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KwaZulu Natal Holidays Tours South Africa Zulu Battlefields Durban Safari

South Africa Tailor Made Holidays & Private Safari: Kruger Park + Swaziland + Durban

Kruger Park + eSwatini + Zululand + North Coast (Private Guide)
South Africa Tailor Made Holidays Private Safari Kruger Swaziland Durban
12 NIGHTS FROM:
$4,858
Per person sharing
Scheduled flights quoted separately
SPI12M
• South Africa Tailor Made Holidays
• Blyde River Canyon
• Moholoholo Wildlife Centre
• Private Safari Kruger Park
• Kruger Rest Camp: Big Five Safari
• Swaziland
• Hluhluwe Game Reserve
• St Lucia Boat Ride
• Durban North Coast Beaches
• South Africa Private Safari

Our wonderful range of South Africa tailor-made holidays include this private safari, travelling with your own driver/guide & staying in a rest camp inside the Kruger National Park, before continuing through the mountains of Swaziland to Hluhluwe, St Lucia and the beaches of Durban. Also visit the green Blyde River Canyon, Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre & an elephant sanctuary.

Day 1
You will be met at Johannesburg Airport by your guide, who will drive you 4.5-hours to Mpumalanga - "the place where the sun rises".
 
We drive eastwards through Witbank, before dropping several hundred feet into the subtropical Lowveld and the scenic Drakensberg Panorama Route.
 
Check in and relax in this region that is famous for its wildlife.
Day 2
This morning we visit a local Elephant Park to experience a very special close-up encounter, where for 1-hour you can interact with and feed one of these gentle giants.
 
Afterwards we drive through the green Blyde River Canyon - the third largest in the world. Enjoy wonderful views from Pinnacle Rock, Wonder View and the Three Rondavels lookout. You can take the Graskop Gorge Lift down into the gorge, where there is a short trail across a wooden suspension bridge into the forest, with the backdrop of a pretty waterfall.
 
We can also view the Lisbon Falls and the unusual Bourkes Luck Pot Holes - cylindrical holes formed from the swirling waters of the Blyde and Treur Rivers.
Day 3
This morning we drive 1.5-hours to Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre where you have the unique opportunity of viewing wild lion, leopard, cheetah, eagles and vultures at close quarters. Animals found injured, poisoned or orphaned are given a second chance and released back into the wild.
 
Afterwards enjoy a boat ride on the Blyde River Dam before driving back to Hazyview, where you can browse in some the shops found in this small town.
Day 4
Today we enter the world famous Kruger National Park.
 
Game viewing opportunities should present themselves almost immediately and hopefully you will see several species of antelope, zebra, wildebeest and maybe even giraffe before you reach your rest camp.
  
The Kruger National Park offers a choice of self-catering rest camps, each situated in a different section of the park with its own unique flora and fauna - e.g. Skukuza, Letaba, Olifants, Lower Sabie, Pretoriuskop, Satara and Berg-en-Dal. Accommodation is in simple but comfortable thatched bungalows, with your guide having an allowance to purchase breakfast at the camp restaurant each day.
 
After checking in, settle in and relax in the atmosphere that only the African bushveld can provide.
 
Note: You will need your passport to enter the Kruger National Park.
Days 5 To 6
Today is devoted to game viewing in the Kruger National Park. As you will have the services of a private driver/guide, you will have the flexibility of discussing preferred routings and travelling times with him each day. However we recommend setting off early each morning as soon as the camp gates open after sunrise, to take advantage of the best game viewing conditions of the day. Your morning game drive will be in your guide's closed air-conditioned vehicle.
 
Explore this vast 2-million hectare game sanctuary that is the size of Wales, offering magnificent game viewing opportunities with the highest concentration of lion in the whole of Africa. Hope to see several of the Big Five today - lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino - as well as many other species before returning to your rest camp for breakfast (or buy provisions at camp and cook breakfast at a picnic spot).
 
The rest of the morning is free to relax at your rest camp, before setting out again at the time of your choice - usually the late afternoon - for another game drive. For each full day that you stay in the park (excluding transfer days) you will have one game drive in a large open-top vehicle operated by the park authorities (normally at night) but this can be substitued for a day drive or bush walk if booked in advance and subject to availability.
 
