Out of Africa

Your flight is likely to depart from the UK in the evening and arrive in South Africa the following morning. After arrival you'll be able to pick up your rental car and meet our local representative either here or at the first hotel. Once you have your car, you'll start your South Africa self drive holiday and head north for approximately 60km to our guest house in Pretoria (breakfast is included during your stay). After you arrive at the guest house 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. Invigorated by all of the new impressions and surroundings, you'll probably have enough energy to visit the bars, restaurants and stores in Hatfield.

If your flight arrives at night, we'll make reservations for you in Johannesburg, not far from the airport, so that you don't have drive all the way to the hotel in Pretoria straight after your arrival.

You'll spend the entire day enjoying the wildlife reserve. In the morning, you'll set off on a game drive with a professional game tracker in a open-top land rover. You'll be on the lookout for the Big Five and enjoy the beauty of the African bush. You'll head back to reserve in the afternoon, but this time you'll join a ranger on a game walk. Due to the relatively small size of the reserve and the large number of animals present, there's a very good chance that you will encounter the Big Five during your walk - a real highlight of your South Africa self drive holiday. Don't expect to run into many tourists during your safari - the reserve is quite exclusive and only a few lodges have permits to take guests on safari through the reserve. 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. Additional game drives or game walks are optional, but be sure to inform the rangers that at your earliest convenience that you'd like to participate in extra activities.

Tip: If you would like to spend more time out in the wild, book an extra overnight stay at the bush camp.

Hazyview is several kilometres away from Kruger Park's Numbi gate, just a short drive on your South Africa self drive holiday. Be sure to set your alarm clock and wake up early today in order to reach Kruger right after sunrise; this is the best time of day to see the Big 5. There are excellent maps available at the entrance of the park to guide you on your exploration through Kruger. While driving south through Kruger you'll pass Satara and the Orpen dam as you slowly head further south towards Skukuza. You'll be able to spend most of the day at Kruger Park. The roads are in excellent condition and most are paved with asphalt. Keep in mind that the park speed limit is only 40 km/hour and also remember to leave the park on time before it closes its' gates. Spend the night right outside of Kruger Park in the village of Hazyview, which is beautifully situated between sugar cane and banana plantations bordering Kruger Park. You'll stay in a cosy, comfortable guest house (with a swimming pool) with fields surrounding you everywhere you look. Enjoy a delicious meal here, or look into other dining options in Hazyview. 

After breakfast you'll continue on to Mlilwane National Park in Swaziland. A scenic road will lead you 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 stands, where all types of art and other products can be purchased, you'll reach Mlilwane Natural Park. This is the largest natural park in the country. After you've passed the park entrance, head for the camp where you'll spend the night in a traditional ‘beehive’ or beehive hut in a small Swazi village. These accommodation are very basic, featuring 2 single beds, electricity, mosquito netting and basic plumbing. But then again, what else do you really need? If you would prefer, you can stay in the colonial lodge owned by the founder of the park, which is a more comfortable and exclusive option. 

 

Today, you can wake up early and take a hot bath in the warm springs just outside of camp. Relaxing in the warm water at sunrise, a stone's throw from grazing impalas and zebras is a great way to start the day. Today you'll have all the time you need to unwind on your South Africa self drive holiday. Make reservations the evening before and go on an early morning horseback ride straight through the park (for beginners and intermediates). Perhaps you would prefer a mountain bike ride to ‘Executioners Rock’? In the past, unlucky criminals were thrown to their death from this elevated rock formation. There are also several scenic hiking trails near the camp. Although you won't see any lions or other large predators, there are plenty of crocodiles and hippos in the lakes.

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 as time goes by. 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 the lake and 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 also several bars nearby that would be great for a drink and some music in the evening hours.

You'll have two entire days to 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 approximately 2 hour cruise on the lake. Be on the look-out for crocodiles, 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 of Khula. South Africa Travel Plan supports the small village's school. Many children do not even have enough money to pay tuition or even to pay for their lunch. Click here for more information on the South African charity project. If you're interested in visiting the school and the village, a guide can take you there in the morning.

