South Africa: Walking & Wildlife

Begin the adventure in Johannesburg – Jo’burg or Jozi to those in the know – a dynamic city of history, culture and creativity. Meet with the group at your designated meeting spot (see the Joining Instructions for more details), then transfer (4hr 45min, not including stops) to Graskop, a town on the edge of the Mpumalanga escarpment. To break up the journey, we stop regularly to enjoy spectacular scenery and visit the Mac Mac Falls. We also travel through the highest town in South Africa, Belfast (6,465ft/1,970m), and the scenic Long Tom Pass. We also take the opportunity to stock up on supplies such as drinks and snacks. This evening, we have a welcome briefing at 6pm and then your tour leader ensures a big South African welcome by arranging a group dinner. Want to explore further? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

Today is dedicated to exploring the Panorama Route, a wonderfully scenic driving route of dramatic peaks, indigenous forest, geological marvels and the Blyde River Canyon. Our tour starts at the Graskop Gorge Lift, a 167ft (51m) ascent into the heart of Afromontane forest. The glass walls provide excellent views over the Drakensberg escarpment. At the top, you can take part in optional activities, such as a thrilling zipline experience or a cliff walkway. After, we embark on a one-hour walk through the forest floor. Then, we return to the minibus, driving to some of the highlights of the Panorama Route, starting with the stunning views at God’s Window. If we’re lucky, God’s Blanket may be down, a majestic cloud inversion that gives you the feeling of being on top of the world. We also visit the fascinating rock formations at Bourke’s Luck Potholes. Finally, in the late afternoon, enjoy a short walk to a lookout point, where we can watch the sun set over the Blyde River Canyon.

Continue exploring the beauty of the area around Blyde River Canyon this morning, embarking on a four-hour looping hike that includes the Leopard, Guineafowl and Kadishi Tufa trails. Along the way, we have further views of Blyde River Canyon, walk through forest and stop at Kadishi tufa waterfall. Most of the trail is on a good path, but there are some sections of small rock steps, roots and a few small stream crossings. After lunch, board a 10- or 30-seater boat for a guided cruise on the tranquil waters of the Blyde River Dam, surrounded by the Blyde River Canyon, one of the largest canyons in the world. On our 1hr 30min adventure, we glide past towering cliffs, lush greenery and unique rock formations. We also keep an eye out for the abundant wildlife, including plenty of different birds, hippos and crocodiles, and enjoy wonderful views of waterfalls – an unforgettable journey through one of South Africa’s natural wonders. Finally, we transfer (45 minutes) to a private game reserve in the Greater Kruger area, our base for the next two days.

Start early this morning, transferring (40 minutes) to Hoedspruit, where we meet our specialist guide. It’s then a short drive to Pridelands, a wildlife-rich private reserve that forms part of the Greater Kruger National Park and is open to the Kruger. Here we spend three hours, at least two of these walking while following animal tracks and the rest of the time on an open game drive, searching for the iconic wildlife of Africa. The walk is likely to be around 3mi (5km) but this changes from trip to trip. We walk in the early morning before the heat of the day but it can still get hot in the African Bush. Wear proper walking shoes and trousers (pants). This afternoon, jump into an open safari vehicle for a game drive in Kruger National Park, home to arguably the greatest variety of animals of any park in Africa, with lions, leopards, elephants, buffalos, black and white rhinos, plus cheetah, giraffes, hippos and many species of antelopes and smaller plains game.

We head into Kruger National Park today, justifiably one of the most famous wildlife parks in the world. It is also one of the oldest, established by the South African president Paul Kruger in 1898. We game drive (in our vehicle) through the park where we have an excellent chance of seeing a wide variety of wildlife. We arrive at our Kruger camp in the late afternoon just before the camp gates close to maximise our game-viewing chances.

We get up before sunrise for a game drive at, arguably, the best time of day for wildlife-spotting. We return to camp for breakfast and to pack up before moving onto a new country: Eswatini. We leave the park at around lunch time and have a short stop to resupply before crossing the border into Eswatini. We drive (three hours) towards the Malolotja Nature Reserve, where we spend a relaxing evening at our accommodation ready for a long walk tomorrow.

Today we explore the reserve on foot, taking the most picturesque route. We drive around 15 minutes to the start of our walk in Malolotja, enjoying a warm-up walk along a dirt track to the Logwala viewpoint. From here, we have a fairly steep descent to the Malolotja Waterfall viewpoint. We then have a picnic lunch by a stream and, if the water levels are high enough, a swim. After, we continue on the path, following a contour line, before a short climb brings us to the Silotfwane viewpoint. It’s then back through the beautiful valley, crossing a small stream, back to the Logwala viewpoint and onto the cabins. More than 280 bird species have been spotted in this reserve, as have many antelope species, zebras and wildebeest. You will have great views and the chance to spot various eagles or even the very rare bald ibis.