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.

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.

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.

Stretching along the far northeastern coast of South Africa within the greater iSimangaliso Wetland Park, the Maputaland Marine Protected Area is a remote marine wilderness known for its coral reefs, warm Indian Ocean waters, and untamed coastline. Beneath the surface, vibrant reefs shelter tropical fish, sea turtles, rays, and seasonal whale sharks, making the area one of the country’s premier diving and snorkelling destinations. Offshore, dolphins cut through rolling swells while waves crash against long stretches of dune-backed beach. Nearby Sodwana Bay offers boat launches, scuba excursions, and turtle nesting tours during the summer months. The region’s beauty feels wild and uncrowded, though the environment can be humid and rustic, and activities are highly dependent on weather and sea conditions.