Day 1: Durban
Welcome to South Africa! After checking into the hotel, your Trip Manager will do a quick welcome talk and answer all your burning questions. Afterwards, we’ll take things easy with some free time and a delicious walkabout dinner.
Day 2: Durban to St Lucia
After a delicious breakfast this morning, we're off to the Elephant Coast of Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal en-route to our next destination: the sensational St Lucia.Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife by day and hippos by night here in St Lucia (we’re right by the UNESCO World Heritage listed iSimanagaliso Wetlands Park after all). Once we arrive, we’ll stop for lunch and then you can opt to see the town’s main residents for yourself on a Hippo boat cruise. After some free time to freshen up, you’ll have the chance to visit a local Zulu village on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, meeting local people and learning all about their culture, customs and traditions.
Day 3: St Lucia
This morning you have the option to take a walking safari in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (eyes peeled for elephants, buffalo, rhinos & antelopes). If you're craving Vitamin Sea, you can choose to join us for a marine safari (for whales, sharks, dolphins & more). In the afternoon, you’ve got some free time to chill or kick back by the pool at the lodge. And then to round things off this evening, you have the option to take a sunset game drive (with a traditional South African buffet dinner too). Yup, this day's as action-packed as it is awesome.
Day 4: St Lucia to Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary via Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve
It's an early start today – we’re heading inland to the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve and we aim to be there by sunrise. The Big Five. The option to take a half-day game drive at the reserve instrumental for bringing the White Rhino back from the brink of extinction. And even a picnic lunch if you like! Today’s excursion is a biggie indeed. With our wildlife bucket lists sufficiently checked, it’s time to set off for a brand new country. Passports at the ready folks – here in Eswatini, we’ll meet some of the locals and learn about their culture and language on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. You've learnt from locals. Now its time to sleep like them too. Tonight you will stay at Mlilwane's Main Lodge - unique beehive thatched huts with ensuite bathrooms (and hotel room amenities for a bit of comfort).
Day 5: Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary to Kruger National Park
Ah, to wake up in nature. We'll kick off the day with a hearty breakfast and then join the Trip Manager for a morning safari walk. Don't forget to sign up for the optional guided Mountain bike ride through the wilderness. There is no Big 5 here so feel free and safe to explore as you choose. Keep an eye out to spot some antelopes and warthogs! Next up, it’s the big one. The world famous one. Here in Kruger, we’ll stay at an exclusive safari campsite – located right in the middle of the park. (Struggling to picture it? Think glamping canvas tents with mattresses, linen and stretchers, a roaring bonfire burning all the while.) This is a true Once in a Lifetime experience, where you’ll fall asleep to the nocturnal calls of hyenas, jackals and lions.
Day 6: Kruger National Park
Today we're up bright and early for our first taste of the fresh morning air. We'll start with an optional sunrise safari – just in time to catch Africa’s elusive predators finishing off their nocturnal hunt. At midday, you’ll have the chance to relax back at the camp: you can visit the local shop, take a dip in the pool or visit the nearby restaurant where you can look out over the Sabie River and watch as the animals come to quench their thirst (yup, it's preddy special.) This afternoon, it’s back to the safari vehicles for another optional sunset game drive to see the Big Five and more. Tonight back at camp, you've got the chance to join us for a traditional South African braai or BBQ, complete with local sides and desserts.
Day 7: Kruger National Park to Johannesburg
Our final day. But is there time for one (or two) last morning game drives? You bet there is. You can choose to head out for a sunrise game drive to spot the nocturnal cats (or just choose to sleep in, like the rest of the animals). Then, we'll head out on our last game drive in Kruger as we make our way out of the park. It's our last chance to spot some spellbinding safari animals IRL. Have we saved the best for last? Let's hope so! And now, with heavy hearts (and even heavier camera rolls) we’ll make our way back to either the Kruger Mpumalanga Airport or Johannesburg International Airport. (Don't feel like leaving yet? Lucky for you, our Victoria Falls Explorer & Cape Town Explorer trips are starting later this evening!). Oh, it’s been a thrill… we’ve seen wildlife, we’ve made friends for life. The only question is: where next?
