Eastern Nature Trail

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.

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. 
 

This morning, you'll continue the South Africa driving tour. You can stop at Blyde River Canyon, admire the uniquely shaped hills at the Three Rondavels, see the amazing results of wind erosion at Bourkes Luck Potholes and enjoy the view from Gods Window. When skies are clear, you can see all the way to Mozambique! You can also stop at 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 Kruger Park's Orpen Gate. Sometime late afternoon you'll arrive at your Greater Kruger Private Game Reserve lodge where you'll spend the next two nights. This cosy lodge is run by enthusiastic South Africans, who have turned their love for the bush into their livelihood. In the evening, you can relax and enjoy the campfire under an endless starry sky or have a cocktail at the bar. In other words, welcome to bush heaven!

You'll stay at the bush lodge on a full board basis. This includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and two game activities. You can take part in a morning or afternoon game drive in an open safari vehicle, try a bush walk with a trained guide or take a microlight flight (additional cost) over the game reserve. On arrival at the property, the owners will let you know which activities are possible during your 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 would like to arrange a game walk or game drive in Kruger National Park this morning, just let us know and we'll organise it for you. 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 Swazi 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 National Park, the largest nature reserve 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 hut. This accommodation is very basic, with two single beds, electricity, mosquito netting and basic plumbing - but it will certainly be a memorable evening. You can also choose to stay in the colonial lodge belonging to the founder of the park, which is a more exclusive option. 

If you fancy an early start try a hot bath in the warm springs outside your at sunrise under the watchful gaze of sleepy impala - a great way to start your day. The Swazi village nearby the camp offers an excellent opportunity to learn more about the local culture. If you book beforehand, you can take an early morning horseback ride straight through the park (also for beginners!) or 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. 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.

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.

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. 

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 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.

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, mountain streams, rock formations in every colour imaginable and beautiful skies are the decor for your hike through this area. Enjoy a walk through the park and then embark on your 4 hour drive to Johannesburg. This is where your South Africa driving tour will end.

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. You'll sleep in a luxury bush lodge with a lovely swimming pool in 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.