13 Days History & Culture

B=Breakfast   L=Lunch   D=Dinner

Day 1&2 Isandlwane Battlefields                                                           
The tour gets underway from Johannesburg heading to Dundee in KwaZulu-Natal. On 22 January 1879, Zulu warriors locked heads with the British settlers 11 days after the British commenced their invasion of Zululand. The Zulu impi (warriors), under the leadership of King Cetshwayo, conquered the British. That day marked the birth of the Battle of Isandlwana. We visit the Battle of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift sites and Tulana Museum, before returning to the lodge, and have some free time in the afternoon. DB&B

Day 3 Pitermaritzburg
Bhambatha ka Manciza Zondi led the protest to oppose the introduction of the £1 poll tax on top of the existing hut and dog taxes in 1906. The Zulus began killing their white-coloured animals and destroying all European-made tools, Whites realised that an uprising was imminent, and more than 7 000 British troops were called to suppress the Zulus. A violent rebellion started, and 4 000 rebels lost their lives. We visit the Bhambatha Memorial and continue driving to Howick to visit the Nelson Mandela Capture Site. In Pietermaritzburg we visit the old prison where Mahatma Gandhi was detained for protesting the racial discrimination against Indians in South Africa. DB&B

Day 4&5 Durban
Durban is the second largest city in South Africa with the busiest harbour on the continent. The city is known as South Africa’s playground, with warm weather all year round and friendly people. We visit Umkhumbane, known as Cator Manor, the Victoria Market, Kwamuhle Museum, and Moses Mabhida Stadium. The next day is free: lie around the swimming pool or walk along the beach and taste the Indian dishes. B&B

Day 6&7 Isimangaliso Wetland Park/St Lucia
Isimangaliso (place of wonders) Wetland Park is Africa’s largest estuary, with biodiversity and unique ecosystems. We have a sunset boat cruise on arrival and a half day drive through the park, visiting Cape Vidal, while the guide provides more information about the park. The rest of the day is free. Walk through the town and visit the vast craft market, which has a lot of locally-made handcrafted souvenirs. Hippos are often spotted grazing through the lodges in the mornings and in the evenings, so be cautious. B&B

Day 8 Zululand

We leave iSimangaliso Wetland Park after breakfast heading to Nompondo village for a short educational cultural walk. We have an hour in one of the homes to experience how Zulu people live and learn more about their culture. After the village walk, we visit a local school for another short, guided tour before heading to Lake Jozini. The late afternoon is free to relax around the swimming pool with beautiful view of the lake and the mountains. DB&B.

Day 9 Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary (Eswatini)
We have an easy morning starting with a late breakfast before packing our luggage for the next destination. We cross to Eswatini and drive through the small villages, visit candle factory before reaching the lodge. Walk around the lodge, and enjoy the game (antelopes, zebras and warthogs) roaming freely through the lodge. DB&B

Day 10&11 Kruger Natioanal Park
The day starts with an early breakfast while enjoying some bird viewing on the pond just next to the restaurant deck. We leave Mlilwane just after breakfast, driving towards the border. We stamp out of Eswatini and re-enter South Africa in Mpumalanga province. Our next stop is the southern part of Greater Kruger in Manyeleti Private Game Reserve. We have more chances of spotting the famous Big 5 while learning about the park, and we have a sunset game drive and one morning game drive. Night safaris are only arranged and conducted by the lodge. DBL.

Day 12 Panorama Route
We have an early breakfast, and do a short game drive towards the exit, heading to the highveld region and the Blyde River Canyon. The third largest canyon in the world offers spectacular views of the landscape with its famous Three Rondavels. There are few regions in the world that can match the extraordinary beauty of the Lowveld and escarpment. We have a day visit to the canyon, God’s Window, Mac Mac Falls and Bourke’s Luck Potholes. Our lodge is right at the edge of the escarpment near Graskop. DB&B.

