Wildlife Tours to South Africa SOUTH AFRICA (Kwazulu-Natal & The Kruger)
Photo: Greater Kudu (Malcolm Parker).
*Single room supplement.
Tour Destinations :
- St. Lucia Park and Wetland Reserve
- Cape Vidal
- Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Game Reserve
- Mkhuze
- Isandhlwana Battlefield
- Wakkerstroom
- Kruger National Park
Tour Summary
South Africa (Kwazulu-Natal & The Kruger)
This seventeen day tour offers a tremendous variety of interesting locations well connected by the excellent road system in South Africa and is sure to appeal to those with a broad interest in wildlife. Birdwatchers are well catered for with visits to several sites which would feature on any list of the best birding locations in the country – Mkhuze, St Lucia and Wakkerstroom among them. For those whose interest is mammals there are the superb Reserves at Hluhluwe/Umfolozi and the Kruger. No visit to Kwazulu-Natal would be complete without a visit to the site of the famous Zulu victory at Isandhlwana and subsequent British rearguard action so we have included a stop over in the itinerary. The tour has been refined over recent years and we believe represents an excellent way to discover this fascinating part of South Africa.
Zebras (Papyrus Tours).
Itinerary
Day 1 : Overnight flight from London to Johannesburg
The tour departs from London in the evening, flying overnight to Johannesburg.
Day 2 : Onward flight to Durban and Eshowe
After our early morning arrival in Johannesburg, we catch an onward flight to Durban en route to our first overnight stop at Eshowe. In the afternoon we will visit the Dlinza forest for a walk on the aerial boardwalk which will take us close to the birds such as Narina Trogon and Bronze-naped Pigeon which are to be found in the tree canopy. Overnight in Eshowe
Day 3 : Umvoti Estuary and St Lucia
Today we make the short transfer from Eshowe to St Lucia, calling en route at the Umvoti Estuary and Richard’s Bay where we will have the first encounter with many of the waders and waterfowl with which we will become familiar over the next few days on the Indian Ocean coast.
Our accommodation for three nights in St Lucia is at a guest house which offers us an excellent base for exploring the area.
Day 4 : Greater St Lucia Wetland Park
We will spend a full day, with a picnic lunch, exploring several of the interesting areas around St Lucia many of which fall within the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park World Heritage Site. We begin with a drive to the north into the St Lucia Park and Game Reserve. The Park offers excellent opportunities to view many waterbirds and, as we make our way to Cape Vidal we can also anticipate our first encounters with mammals such as Chacma Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Reedbuck, Bushbuck, Common Zebra, Warthog, Greater Kudu and Cape Buffalo.
On leaving the Park, we will call at the local sewage farm where we can expect to see herons, ibises, waterfowl and waders.
In the afternoon, we will take a boat ride on Lake St Lucia which is part of the largest estuarine system in Africa, adding further to our bird list and no doubt seeing many of the numerous Hippopotamus and Nile Crocodile to be found there.
Day 5 : Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Game Reserve
Today we travel the short distance inland to spend a full day exploring the Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Game Reserve. The park is famous for its large population of both Black and White Rhinoceros but is also host to many other species including Lion, Elephant, Cheetah, Giraffe, Warthog, Cape Buffalo, Nyala, Waterbuck, Impala and Wildebeest.
The Reserve is also excellent for birds and we will be encountering many new species during our full day game drive around the area before we return to St Lucia for overnight.
Day 6 : Mkhuze Game Reserve
Our day will begin with a walk in the Gwalagwala Park which leads down to the river in St Lucia and we then take another short journey, in part retracing our steps of the previous day but then heading north, which will bring us to Mkhuze Game Reserve. Mkhuze is one of the top bird watching sites in South Africa and also host to a variety of mammals. We will arrive in the Reserve before lunch, giving us ample time for an afternoon drive in the Park which boasts a bird list of over 450 species. The six game and bird viewing hides at the pans and waterholes offer excellent opportunities to view the many species of birds and mammals. Overnight Mkhuze Game Reserve.
Day 7 : Mkhuze Game Reserve
A full day with morning and afternoon game drives to explore the Park and its wide range of habitats including rocky ridges, grassland with scattered trees, thick acacia woodland and large areas of swamps and lakes. Overnight Mkhuze Game Reserve.
Day 8 : Isandhlwana
Our drive today takes us west to Isandhlwana, a name forever linked with the shattering defeat inflicted on the British by the Zulu warriors in 1879. We stay for one night at a lodge overlooking the battlefield. Our mid-afternoon arrival will give us the opportunity to relax in the lodge grounds where many birds can be seen.
Day 9 : Wakkerstroom
After breakfast, a local battlefields guide will take us on a tour of the area explaining how the battle unfolded on that fateful day in 1879 and viewing the battle ground from the vantage points occupied by the commanders of the two forces. We will return to the lodge for lunch before departing for our next stop at Wakkerstroom in the high veldt, passing through Rorke’s Drift shortly after leaving Isandhlwana. We will be at Wakkerstroom in ample time to visit a local wetland site later in the afternoon before checking in at our lodge for a two night stay.
Day 10 : Wakkerstroom
Wakkerstroom is superbly located in the extensive grasslands on the rolling hills of Mpumalanga. It is famed as one of the country’s top birding spots and is the home for many endemics. We will be up early in the morning scouring the grassland and vleis for species including Blue Korhaan, Rudd’s and Botha’s Larks, Southern Bald Ibis and Orange-throated Longclaw. We will also, with the help of our local guide, hope to find Ground Woodpecker. After breakfast and again in the afternoon we will make excursions into the countryside in search of the birds to be found in the area and we may well encounter Meerkats, Yellow Mongoose and Blesbok all of which occur locally.
Days 11–15 : Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park is one of the most famous wildlife parks in the world and the remainder of our tour is dedicated to five days of game viewing and birdwatching in various parts of the Park. It covers about the same areas as Wales and, for this reason, we divide our stay between two venues which will give us access to the southern and northern sections respectively.
The Kruger has all the ‘Big Five’ (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo and Rhino) as well as other sought-after species including Cheetah, Giraffe and Hyaena among the 147 mammals to be found here. The bird list extends to over 500 species.
On Day 11, our journey from Wakkerstroom will begin after breakfast and we will reach our accommodation for the next two nights in the late afternoon. After an early morning start, Day 12 will be spent on a full day game drive in the Park. On Day 13 we transfer north to Punda Maria, the base for our next three nights. This gives us the opportunity for two further full-day game drives in the Park, one of which will take us north to the Pafuri area. We will also have the chance to go on an evening game drive, illuminating mammals by spotlight and also searching for nightjars.
Our time in Kruger with its vast array of wildlife viewing is sure to provide a fitting end to the tour.
Day 16 : Flight from Johannesburg to London
We will leave our lodge after breakfast for the 350 mile journey to Johannesburg, arriving in the late afternoon and in ample time to catch our evening flight to London.
Day 17 : Arrive in London
Our flight will arrive in London in the early morning.