Eastern Nature Trail - South Africa driving tours

Is it possible to truly experience South Africa in two weeks? It's possible; if you focus on visiting versatile east South Africa. This South Africa driving tour is quite impressive and naturally includes the famous Kruger Park. You'll be able to experience overnights stays in a romantic bush camp, in typical beehive huts in Swaziland and you'll also be able to visit the natural parks and reserves in KwaZulu Natal. After visiting the majestic Drakensberg Mountains you'll eventually arrive in Johannesburg for your return flight to the UK. If you have a little extra time to play around with some other travel ideas, try to add on one or more days to visit Hluhluwe National Park, St Lucia and surrounding areas. If you enjoy hiking, you may wish to add an extra couple of days to your stay in the Drakensberg area.

An even more adventurous South Africa driving tour would be to stop in the Drakensberg mountains and then drive through Lesotho towards Cape Town instead of heading back to Johannesburg. Or, if you like, you can hop on a plane from Johannesburg to Cape Town. Almost anything is possible and you get to decide!

Your flight to South Africa is likely depart in the evening and arrive the following morning. When you've landed, you'll pick up your rental car and our local representative will talk you through the itinerary either at the airport or your first hotel. Next, you'll drive for approximately 60km to your hotel in Pretoria, where you'll have time to freshen up, take a rest and visit a few of the sights in Pretoria. Stop at 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.

Total distance on Day 1 of the South Africa driving tour is approximately 60 km.

Note: A few direct flights to South Africa arrive late at night. In these circumstances, we make hotel reservations for you in Johannesburg instead, not far from the airport, so that you don't have drive all the way to Pretoria.

This morning on your South Africa driving tours, you'll leave Pretoria early in your rental car and take the N4 to the eastern province of Mpumalanga. Slowly but surely, the countryside will become more meadow-like and hilly and traffic will become scarce. After a while you will see the peaks of the Drakensberg Mountains and the impressive gorge of the Blyde River Canyon. Your trip ends in the village of Hazyview, beautifully situated between sugarcane and banana plantations, on the border of Kruger Park. You'll spend the night just outside of the village in a cosy guest house with a swimming pool in the midst of fields. The restaurants in Hazyview are easily accessible for dinner in the evening.

Total distance on Day 2 is approximately 400km.
 

This morning, you'll get back behind the wheel of your car and continue the South Africa driving tour. You will have plenty of time to explore the spectacular surroundings and fulfil any travel ideas you may have. Take a drive along Blyde River Canyon and admire the uniquely shaped hills at the Three Rondavels, witness the results of wind erosion at Bourkes Luck Potholes and enjoy the view at Gods Window (see picture above). When skies are clear, you can see all the way to Mozambique! There are several other possible stops along the way such as the quaint village of Sabie and former mining town Pilgrim's Rest with its' historic houses, facades and stores. Maybe even grab lunch at one of the friendly cafés in the area.

Just short of Klaserie lies the exit to Kruger Park's Orpen Gate. Sometime late afternoon you'll arrive at your Greater Kruger Private Game Park Lodge where you'll spend the next few nights. This cosy lodge is run by enthusiastic South Africans, who have turned their hobby and love for the bush and the outdoors into their livelihood. In the evening, relax and enjoy the campfire under an endless starry sky or have a cocktail at the bar. In other words, welcome to bush heaven!

Total distance on Day 3 is approximately 200km.

You'll stay at the bush lodge on a full board basis. This includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 game activities. Take part in a morning or afternoon game drive in an open safari vehicle. Or you can go on a bush walk with a trained guide who'll let you in on all of the secrets of the bush. Additionally, you can choose to book other activities on location such as an ultralight flight, allowing you to search for wild animals by air. On arrival at the property, the owners will let you know which activities are possible on the South Africa driving tour. Of course, you can also always opt to simply pull up a comfortable chair, grab a good book and enjoy the sounds of the many wonderful birds serenading you.

If you feel like going on a game walk or game drive in Kruger National Park this morning, just let us know and we'll arrange for a professional guide to accompany you through the park. The guides become booked up very quickly, so it's best to book in advance. 

