In assocciation with Kalahari Wildlife Tours
Tour 43: 30 Day – 06 Countries Mega Wildlife & Landscapes Tour
MALARIA FREE AREA!
30 Days
29 Nights
DAY 01 Windhoek – Okahandja (Namibia)
DAY 02 Etosha National Park
DAY 03 Etosha National Park
DAY 04 Etosha National Park
DAY 05 Rundu
DAY 06 Bwabwata National Park
DAY 07 Bwabwata National Park
DAY 08 Kasane (Botswana)
DAY 09 Chobe National Park
DAY 10 Vic Falls (Zimbabwe)
DAY 11 Elephant Sands (Botswana)
DAY 12 Francistown
DAY 13 Mapungubwe National Park (S Africa)
DAY 14 Mapungubwe National Park
DAY 15 Mapungubwe National Park
DAY 17 Kruger National Park
DAY 18 Kruger National Park
DAY 19 Kruger National Park
DAY 20 Kruger National Park
DAY 21 Hlane Royal N Park (Swaziland)
DAY 22 Mkuze Game Reserve (S Africa)
DAY 23 Mkuze Game Reserve
DAY 24 Ithala Game Reserve
DAY 25 Ithala Game Reserve
DAY 26 Golden Gate National Park
DAY 27 Katse Dam (Lesotho)
DAY 28 Mohale Dam
DAY 29 Clarens (South Africa)
DAY 30 Drop-off Johannesburg
DETAILED ITINERARY
For those who love nature, like to explore, have the time and like to travel…
This tour is a comprehensive journey through 06 countries, experiencing the best variety in wildlife, landscapes and places of interest these Southern African countries can offer along this route. The Tour Summary speaks for itself.
If clients want to overnight in Johannesburg before the tour, bookings can be made online or additional nights can be added to the tour rate if clients want Kalahari Tours and Travel to make additional PRE-TOUR hotel reservations at the City Lodge OR Tambo in Johannesburg.
DAY 01 Johannesburg – Windhoek (Namibia)
Time of departure will depend on clients’ travel schedule to Hosea Kutako Airport near Windhoek. Flight schedule to be finalised. (Flight not included)
Depart to Okahandja, home of the woodcarvers of Namibia where we stop to give guests the opportunity to view and purchase from a wide variety of African craft.
Overnight Okahandja Country Hotel.
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 02 Windhoek – Etosha National Park
Continue to Etosha National Park via Otjiwarongo and Outjo. Enter the Park at Anderson Gate in the south. The Park covers an area of 22 270 square km. Etosha Pan is 120 km long and 72 km at its widest. Four of the big five species, elephant, black rhino, lion and leopard, are in the Park. Except for the rare and endemic black-faced impala and Damara dik-dik, giraffe, red hartebeest, gemsbok, eland, kudu, cheetah, hyena and large herds of wildebeest, springbok and zebra are common.
After arrival, an afternoon game drive can be done to Okondeka Waterhole where the chances are good to see lion and to the nearby Newbrowni Waterhole where there is always animal activity. An alternative option is to relax and watch the wildlife activities at the waterhole at the Rest Camp.
Game watching at night at the flood-lit Okaukeujo Waterhole at own time.
Optional 3 hr night drive on an open game drive vehicle with Namibia Wildlife guide at own cost
Overnight: Okaukeujo Rest Camp
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 03 Etosha National Park
Depart at on a game drive to Halali Rest Camp. Take the loop route via Newbrowni, Gemsbokvlakte, Olifantsbad and Aus Waterholes. Continue via Homob, Sueda and Salvadora Waterholes to Rietfontein Waterhole, one of the most popular waterholes in Etosha and burial site of Johanna Alberts, wife of the Dorsland (Thirstland) Trek leader Gert Alberts, who died here in 1876. Proceed to Halali Rest Camp.
Depart on an afternoon game drive to Goas Waterhole. Return to Halali.
Game watching at the flood-lit Moringa Waterhole at Halali at own time.
Overnight: Halali Rest Camp
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 04 Etosha National Park
Depart on a game drive to Namutoni Rest Camp along the pan road via the Pan Look-out. Continue via Springbokfontein, Kalkheuwel, Chudop, Koinagas and Klein Namutoni Waterholes, where there is always game coming and going. Proceed to Namutoni Rest Camp at noon.
