20-day South Africa, Lesotho Eswatini Explorer Accommodated

Departing from Pretoria today, we drive across the main farming regions of Gauteng to the scenic vistas of the Panorama Route. Its then off to Hazyview, a quaint town bordering the Kruger National Park where we stay for the next few nights.

Rising early, we board our open 4x4 safari vehicles and make our way into the magnificent Kruger National Park. Home to over 505 species of birds and 148 species of mammals, we enjoy a morning and afternoon game drive, pausing in the heat of the day in search for the abundance of wildlife inhabiting the area. After a rewarding day, we retrace our steps back to our accommodation for the night.

This morning, we re-enter the park for our second days game driving day. With cameras and binoculars on hand, we spend the morning and afternoon traversing the marked routes encountering many species. Kruger has over two million hectares of an unrivalled diversity of ecosystems boasting an incredible concentration of wildlife and we hope to encounter some of these including the Big 5 - elephant, rhino, leopard, lion and buffalo. We return to our accommodation for the night and enjoy our last night around an open fire. For those who choose not to include the optional Adventure Pass, today is spent at leisure either at the camp or exploring the surrounds.

Leaving the Kruger area, we travel along the western edge of Kruger through various rural settlements before crossing the Crocodile River to the Kingdom of Eswatini Swaziland. The windy roads carry us over striking mountains passes, small villages and unique craft markets to the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, Swazilands oldest protected area located in the stunning Ezulwini Valley, Valley of Heavens. We spend the next two night here exploring the beauty of the area and the many optional activities on offer.

Waking to the sounds of nature in the midst of the reserve where antelope roam freely, we make the short drive to the Royal Enclosure for a culture experience. Here we take a guided tour of the area and learn about the countrys culture and history of the monarchy. Returning back to Mlilwane Wildlife Reserve, the rest of the day is yours at leisure. Take part in some of the many activities offered in the sanctuary such as horseback trails, game drives, mountain bike riding, and guided walks or just enjoy some rejuvenating time-out with a good book overlooking the watering hole.

This morning we travel through this magnificent country, crossing the border and re-entering South Africa via the KwaZulu-Natal province. We continue to a small town of St Lucia nestled on the wild northern coast and a tropical estuary and board a scenic cruise to explore the Estuary with its many Hippos, lazy crocodiles, and numerous bird species.

After a relaxing morning, our journey takes us to the seaside city Durban, hosting one of the largest commercial ports in Africa and offers a vibrant nightlife, pristine beaches of which we can explore. Our accommodation is located to the north of the city, close to the long stretch of beaches.

Today is a free day to explore this delightful city. Head to the beachfront, known as the Golden Mile and visit the colourful flea markets and the stretch of numerous quality restaurants with a view. Should you wish to opt for a bit more adventure why not visit the uShaka Marine World, the largest marine theme park in Africa.

After breakfast, we bid farewell to the beach and travel through the lush mountainous countryside to our accommodation for the next two nights at Sani Lodge just outside Underberg. This magnificent place bat-eared at the foot of the Sani Pass, the gateway to the mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. This afternoon is yours at leisure to enjoy the spectacular views and the many hiking and walking trails.

This morning we meet our local guide and board a 4x4 vehicle for a tour of Lesotho via the dramatic Sani Pass. Traversing the mountains and rugged terrain we visit at small Basotho household and a shearing shed in a Shepherds village and if the season is right, we may get to view an angora goat or sheep been sheared. From here we ascend the Black Mountain, rising to one of the highest points at 3482m stopping for a beverage at the highest bar in Africa before descending the pass back to our accommodation for the night.

We drive north with the magnificent Berg to our left and take in some history as we drive through the southern part of South Africas battlefields. With many battles fought between English and Boer Dutch-speaking farmers, or Boer and the indigenous Zulu tribes - there are many points of interest and we stop off at a few to learn about the significance of these. After our historic visits, we continue on to our overnight stop at the base of the grand northern Drakensberg.

After breakfast, we pack our day bags and travel a short distance to the Royal National Park entry gate in the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park. There are many optional trails to explore by horse or on foot. Walkers and hikers can enjoy short journeys which take about an hour, or longer excursions over a half or full day. This is a great way to explore the impressive surroundings at the foot of the Drakensberg, including the well-known Amphitheatre rock face.

After a nice break exploring the Drakensberg, we board our Acacia vehicle and journey around the northern section of Lesotho and re-enter the country at the Maseru Bridge Gate. Heading Southwest over mountainous terrain dotted with villages and narrow passes, we arrive at Malealea Lodge, in the Mafeteng District. This picturesquely located lodge hosts many optional activities such as pony treks and hiking.

Today, you have a free day to explore this beautiful country and enjoy the many optional activities on offer include hiking, mountain biking and bushman paintings tour. But most of all, no visit to Lesotho would be complete without a pony trek. Trails traverse hair-raising narrow mountain tracks through local Basotho villages and striking waterfalls.

This morning, we leave the Lesotho highlands and cross back into South Africa to the Mountain Zebra National Park, situated on the northern slopes of the Bankberg mountain range near Cradock, in the Eastern Cape Midlands. This amazing park 284km hosts over 700 animal species, including the endangered mountain zebra which the park name derives from and include eland, cape buffalo, cheetah, lion, caracal, black rhino, bat eared fox and wildebeest. Entering the National Park, we game drive in our Acacia vehicle in search for these animals en-route to our accommodation for the evening.

Today we drive to Addo Elephant National Park, home to over 600 Elephants, lion, buffalo, rhino, leopard, antelope and more! Addo also claims to be the only national park to have the Big 7 - the traditional big 5, along with the southern right whale and great white shark of Algoa Bay coast. We game drive in our Acacia vehicle in hope to get a glimpse of the diverse mammal and bird populations of the area. Our accommodation for the evening is right next to the beach just outside of Gqeberha Port Elizabeth, where you can breathe the fresh air and walk along the coastal stretch.

We leave the Gqeberha Port Elizabeth area this morning and make our way to the Tsitsikamma Forest. This region is a multi-faceted destination and makes up the top section of the Garden Route National Park, which contains rivers, reefs, dramatic coastlines and lush forest - which we have the opportunity to explore in the afternoon. Our last stop takes us to the quaint town of Plettenberg Bay. After refreshing up, explore the town and the many amazing restaurants and bars of the area.

Oudtshoorn nestles between the impressive Outeniqua Mountains, natural lagoons and the Indian Ocean, with the world-renowned forests encircling it like a protective mantle. We make our way to Oudtshoorn via the coastal route and the Outeniqua mountain pass. Oudtshoorn is known as the ostrich capital of the world owing to the mass of Ostrich farms in the area. Also in this region are the Cango Caves, Africas largest show cave system. Situated in a limestone ridge parallel to the well-known Swartberg Mountains, here we find the finest drip-stone caverns, with their vast halls and towering formation.

Relaxed and refreshed from the wonderful stay in the dry Karoo and the town of Oudtshoorn, we make our way to the coastal town of Hermanus, famous for its whale and dolphin sightings. En route we stop off at Cape Agulhas, the place where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet, lying at the southernmost tip of Africa. The late afternoon is spent exploring Hermanus, a haven for the outdoor enthusiast! We spend the night enjoying the towns atmosphere and nightlife.

In Hermanus, we have time this morning to explore the towns variety of shops and cafes, visit the museum or join an optional whale based tour in season. We then visit a winery on the outskirts of Cape Town where we participate in a wine tasting to sample the delicious flavours in the local wines. Our tour ends on arrival in the late afternoon in Cape Town.