Kruger Park & Zululand privately managed

ABOUT THIS TRIP

On this trip, you will travel as a couple, family or group of friends with your own private tour guide (either German or English-speaking), who will be at your disposal throughout. The trip can be started daily. You will spend the night in selected upscale accommodation. Of course, the itinerary can be adapted to your individual wishes at any point.

South Africa's north offers a wealth of highlights: The Big Five in state and private game parks, imposing mountains in eSwatini and the Drakensberg, endless beaches on the Elephant Coast and Dolphin Coast as well as authentic African life.

Please note: Our privately guided tours are designed for groups of people who have already been confirmed in advance. If you are interested in joining a group, please look under "Small group tours".

INCLUDED IN THE PRICE

• 11x overnight stays in the Superior category (4-star guesthouses and lodges)
• 11 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 6 dinners
• Air-conditioned vehicle according to group size
• Five game drives in an open off-road vehicle
• Excursions and entrance fees according to program
• Private tour guide (German or English of your choice) and 24-hour hotline (English-speaking) on site
• Comprehensive travel documents (with an individual tour book and a travel guide per room)
• Virtual meeting with the tour guide before departure on request
• Insurance according to German travel law incl. travel price insurance certificate

NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE

• Drinks and meals not specified
• Long-haul flights from/to Europe (we are happy to arrange suitable flights on request)
• optional excursions, other personal expenses, tips
• Travel insurance

Tour description and prices as PDF

We also offer this trip in the Superior Plus category ****/*****.

Day 1: Welcome to South Africa (approx. 320 km)
You will be met at Johannesburg airport by your private tour guide. The journey starts south into the beautiful and imposing Drakensberg Mountains. Your destination is a cozy lodge near Bergville, where you can recover from your long journey. In the late afternoon, you then set off on a short walk to a beautiful dam, where a small picnic with snacks and drinks awaits you. Enjoy the breathtaking sunset in the mountains with a cool beer or a good glass of red wine. You will be back at the lodge in time for dinner.
Overnight stay with half board - Montusi Mountain Lodge (Garden Suite) in Bergville

How you live
You will stay in a chalet at Montusi Mountain Lodge with a fantastic view of the famous amphitheater. The 14 detached chalets offer a bathroom/WC, a lounge area with a separate bedroom, a fan, underfloor heating, a fireplace, a TV, a minibar, a tea/coffee maker and a veranda with a mountain view. The two Mountain View Chalets also have a large skylight with mountain views from the bedroom. The lodge has a restaurant, a bar, an outdoor veranda with a view, a pool and a large garden.

Day 2: Drakensberg Mountains
Today you visit the Royal Natal National Park with its famous amphitheater. This park is the highlight of the northern Drakensberg, because nowhere else is the mountain world so picturesque and fascinating. The main attraction is the amphitheatre, a 5 kilometer long and up to 500 meter high rock massif. The park not only has different geological formations, but also different climatic zones. This explains the richness of the vegetation, so that more than 900 plants have already been cataloged. 83 kilometers of hiking trails have been laid out on 25 routes and offer something for every taste. Together with your tour guide, you can choose a suitable hiking trail and explore this fantastic landscape on foot.

In the evening, you can go on an optional sundowner ride (for a fee) (English-speaking, possible with additional people). Enjoy the fantastic view of the amphitheater on horseback in the light of the setting sun.
Overnight stay with half board - Montusi Mountain Lodge (Garden Suite) in Bergville

Day 3: Dolphin Coast (approx. 300 km)
Today you leave the imposing mountain world behind you and head for the coast. Near the small town of Howick, you have the opportunity to stretch your legs a little at the Nelson Mandela Capture Site. South Africa's national hero Nelson Mandela was arrested at this site on August 5, 1962. Today, a sculpture made of 50 steel columns commemorates this historic event. If you are interested in delving even deeper into this moving story, you can also visit the museum on site. You then continue your journey and reach your accommodation in a beautiful suburb of the city of Durban in the afternoon.
Overnight stay with breakfast - Fairlight Beach House (Luxury Room) in Umdloti

Where you stay
Fairlight Beach House is located in Umdloti, within walking distance of the beautiful sandy beach on the Indian Ocean. The bright colors of the guest house create a friendly ambience and offers a fantastic view of the sea. The Fairlight Beach House offers a pool, a lounge and a terrace. The six individual rooms have a bathroom/WC, sea view, air conditioning, tea/coffee making facilities, hairdryer, minibar and TV.

Day 4: St. Lucia & the iSimangaliso Wetlands (approx. 220 km)
Today the journey continues to the vacation resort of St. Lucia. The small town lies at the mouth of the Lake St. Lucia Lagoon on a narrow spit of land, bordered by the St. Lucia Estuary to the west and the Indian Ocean to the east. In the afternoon, you will take part in a boat tour in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (English-speaking, with additional persons). The park is located directly on the outskirts of St. Lucia and is not only home to around 1500 crocodiles, but also around 800 hippos.
Overnight stay with breakfast - Lodge Afrique (Chalet Suite) in St. Lucia

Where you stay
The inviting Lodge Afrique is located in the heart of St. Lucia. All the attractions in the area, as well as the beautiful beaches, are within easy reach. The 8 cozy chalets are set in a tropical garden and have a bathroom/WC, air conditioning and an outdoor shower. The lodge offers a pool, a garden and a bar.