Do on an afternoon game drive to Klein Okevi, Groot Okevi Waterholes. Re-visit the nearby Klein Namutoni and Chudop Waterholes, where the chances are good to see predator activities.
Game watching at the flood-lit Namutoni waterhole at own time.
Overnight: Namutoni Rest Camp
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 05 Etosha National Park – Rundu
Game drive to Van Lindequist Gate near Namutoni. Damara Dik-Dik is seen very often on this road. Exit the park.
Proceed to Lake Otjikoto. It is a sinkhole lake, which was created by a collapsing karst cave. The diameter of the lake is 102 meters; its depth is undetermined and estimated to be in access of 142 meters. Tilapia guinasana, a mouth-breeding species of fish lives in Lake Otjikoto. The lake was a dumping ground for German Schutztruppe during World War I; in June 1915 German troops dumped war materials in the lake before surrendering to stop the South African and British troops from using them. Most of the larger pieces have been recovered and are displayed in Tsumeb Museum.
Depart to Tsumeb. Visit Tsumeb Museum. Except for the recovered German weapons it houses displays of local tribes, the Tsumed Mine, which produced the most number of minerals of any mine in the world and local history.
Continue to the Hoba Meteorite that lies on the farm “Hoba West”, not far from Grootfontein. It has been uncovered but, because of its large mass, has never been moved from where it fell. The main mass is estimated at more than 60 tons, making it the largest known meteorite (as a single piece) and the most massive naturally occurring piece of iron known at the Earth’s surface
The Hoba meteorite is thought to have fallen more recently than 80,000 years ago. It is inferred that the Earth’s atmosphere slowed the object to the point that it fell to the surface at terminal velocity, thereby remaining intact and causing little excavation. Assuming a drag coefficient of about 1.3, the meteor would have been slowed to a mere 320 meters per second (1,000 ft/s) (contrast this with typical orbital speeds of several km/s). The meteorite is unusual in that it is flat on both major surfaces, possibly causing it to have skipped across the top of the atmosphere in the way a flat stone skips on water.
Depart to Grootfontein. Continue to Rundu. This route goes through typical rural Africa landscapes with scattered reed huts and small Mahango (sorghum) fields. Rundu is the administrative centre of the Kavango Region and is situated on the Okavango River, which is the border with Angola.
Proceed to lodge 16 km from Rundu on the bank of the Okavango River. Afternoon at leisure at the lodge.
Optional afternoon boat cruise on the Okavango River.
Overnight: Hakusembe River Lodge near Rundu
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 06 Rundu – Popa Falls
Depart to Divundu. Continue to Bwabwata National Park (Mahango Core Area). The small but picturesque Mahango Game Park is situated in the north-east of Namibia on the Botswana border. Mahango covers an area of about 30,000 hectares and is bordering on the Okavango River floodplain.
Wildlife includes elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, hippo, red lechwe, sitatunga, buffalo, sable, and roan and other antelopes. Mahango is known for its rich bird life and it is one of the best places to see the endangered wattled crane. Huge baobab trees are to be seen in the park.
Do a circular game drive. Depart to Popa Falls. Time at leisure. Visit the falls, which is not much more than a big rapid. Enjoy sundowners on the riverside bar deck.
Afternoon visit to Bwabwata National Park (Buffalo Core Area). The Buffalo Core Area is not the most popular park in Namibia, but have absolutely amazing game viewing possibilities. The park is home to numerous game. Visitors will find large concentrations of elephants, buffalos but also – and this is special for the Buffalo Park – big herds of roan and sable antelope. Warthog, kudu, impala, reedbuck, red lechwe and of course hippos and crocodiles are also seen quite often. Predators which visit the park are lion and leopard.
A part of the Buffalo Core is situated in the ruins of an old South African Army Base of 32 Battalion. These ruins are often visited by impalas and kudus. It is not forbidden to leave the car and climb on some of the large termite hills along the river side. The views and photographic opportunities from the ant hills are extraordinary.
