Destinations

Tours

Birdwatching

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Day 1: Johannesburg
On arrival at OR Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg), you are met by your guide and transferred to Sunnyside Park Hotel.

Accommodation: Sunnyside Park Hotel
Meals: Dinner

Day 2: Cape Town & Environment
Day 2: Johannesburg – Hazyview After breakfast we leave the busy city behind us en route to Hazyview. We travel via Robber’s Pass and via the historical town of Pilgrim’s Rest. As we travel all along the escarpment, we visit well-known scenic spots, including The Pinnacle, God’s Window and the Three Rondavels. At the Blyde River Canyon we visit the remarkable potholes from where we travel to Hazyview and check in at the Rissington Inn Country Lodge.

Accommodation: Rissington Country Lodge
Meals: Full Board

Day 3: Hazyview – Punda Maria (Kruger National Park)
We all meet in the restaurant for breakfast for a hearty breakfast and depart soon after. We arrive at Punda Maria mid-day. The name of the rest camp was given in 1919 by the first ranger to be posted to the area, Captain JJ Coetser. He mistakenly named his post Punda Maria in the belief that this was the Swahili name for Zebra, the first big game he saw on arrival. The correct Swahili name is actually “punda milia” (meaning Striped Donkey). When the error was pointed out to him, he chose to retain the name, in honour of his wife, Maria, who bore him 12 children. Many years later, Park officials corrected the name, and for a while the rest camp was known as Punda Milia, but in 1981 it was changed back to the original 'Punda Maria'. Punda Maria is the most tranquil and remote camp in KNP. It is attractively set on the slope of a hill in the vast mopane plains of the north, a region inhabited by Elephants and plains animals such as the rare Tsessebe and Sable antelope, Eland, Impala, Buffalo and large herds of Burchell’s Zebra. As an extra optional activity, your guide can book you on a night game drive, to experience and appreciate the “darker” side of nocturnal animals!

Accommodation: Punda Maria Rest Camp
Meals: Full Board

Day 4: Punda Maria
We leave Punda Maria at daybreak and travel north towards the Pafuri picnic site. Apart from the wonderful game viewing opportunities at Pafuri, the forest is magnificent, with huge Sausage-, Leadwood- and Jackal-berry Trees lining the road. Bird life is prolific, including Narina Trogon, Gorgeous Bushshrike and Trumpeter Hornbill. Pel’s Fishing Owl – despite its size, an infuriatingly difficult bird to spot – is also present in this area. Bushbuck, Waterbuck and Impala is quite common in this area, although not plentiful. Compared to the busy southern parts of KNP, very low numbers of tourist traffic makes game-viewing a pleasure! Lion, Wild Dog, Kudu and Nyala are usually around and with a bit of luck, Sharpe’s Grysbok can reward you after a long day watching game!

Accommodation: Punda Maria Rest Camp
Meals: Full Board

Day 5: Punda Maria – Letaba
We leave Punda Maria Rest Camp for Letaba at daybreak and have a picnic breakfast en route. Letaba means 'river of sand' and the sandy riverbed makes for excellent game viewing, particularly Elephant. The camp is a green oasis in the surrounding mopane veld, situated on a sweeping bend of the Letaba River, midway between the southern and northern boundaries of KNP. The character of Letaba Camp depends heavily on the tall shady trees, which include Sycamore Fig, Natal Mahogany, Sausage Tree and Apple Leaf, expansive lawns and indigenous gardens, where a healthy population of bushbuck wander freely amongst the bungalows!

Accommodation: Letaba Rest Camp
Meals: Full Board

Day 6: Letaba - Satara
After our early morning game drive, it is time for breakfast after which we are off to our next overnight camp - Satara. En route to Satara, we travel all along the western side of the Letaba River and have a relatively early lunch stop at the Olifants Rest Camp. After lunch we travel further south towards Satara and the rest of the day can reveal Lion, Cheetah, Elephant, Giraffe, Steenbok and many more mammals. We check in at Satara Rest Camp mid-afternoon. Late afternoon we board the vehicles again for a game drive. We return to the camp at sunset and prepare for dinner. As an optional activity, you can join in on a night game drive with Parks Board.

Accommodation: Satara Rest Camp
Meals: Full Board

Day 7: Satara
Game drives in the immediate area of Satara Rest Camp.

Accommodation: Satara Rest Camp
Meals: Full Board

Day 8: Satara – Skukuza
After an early morning Game/Bird Drive, we return to Satara for breakfast, after which we pack our bags and start our transfer journey. We take the main road south towards Skukuza with several stops at different water holes. Elephant, Lion, Giraffe, Rhino, Hippopotamus, Nile Crocodile, African Waterbuck, Greater Kudu and the occasional Leopard are all good possibilities for the area we are travelling through! At mid-day its time for lunch and we stop at Tshokwane for lunch. The afternoon is spent visiting waterholes and the ever-present Nile Crocodiles and Hippopo's will entertain us. We check in at Skukuza late afternoon and prepare for dinner.

Accommodation: Skukuza Rest Camp
Meals: Full Board

Day 9: Skukuza
Game drives in the immediate area of Skukuza Rest Camp.

Accommodation: Skukuza Rest Camp
Meals: Full Board

Day 10: Skukuza – Berg-en-Dal
We leave the Skukuza Rest Camp Site at sunrise for an early morning game drive. The previous day’s sightings will determine our route this morning. After breakfast, it is time again to load the vehicles and travel to our final destination in KNP, Berg-en-Dal. The area hosts White Rhino, Kudu, Giraffe, some Elephant, Reedbuck, Klipspringer, Grey Rheebok and Warthog. Leopard is seen regularly in the region as well as the highly nomadic and endangered Wild Dogs.

Accommodation: Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp
Meals: Full Board

Day 11: Berg-en-Dal
Game drives in the immediate area of Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp.

Accommodation: Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp
Meals: Full Board

Day 12: Berg-en-Dal - Johannesburg
After breakfast, we depart pack our bags and do a slow final game drive in Kruger National Park. We leave the Park after lunch and drive towards Johannesburg for our last night in Africa!

Accommodation: Sunnyside Park Hotel
Meals: Full Board

Day 13: Johannesburg International Airport
Depending on your time of departure from OR Tambo (Johannesburg) International Airport, you are dropped off, in time for check-in.

Meals: Breakfast