Elife Travel - Africa Tours - South Africa Tours - South Africa (Northern) Tours - Explorer Tours - South Africa & Eswatini

South Africa & Eswatini

Name: South Africa & Eswatini
Brand: Elife Travel
Price: 2900 USD
Availability: InStock

Country:

South Africa

Flight:

Not included

Favorite

Tour id:

124992

Operator:

Explore!
Length:

10 days
Group size:

16 pax
Age:

16 to 85
Difficulty:
Difficulty levels:
- Relaxing
- Easy
- Moderate
- Serious
- Heart-pumping

17.07-26.07.25 guaranteed
31.07-09.08.25 guaranteed
28.08-06.09.25 guaranteed
04.09-13.09.25 guaranteed
25.09-04.10.25 guaranteed
02.10-11.10.25 guaranteed
09.10-18.10.25 guaranteed
23.10-01.11.25 guaranteed
30.10-08.11.25 guaranteed
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20.11-29.11.25 guaranteed
08.01-17.01.26 guaranteed
15.01-24.01.26 guaranteed
29.01-07.02.26 guaranteed
26.03-04.04.26 guaranteed
25.06-04.07.26 guaranteed
30.07-08.08.26 guaranteed
24.09-03.10.26 guaranteed
01.10-10.10.26 guaranteed
08.10-17.10.26 guaranteed
22.10-31.10.26 guaranteed
12.11-21.11.26 guaranteed
17.12-26.12.26 guaranteed

Itinerary

Travel through the heart of South Africa in search of the Big 5. On this ten-day trip, we'll delve into some of the country's most iconic national parks, including Kruger, hoping to spot the bounty of wildlife that calls these varied landscapes home. Along the way, immerse yourself in the history of the Zulu battlefield, explore the wetlands of St Lucia and rub shoulders with the Swazi people in Eswatini.

Kruger National Park - Get the chance to spot the Big 5 on a game drive in Kruger - one of Africa's biggest game reserves.

Hluhluwe iMfolozi - Explore the game reserve which has the biggest rhino population in Africa.

Mlilwane - Get closer to South Africa's wildlife on an intimate walking safari in this secluded sanctuary beneath the Nyonyane Mountains.

Tour program

Day 1

Join trip Johannesburg Airport; drive to the Drakensberg Mountains

Our tour starts today in Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city, once home to both Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. Your tour leader will meet you at 11:00 in the arrival hall at O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) and we aim to depart no later than 11.30am. From the airport, we'll drive southeast to the Drakensberg Mountains (a journey of around four-and-a-half hours). Drakensberg is the world's oldest mountain range, deriving its name from the Afrikaans word for 'Dragon Mountains'; in the mist, the razor-back ridges of the mountains have a likeness to these mythical beasts. Upon arrival to our accommodation, there might be time to take a short walk in the surrounding nature. If you're booking your own flights to Johannesburg, we recommend giving yourself plenty of time to clear the airport. The latest your flight can arrive is 10.30am.

Start point

81 Kempton Rd, Kempton Park, 1619, South Africa

10:00

Day 2

Walk in Drakensberg World Heritage Site

This morning, after a hearty breakfast, we'll have the opportunity to join a guided walk and experience the beauty of the mountain range first-hand. The full walk takes around four to five hours and we've graded it as moderate-to-challenging. The wakk itself is approximately 8km long, but can be shortened for those preferring a more gentle option. Weather permitting, upon returning to our hotel, our guide will have prepared a tasty 'al fresco' lunch for us to enjoy while we soak up the spectacular views of the Drakensberg. The afternoon is left free to either relax whilst enjoying a cool drink or perhaps continue our adventure with an easy walk through the mountain valleys to view a rock carving close to camp.

Day 3

Visit battlefields; drive on to St Lucia

We'll set off early this morning and head to the famous battlefield of Rorke's Drift, arriving around mid-morning. Portrayed in the 1964 movie Zulu , the battle at Rorke's Drift was a bloody and hugely significant battle in the history of the Zulu nation, depicting the 1879 battle between the local Zulu and the British Army. Although time is limited today, due to the distance we have to travel, our tour leader will take time to explain the importance of these clashes in relation to South Africa's history, British colonialism and the Zulu people. After a lunch stop, we'll drive for the rest of the afternoon to St Lucia, our base for the next three nights.