Optional sunset boat cruise on the Okavango River
Overnight: Popa Falls
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 07 Popa Falls – Namushasha Lodge / Bwabwata National Park (Kwando Core Area)
Travel through Bwabwata National Park, previously known as Caprivi Game Park to Kongola. The 32km-wide Bwabwata National Park of 5 715km² extends for about 180 km from the Okavango River to the Kwando River. Bwabwata forms a crucial trans-boundary link for wildlife migration between Angola, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia and for seasonal dispersal to and from rivers. The riverine forests along these rivers attract large numbers of mammals and numerous species of aquatic birds. Bwabwata National Park is home to buffalo, elephant, lion, leopard, hippo and roan antelope as well as various other antelope species.
Proceed to Namushasha Lodge on the banks of the Kwando River.
Afternoon boat cruise to the opposite side of the Kwando River to the Bwabwata National Park (Kwando Core Area). Do a game drive on an open game drive vehicle. The trail runs on the western side of the Kwando River, with its floodplains, associated grasslands and riparian forests. The park is home to large concentrations of elephant and buffalo, also sable and roan antelope, tsessebe, waterbuck, impala, kudu, giraffe and wildebeest. Common reedbuck, red lechwe, the rarely seen sitatunga and hippo are seen along the river. Main predators are lion, leopard, cheetah and hyena. This area is one of the last refugees for wild dog in Namibia. The area is rich in bird life, nearly 600 species, due to a variety of vegetation types.
Return by boat to Namushasha
Overnight: Namushasha Lodge
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 08 Namushasha – Senyati Safari Camp / Kasane Area (Botswana)
Depart to Kongola. Stop at the Community Hand Craft Shop. Guest can view and purchase a wide a variety of quality African craft.
Continue via Katima Mulilo to Ngoma Border Post. Enter Botswana. Proceed to Kasane. Replenish supplies for catering at Senyati.
Continue to Senyati Safari Camp 10 km south of Kazangula. Senyati is situated on the border of the Kasane Forest Reserve. The chalets and bar-deck overlook a flood-lit waterhole where herds of elephant, numbering in total up to hundreds a day, come to drink from mid-afternoon until late at night. Spotted hyena, sable antelope, buffalo, kudu, giraffe and impala are regular visitors too. Leopard, lion and wild dog are sporadic visitors.
Relax in the afternoon at accommodation or on the bar deck overlooking the floodlit waterhole. Overnight: Senyati Safari Camp
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 09 Senyati Safari Camp / Chobe National Park
Depart early morning to Chobe National Park. This is elephant country. Chobe National Park is very famous for its abundance of elephant. This Park has the highest concentration of elephant anywhere in Africa, an estimated 70 000!! Chobe is also famous for its huge herds of buffalo and predators including lion, leopard and spotted hyena. Sable – and roan antelope, giraffe, kudu, waterbuck, tsessebe, impala, red lechwe, the endemic puku, Chobe bushbuck, herds of zebra, warthogs, pods of hippo and crocodiles are some of the species to be seen
The Chobe Riverfront is one of the best birding areas in Southern Africa and various species of raptors, including great sightings of fish-eagles, flocks of vultures, various aquatic species, colourful bee-eaters and rollers can be encountered on a game drive.
Game drive until noon. Return to Kasane.
Depart at 15:00/03:00 p.m. on a 03-hour afternoon boat trip on the Chobe River. Good wildlife sightings are common on the boat trips. Pick-up clients after the boat trip at 06:00 p.m. Transfer to Senyati.
Relax at Senyati, overlooking the flood-lit waterhole.
Overnight: Senyati Safari Camp
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 10 Senyati Safari Camp / Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe)
Depart early morning on a day-tour to Vic Falls in Zimbabwe, with a Botswana Tour Operator. Kalahari Tours and Travel guide stays in Botswana.
Visas if, applicable, to be obtained in country of residence or at border post at own cost. Google Zimbabwe Visa Requirements.
The tour goes through the Zambezi National Park to Vic Falls. The Victoria Falls & Zambezi National Parks is a world Heritage Site and the falls is one of the ‘Seven wonders of the world’ and one of the largest and most spectacular water falls on earth. The falls are 1,7 km wide and nearly 550 million litres of water cascade 70 to 108 meters into the chasm below – every minute – during the Zambezi River’s peak flow. Victoria Falls is made of five different “falls”. Four of these are in Zimbabwe: The Devil’s Cataract, Main Falls, Rainbow Falls and Horseshoe Falls – and one, The Eastern Cataract, is in the bordering country of Zambia.
