Set out into Kruger National Park at sunrise, when the air is cool and the changing light reveals details across the bush. Watch for predators and other animals as they move through the landscape; opportunities for this early drive are offered during the Kruger stay.

Big cats can be elusive, and no sighting is assured, but the drive offers a distinctive view of the park at daybreak. This optional safari is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Explore Kruger National Park on a sunset game drive, looking for the Big Five and other wildlife as the day cools. The late light changes the colours of the grass and trees, while animal activity can shift with the approaching evening.

Kruger’s varied habitats support a remarkable range of species, but each drive follows the unpredictable movements of wild animals. This is a separate, optional safari outing at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Take a half-day game drive through Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Game Reserve, searching its hills and valleys for the Big Five and other wildlife. An early start offers a chance to experience the reserve in cooler morning light; a picnic lunch may also be possible.

This KwaZulu-Natal reserve played a pivotal role in bringing the southern white rhino back from the brink of extinction. Wildlife sightings are not guaranteed. The game drive is optional, at additional cost and bookable on tour.

• 6 Breakfast (B)

• Marrakesh: A modular trip means fellow travellers will join and leave at various locations. There’ll be some goodbyes, sure, but there’ll also be plenty of hellos with new like-minded travellers.
• Cape Town: Generally, the tap water in most of the locations we visit is safe to drink (and readily available too!) We don’t provide bottled water due to our sustainability promise, but your Trip Manager will sort you out for anything you might need during the trip.
• Cape Town: The question should be – when is it not the best time to travel to South Africa?In the summer (October to April), you’ll find perfect beach weather at our coastal destinations, and lush green landscapes everywhere. It also tends to be the birthing season (baby animals!!!). Winter (May to August) in South Africa is probably the best time for safaris since you’ll find wildlife gathering around waterholes.Luckily, the chances of spotting the Big 5 is equally good throughout the year. And if you’re here for the whales, visiting between June to November would be your best bet.
• Cape Town: You can book your flights with departure times after 7pm on our last day. We’ll arrive at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at around 4pm.
• Cape Town: We recommend that you book an Uber from the airport. It’s the easiest and most convenient way to get to the start locations on our trips.
• Chobe National Park: As the name suggests, a Special Stay ain’t your ordinary accommodation – it’s much more than that. Think of it as an experience in its own right. On this trip, you’ll be able to camp under the stars (all while being surrounded by wildlife) at your Special Stay.
• Amboseli: Nope, you’re all good! All equipment (tents, sleeping bags, etc) will be provided for you.
• Amboseli: You don’t have to. Your road crew will set up camp, cook meals, and clean up afterwards – but you’re always welcome to help!
• Amboseli: You’ll have access to proper bathrooms with real toilets, hot showers and everything you need – just shared with the crew.

• Mbabane: We’ll cross the border to Eswatini and travel to a local village where we’ll meet some locals, spend time with them and find out all about their culture and everyday life.
• Kruger: Our Special Stay is located right inside one of Africa’s most famous National Parks and is also within one of its most popular Main Camps – Lower Sabie. The fenced-in camp is perched on the banks of the Sabie River with a shop, swimming pool and riverside restaurant (to look out for wildlife coming down to drink!). Our exclusive camp comprises of canvas dome tents with stretchers, mattresses, linen and towels plus charging outlets and a communal firepit to sit around late into the night gazing at the stars and listening to the calls of nocturnal animals.
• Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary: Traverse through Mlilwane on your own two feet, keeping your eyes peeled for antelope, wildebeest and more as you go. With a local guide on hand to make sure everyone is going the right way.
• Kruger National Park: We’ll go on an adventure in the world famous Kruger National Park, keep your eyes peeled for animal sightings!
• Kruger National Park: Wanna know how K9 Dogs protect wildlife? Come meet one of our Rangers who’ll tell you all about the K9 Watchdog Project, their fight against poachers, and how your donations from the MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience helps them save Africa’s wildlife from extinction.
• Kruger National Park: Keep your eyes peeled and those binoculars close. We’re heading out to spot more magnificent wildlife (cross those fingers for rhino’s!) and stunning scenery with our last game drive as we say goodbye to Kruger.

Meet your Trip Manager and fellow travellers in Durban for a welcome talk, with time to ask questions about the journey. A group walkabout dinner offers a relaxed setting to get acquainted.

Durban’s food culture reflects the city’s Zulu, Indian and colonial influences. The evening is a social introduction to South Africa’s east coast rather than a formal sightseeing tour; the itinerary does not specify whether the cost of dinner is included.

