Tented Safari Lodge

On the first day of your South Africa safari and tour, you'll leave Pretoria early in the morning by rental car and take the N4 to the eastern province of Mpumalanga. Gradually the countryside will become more meadow-like and hilly and traffic will become scarce. You'll arrive at Dullstroom in the afternoon; one of the best fly fishing areas in South Africa and also known for birds of prey. It's also a wonderful area to go horseback riding.

This picturesque town between Pretoria and Kruger Park is a great place to stay on your South Africa trip. Spend the night in our guest house with charming features such as a fireplace and a large garden in which you'll find many different kinds of birds. Your room will have a heater, tv and coffee and tea facilities. Breakfast is included.

There's plenty of time for sight-seeing in this spectacular area today on your South Africa safari tour. Drive past Blyde River Canyon and visit the uniquely shaped hills at the Three Rondavels. A little further along the way, stop to see the effects of wind and erosion on stone at Bourkes Luck Potholes. Another must-see is the view at Gods Window, where you can see all the way to Mozambique if skies are clear. There are several other enjoyable rest-stops along the way, such as the quaint village of Sabie or former mining town Pilgrim's Rest with its historic houses, facades and stores. Be sure to visit one of the many friendly cafés for lunch.

A little further up north, approximately a 50 minute drive away from Phalaborwa and Kruger, lies the Northern Province (also known as Limpopo) and the Edeni private game reserve. Stay in one of the tents at the bush camp, with your own private shower & toilet. The camp looks out on the Mahkutswi River, a place where wild animals come to drink water in the evenings- a great chance to relax and enjoy a cold beer whilst spotting the wildlife on your South Africa holiday. Arrive before 15.00 and you'll be on time to search for wild animals with a ranger that same afternoon.

On your South Africa Safari tour agenda today you will exploring the wildlife reserve. During the morning, go on a game drive with a professional game tracker. Drive straight through the 'Big 5' reserve in an open land rover and see the beauty of the bush up close. The rangers know where which animals can be found and they can also tell you quite a bit about the flora and fauna, tracks and animal droppings.....

In the afternoon head back to the reserve, but this time join a professional ranger for a game walk. Since the reserve is relatively small and a large number of animals live in the reserve, chances are you will encounter the 'Big 5' during your walk. The reserve is quite exclusive and only a few tented safari lodges in South Africa have permits to be there. The guides and trackers available to you are extremely qualified and know all of the secrets of the bush, perfect if you are basing your South Africa holiday around seeking out the Big 5. In between game walks and game drives you can relax in the swimming pool, while giraffes and zebra's swish their tails through the water of the river nearby.

Your  South Africa safari trip will continue on to Hazyview. Hazyview is located several kilometres from Kruger Park's Numbi gate. If you'd like to sleep in a bit this morning in your South African safari lodge and rather not spend too much time in the car, we suggest driving along the outer perimeter of Kruger Park. Of course, driving through Kruger with your own rental car is a lot of fun as well and a great experience on your South Africa holiday. There are excellent maps available at the entrance of the park. Pass Satara and the Orpen dam and slowly head south towards Skukuza. The roads are well maintained and most are paved. Keep in mind that the speed limit is only 40 km/hour. If you do decide to drive through Kruger Park, you'll be on the road for hours. Be sure to leave the park on time. You'll spend the night right outside of Kruger Park in the village of Hazyview, which is beautifully situated between sugar cane and banana plantations at the Kruger Park border. You'll stay in a cosy, comfortable guest house with swimming pool in the midst of fields. Enjoy a great meal here, or explore other dinner options in Hazyview.

After breakfast, your South Africa safari and tour module ends and you'll continue your South Africa trip. Next, you can choose to travel on to Johannesburg or into Swaziland and Mlilwane National Park. If you would like to continue travelling with a module that fits well with this one, have a look at the St. Lucia wetlands module 'Beehive huts and St. Lucia'.

Tip: Want to spend more time on your South Africa holiday in the bush? Book an additional night in a bush camp.