Your flight from the UK is likely to depart in the evening and arrive in South Africa the following morning. After arrival, you'll pick up your rental car at the airport and you'll talk through your itienrary with our local representative either here or at your first hotel. In your rental car, you'll drive for approximately 60km to your hotel in Pretoria. When you arrive, you'll have time to freshen up, rest up and visit a few of the sights in Pretoria such as the Buildings of Parliament and their gardens, the Voortrekkers Monument (to commemorate the Boers that trekked north into the heart of the African grassland) and the Paul Kruger House. Hopefully, you'll have enough energy to get your South African holiday in gear and visit the bars, restaurants and stores in Hatfield in the evening. 

Note: A few direct flights to South Africa arrive late at night. If your flight arrives at night, we'll make accommodation reservations for you in Johannesburg, near the airport. This way you won't have to drive all the way to the hotel in Pretoria in the dark.

On day two of your South Africa holiday you'll hop in your rental car and leave Pretoria early this morning, taking the N4 to the eastern province of Mpumalanga. As you make tracks on your driving holiday, the South African countryside will become more meadow-like, you'll see more hills and traffic will become scarce. After a while the Drakensberg peaks will loom in the distance and you'll reach the impressive, in some areas 700 meter deep, Blyde River Canyon. Your trip will end in the village of Hazyview, beautifully situated between sugar cane and banana plantations, at the Kruger Park border. Spend the night just outside of the village in a cosy guest house with swimming pool amidst fields. Restaurants in Hazyview are easily accessible for dinner in the evening.

Today you'll have plenty of time to explore the spectacular surroundings. Take a drive to the stunning Blyde River Canyon, take a look at the uniquely shaped hills at the Three Rondavels, see the amazing results of wind and erosion at Bourkes Luck Potholes and enjoy the view at Gods Window (see picture above). You can see all the way to Mozambique if the skies are clear! There are several other possible stops along the way such as the village of Sabie or former mining town Pilgram's Rest with its historic houses, facades and stores. Be sure to visit one of the many friendly cafés in the area for lunch.

Just short of Klaserie lies the exit to Kruger Park's Orpen Gate. During our search for South African driving holiday gems we found several private game reserves with small scale lodges and tented camps in this area. These camps are located in secluded areas in the middle of the bush and consist of only a handful of rooms or comfortable safari tents. You'll spend two nights of your South Africa holiday here. At the end of the day you'll be able to enjoy a roaring campfire, a glass of wine and thousands of twinkling stars shining above you.

Your stay at the bush lodge is based on full board, including breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 game activities. Take part in a morning or afternoon game drive in an open-topped Land Rover. It's also possible to take a bush walk led by a professional ranger. Additionally you can choose to book other activities on location such as an microlight flight, which will allow you to search for wild animals by air and a great addition to any South Africa holiday. On arrival at the lodge, the friendly owners will let you know which activities are possible and you can decide whether or not you'd like to participate.

If you feel like taking a game walk or game drive in Kruger this morning let us know and we'll arrange for an armed guide to accompany you through the park. These game walks are popular and often full, so it's better to book them in advance (just let us know when you are booking your South Africa holiday). Coming from the southern part of Kruger Park it's about a 275 km drive to Mlilwane National Park. Once you leave Kruger behind you it won't be long until you reach the Swaziland border. A scenic road leads through the mountain passes of Piggs Peak and along the Malotja reserve to the busy, somewhat chaotic capital city of Mbabane. After a visit to the Swazi market, you'll reach Mlilwane National Park. This is the largest nature reserve in the country. After you've passed the entrance, you'll head for the camp where you'll spend the night in a small Swazi village in a traditional beehive hut. This accommodation is very basic, with 2 single beds, electricity, mosquito netting and basic plumbing. But then again, what else do you need? If you would prefer a little more luxury on your South Africa holiday, you can stay in one of the nearby wooden chalets with private bathrooms. The colonial lodge 'O'Reillys', home of the founder of the park, is a more expensive and exclusive option.

This morning, you can take a hot bath in the warm springs just outside camp, under the watchful gaze of warthogs, impalas or zebras..... a great way to start day seven of you holiday in South Africa. Alternatively, hop in the swimming pool.

Today, you can take an early morning horseback ride straight through the park (for beginners and intermediates). Or perhaps you would prefer a mountain bike trip to ‘Executioners Rock’? In the past, unlucky criminals were thrown to their death from this elevated rock formation. There are also several hiking trails available to you near camp. Although you won't see any lions or other predators, there are plenty of crocodiles and hippos in the lakes and rivers. If you like, you can also trek to a nearby Swazi village, accompanied by a guide. Visiting these villages is a great way to learn more about the Swazi culture, not to mention a fun chance to dance and sing with children living in these villages.