The Hluhluwe-Umfolozi park is about a 30 minute drive away from your accommodation in St. Lucia. Aside from lions, (many, many) elephants and giraffes this park is also known for being the home of the nearly extinct black rhino. You can easily use your own rental car to go on a game drive. The best time for seeing wild animals is right after sunrise or around sunset, so try to plan your game drives around these times of the day. If you'd like a professional ranger to guide you through the park, your accommodation can arrange an open Land Rover game drive for you through Hluhluwe Umfolozi National Park. This usually costs about £38 per person for half a day (morning coffee and muffins included) or £55 per person (lunch included). You'll spend the night in St. Lucia once again.

 

Today you'll drive further south over quiet, well paved highways. Reach the Indian Ocean coast effortlessly and before you know it you'll be passing by beach towns and country cottages owned by people from the cities. Eventually you'll arrive at beach town Umhlanga and nearby Durban. Durban is the largest harbour in southern Africa and it has an interesting city centre with beautiful buildings. For the best fish restaurants, visit the harbour district. The climate in Durban is subtropical and the city is ideally located for visits to the Indian Ocean beaches. Your accommodation is located slightly to the north of Durban in beach town Umhlanga, an ideal base for a day at the beach or visit the city.

Tip: Have some free time left and feel like spending a few days taking walks on the beach? We can arrange for you to stay at the sandy beaches of Umhlanga for a few extra days. This is particularly worthwhile during November-April when the average temperature is 28 degrees. 

At some point during the day on the South Africa self drive holidays you'll drop off your car at Durban airport and catch a short flight to Port Elizabeth. After arrival, you'll pick up another rental car to use during the rest of your trip. Port Elizabeth is located on the Algoa bay and it is the fifth largest city in South Africa. PE (as it's called by locals) is known as a friendly city, but also as 'the windy city'. There are several main beaches in and near the city: King's, Humewood, Hobie and Pollock. Spend the night in the comfortable Kelway hotel (with swimming pool), located next to the Bayworld Oceanarium and within walking distance from the beach.

Today you'll embark on an enjoyable drive from Port Elizabeth to Knysna. Along the way you can stop at the beach towns Francis Bay or Jeffrey’s Bay and eventually you'll reach the Tsitsikamma National Park. Spend some time exploring the park, for instance by going on a hike on one of the many trails set out in the park. How about an hour-long walk to the wobbling Suspension Bridge? At the end of the day you'll reach your home base for the next few days, Knysna. Your hotel with swimming pool is located on the banks of the lagoon.

Continue on to Swellendam today, with its' broad, oak-lined streets and historic houses that bring back an atmosphere of days gone by. Once you leave the Karoo, the scenery changes dramatically and it becomes green and hilly. Follow the famous Route 62 past rugged mountains, friendly villages, wine vineyards and ostriches in pastures. After arrival in Swellendam you'll spend the night in our cosy bed & breakfast.

 

Today you'll continue your self drive holiday through the wine territories on your way to Tulbagh, a peaceful, picturesque town known mainly for its unique architecture. Most of the town is a replica of an 18th and 19th century village in South Africa. Although many buildings are not authentic, they were rebuilt according to the original designs after earthquakes destroyed them in 1969 and 1970. Church Street, for instance, is filled with houses built in this style and each of the houses has actually been declared a national monument. The town also houses excellent restaurants, many of which are also restored 'homesteads'. On your way to Tulbagh you'll find many places to stop at and perhaps you'd even like to do some wine tasting along the way. While in Tulbagh you can visit a large number of wineries or perhaps you'd like to take a step into the past at the 'Oude Drosdy Museum'. Here you'll be able to view old Cape furniture and household supplies, such as old record players. There are also many trails that are quite suitable for walks through this charming area. Furthermore you can also enjoy bird watching, horseback riding and mountain bike riding in this area. Spend the night in our guest house, located only two minutes away from historic Church Street.

There's plenty to see while you're in Stellenbosch. At the Braak, the market square, you'll find the het Burgerhuis, the VOC- Powder House and the beautiful St. Mary's church. Be sure to visit the 'Dorpsstreet' and the famous (albeit very touristy) 'Oom Samie se Winkel'.

Blauwklippen is one of the most enjoyable wine-estates, located 4 kilometres south of Stellenbosch on the road to Somerset West. There is also another estate in the area, the Hartenberg Estate, located 10 kilometres northwest of Stellenbosch. It's a beautiful estate and they produce fine wine; however when we visited the estate we were not quite impressed with their hospitality.