With nearly 150 different species of mammals and over 100 species of reptiles in the Kruger National Park, you can hope to see cheetah, giraffe, hippo, kudu, crocodiles, sable antelope, waterbuck, warthogs, baboons, wild dogs and many other interesting animals. Outstanding bird watching is also guaranteed, with over 500 different bird species including many different eagles, kingfishers, vultures and storks.
  
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.
  
Note: Vehicles are not allowed to drive off-road in any national park in South Africa. Children < 12 are not allowed on open top game drives, but may enjoy unlimited game drives in your guide's vehicle. Minimum age of 16 for bush walks.
Day 7
After some final game viewing in the Kruger National Park, today we drive 5-hours to eSwatini (previously called Swaziland), a small mountain kingdom known for its lovely scenery, crafts and indigenous culture.
 
After completing border formalities, we continue travelling through beautiful mountains and gorges to our lodge.
 
Note: You will need your passport to enter eSwatini (and possibly a visa, if not British).
Day 8
Today we travel 4-hours through the beautiful mountains of eSwatini and across the South African border to Hluhluwe in the kingdom of Zululand.
 
Along the way we visit a Swazi Cultural Village to learn more about their local customs, colourful beadwork, basket weaving and other handcrafts. We also visit Ngwenya Glassworks, where you can watch craftsmen at work.
 
After completing border formalities, we continue to Hluhluwe and check in to our lodge situated near Hluhluwe National Park, renowned for its outstanding wildlife.
Day 9
This morning we drive 1-hour to Lake St Lucia for a boat ride on the estuary, where you may see hippos and crocodiles.
 
Forming part of the Isimangaliso Wetlands, this area has been declared a World Heritage site because of its unique biodiversity and importance to marine conservation. With over 500 different bird species in the region, it also offers outstanding bird watching.
 
In the afternoon we return to Hluhluwe National Park and enjoy an open-top game drive in a closed vehicle in this famous wildlife sanctuary, before returning to our lodge.
Day 10
After an early morning open-top game drive in Hluhluwe National Park, we drive 3-hours to your hotel on the Durban North Coast, renowned for its wonderful beaches.
 
Check in, settle in and relax near the shores of the warm Indian Ocean.
Day 11
Today enjoy a full day private sightseeing tour of the highlights of Durban.
 
We start with a drive along the Golden Mile, the beachfront promenade with its colourful street markets and many traders. We then visit the Kwa Muhle Apartheid Museum, once the headquarters of the infamous Native Administration Department which implemented harsh labour controls. Today it is a museum dedicated to telling the history of Durban and its people.
 
We continue past the beautiful old City Hall to the small craft harbour at Wilson's Wharf, driving past the huge sugar terminals and busy harbour warehouses to the University of KwaZulu Natal, which has lovely views over the harbour.
 
Our next stop is the peaceful Durban Botanic Gardens, founded in 1849 and home to a magnificent orchid house and many massive trees from Asia, Africa and America. Finally we visit the iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium that was built for the 2010 World Cup. Here there is the option of taking a cable car ride to the top of the stadium for a phenomenal view over Durban and its coastline (pay locally).
 
After lunch (own account) we continue to uShaka Marine World, situated in the old harbour area that is being extensively re-developed. Here you can view large indigenous sharks of the Indian Ocean and a wide variety of marine animals - including turtles, dolphins, seals and penguins. There are snorkelling ponds with over 5,000 fish, the Wet n Wild Water Park and a lovely beach. Afterwards you will be transferred back to your hotel.
 
Note: Moses Mabhida Stadium is closed on Saturdays and any other match day.
Day 12
At leisure to relax on the warm golden beaches of the Durban North Coast or explore further with your guide (pay any entrance fees locally).
 
Many optional activities are available such as a marine cruise to search for dolphins, turtles, sharks, whales (in season) and other fascinating sea life. Championship golf, horse riding and deep sea game fishing are also available.
Day 13
Transfer to Durban Airport for your flight home.