10 DAY WILDLIFE AND CULTURAL TOUR

A mixture of cultural soaking and safari marvel enriched by the priceless know how of your tourAfrika guide

Day 1: Mpumalanga Highlands

Visitors will be met and welcomed on arrival at O R Tambo International in Johannesburg from where the 10 Day Wildlife and Cultural Tour journey east beyond the coal-rich Highveld and the rolling hills of Mpumalanga to the Mpumalanga Panorama Route. On the Panorama route we visit Blyde River Gorge, which features the triplet peaks of the Three Rondavels and God’s Window, a fissure in the fringe of the cliff from where glorious viewpoints of the Lowveld can be adored. God’s Window is located on a piece of land of native forest where many blossoming and fragrant plants flourish. We also visit a historical mining small town of Pilgrim’s Rest. The area is richly imbued with a diversity of natural, cultural, and historic gems. It offers the visitor a fascinating window into the past, and captures the spirit of a bygone era and its people in their quest for gold. Gold was discovered here in 1873 and the town was declared a national monument in 1986. The tour heads off to Mount Sheba to the overnight destination and reached late afternoon. Mount Sheba is extremely popular amongst bird lovers and is regarded as one of Mpumalanga’s premier forest-birding destinations. Mount Sheba lies nestled in amongst mountain peaks just above the pretty historical town of Pilgrims Rest. It covers 1110 hectares of land that need at least a day to explore. The landscape includes steep hillsides covered in dense afromontane forest in the upper reaches, with thorny thicket on the lower slopes, river valleys and gardens. Scenically, it is a stunning reserve. The late afternoon is dedicated to rest and relaxation in these serene surroundings.

Overnight: Mount Sheba

Meals: Dinner

Day 2: Kruger National Park

Marvellous backdrop prospers as the expedition heads to the Shangana Cultural Village, where visitors are escorted from the Marula Market tour guide. The tour guide will detail how the Shangaan customarily gather food from their surroundings and the manner in which traditional farming is performed. The path leads will take you to traditional Shangaan village where the headman resides with his wives and children. In the village, some time is dedicated to obtaining some understanding into the history and tradition of the Shangaan. On conclusion of this tour, we head off to the Kruger National Park.

Kruger National Park is a brief drive from the cultural village. The park is christened after Paul Kruger, the then sitting president of the old Transvaal Republic, who proclaimed the Sabie Reserve in 1897. This reserve was the beginning of the Kruger National Park as it is known today. Roughly two million hectares in area, the park is globally recognized as one of the world’s notable conservation areas. The late afternoon is dedicated to a first game drive to seek out of Africa’s legendary Big Five, in n region where many other animals and bird species embellish the plains.

Overnight: Skukuza

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 3: Kruger National Park

A morning safari is performed by your skilled guide. He will verify the sightings of the previous day that have been tracked by various groups, as this will boost the possibility of sighting a pride of lion on a recent kill, the imposing white rhino or the elusive African wild dog in a region where it was recently sighted.

In the late afternoon, visitors undertake on a night safari with a Kruger Park ranger. The night safari makes possible sightings of animals like the aardvark, spotted genet and serval, which are hard to be seen in the day. The large predators are nocturnal hunters and are generally lively during the cover darkness.

Overnight: Skukuza

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 4: Kruger National Park

The area is a paradise for the wildlife enthusiast, with close to 150 different mammal species ranging from Brant’s climbing mouse, weighing no more than a few grams, to the mighty African elephant, which can weigh up to 7000kg. The identified bird species in the area number more than 500 and the area is blessed with an abundance of flora. An early morning and late afternoon game drive in the company of your experienced guide affords the opportunity to enjoy the natural treasures of this part of Africa. The unique insight and knowledge of the guide is sure to add to the enjoyment and understanding of the habits and behavior of the different species.

Overnight: Skukuza

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 5: Swaziland

The tour traverses south, crossing over Nelspruit, the capital of the Mpumalanga province, and head towards Oshoek which lies on the border of South African border and Kingdom of Swaziland. The tiny Kingdom of Swaziland is one of the smallest self-contained sovereign states in the world. The Swazi/Swati people are a welcoming and colourful who are well-known for their artistic ability. Before reaching the overnight destination set in the Ezulwini “Heaven Valley”, we stopover at a local craft market and a Swazi candle maker.

Overnight: Reilly’s Rock

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 6: kwaZulu

Swaziland radiates way to the into the hills of kwaZulu as the tour voyages south and into the centre of the region where the proud nation Zulus resides. Great King Shaka, one of Africa’s supreme kings who aroused distress and respect in the hearts of his foes and subjects. Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve, named after the river which runs through it, is positioned in the rolling hills of kwaZulu and has occupied a prominent role in the revival of the white rhino population from the brink of annihilation.

The afternoon is dedicated to your first game drive in this region where the elusive nyala and the impressive little red duiker are among the outstanding antelope which are widespread to the area. Sightings of the black and white rhino are an almost certainty in this region which is the homeland to the biggest concentration of these commanding beasts. The bird species in this region number around 300 and the reserve is home to all of the Big Five.

Overnight: Hilltop

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 7: kwaZulu

A morning visit is made to the St Lucia Wetland Park, which has in recent times been proclaimed a World Heritage Site. A boat trip on this lake, which is 40km wide with an average depth of less than 1m, ushers us into contact with this intricate ecosystem, which is the homeland to no less than 350 species of bird and a population of more than 700 hippos. The tour then heads back to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, where a late afternoon game drive is performed after some time for rest and refuel.

Overnight: Hilltop

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 8: kwaZulu

A last morning game drive in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi is followed by a journey to Shakaland, where the culture and customs of the proud Zulu nation come under the spotlight. Shakaland is constructed on the site where the Zulu clan settled in the 18th century. The epic Shaka Zulu film recorded in this village. The cultural experience underscores the food preparation, traditional accommodation and social structures which are customarily observed by the Zulu. It is also a platform for the weapons, traditional dress and dance of South Africa’s militant nation.

Overnight: Shakaland

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 9: Drakensberg

Crisscrossing the Natal Midlands, guests head to the Drakensberg mountain range, christened by the early Dutch settlers for its similarity to the ridges of a dragon’s back. The steep crests of the mountains were shaped by the headwater wearing down of rivers which separate South Africa’s Highveld highland from the coastal plains. Cathedral Peak is located in the central Drakensberg where two rivers, the Mlambonja and the Didima, have engraved deep valleys through the immediate area. After lunch and relaxation at this mountain sanctuary, you commence with a guided walk to Doreen Falls, with clean air and mountain backdrop supplementing the experience. The climb is a enjoyable and is not too demanding – the complete excursion only about 5km.

Overnight: Cathedral Peak

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 10: Departure

The morning devoted at leisureliness in the arousing mountain back drop and the journey back to Johannesburg is undertaken where visitors are then assisted with check-in at the airport or, optionally, shuttle transferred to any site convenient to them in either Johannesburg or Pretoria after a unforgettable 10 Day Wildlife and Cultural tour in South Africa.

Overnight: None

Meals: Breakfast