Kruger and Swaziland

Arrival in Johannesburg

Guests are welcomed at Johannesburg Airport and transferred to their hotel.

Johannesburg Heritage & Soweto

After breakfast we visit cultural highlights of Johannesburg, including the Apartheid Museum. Opened in 2001 as the first of its kind, the museum illustrates the rise and fall of apartheid through film footage, photographs, text panels and artifacts. Twenty-two exhibition areas take visitors through the human stories behind the era, and the museum today stands as a symbol of how South Africa has worked to come to terms with its past.

In the afternoon we head to Soweto for further highlights of Johannesburg, including the Nelson Mandela House and the Hector Pieterson Museum.

Into the Panorama Route

After a well-deserved rest and breakfast, we head out on the great African adventure to the Limpopo region and Kruger National Park. We stop for lunch at Dullstroom, a quaint village world-famous for its trout fishing and wonderful scenery. We drive onward to Pilgrim's Rest, a historic gold-mining village and museum, before arriving at Graskop with its magnificent views for the evening.

Blyde River Canyon & God's Window

Today we travel through "God's Playground" to God's Window, overlooking the green Lowveld. The most spectacular stretch of the Panorama Route is the Blyde River Canyon — the third-largest canyon of its kind in the world. From several well-positioned vantage points you'll take in the 33km-long gorge, which starts at Bourke's Luck Potholes (rock formations shaped over millions of years by erosion) and ends at the Three Rondavels. The Panorama Route in Mpumalanga is best known for its cultural heritage and dramatic landscapes, and the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve is home to spectacular wildlife and birdlife alongside some of the best views in South Africa.

Full-Day Kruger National Park Safari

Today you'll enjoy a full-day open-vehicle safari into Kruger National Park with a personal game ranger and picnic lunch. Kruger is the world's largest and most famous Big 5 game reserve, covering 18,989 square kilometres and extending 350km from north to south. We arrive at your lodge in the late afternoon to relax and enjoy sundowners.

Crossing into Eswatini (Swaziland)

Today we head for the Kingdom of Eswatini, historically known as Swaziland, to discover the ancient rhythms of Africa amid striking landscapes. Visiting is a rewarding experience on many levels — this tiny country, the smallest on the African continent, is steeped in history, strong tradition and a unique, vibrant culture. We make our way to the Ezulwini Valley with its many delights, then on to Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, Eswatini's oldest game park and pioneering conservation area. Mlilwane means "Little Fire," so named for the numerous fires once sparked by lightning strikes on the reserve's granite mountains.

Swazi Culture to the Elephant Coast

We visit a Swazi candle factory and arts centre, then head for Hluhluwe and the Elephant Coast, to the lodge where you'll be staying for the next three nights. We stop en route at a lodge for lunch with beautiful views before continuing on to Hluhluwe — enjoy the wonderful scenery of this magnificent country along the way.

Hluhluwe Game Reserve

In the morning there is an optional extra: an elephant experience with two resident elephants and their calf. From there we head into Hluhluwe Game Reserve for a game drive with your personal ranger, with lunch at Hilltop Camp. This is your introduction to Zululand and Hluhluwe Game Reserve's magnificent 100,000 hectares of Africa — home to elephant, buffalo, giraffe, warthog, zebra, impala, wildebeest, lion, leopard and wild dog. The reserve has recorded more than 500 species of birdlife, and your experienced ranger will help you spot and identify both bird and animal life across black rhino, nyala, kudu, hippo, crocodile, waterbuck, reedbuck, red duiker, baboon, monkey and hyena, plus the chance of lion, cheetah and wild dog.

Zulu Village, Cat Rehabilitation & St Lucia

Today's adventures include a visit to Dumazulu Traditional Zulu Village, where you'll learn about the Zulu tribe as you tour its cultural village and take in energetic Zulu dancing with its awesome rhythm of drumbeats.

From there we head to the Emdoneni Cat Rehabilitation Centre for a guided tour to learn about South Africa's endangered wild cat species — the Caracal (lynx), Serval, Cheetah and African Wildcat. The sanctuary cares for cats that have been orphaned or injured in the wild, breeding where possible and releasing offspring back into their natural habitat. Educational tours run daily, with feedings and a talk from an experienced guide during the afternoon session.

We continue on to St Lucia, a picturesque village within a nature reserve surrounded by five distinct ecosystems and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park — a World Heritage Site. St Lucia offers shops, curio and African flea markets, restaurants, boat trips and an interpretation centre explaining the estuary's ecology. Hippos and crocodiles are easily spotted from the shoreline and during a two-hour boat cruise on the estuary.

Durban City Tour & Departure

We head to Durban for a city tour taking in the Apartheid Museum, the Golden Mile beachfront, Moses Mabhida Stadium (with its cable car and SkyCar), uShaka Marine World, the BAT Centre showcasing renowned African artists, and the city's rich Hindu temple heritage.