Wake up early with a sunrise cup of coffee and fresh rusks (a traditional South African biscuit). Expect an exciting safari as we head out on a full day game drive with expert guides in an open safari vehicle. You will receive a breakfast pack to enjoy at a picnic spot in the park.

Explore the wilderness with heightened senses on the lookout for creatures big and small. Be ready to add to your animal and bird viewing list! There is a lot to look for, including the ‘Big 5’. Find graceful giraffes among the thorn trees, while in the vast African skies, vultures circle, marking a kill. Listen out for the compelling cry of a Fish Eagle or the unforgettable, full-throated roar of a lion.

As the day unfolds, relish a tranquil lunch (at your own expense) at a scenic picnic spot, surrounded by the park’s untamed beauty. Relax and take in the special energy of the African bush. We return to the lodge in the late afternoon. Enjoy dinner under the starry galaxy, and share stories around the campfire or at the restaurant.

You will be reluctant to leave the wild world of the Kruger National Park, but Hoedspruit is a wildlife mecca. After breakfast, there are more opportunities to spot wildlife on the 3-hour drive to Orpen Gate, where we exit the Park and head towards the Makalali Private Game Reserve. Makalali is renowned for its diverse wildlife and beautiful landscapes, with a signature skyline of the Drakensberg Mountain Range. It is also home to the highly endangered African wild dog. We stop for lunch (at your own expense) en route.

Once at the lodge, you can enjoy an afternoon high tea, cool off in the pool, or relax on a viewing deck. You will explore this private reserve, spanning 26,000ha of pristine bushveld, in an open safari vehicle with an expert game ranger in the afternoon. With two game drives, you can expect hours of excitement and wonder. You are in for a treat this evening with fine dining on the deck, before retiring to your suite for the night.

Early morning in the bush is extraordinary. The clear air is filled with birdsong; animals make their way to drinking holes. Be part of the wilderness on a guided walk through the bush, or head out on an open vehicle game drive. After a lodge breakfast, we drive along the Panorama Route where the scenery shifts from bushveld to the lush green mountains and valleys.

We stop for lunch (at your own expense) along this route. First, we visit the Blyde River Canyon, the world’s largest green canyon filled with waterfalls and ancient geological formations that will astound you, including the Three Rondavels – three conical peaks resembling African huts. Stand on the bridges over the Bourke’s Luck Potholes, where millennia of swirling water have carved giant holes into the sandstone. Watch misty rainbows formed by the cascading Lisbon Falls as it plunges 94m of sheer rock face.

If time permits, take a short walk to the bottom of the falls. We continue to the highest point of the day, at God’s Window before seeing the Pinnacle – a tall, freestanding rock formation that offers unrivalled views of the Canyon. We overnight near Graskop, a town established in the 1880s at the height of the gold rush, and now part of the local timber industry. Enjoy a relaxing dinner at your hotel.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before we make our way back to Johannesburg. We will stop for lunch (at your own expense) en route and arrive in Johannesburg in the afternoon at OR Tambo International Airport or the main Sandton and Rosebank hotels.

NOTE for airport drop-off: It is advisable to book a local flight departing after 18h00