South Africa. Featuring a beautiful backdrop of the Hlumuhlumu Mountains, the spa complex offers a fabulous setting for relaxation. The main drawcard is the hot, sulphurous spring that expels 30 000 litres of warm, healing water per hour. The area also offers excellent bird watching opportunities - visitors can spot an array of bird species including the trumpeter hornbill, Knysna lourie, olive bush-shrike, malachite and the hummingbird. Don’t miss the chance to walk along 100-year old water canals to a cascading waterfall with views over the valley.

Situated northeast of Richard's Bay in the South African province of KwaZulu Natal, the state-owned 40 000-hectare Mkuze Game Reserve is known for its dramatic landscapes, exceptional birdlife, and amazing cultural village. The scenery is beautifully diverse, with thornveld on the hills, an enchanting fig tree forest near the pans, swathes of acacia savannah, swamps, riverine forest and a rare type of sand forest. The reserve is home to incredible birdlife, featuring over 420 species. Animals on the reserve include lion, elephant, zebra, hippo, crocodile, black and white rhinoceros, giraffe, nyala, blue wildebeest, warthog, eland, impala, kudu, other smaller antelope and so much more. Rare species occurring in the reserve are cheetah, hyena, suni and leopard. Don't miss the opportunity to visit the unique cultural village, which offers a glimpse into the traditional lifestyle and crafts of the local Zulu community.

The Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve is the best known of several game parks in Zululand. Proclaimed in 1895, it is also the oldest game reserve in Africa. Initially two separate reserves, they were joined to create a single 94 000 hectare reserve, home to one fifth of the world's black and white rhino population. In fact Hluhluwe-Umfolozi is best known for its successful fight to save the white, or square-lipped rhino from extinction. In 1929 only 150 white rhino could be found, and extinction seemed certain. It was here that the internationally acclaimed Operation Rhino started in the 1960s, successfully capturing and relocating white rhino to havens within South Africa and abroad. Today Hluhluwe-Umfolozi is focusing its efforts on saving the endangered black rhino, whose number in Africa dwindled from 14 000 to a pitiful few hundred.

But the forest and grass covered hills and river plains also support a wide variety of game. The white rhino shares the park with buffalo, elephant, blue wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, warthog, lion, hyena, leopard, cheetah and jackal.

Game viewing is either by self-guided rental car, by open top game vehicle with the park rangers or on foot. Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve was the first reserve to introduce walking safaris and its Wilderness Trails are internationally renowned.

Set on South Africa’s northeastern coast, the UNESCO-listed Maputaland Marine Protected Area falls within the awe-inspiring iSimangaliso Wetland Park and comprises three protected areas: Lake Sibaya Nature Reserve, Kosi Bay Nature Reserve, and Rocktail Bay. Extending all the way from the northern Mozambican border to Sodwana Bay in the south, it encompasses forests, wetlands, lakes, marshes, and coral reefs near glorious, deserted golden-sand beaches. Local wildlife includes large numbers of leatherback turtles, numerous bird species, and many species of freshwater fish - also look out for Nile crocodiles and hippos at Lake Sibaya. A superb dive site (arguably one of the best in the world) can be found at Sodwana Bay, with its magnificent 50 kilometre-long reef complex.