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Kruger & Coast

Overview
Highlights (Bullets)
- Go on an epic safari in search of lions, hyenas and more through Kruger National Park – one of the largest game reserves in southern Africa.
- Go overland in a purpose-built truck and stop to take in geological wonders like Bourke’s Luck Potholes along the Panorama Route.
- Experience St Lucia from a whole new perspective on a guided Boat Safari down this UNESCO-listed landmark.
- Take a day trip to Cape Vidal - within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site, on the exquisite Zululand coast – and enjoy free time to soak up the sun
- Visit the heartlands of the Zulu people and spend the night in a homestay, where you’ll be treated to traditional food and song, plus a meeting with the local healer.
- Swap four wheels for two legs on a guided walking safari through the Hlane Royal National Park with an expert Swazi guide, keeping an eye out for antelopes and zebras passing by.
Short Description
Experience the diversity of southern Africa on a nine-day adventure that takes you to wildlife-rich game parks, idyllic beaches, wetlands and small villages, exploring with a local leader along the way. Search for lions in Kruger National Park, enjoy a homestay in Zululand, relax on the sands of Cape Vidal and more. A mixture of included activities and free time make this tour perfect for travellers who want the benefit of on-the-ground local knowledge with some of the freedom of independent travel.
Age Requirement
15-99Itinerary
Day 1 Johannesburg
Sawubona! Welcome Johannesburg, the sprawling South African capital. In Joburg (unlike a lot of city nicknames, this is one people actually use) mansions stand alongside humble tin abodes and there are as many green parks on the outskirts of the city as there is concrete jungle in the centre. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm. If you can’t wait to begin exploring and arrive with time to spare, why not make your way to the Apartheid Museum and start your journey with some crucial history before you meet up with your group.
Day 2 Kruger National Park
Rise and shine for a long day’s drive to Kruger National Park. Leave Johannesburg and travel through the Mpumalanga Province and along the famous Panorama Route through some of the most stunning scenery South Africa has to offer, such as God's Window and Bourke’s Luck Potholes. Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Southern Africa. It boasts over 500 bird species, 100 species of reptile and 150 mammal species, including the Big Five and the endangered African wild dog. Drive through some of Kruger’s prime game viewing areas on your way to camp and try to spot some of these amazing creatures straight away! Set up camp and get settled for the evening.
Day 3 Kruger National Park
Rise early and enjoy a light breakfast of coffee and rusk (twice-baked bread) before heading out on a morning game drive. Most of your day will be spent spotting game from your overland vehicle, birdwatching and stopping at various waterholes and viewpoints to rest along the way. In the evening, choose to relax at camp or perhaps head out on an optional night drive with the park guide. The optional night drives are a chance to spot nocturnal animals and perhaps even a night-time predator or two – maybe catch a lion or hyena out hunting, or perhaps impala out in search of a late-night feed.
Day 4 Hlane Royal National Park
Start the day with a slow game drive through Kruger, covering between 20 and 70 kilometres (depending on what animals you see along the way) in the park then exiting by mid-morning. Hit the road towards Hlane Royal National Park. Travel south-east and cross the border into the kingdom of Eswatini, a country nestled between Mozambique, Northern Zululand and Mpumalanga. Arrive at Hlane Royal National Park, a vast expanse of bushveld with ancient hardwood trees, and begin exploring immediately on a guided game walk. The walking safari, led by a local guide, will give you the best understanding of how large and complex the ecosystem in this park is. With a professional ranger by your side, you’ll look out for animals like rhino, giraffe, and elephant while also searching for tiny creatures like the snakes, spiders, and small mammals (don’t worry, there’s no lions in the section of the park where you’ll be walking). You’ll spend tonight at a camp within the national park.
Day 5 Hlane Royal National Park
Today you’ll have the opportunity to further explore Hlane Royal National Park at your leisure. You might like to book an optional 4x4 game drive within the park, where you can expect to see all kinds of animals like antelopes, elephants, zebras, rhinos, and lions. Guided by a local Swazi guide, these drives typically take 2-2.5hrs either in the early morning or late afternoon. Another optional activity for today is to visit the Hlane Umphakatsi (Chief Village) - a tour of the authentic living homestead and opportunity to discover the Swazi way of life. You'll learn more about the traditional culture here, get to know the locals and even get a chance to try your hand at day-to-day activities. You’ll discover how Umphakatsi is a special village since it is one of the few with a female Chief: Inkhosikati.