Day 4

Game Drives in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve

We'll have another early start this morning to take advantage of the 'golden hour' on a Big 5 safari in one of Africa's oldest game reserves. Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park boasts the densest population of both white and black rhinos in the whole of Africa. We'll have our breakfast at one of the reserve's picnic sites, where we can stretch our legs and freshen up before continuing our safari journey. With over 500 species of birds recorded at this reserve, it's also a paradise for any birdwatchers amongst us. In the afternoon, we'll return to St. Lucia where we'll have the opportunity to experience the optional activity of a 'Hippo Cruise' on the Greater St. Lucia Estuary. The cruise meanders along allowing us to relax whilst viewing the hippos and crocodiles in their natural habitat as the sun drops from the African sky. Other activities includes a bicycle tour, a turtle safari (in season only) and an evening game drive in Isimangaliso Wetland reserve.

Day 5

At St Lucia Wetland Reserve

Today you're free to choose from one of several optional activities. There is the opportunity to continue our game-viewing experience by taking a leisurely open game drive in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, which was the first World Heritage Site in South Africa and home to four of the Big 5. The word iSimangaliso means miracle and wonder, which aptly describes this truly unique place. This optional activity also includes a typical 'braai' lunch at Cape Vidal. There is also the chance explore the local forest hiking trails. In the evening, you can enjoy an exhilarating night game drive when all the nocturnal wildlife start their day. From November to February, we can join a guided turtle tour in the Wetland.

Day 6

Drive to Eswatini

This morning, we'll make our way to Eswatini, from June to November we may have the opportunity to participate in the optional activity of whale watching, the St. Lucia coastline is the optimal location to view Humpback whales as they make their way up the coastline to Mozambique to breed. We'll then drive north and enter Eswatini - a tiny, independent kingdom inhabited by the Swazi tribe who revere their king and take great pride in retaining their culture and traditions. Along the way, we can soak up the spectacular scenery of the Ezulwini Valley, dotted with traditional homesteads. Once we have arrived safely in the Kingdom of Eswatini we will make our first rest stop at the artisan craft market at Swazi Candles near Malkerns. Famous across the world for their colorful and beautiful wax candle designs a visit here is a great way to interact with the local artisinal craftsmen and to witness first hand how so simple as a wax candle can support a whole community. In the late afternoon, we'll enter one of Eswatini's best wildlife reserves, Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary. This secluded and beautiful sanctuary is a haven of tranquillity, located in a natural bowl beneath the Nyonyane Mountains. For the next two nights, we'll stay in traditional dome-shaped beehive huts set in a wooded area. Though the camp has all the mod cons - showers, toilets, outdoor swimming pool and restaurant and bar - it is rustic in the best sense of the word. Warthogs, nyala and antelope share the camp with us, and the restaurant overlooks a lake populated by water birds, crocodiles and terapins. Due to the high demand in Mlilwane, accommodation is subject to change without notice and can vary in style. We'll endeavour to stay within the park when possible, however, some departures may be staying up to a 15-minute drive from the sanctuary in a hotel or guesthouse.

Day 7

Game viewing and optional activities in Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary

Mlilwane is Eswatini's oldest protected area, owned and managed by a non-profit making trust, it is situated in the low foothills of the Nyonyane Mountains. The park has been rehabilitated to become Eswatini's most frequented reserve where you can enjoy the beauty of the surroundings and the abundant wildlife that calls these plains home. Mlilwane has a large area of open grassland making game viewing and bird watching relatively easy and this morning we'll begin with a walk in search of zebra, wildebeest, nyala and warthog. The afternoon is free to choose one of the optional activities available at the reserve, the absence of big cats allows us to partake in mountain biking or trail walking in a relaxed setting. The alternatives are to accompany our guide to the local village of Mantenga, a living-museum to learn more about the Swazi people, their traditions and their culture, or you could simple relax and sit back to watch the local wildlife grazing outside our very own front door.