Leave Mlilwane and drive further south past Manzini and Big Bend, along the Mozambique border to Golela, the KwaZulu Natal border. The landscape will become flatter and more arid. Once you reach South African territory, take the highway to Hlhuhluwe and then take the exit to the village of St. Lucia. The village is nearby a lake and a reserve both known by the same name. Spend the night in a small, pleasant accommodation with swimming pool near the main street, restaurants and stores. There are several bars nearby that would be great for a drink and some music in the evening hours.
 

Over the next two days, you can explore Lake St. Lucia and the beautiful Hluhluwe National Park. A boat leaves from the village of St.Lucia several times a day for an 2 hour cruise on St Lucia lake. Aside from the crocs, you'll also see hippos, flamingos, pelicans and other fish-eating birds. This trip can easily be booked on location. 

Tip: Near St. Lucia you'll find the Zulu-village called Khula. South Africa Travel Plan supports village school, where many children do not even have enough money to pay tuition or for lunch. Click here for more information on our South African charity project. If you're interested in visiting the school and the village, a guide can take you there in the morning.

Drive further south today over quiet, well paved highways. Reach the Indian Ocean coast effortlessly, with its' beach towns and country cottages owned by people in the cities. Eventually you'll arrive at beach town Umhlanga and nearby Durban. Durban is a large, hectic and exotic harbour city. Durban has the largest harbour in southern Africa and has an interesting city centre with beautiful buildings. For the best fish restaurants, visit the harbour area. The climate is subtropical and the city is ideally located at the Indian Ocean beaches. Your accommodation is located slightly to the north of Durban in the beach town of Umhlanga. This gives you the choice of simply chilling out on the beach or visiting the city. You'll spend the night in a charming bed and breakfast near the beach.

Tip: If you've got some extra time to spare on your South Africa holiday, we recommend spend a few extra on the sandy beaches of Umhlanga. This is particularly worthwhile from November to April, when the average temperature is 28 degrees Celsius.

Today, you'll drive from Addo to Knysna. If you like you can stop at beach town of Francis Bay or surfing hotspot Jeffrey’s Bay along the way. Later in the day you'll reach the Tsitsikamma National Park, where you can choose to stop for a while and follow one of the shorter hiking trails. Perhaps you'd like to go on a one hour walk to the wobbling Suspension Bridge? At the end of the day you'll reach your home base for the next couple of days: Knysna. Your hotel is centrally located near fine restaurants and the waterfront which should give you many driving ideas for your South Africa holiday.

If you would prefer to stay at Plettenberg Bay, please let our travel specialists know.

You'll have the whole day free to explore Knysna and the surrounding areas. Knysna is one of the most important towns on the Garden Route. Everything you could ever need is nearby, including a beautiful lagoon. The town itself isn't very large, but there are plenty of fun bars, pubs and restaurants that feature live-music until late at night. Possible daytime activities include hiking, dolphin-spotting or whale-watching, kayaking on the Knysna lagoon, diving and snorkeling, mountain biking, rock climbing, a visit to Tsitsikamma, a visit to the Robberg reserve and much more.

This morning, you'll drive from Knysna lagoon through George and the arid region of Small Karoo. Here, you'll find the centre of ostrich farming, Oudtshoorn. This is a sprawling town with broad lanes and lovely old buildings. You'll spend the night just outside of town, surrounded by ostrich farms, in a cosy guest house with a swimming pool. Breakfast is included. In the afternoon you can choose to visit the nearby Cango limestone caves. Alternatively, you can drive a little further until you reach the beautiful 'Rust en Vrede' ('Rest and Peace') waterfall. It's located in a small nature reserve that closes at 16.30. Another option is the Cango wildlife ranch, where you can pet a cheetah, hold a snake and try cage diving with crocodiles. Click here for more information on ostrich farming and the Swartberg pass.

Note: If you would like to really see the ostriches, the caves and the Prince Albert pass, you'll need to add an additional night in Oudtshoorn onto your South Africa travel plan. 

Today you'll travel on to Swellendam, with its broad, oak-lined streets and historic houses that create an atmosphere of days gone by. Once you leave the Karoo, the scenery will change dramatically, becomes far more green and hilly. You'll follow the famous Route 62 past rugged mountains, friendly villages, wine vineyards and ostrich pastures. Once you've arrived in Swellendam, you'll spend the night in a cosy bed and breakfast.

Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in South Africa, known for Table Mountain, the Winelands, plentiful sandy beaches, and the many outdoor activities available. Above all the city has a wonderful, exciting feel to it - anything is possible! Try a visit to the city centre, take the cable car to the top of the Table Mountain, have a picnic in Kirstenbosch botanical gardens, and explore the wonderful winelands surrounding the city. Be sure to include a visit to Robben island during your South Africa holiday - this is where Nelson Mandela was kept imprisoned for so many years during the Apartheid regime. At some point on Day 20, depending on your flight schedule, you'll return your car to the rental office at the airport and board a plane home.