Spend time with residents of a local Eswatini village and learn about their culture, language and everyday life. This hosted MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experience creates space for conversation with the people who live here.

Eswatini has a living cultural heritage expressed through language, community life and traditions. Rather than viewing the country solely from a safari vehicle, this visit offers a personal introduction to local perspectives and the chance to ask questions.

Explore Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary on foot with a local guide, watching for antelope, wildebeest, warthogs and other wildlife among Eswatini’s grasslands and wooded areas. Walking brings you closer to the tracks, sounds and smaller details that are easy to miss from a vehicle.

Mlilwane’s walking routes offer a different kind of safari experience: one shaped by pace and observation. Your guide leads the way through the sanctuary and helps the group navigate its trails.

Stay inside Kruger National Park at an exclusive campsite within the fenced Lower Sabie main camp. Sleep in a canvas dome tent equipped with a stretcher, mattress, linen and towels, and gather around the communal firepit beneath the night sky.

Lower Sabie sits beside the wildlife-rich Sabie River, where animals may come to drink. A pool, shop and riverside restaurant are available within the main camp, while the calls of nocturnal wildlife give this Special Stay its distinctive atmosphere.

Travel through Kruger National Park on an included game drive, scanning the bush for elephants, antelope, birds and, with luck, members of the Big Five. The drive through the park offers another opportunity to spot wildlife, so keep binoculars and cameras close.

Kruger is one of Africa’s largest wildlife reserves, with habitats ranging from riverine woodland to open savanna. Every sighting depends on wild animals, making patient observation part of the experience.

Meet a Kruger ranger to hear how the K9 Watchdog Project uses trained dogs in the fight against wildlife poaching. This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experience focuses on the people and practical conservation work behind the park’s animal encounters.

Learn why protecting species such as rhinos requires sustained work beyond game drives, and how donations to the project support its efforts. It is a chance to connect your time in Kruger with the challenges of safeguarding its wildlife.

Cruise the waterways near St Lucia in search of hippos, one of the area’s most recognisable residents. Watching from a boat offers a water-level perspective on animals that spend much of the day submerged.

St Lucia borders iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrated for its connected coastal, lake and wetland habitats. Keep watch along the banks for birdlife and other wildlife. This optional cruise is at additional cost and bookable on tour; sightings cannot be guaranteed.

Visit a local Zulu village near St Lucia to meet residents and learn about their culture, customs and traditions. This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experience centres on direct exchange rather than viewing community life from a distance.

KwaZulu-Natal is the heartland of Zulu culture, whose language and traditions remain part of everyday life across the region. Come ready to listen and ask thoughtful questions. This optional visit is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Explore iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a walking safari, looking for signs of elephants, buffalo, rhinos and antelope while experiencing the landscape at ground level. Wildlife sightings are never certain, but the slower pace makes tracks, plants and birds part of the encounter.

This UNESCO-listed park protects a mosaic of wetlands, forests and coastal habitats along KwaZulu-Natal’s Elephant Coast. The walk is an optional experience at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Head onto the waters off the Elephant Coast for a marine safari, watching for dolphins, sharks and, in season, whales. Conditions and wildlife movements shape each outing, so the pleasure lies as much in scanning the ocean as in any particular sighting.

The coastline near St Lucia forms part of a region known for its rich marine life. Humpback whales migrate past South Africa’s east coast seasonally. This optional excursion is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Join a sunset game drive in the St Lucia area as the light softens and the bush takes on its evening sounds. Keep watch for wildlife from the safari vehicle, with sightings determined by the animals and conditions on the day.

The outing also features a traditional South African buffet dinner, bringing regional food into the safari experience. The combination offers time outdoors and a shared evening meal. This optional excursion is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Ride through Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary with a guide, covering its trails by mountain bike while watching for antelope and warthogs. Cycling offers a more active way to take in Eswatini’s open scenery and observe wildlife at a quieter pace than a vehicle safari.

Mlilwane has no Big Five, a distinction that helps make exploring its designated routes on two wheels possible. This guided ride is optional, at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Join a traditional South African braai at the Kruger camp, sharing a barbecue-style meal with local sides and desserts. It is a chance to gather with fellow travellers and taste a familiar part of South African social life.

A braai is more than a cooking method: the fire and conversation are central to the occasion. In the safari-camp setting, the meal offers a relaxed close to an evening in the park. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.