Zambezi National Park together with Victoria Falls National Park covers an area of 56,000 hectares. The northern border of the Park is formed by the great Zambezi River which also forms the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia for much of its length. A wide variety of larger mammals may be found within the Zambezi National Park including The Big Five: elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard and white rhinoceros. In addition, sable antelope, eland, zebra, giraffe, kudu, waterbuck and impala as well as many of the smaller species of game are in the park too.
Visit Vic Falls. Entrance Fees at own cost @ USD30 pp (USD25 pp for SADEC Citizens)
Optional activities at Vic Falls at own cost include bungee jumping and a helicopter flight over the falls. The helicopter flight is highly recommended.
Departure time back to Botswana will depend on the duration of the optional activities. Return to Botswana in the afternoon. Continue to Senyati.
Relax at Senyati, overlooking the flood-lit waterhole.
Overnight: Senyati Safari Camp
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 11 Senyati Safari Camp – Elephant Sands (Nata area)
Have a leisurely start. Travel south via the Kasane -, Kazuma -, and Sibuyu Forest Reserves to
Elephant Sands, a bush lodge & campsite in the north-eastern part of Botswana. Elephants are very often encountered along this main road.
Enjoy viewing the elephants at the natural waterhole right in front of the accommodation at Elephant Sands. Watch these impressive creatures whilst they drink only a couple of meters away from you. There is plenty of other wildlife around as well on the unfenced 16000 ha private conservancy. The lack of fences allows all animals to roam freely.
Afternoon at leisure
Optional sunset game drive on open vehicle at own cost
Overnight: Elephant Sands
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 12 Elephant Sands – Francistown.
Depart to Nata. Visit Nata Sanctuary. The Nata Sanctuary at Sowa Pan, which is part of the Makgadikgadi Pans, is a community project and one of Botswana’s premier birding destinations. Nata Sanctuary is home to 165 bird species including flamingos and pelicans. After good rains, hundreds of thousands of globally threatened Lesser Flamingos, along with Greater Flamingos, Chestnut-banded Plovers, Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans, and a host of other waterbirds converge on the nutrient-rich waters of the pans. After good summer rains with the right level of water on the pan, the Sanctuary hosts the largest congregation of Lesser Flamingos in Southern Africa.
Continue to Francistown. Afternoon at leisure.
Overnight: Room at Adansonia Hotel / Camping at Woodlands Stopover or Dumela Camp
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 13 Francistown – Mapungubwe National Park (South Africa)
Travel via Selibe-Pikwe to Platjan Border Post. The route goes through the Tuli Conservation Area, situated in the easternmost corner of Botswana, where the country meets its neighbours Zimbabwe and South Africa and at the confluence of two great rivers, the Limpopo and the Shashe. It forms a key part of the proposed Greater Mapungubwe Trans Frontier Conservation Area.
The Reserve is shared between private landowners and local communities. The area is home to a diverse range of wildlife, renowned for its Tuli elephants, the largest elephant population on private land in Africa and is recognised as an Important Bird Area with over 350 species recorded.
Wildlife may be encountered along the main road in this area.
Enter South Africa and continue to Alldays. Continue to Mapungubwe National Park, passing the Venetia Diamond Mine, located within the 360 square kilometre Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve, bordering on Mapungubwe National Park. Mapungubwe Park is situated in the most northern corner of South Africa and borders on the confluence of the Shashe and Limpopo rivers and is neighboring Botswana and Zimbabwe. Agreements have been signed between South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe for forming the Greater Mapungubwe Trans Frontier Conservation Area.
Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site is rich in biodiversity, great scenic beauty and the cultural importance of the archaeological treasures of Mapungubwe.
At Mapungubwe Hill, a far developed African civilization prospered between 1200 and 1270 AD. The area was already inhabited by a growing Iron Age community from 900 AD and became rich through trade with faraway places like Egypt, India and China. This is the place where archaeologists excavated the famous golden rhino and other evidence of a wealthy African kingdom.
Elephant, giraffe, white rhino, eland, gemsbok and numerous other antelope species, lion, leopard & hyena roam free between the three countries and the park is home to 400 bird species. The Limpopo Tree-top Boardwalk and hide is a magnificent facility allowing the visitor into the trees alongside the birds.
Scenic game drive to accommodation situated in spectacular sandstone hills
Optional guided night drive in open vehicle with Sanparks guide.