Day 8

Drive to Kruger National Park

After an early start, we'll drive north re-entering South Africa and crossing the Crocodile River into the Kruger National Park. This two-million-hectare wilderness is amongst the world's first proclaimed National Park and is justifiably South Africa's showpiece, boasting over 145 mammal species. The park offers the Big 5 and over 500 recorded bird species along with scenery as diverse as riverine forest, granite outcrops, endless savannah and impenetrable mopani woodland. We'll take a game drive on our way to the accommodation where we'll stay overnight. We will be staying just outside the park gates at a newly designed modernistic property offering a fantastic location with all the amenities required and will be enjoying a typical african braai on the patio before getting an early night.

Day 9

Game viewing in Kruger National Park; drive to Graskop

The Kruger National Park was established in 1898 to protect big game that had been hunted to near extinction, it's now one of the most prolific animal habitats in South Africa, committed to animal conservation. We'll depart very early for our morning game drive, stopping at various watering holes where we might see buffalo or antelope taking an early morning drink and hopefully a pride of lions nearby. We'll finish the morning drive with lunch at one of the park's restaurants. Our afternoon game drive will take us to the Sabie River, which is a major water source for the park's wildlife and a fantastic spot for game viewing. We'll leave the park in the late afternoon, climbing more than 1,000 metres to our overnight stop at Graskop.

Day 10

Drive to O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) where our trip ends

Departing around 7am this morning, we'll drive back to Johannesburg (a journey time of seven hours). Along the way, we'll drive through the airy uplands of Mpumalanga, an area that has been inhabited since the Stone Age and boasts rivers, multiple waterfalls, craggy escarpments and colourful birdlife. We'll stop at several viewpoints, including the aptly named 'God's Window' and admire the awe-inspiring Blyde River Canyon. We'll arrive at O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) at around 5pm and this is where our trip ends. The earliest your flight can depart is 7.20pm.

End point

1 Jones Rd, Kempton Park, Johannesburg, 1632, South Africa

17:00

Tour Details

accommodation

1 nights simple bungalow
2 nights standard hotel
4 nights standard lodge
2 nights standard rondavels

flights

International flights not included in the tour cost

guide

Tour Leaders are quite simply the glue that holds our tours together. They are chosen for their travel experience and people skills and are thoroughly trained by Explore, widely acknowledged as some of the best training in the industry. A Tour Leader's ultimate aim is to ensure everyone is well looked after and have a fantastic trip. They are there to ensure that the tour logistics run smoothly, that health and safety is adhered to and provide comprehensive briefings at the beginning and throughout the tour.

insurance

Insurance is not included. Travel insurance is required for this tour. Please make sure you are adequately covered.

meals

A key facet of our responsible approach to tourism is that we encourage our groups to eat in local restaurants that prepare locally grown food. We give customers choice as to their meals and do not use rather bland and impersonal hotel restaurants or all- inclusive options

9 Breakfasts

1 Lunches

2 Dinners

optional

St. Lucia - Boat trip on Lake St. Lucia R240; Full day Cape Vidal excursion (includes lunch) R750; St. Lucia night drive to spot turtles (Nov-Mar) R950; Whale watching (June-Nov) R960 pp; Night game drive in St Lucia Wetland Reserve R525.

Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary - Mountain bike hire approx. R190. per hour; guided walk R155.

Kruger National Park - Night drive R235.

others

All accommodation, activities and meals that are shown in the itinerary are included in the total cost of your trip You will also receive a complimentary transfer to and from the airport if you arrive on day 1 of the trip and depart on the last day and have provided your international flight information. Any visa costs, spending money and tips are not included in the trip price. You can also book extra nights’ accommodation at the beginning and end of the trip and the cost of this accommodation along with any transfers would be quoted separately.

transport

4WD, Minibus

Good to know

Currency

ZAR

Rand

South Africa

Customer reviews

Overall

4.6

Itinerary

4.7

Guide

4.9

Transport

4.1

Accommodation

4.3

Food

4.4

Operator

4.5

Faq Tour

How can I book a tour?

You can order a tour on our website by selecting the desired dates and clicking the “Confirm dates” button. You can also contact our sales department by phone or email.

Which payment options are available?

We accept credit cards, bank transfers and other popular payment methods.

Can I change or cancel my reservation?

Yes, changes or cancellations are possible, however penalties may apply depending on the time before the tour starts.

What documents are required to participate in the tour?

You will need a passport with a valid visa (if required) to visit countries along the tour route.