Day 6 St Lucia Estuary
Depart Hlane this morning and cross the border to Lake St Lucia, part of the St Lucia Estuary, stopping at a shop for supplies along the way. Declared a World Heritage Site in 1999, St Lucia Estuary is home to thousands of varieties of birds, mammals and reptiles, including hundreds of hippos and crocodiles. On arrival, jump onboard for a Hippo Boat Safari which offers a different perspective to traditional Game viewing with the chance to spot creatures cruising down the estuary, or basking on the banks.
Day 7 St Lucia Estuary
We'll take a day trip to Cape Vidal today for some time by the sand, in the sun today. Cape Vidal lies within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site and sits on the exquisite Zululand coast – home to a rich array of marine life. This area is visited seasonally by humpback whales during their migrations, as well as loggerhead and leatherback sea-turtles that come to the beaches north of Cape Vidal from November to February to nest. You can spend the day relaxing on the beach or speak to your leader about booking some of the optional activities in the area. You’ll head back to your camp at Lake St Lucia this afternoon.
Day 8 Valley of a Thousand Hills
Rise early and head to the Valley of a Thousand Hills, the heartland of the Zulu nation, for a unique homestay experience. Gain insight into the daily life of the rural Zulu people with a night in a local’s house, where you'll be treated to some traditional food, song and dance. Explore the village on foot and make the most of this rare opportunity to see a remote culture from the inside. Interact with your hosts and perhaps share some of your own culture and language in turn.
Day 9 Durban
Continue to Durban after breakfast today. With no activities or accommodation planned, your adventure comes to an end on arrival today. Durban is South Africa's second most populous city, boasting sandy beaches and a glitzy nightlife – a great place to extend your stay and enjoy some leisure time. Perhaps take the opportunity for a final dinner with your fellow travellers this evening.
Availability
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4,186 Intrepid Travel Travel Reviews & Ratings
Kruger & Coast
The scenery was amazing and intrepid's choice
Guide(s) : Emma and Alf were knowledgeable
Itinerary: incredibly varied itinerary (countryside, beaches, game viewing, cities) kept things interesting. Several two night stops also helped break up the trip.
Excellent itinerary, wonderful guides, and a good
It's a great balance between independent travel
I enjoyed the pace of the 9
Company Reviews
I had a really fun time travelling to…
Details
Flight & Transport Inclusions
All internal ground transport Overland vehicle
Group Size
Small Group - 24 max
Maximum Number of People in Group: 22
Accommodations
Camping with facilities (4 nights),Camping with basic facilities (2 nights),Homestay (1 night),Hotel (1 night)
Guides
You will be accompanied by 3 crew members - Group Leader, Cook and Driver. Your Group Leader’s role involves organizing the overall operation and smooth-running of the trip, managing trip logistics, coordinating the tipping kitty (where applicable) and will form work groups to take turns cooking, cleaning and shopping (from time to time your leader may drive as well). Your Group Leader will work towards making the trip as safe and enjoyable as possible for all travellers. Intrepid trips are built around the co–operation and participation of all the group members under the supervision of the group leader. The group leader will show the group how to set up and use the equipment. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. We also use local guides where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting, especially when tracking and identifying game - we think it's the best of both worlds. Regardless of the country of origin, our Group Leaders are chosen for their leadership skills and are wonderful ambassadors for our company and our beautiful continent and its people. Your Cook is responsible for the cooking and will help to coordinate the work groups for preparing the meals and washing up! Cooks are also responsible for organising food shopping (they are always happy to have you on board) and most importantly, they make sure high hygiene standards are kept at all times while camping. Your Driver’s main responsibility is to get you to your destination safely; they are also responsible for the maintenance of the vehicles along the way. Everyone is expected participate and carry their share of the workload/duties, making camp chores easier. The duties rota system is adopted where all members share in general camp duties – cooking, shopping, washing up etc. If the whole group participates it will be quicker, easier, and more fun. We endeavour to provide the services of an experienced leader and crew; however, situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders.
Age Notes :
Min. Age: 15
Max Age: 99
Additional Information
Finish point
- Road Lodge Umhlanga Ridge
- Cnr Medigate and Hospital Road Umhlanga Ridge
- Durban
- 4321
- SOUTH AFRICA
- Phone: +27 315807200
Trip ID#:
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