Day 5: Hluhluwe National Park
Early in the morning, we set off in an open off-road vehicle to Hluhluwe-Imfolozi National Park, the oldest and perhaps most beautiful game park in South Africa (English-speaking, guided tour with additional persons). The two game reserves Hluhluwe and Imfolozi were founded back in 1897 to protect the last remaining rhinos. In 1998, the two parks and the corridor between them were merged to form the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi National Park, which is now the fourth largest game park in the country with over 96,000 hectares. Hluhluwe-Imfolozi is known for its large rhino population, but it is also home to the Big Five. Here you will go on an extensive game drive and stop en route for a traditional bush lunch. You arrive back at your accommodation in St. Lucia in the late afternoon.
Overnight stay with breakfast - Lodge Afrique (Chalet Suite) in St. Lucia

Day 6: St. Lucia
Today is at your leisure, but your tour guide will of course be on hand if you are planning excursions in the surrounding area. The beautiful Cape Vidal in the iSimangaliso Wetlands Park, for example, is highly recommended. (Entrance fees not included in the tour price). Cape Vidal in the seemingly endless St. Lucia Wetlands is famous for its Beach & Bush Experience. Discover wonderful wildlife in this magnificent, green national park as well as the best beaches in the whole country. But the beach directly in St. Lucia is also a great place for a relaxing day.

Optionally (for a fee), you have the chance to discover South Africa's nocturnal animals in the iSimangaliso National Park on a night game drive (English-speaking, with additional persons).
Overnight stay with breakfast - Lodge Afrique (Chalet Suite) in St. Lucia

Day 7: Kingdom of eSwatini (approx. 330 km)
After a hearty breakfast, you set off for the small kingdom of eSwatini with its typical round huts and extremely open-minded locals. At local craft markets you have the opportunity to buy a souvenir for home and in the afternoon you reach your guesthouse.
Overnight stay with breakfast - Mogi Boutique Hotel (Double Room) in eSwatini

Where you stay
The modern Mogi Boutique Hotel is conveniently yet quietly located in the Ezulwini Valley. Enjoy the fantastic view of the surrounding mountains. The 8 rooms have a bathroom/WC, TV and fridge. The hotel offers a restaurant, a bar and a large garden with pool.

Day 8: Private Game Reserve (approx. 370 km)
Today you’ll leave the small Kingdom of eSwatini and re-enter South Africa. In the early afternoon, you’ll arrive at your authentic safari lodge in a private game reserve. Unlike the government-run Kruger National Park, only overnight guests are allowed access to the private reserves, and the small lodges offer a very intimate atmosphere. In the afternoon, you’ll set out on your first exciting wildlife viewing tour in an open-air 4x4 (English-speaking guide; tour shared with other guests). Weather permitting, dinner will be served in the traditional, cozy boma.
Overnight stay with full board – Honeyguide Mantobeni Camp (Luxury Tent) near Hoedspruit

Your Stay
The upscale, unfenced Honeyguide Mantobeni Camp is located on a riverbank and offers 15 freestanding tent suites, each measuring approximately 30 square meters. Each tent suite features a bathroom with toilet, a fan, a mosquito net, a safe, and a private veranda with seating. The camp features a pool, a restaurant, a lounge, a gift shop, a spa area (for a fee), an observation deck overlooking a waterhole, and free Wi-Fi in the main building.

Day 9: On Safari
The day begins early with a game drive in an open-air SUV (in English, conducted with other participants). Back at the lodge, a delicious breakfast will be waiting for you. Now you’ll have the opportunity to relax and enjoy the lodge’s amenities. In the afternoon, you’ll head out again for exciting wildlife viewing in the reserve (in English, with other participants).
The Manyeleti Private Game Reserve, covering approximately 23,000 hectares, is nestled between the private reserves of Timbavati and Sabi Sands and the state-run Kruger National Park. For many years now, there have been no fences between the individual reserves and Kruger National Park, allowing wildlife to move freely. With only six camps and lodges located in the Manyeleti Private Game Reserve, a unique and exclusive nature experience is guaranteed.
Overnight stay with full board – Honeyguide Mantobeni Camp (Luxury Tent) near Hoedspruit

Day 10: Panorama Route (approx. 240 km)
After another early morning game drive in an open-air SUV (in English, shared with other guests) and a leisurely breakfast, you’ll set out to explore the highlights of the Panorama Route. First, you’ll head to the Blyde River Canyon, which is 26 kilometers long and up to 800 meters deep. From here, you can also see the “Three Rondavels”: massive, round rocks that resemble the huts of the local people. The journey continues to “Bourke’s Luck Potholes.” Here, erosion has carved deep whirlpools and a canyon into the dolomite rock. The route continues past Berlin Falls to “God’s Window.” On a clear day, you can see all the way to the Kruger Plain from here. You’ll then arrive at your lodging in Hazyview.
Overnight stay with half-board – Ashbourne Country Escape (Double Room) in Hazyview

Where you stay
The Ashbourne Country Escape is situated just outside Hazyview on a small hill, from where you have a wonderful view over the northern foothills of the Drakensberg. The 5 rooms are spacious and simply but elegantly furnished and have a bathroom/WC, tea/coffee maker and veranda. The guest house offers a garden, a terrace and a pool.

Day 11: Kruger National Park
Today we head to the state-run Kruger National Park. It is the largest and most popular national park in South Africa and over a million visitors admire the park's magnificent wildlife every year. The wealth of species is unparalleled anywhere in the world. From the comfort of your closed vehicle, you can make exciting wildlife sightings at river courses, dams and waterholes. You leave the park in the afternoon and return to Hazyview.

Optionally, you have the opportunity to go on a game drive in an open off-road vehicle (for a fee, English-speaking, with additional persons).
Overnight stay with half board - Ashbourne Country Escape (Double Room) in Hazyview

Game drive in the Kruger Park

Day 12: Goodbye South Africa (approx. 390 km)
Today you travel back to Johannesburg in time for your return flight. Your round trip ends at the airport and you say goodbye to your tour guide.