Overnight: Chalet at Leokwe Camp / Camping at Mazhou Camp Ground
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 14 Mapungubwe National Park
Depart on a scenic game drive in the eastern section of the Park. This is one of the most scenic drives in any park in Southern Africa. Some landscapes are breathtakingly scenic and promote the ambience and mystique of this park. Very large baobab trees are along this way, which contribute to the beauty of this area.
Visit the Treetop Boardwalk in the riparian fringe of the Limpopo, which is of prime importance from the point of view of conservation. It is a dense vegetation community with a closed canopy which occurs in the rich alluvial deposits along the river. The most striking trees in this community are fever trees, ana trees, leadwoods, fig trees and acacias. The Limpopo floodplain has allowed some trees to grow to massive sizes. Nyala berries and Ana trees can get particularly big.
Continue to the View Point at the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers.
Proceed on scenic game drive to the Interpretive Centre. With the Park’s UNESCO World Heritage Status, an amazing building (that won World Building of the Year in 2009’s World Architectural Awards) has been constructed that houses a museum section with many of the artefacts uncovered in the park, including the Golden Rhino, are on display
Depart to the Western Section of the Park. Check in at accommodation nestled in Limpopo Riparian Forest, which offers excellent birding. Bushbuck are common residents in and around the camp and the surrounding area is known for leopard sightings they can be heard calling at close proximity at night.
Optional guided tour to Mapungubwe Hill.
Overnight: Forest Tent at Limpopo Forest Camp / Camping at Mazhou Camp Ground
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 15 Mapungubwe National Park
Early morning game drive with the emphasis on finding leopard.
Depart after breakfast on a game drive until noon. Spend some time at the Maloutswa Bird Hide overlooking a waterhole. It offers a lovely location from which to view birds and mammals of all kinds.
Afternoon game drive through the Mopane veld section of the park.
Overnight: Forest Tent at Limpopo Forest Camp / Camping at Mazhou Camp Ground
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 16 Mapungubwe – Kruger National Park
Depart to Musina. Replenish supplies. Continue to Kruger National Park. The world-renowned Kruger National Park offers a wildlife experience that ranks with the best in Africa. Established in 1898 to protect the wildlife of the South African Lowveld, this national park of nearly 2 million hectares Kruger is unrivalled in the diversity of its life forms and a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies.
Truly the flagship of the South African national parks, Kruger is home to an impressive number of species: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals. Man’s interaction with the Lowveld environment over many centuries – from bushman rock paintings to majestic archaeological sites is very evident in the Kruger National Park.
Kruger is one of the premier game-watching destinations in the world and is home to the Big Five with an estimated 1,500 lion, 12,000 elephant, 2,500 buffalo, 1,000 leopards and 5,000 rhino (black and white). Hippopotamus, giraffe, zebra, warthog and many antelope species roam Kruger. Other large carnivores include cheetah, wild dog and spotted hyena.
Enter the park at Pafuri Gate. Game drive to Punda Maria Camp. The camp is situated in the Sandveld region that is often described as the botanical garden of the Kruger National Park. There are numerous plant species which occur that are unique to the area. Game species most likely to be sighted include impala, zebra, buffalo, elephant, eland and sable and the area is a bird paradise.
Optional guided night drive in open vehicle can be done at all rest camps in Kruger Park
Overnight: Punda Maria
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 17 Kruger National Park
Game drives south to Shingwedzi Camp. A scenic game drive along the Shingwedzi River in a south-easterly direction towards the Kanniedood Dam is one of the most rewarding drives in the Park. Waterbuck, nyala, kudu and elephant are often seen here and the bird life is prolific. Staying overnight at Shingwedzi is an experience that will last a lifetime. It is a rustic camp that still carries the essence of the bush and is untouched by modern technology.
Afternoon game drive
Overnight: Shingwedzi
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 18 Kruger National Park
Game drive to Satara. Satara is a busy camp, and not without reason. It is situated in an excellent game viewing area, with the bush relatively open and the animals plentiful and diverse.
The camp itself has a rustic charm, with the bulk of the accommodation set out in a series of circles. Satara is well wooded and the bird-life is prolific. At night the clink of fruit bats is fused with the chirping of cicadas and crickets. The calls of owls and nightjars add to the symphony that is punctuated intermittently by the whoop of hyena, the screech of jackal and the roars of lion.