Day 13 Johannesburg
We leave Blyde River Canyon after breakfast, and head to Johannesburg. We drive through the famous panorama route with beautiful scenic views. We drop off clients late afternoon at the OR Tambo International Airport for departures. Tour ends at 16h00. B&B.

Flight from:850,-€

SOUTH AFRICA 

The unique “Rainbow Nation”; in Southern Africa. A melting pot of culture wildlife and wonderful scenery. South Africa’s historic emergence from the Apartheid era has created a country with wonderful spirit. With eleven national languages and many more cultures. South Africa’s wildlife destinations rival the best in the world, with the Kruger National Park being a must for all visitors along with Mkuzi Game reserve and Addo Elephant National Park. The Zulu and the Xhosa cultures portray an intense history of survival and exploration of the country before the arrival of the Dutch Settlers.

BEST TIME TO TRAVEL– The best time to travel to South Africa depends on the individuals, for safari enthusiast the best time to travel is between May and October. The temperatures are cooler or mild during the day but might get cold at night. It is our dry season. Along the Cape including the Garden Route, the best time to visit is between September and April, less rain and calm wind. It is warm. But, South Africa can be visited all year round and one will enjoy the warm weather and the beautiful landscape.

KWAZULU NATAL – is a area rich in diversity. In the Maputaland region you find the St. Lucia Wetland Park, an area rich in wildlife and beauty. Sodwana Bay boasts spectacular coral reefs superb for diving and snorkeling. The Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Game Reserves offer the chance to see the rare white rhino as well as many other species of wildlife. There are numerous Zulul villages offering crafts, traditional Zulu dance programs and the opportunity to mix and mingle amongst the Zulu tribe. For history enthusiasts a stay in the heart of Zululand with a guided tour to the battlegrounds of the Zulu, British and Boer wars is a must. The scenic Drakensberg mountains offer adventure activities such as hiking, biking and fishing. KwaZulu Natal is a perfect haven for birders.

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK – The Kruger has more species of wildlife than any other reserve in Africa. Famous for the “big five” experience being elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and rhino as well as over 460 different species of bird.

MPUMALANGA – The province bordering the southern Kruger National Park is known as Mpumalanga. The landscape of the Mpumalanga is made up of panoramic mountain passes, river canyons, waterfalls and steep mountains. Some of the most spectacular sights include God’s Window, the Blyde River Canyon (3rd largest in the world), and the old gold mining town of Pilgrims Rest.

TRAVEL GREEN AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Big 5 Green Travel ways for Southern Tours & Safaris

1. Eco-friendly destination- We try to identify and use green hotels/lodges for our trips
2. We visit local schools and workshop them about sustainability and environmental issues focusing on climate change
3. We match a donation given by our clients up to $100 to buy more trees and support other activities that focusing on climate change. On all our trips, where possible, we visit different communities and spend an hour with them planting trees.
4. We use less emission producing vehicles (NO DIESEL VEHICLE) until we find the emission detectors for our vehicles while raising funds to buy electric vehicles for our tours.
5. Within the cities, we walk, bike or use safe mode of local transportation like trains, where possible (e.g. OR Tambo Int. Airport to Rosebank/Sandton)

Big 5 Green Travel ways for our travelers (our recommendations) 

1. We encourage all our travelers to take direct flights to minimize the aeroplane emission during taking off and landing (planes produce more emission during take-off and landing because of the engine demanding power, connecting flight might be cheaper but they are not good for our environment)
2. Go digital- We don’t print flight tickets, travel invoices and other documents. Keep them in your smartphone as a pdf, take a picture or keep them on your emails, you can always login on a cafe and access all your documents in case of need.
3. Pack light – the lighter your luggage the lesser aeroplane and vehicles consumes gas during your travels
4. Reuse your towels, sheets (in hotels) and bring your reusable water bottle
5. Try to eat local food than eating something that was transported miles/kms away (eat fish only along the ocean not inland)