Kruger National Park Safari Holidays Kruger Park Safari South Africa

Kruger Park walking safari + Drakensberg + Durban
KRH12D

12 NIGHTS
FROM $3,467
International flights quoted separately
This active holiday combines a luxury walking safari in the Kruger National Park, with a visit to the mighty Drakensberg Mountains of KwaZulu Natal where you can walk to remote Bushman paintings with optional hike up Mont-Aux-Souces. Complete your holiday visiting the Zulu Battlefields at Rorkes Drift & relaxing on warm Durban North Coast (min 16 yrs).
HIGHLIGHTS
Walking Safari South Africa Walking Safari Kruger National Park Walking Holiday South Africa
• Kruger Park • Walking Safari • Game Drives • Drakensberg Mountains
• Birding • Trout Fishing • Zulu Battlefields • Rorkes Drift
• Durban North Coast • Indian Ocean beaches
Day 1
You will be met at Mpumalanga Airport and transferred 2.5-hours to the world famous Kruger National Park, where game-viewing opportunities should present themselves almost immediately in this vast 2-million hectare game sanctuary. Hopefully you will see several species of antelope, zebra, wildebeest and maybe even giraffe before you reach your walking lodge.
 
Check in to your lodge, settle-in and relax in your outdoor bushveld surroundings before enjoying a game drive in an open-top game viewing vehicle accompanied by a lodge ranger. Later enjoy a delicious dinner in the outdoor boma in the atmosphere that only the African bushveld can provide!
 
Note: Children < 16 are not allowed on walking safaris
Day 2
Rise early when game viewing conditions are at their best, for another open top game viewing drive in the Kruger National Park to search for large game including the Big Five - Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard and Rhino.
 
After breakfast transfer 1-hour to your luxury tented walking camp, built in pioneer style and overlooking a waterhole. Walking Safaris offer the opportunity to study the smaller animals, insects and trees of the park – as well as outstanding bird watching, with over 500 different species.
 
After an afternoon walking safari, enjoy a delicious dinner relaxing around the camp fire!
 
Note: Children < 16 are not allowed on walking safaris
Day 3
Explore on foot the vast Kruger National Park, which offer magnificent game viewing opportunities and one of the highest concentrations of lion in the whole of Africa. With nearly 150 different species of mammals and over 100 species of reptiles in the Kruger Park, you can hope to see giraffe, kudu, sable antelope, waterbuck, warthogs, baboons, wild dogs and many other interesting animals. Accompanied by two armed rangers, you have the unique opportunity of following elephant and rhino trails and observing game in their natural surroundings whilst on foot, a profoundly memorable experience!
 
Early morning and late afternoon open-top game drives are also available, to allow you to explore further than you could on foot.
 
Weather-permitting, there is also the option of a Sleep-Out on an elevated wooden platform in a tree overlooking a water trough. Tucked into your sleeping bag on a mattress high above the ground, this will be a night to remember as you sleep with the sounds of the African night!
 
First person to book the camp has the choice of whether to do a sleepout, and anyone else who books that night is required to participate.
Day 4
Time permitting enjoy some final early morning game viewing, before your 2.5-hour transfer to Mpumulanga Airport for your onward flight.
 

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 5 To 7
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 8
Today we travel through Ladysmith, which was beseiged during the Boer War of 1899 and has a small museum, and we visit the battlefield at Spioenkop where the most futile and bloodiest of four battles took place in vain efforts to relieve Ladysmith.
 
Recommended Reading:
Boer War – Thomas Pakenham
 
We continue for 3-hours through rural Zululand to the the remote battlefields at Isandlwana. Check into your lodge and enjoy dinner whilst absorbing more of the fascinating history of this great conflict between Britain and the proud Zulu Kingdom.
Day 9
This morning we visit the poignant battlefield at Isandlwana, where in 1879 the mighty British army suffered the greatest defeat in its history following its controversial invasion of Zululand. See for yourself the events portrayed so passionately in the film Zulu Dawn, as the regiment was wiped out almost to a man by 25,000 Zulu warriors.
 
We continue to Fugitives Drift where a handful of survivors fought valiantly to save the Queen's colours and Rorkes Drift where the following morning a small contingent of 100 British soldiers (many of them sick) held off over 4,000 Zulu warriors earning no fewer than 11 Victoria Crosses – unforgettably brought to life by Michael Caine in the film Zulu.
 
Recommended Reading:
Brave Men’s Blood – Ian Knight
Day 10
Today transfer 4-hours through rural Zululand to your hotel on the Durban North Coast, renowned for its wonderful beaches and reliably warm holiday weather all year round.
 
Check into your hotel and relax in lush sub-tropical surroundings on the shores of the Indian Ocean.
Day 11
Today we recommend an optional Durban City tour, including the City Hall and Botanical Gardens.
 
We recommend continuing to uShaka Marine World situated in the old harbour area that is being extensively re-developed. Here you have the opportunity of viewing large indigenous sharks of the Indian Ocean and a wide variety of other marine animals, including the opportunity to interact with dolphins, seals and penguins (pay entrance fee locally).
Day 12
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 13
Transfer 30-minutes to Durban Airport for your flight home.