Afternoon game drive
Overnight: Satara
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 19 Kruger National Park
Morning and afternoon game drives
Overnight: Satara
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 20 Kruger National Park
Game drive along the Sabie River to Lower Sabie. Lower Sabie graces the banks of the Sabie River, one of the few perennial rivers to flow through the Kruger National Park. Visitors cannot but feel soothed by the view towards the river and the Lebombo Mountains beyond. Watching the endless procession of animals coming to drink at the Sabie River establishes a sense of one’s own place in the eternal cycle.
Afternoon game drive in the area.
Overnight: Lower Sabie
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 21 Kruger – Hlane Royal National Park (Swaziland)
Game drive to Crocodile Bridge. Exit the park. Depart to the Swaziland Border Post. Enter Swaziland. Continue to Hlane Royal National Park. Hlane Royal National Park is Swaziland’s largest protected area and lies in the vast bushveld expanse of eastern Swaziland where the hot, still sun of Africa beats on the dry but life-giving soils as it has for thousands of years, and the rumbling roars of the lions are heard in the cool dusky evenings,. Hlane Royal National Park is home to the largest herds of game in the Kingdom.
Hlane covers 30 000 hectares of Swazi bushveld, dominated by ancient hardwood vegetation. Hlane is home to lion, elephant and white rhino, with an abundant and diverse bird life, including the highest density of nesting white backed vultures in Africa.
The waterhole in front of the chalets is a popular drinking spot for white rhino, giraffe, kudu, waterbuck and impala.
Afternoon game drive.
Overnight: Ndlovu Camp (No electricity)
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 22 Hlane – Mkuze Game Reserve (South Africa)
Depart to South African Border Post. Re-enter South Africa and proceed to Mkuze Game Reserve. Situated in northern Zululand, Mkuze Game Reserve was proclaimed a protected area in 1912. Mkuze covers 40 000 ha and has an astonishing diversity of natural habitats, from the eastern slopes of the Lebombo mountains along its eastern boundary, to broad stretches of acacia savannah, swamps and a variety of woodlands and riverine forest. Animals to be found in the reserve include black and white rhinos, elephant, giraffe, leopard, buffalo, nyala, blue wildebeest, warthog, impala, kudu, the rare suni and other smaller antelope. Larger predators include lion, leopard, cheetah and hyena.
Mkhuze is renowned as a mecca for bird lovers, with more than 420 bird species on record. Two beautiful pans, Nhlonhlela and Nsumo, lie in the north and east respectively, home to communities of hippo, crocodile, pinkbacked and white pelicans, as well as a diversity of ducks and geese which gather in spring. Fish eagles swoop over the pans, snatching prey spotted from their perches in the fever trees.
Afternoon game drive.
Overnight: 08-Bed Nhlonhlela Bush Lodge / Camping at Emshopi Camp Ground
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 23 Mkuze Game Reserve
Morning and afternoon game drives.
Visit various lookout points and game viewing hides.
Overnight: 08-Bed Nhlonhlela Bush Lodge / Camping at Emshopi Camp Ground
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 24 Mkuze – Ithala Game Reserve
Depart to Ithala Game Reserve. Situated in the rugged, mountainous thornveld of northern KwaZulu-Natal, Ithala Game Reserve’s multitude of habitats host a spectacular array of wildlife species. Its scenic beauty aside, Ithala’s most characteristic feature is perhaps it’s astonishing geological diversity. Some of the oldest rock formations in the world are found here, dating back 3 000 million years. With a topographic profile varying from 400m above sea level in the north to 1 450m near Louwsberg in the south, Ithala’s terrain extends over lowveld and densely vegetated riverine valleys to high-lying grassland plateaus, ridges and cliff faces.
Ithala’s big game species include white- and black rhino, elephant, Cape buffalo and numerous giraffe, zebra, blue wildebeest and a wide variety of antelope. These include impala, oribi, red hartebeest, eland, kudu, waterbuck, tsessebe, common and mountain reedbuck, steenbok and grey duiker. Predators which are not often seen are leopard, spotted hyena and brown hyena. Sightings of large birds at Ithala may include black eagles, lappet faced and whitebacked vultures, ostriches and secretary birds. Redbilled oxpeckers were reintroduced to Ithala and they now breed successfully in the park.