Coming from the southern part of Kruger Park it's about a 275km 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 stands, where all types of art and other products can be purchased, you'll reach Mlilwane Natural park. This is the first and largest natural park in the country. After you've passed the entrance, head for the camp where you'll spend the night in a small Swazi village in a traditional ‘beehive’ or beehive hut. This accommodation is very basic, featuring 2 single beds, electricity, mosquito netting and basic plumbing. But then again, what else do you need?

You can also choose to stay in the colonial lodge 'O'Reillys', home of the founder of the park, which is a more expensive and exclusive option. It all depends on what you want during your South Africa driving tour!  

Total distance on Day 6 is approximately 240 kms.

Why not get an early start and have a hot bath in the warm springs just outside of camp? Floating around in the warm water at sunrise, under the watchful gaze of sleepy impala or zebras, what a pleasant start of the day. Looking for a little less unconventional start of your day? How about a dip in the 'regular' pool?

The Swazi village nearby the camp offers an excellent opportunity to learn more about their culture and perhaps do some dancing and singing as well. There are also a few other options available to you that will allow you to unwind from your long road trips. Make reservations the evening before and go on an early morning horseback ride straight through the park (also for beginners!). 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 hiking trails available to you near the camp. Walking through nature, leaving all forms of motorized transportation far behind, has an incredibly calming effect on people. Although you won't see any lions or other predators, there are plenty of crocodiles and hippos in the lakes, streams and banks of the river. Be sure not too get to close to these areas.

This morning on the South Africa driving tour, you'll 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 very nearby the lake and reserve both known by the same name, St. Lucia. 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.

Total distance on Day 8 is approximately 350 kms or 4 hours. 

From Hluhluwe, you'll set off on the 3 hour drive to Durban. Sometime in the afternoon you'll arrive at the beach town of Umhlanga, near Durban. You'll spend the night at a charming bed and breakfast near a broad sandy beach. Your room will have a shower, toilet, TV and a fan. You can enjoy breakfast on the pool patio, with plants and flowers all around you. The very lively city centre of Umhlanga is only about 5 minutes away. There are many bars, stores and great restaurants. Of course, you can also take a quick drive to Durban boulevard. Got the idea to spend more time at the beach? Think about booking an overnight stay at Umhlali, a beach town with a beautiful sandy shoreline about 10km north of Umhlanga.  

Total distance on Day 11 is approximately 300km.

The 'Central Mountain' and 'Royal Natal' are only a short drive away from your accommodation in Champagne Valley. Today you'll be able to take 1 to 6 hour breathtaking hikes through both of these areas. The Drakensberg massif has mountaintops ranging up to 1700 to 3500 metres in height and consists mainly of overgrown basalt mountains through which many mountain springs run. You'll encounter very all kinds of flora and fauna. If you look closely you'll see the black eagle, the bearded vulture, badgers, different types of gnus etc. Naturally, the highlight of the Royal Natal Park is the 'Amphitheatre', seen on the picture to the right.

If hiking isn't your thing, you can also visit the Spioenkop or the Weenen Game Reserve. Weenen Game Reserve is home to black rhinos, giraffes, buffalos, zebras, ostriches, European bison and many other types of antelopes. Spend the night in Champagne Valley.

Total distance on day 14 is approximately 100 km.

We suggest waking up early today in order to arrive at the Golden Gate National Park before lunchtime. The Gold Gate National Park is located on the border between Lesotho and Free State and is quite mountainous. Fertile grassy hills, refreshing rivers and mountain streams, oddly shaped rock formations in every colour imaginable and beautiful skies are the decor for your hikes through this area. Enjoy a walk through the park and then embark on your 4 hour drive to the hectic city and airport of Johannesburg. This is where your South Africa driving tour will end.

Total distance on day 15 is approximately 350 km.

Tip: If you have a little more time available and can't get enough of spotting wild animals, we recommend you extend your stay with 2 nights in Madikwe Game Reserve. Spend the night in a luxury bush lodge and you'll feel like you're on safari while floating in the swimming pool in this luxurious, non-crowded private park. Click here for our malaria free safari in South Africa. You can also extend your stay with an extra night at Champagne Castle or Golden Gate National Park to fully enjoy this area.