Durban Holidays Durban Beach Safari Holidays Drakensberg South Africa

Drakensberg + Durban + Hluhluwe + Mkuze
DRF10D

10 NIGHTS
FROM $2,409
International flights quoted separately
This holiday is ideal for walkers, bird lovers and families, starting in the beautiful Drakensberg Mountains of KwaZulu Natal - renowed for its bird life & Bushman Paintings as well as wonderful mountain walks & trout fishing - & continuing via the Durban North Coast into Zululand for a Big-5 Safari. Visit Mkuze - another birding "hot spot" - then relax at St Lucia.
HIGHLIGHTS
Birding Safari South Africa Birding Holiday Vacation Walking Drakensberg Hluhluwe Mkuze St Lucia
• Durban • Drakensberg Mountains • Walking • San Bushman Paintings
• Big-5 Safari • Elephant • Lion • Rhino
• Birding • Mkuze
Day 1
You will be met at Durban Airport and transferred 3-hours to the spectacular uKhahlamba Drakensberg Mountains, recognised as a World Heritage site for its vast collection of San Bushmen rock art paintings.
  
Known locally as the Barrier of Spears the dramatic Drakensberg Mountains forms the backbone of Southern Africa, running all the way down from the Great Rift Valley. Check into your mountain resort in this area of unspoilt natural beauty.
Days 2 To 3
At leisure to relax in the Drakensberg Mountains and enjoy the facilities of your resort, with superlative scenery and fresh mountain air making it ideal for walking holidays at any level of fitness. Your hotel will organise guided walks each day – typically one short walk and one long walk, or a walk to a San Bushmen painting.
  
The mountains also offer an outstanding location for bird watching – particularly raptors, but also sunbirds, waxbills and the numerous other species found in the grasslands, riverine scrub and natural forests.
  
Your hotel has a swimming pool and offers many activities in or near the resort including golf, horse riding in the mountains, fly fishing for trout, tennis, lawn bowls, badminton, mountain biking, table tennis, darts and pool.
Day 4
Enjoy the beauty of the Natal Midlands on your 3-hours transfer to your beach hotel on the Durban North Coast, renowned for its wonderful beaches and reliably warm holiday weather all year round.
 
Travel to the harbour city of Durban and continue along the North Coast. Check into your hotel and relax in lush sub-tropical surroundings on the shores of the warm Indian Ocean.
Day 5
At leisure to relax on the warm golden beaches of the KwaZulu Natal Durban North Coast.
 
Many optional activities are available such a Durban City tour, a visit to Ushaka Marine World, or a marine cruise to search for dolphins, turtles, sharks, whales (in season) and other fascinating sea life. Championship golf, horse riding, quad biking and deep sea game fishing is also available.
Day 6
Today transfer 3-hours to your Private Game Reserve in Zululand, renowned for its outstanding wildlife.
  
After checking in to your lodge, game viewing opportunities should present themselves almost immediately and hopefully you will see several species of antelope, zebra, wildebeest and maybe even giraffe - as well as several of the Big 5 - before dining under the stars in the atmosphere that only the African bushveld can provide!
Day 7
Rise at dawn to take advantage of the best game viewing conditions of the day and enjoy a thrilling open-top game viewing safari with your lodge ranger in your Private Game Reserve which is home to all the Big Five - Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard and Rhino. Hope to see many interesting species before returning to your lodge for breakfast. Note: game drives are optional extras, if not included in your lodge package (see hotel details below).
 
The rest of the morning is free to relax by the lodge swimming pool, before setting out again in the late afternoon for another game drive. Hope to see cheetah, giraffe, hippo, kudu, crocodiles, sable antelope, waterbuck, warthogs, baboons and many other interesting animals. With over 500 different bird species, outstanding bird watching is also guaranteed!
 
After a beautiful African sunset, enjoy the balmy evening and pristine stars of the Milky Way as you have never seen them before – as well as the spectacular Southern Cross.
 
Children < 6 are not allowed on open top game drives
Day 8
After some final early morning game viewing, transfer 1-hour to Mkuze in northern Zululand.
  
Check into your lodge and enjoy the warm weather and vast landscapes of plains and mountains in this beautiful region of KwaZulu Natal.
Days 9 To 10
At leisure to relax at your lodge or explore the local area, which offers many beautiful walking trails in the mountains.
 
Other optional activities include a game drive into Mkuze Game Reserve which is renowened for its bird watching, a game viewing boat ride on Lake Josini, a visit to Thembe Eephant Park, horse riding and tiger fishing.
Day 11
Transfer 2-hours to Richards Bay Airport for your flight home.