Afternoon game drive.
Overnight: Chalet at Ntshondwe Camp / Camping at Doornkraal Camp Ground
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 25 Ithala Game Reserve
Morning and afternoon game drives.
Overnight: Chalet at Ntshondwe Camp / Camping at Doornkraal Camp Ground
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 26 Ithala – Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Game drive to exit gate. Depart to Golden Gate Highlands National Park via Van Reenens Pass. The park is nestled in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains of the north eastern Free State. The park derives its name from the brilliant shades of gold cast by the sun on the park’s sandstone cliffs, especially the imposing Brandwag rock, keeping vigil over the main rest camp.
This 11 600 hectares of unique environment is true highland habitat, providing home to a variety of mammals – black wildebeest, eland, blesbok, oribi, springbok, grey rhebok, mountain reedbuck grey duiker and Burchell’s zebra – and birds, including the rare bearded vulture and the equally rare bald ibis, which breed on the ledges in the sandstone cliffs. Black Stork, Bald Ibis, Cape Vulture, Verreaux’s (Black) Eagle, Martial Eagle and Jackal Buzzard soar in the skies.
Check in at Glen Reenen Camp and continue to accommodation at Highlands Mountain Retreat. Close your eyes and allow your senses to totally relax. Breathe in the crisp, fresh mountain air and slowly allow your eyelids to open. Take in the awesome view of the overlapping mountain range, all the while knowing that you are standing 2200m above sea-level, the only place in South Africa at this height
A great escape for the mind, body and soul… the recently released Highlands Mountain Retreat, is a luxury camp in Golden Gate that has certainly been worth the wait.
Afternoon scenic game drive.
Overnight: Log Cottage at Highlands Mountain Retreat / Camping at Glen Reenen Rest Camp
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 27 Golden Gate – Katse Dam (Lesotho)
Scenic game drive to main road. Depart via Clarens to Lesotho Border. Enter Lesotho. Lesotho is a high-altitude, landlocked kingdom encircled by South Africa Lesotho is known as the Mountain Kingdom or Kingdom in the Sky. It is crisscrossed by a network of rivers and mountain ranges including the 3,482m-high peak of Thabana Ntlenyana.
Proceed to Khatse Dam in the Lesotho Highlands via Hlotse and Pitseng and Mafika Lusiu Pass at 3090m. The Katse Dam, a concrete arch dam on the Malibamatso River, is Africa’s second largest dam. The dam is part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, which will eventually include five large dams in remote rural areas, supplying water to South Africa’s ever increasing demand.
Optional boat cruise on Mohale Dam at own cost.
Overnight: Katse Lodge
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 28 Katse Dam – Mohale Dam
Do a 1.5-hour guided tour of the Khatse Dam Wall at 09:00.
Continue on a scenic drive through rural Lesotho via Thaba-Seka and Marakabei and Mokhoabong Pass and Cheche Pass to Mohale Dam. Mohale Dam is a rock-fill dam. It is also part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.
Optional boat cruise on Mohale Dam at own cost.
Overnight: Mohale Lodge (No camping)
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 29 Mohale Dam – Clarens (South Africa)
Depart to the capital Maseru via Blue Mountain Pass and Molimo Nthuse Pass also known as God Help Me Pass. Enter South Africa and continue to the scenic small town, Clarens, with it’s interesting shops, bistros, cafes and art galleries.
Afternoon at leisure
Overnight: Guest House in Clarens / Camping at Glen Reenen Rest Camp, Golden Gate Park
Meals: B, L & D
DAY 30 Clarens – Johannesburg
Depart to Johannesburg. Drop-off at accommodation or at OR Tambo International (Accommodation/Flight not included)
If clients want to overnight in Johannesburg after the tour, bookings can be made online or additional nights can be added to the tour rate if clients want Kalahari Tours and Travel to make additional POST-TOUR hotel reservations at the City Lodge OR Tambo in Johannesburg.
It is expected from clients on camping tours to assist with pitching and packing up camp and with general camping duties on request.
Rates on request:
E-mail: dantes@kalahari-tours.co.za or click on CONTACT US.
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KALAHARI SAFARI
TOURS & TRAVEL
Upington 8801
TEL/FAX: + 27 (0) 54 3380375
CELL: + 27 (0) 82 4935041