south africa
A world in one country
Location Highlights
- Zululand – For its unmatched diversity and history. Enjoy the Big 8 in a day! This includes the best ocean experiences on the planet, then later go on world class traditional game drives to some of the finest safari destinations in Africa!
- Kruger National Park and Sabi Sands- South Africa’s most famous wilderness! Larger than a small country, Beautiful lodges, Some of the highest predator density in the world and Big Cat viewing like nowhere else!
- Drakensberg- The legendary Mountain range that inspired J.R.R Tolkeins “Lord of the Rings”, This magnificent mountain range is perfect for adventure seekers (ride, run, hike, 4×4, climb etc) and relaxing getaways!
- Cape Town- The Mother City, set under the world famous Table Mountain, Rich in culture, diversity, world class dining, beautiful hotels, the V&A waterfront, Robben island, white sand beaches, Cape Point adventures and magnificent winelands.
- Kalahari- A vast landscape unlike any other, experience large and little creatures rarely seen like aardvark, meerkats and Black maned lions.
- Kwa-Zulu Natal midlands- A must visit food mecca much like the beautiful english countryside. Famous for its countless bespoke industrys, beautiful spas, fantastic fishing, incredible landscape and fun activities for the whole family!
- Garden Route- Stretching over 300km along the country’s east coast, the garden route is home to incredible coastal towns, beaches, game reserves, adventures, nature getaways and more.
Greater Kruger & Sabi Sands
The Iconic Kruger National Park boasts a wilderness area of free roaming game larger than the size of Wales. It is the backdrop for some of Africa’s finest game viewing and the canvas for many literature works. It’s a marvel of nature and is home to incredible elephant, buffalo and antelope herds. Its scenic landscapes stretch hundreds of square kilometres offering ever-changing and untouched splendour. In 1993 the fences were dropped between the Sabi Sands and the Kruger, allowing nature to thrive beyond imagination. The Sabi Sands has some of the finest privately owned lodges on the planet and destinations like Londolozi have been the front-runner in creating the modern day safari. Wildlife in the Sabi Sands Reserve is well habituated and abundant, resulting in extraordinarily close encounters, particularly with the elusive and highly photogenic Leopard. The Sabi Sands has 2 major rivers running through it (The Sand and Sabi River) these support the ecology of the reserve. The Sabi Sands is known for its beautiful night chorus’s, exceptional trackers and world-class operators.
KwaZulu-Natal and Zululand
Zululand is one of Africa’s great stories of return. Its oldest park, Umfolozi Hlulhluwe, was the first in South Africa but it’s the farmlands that have slowly been replaced and nature reinstated that make Zululand a marvel. The Jewel of Zululand is &Beyond Phinda– A phenomenal stretch of land that hosts 7 different ecosystems including an ancient Sand Forest. Zululand wilderness areas are growing by the year and as more farms commit to wilderness practice wildlife is thriving, none more so than Cheetah and Rhino (particularly at Phinda). The Isimangaliso Wetland Park is a world heritage site and covers a remarkable 332 000 hectares, it runs along the coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal. It is a wildlife utopia for both land and sea creatures. It is the only place on earth you can view the Big 5 in the morning and then Whale Sharks and Humpback whales in the afternoon (now the famous Big 7). Its pristine beaches, epic diving sites and turtle safaris mean a true eden now exists less than a 3 hour drive from Durban. Zululand is geared for travel, it has a variety of exceptional lodges with unique offerings. It is a safe (almost entirely malaria free), extremely diverse region with incredible history, a beautifully warm climate and unimaginable game viewing.
The Karoo
The Karoo is on the brink of something special. Old hunting journals tell of epic landscapes with springbok herds numbering in the millions, predator rich environments and large game everywhere the eye could see, it was the Serengeti of the South and the heart of the migratory routes. Sadly though, throughout the 19th and 20th century hunting and farming decimated these animals and with that the land suffered. Like a phoenix the land can rise and heal, and slowly but surely nature has started to return. On the forefront is Samara, a family-lead reserve that has committed to the revival of the Karoo, and what a revival it has been. Samara is a massive piece of Africa with some of the most scenic and jaw dropping scenery you could wish to see. It’s home to a tracking academy and now, for the first time in 180 years, lions roam. This Big 5 wonderland has some of the most incredible star gazing imaginable in its crisp winter nights. The Karoo will become Africa’s next mega wilderness area, its magic is tangible, its beauty indescribable and it has an offering like nowhere else in Africa.
The Kalahari
The Kalahari is a semi arid, sandy savannah full of beautiful and diverse wildlife. It extends across 3 countries (South Africa, Namibia and Botswana) and covers 900 000 square kilometres. The Kalahari is home to the San, an indigenous people that have lived there for more than 20 000 years – a cultural tour is a must when visiting. The San are some of the world’s finest trackers and have a deep and intimate knowledge of nature and herbalism. The Kalahari is another Big 5 eden and is famous for it’s large Black Maned Lions, but perhaps even more famous in the Kalahari are the Little 5 and the more unique inhabitants like aardvark and caracal. The Kalahari is a photographic elysium that has magical sunsets and star littered nights. It’s home to some beautiful lodges like Tswalu (South Africa) and Kalahari Plains (Botswana) where activities like horse back safaris and sleep outs can be enjoyed throughout the year.
Western Cape and Cape Town
South Africa’s “Mother City” is an eclectic emersion of cultures, languages and ethnicities. It’s been voted the best and most beautiful city by multiple travel publications. Set against the iconic Table Mountain, Cape Town is a tourist extravaganza- its beautiful hotels, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, internationally renowned restaurants, pristine beaches and vibey night life have firmly cemented it as one of the great cities of the world. A short distance from the city you can find the world famous Boulders Beach (a beach with a penguin colony), character-filled towns like Kalk Bay and Cape Point Nature Reserve. The Cape is also home to the Winelands, with towns like Stellenbosch and Franschoek offering travellers incredible opportunity to visit multiple wine farms and their superb restaurants. Whether it’s the city centre, the peninsular, Hermanus (and its amazing whale watching), Shark diving in Gansbaai, wine farms or the beautiful west coast- Cape Town is quite simply a must for every traveller.
