In the itinerary, we state which meals are included on which day. The list below provides an indication of what these will consist of:

Breakfast: Cereals, coffee, tea and toast, the occasional cooked breakfast

Lunch: Cheese, cold meats, salads, bread or rolls

Dinner: Potjies (stew), braais (barbecue), stir fries, pasta

Where meals are not included, the leader will recommend a restaurant for a group meal. Dinners can cost on average 370-560 rand (US$20-US$30) per person and lunches from 90-150 rand (US$8-US$13).

The tour leaders do all the shopping, meal planning and cooking for each group. They will purchase fresh produce wherever possible. Each tour has two cool boxes for meats and fresh produce and one cool box for cold drinks. We will supply the following drinks: fruit squash served with breakfast and tea or coffee served with breakfast and dinner. All other beverages will be at your own expense. Please note, on days when the group are on morning game walks or drives, we have an early morning cup of tea or coffee and rusks followed by the walk. Once we return to camp, we have a large brunch at around 11am. In the early afternoon, we have a snack-style lunch and dinner will be served after completion of the optional game drives.

Please be aware, we need at least two weeks’ notice to deal with special dietary requirements (eg vegetarian or allergies).

Drinking water: While the tap water in South Africa is generally considered safe to drink, we recommend avoiding drinking directly from the taps during your stay. Standards and sensitivities can vary, and we want to make sure you stay well throughout your trip. For your comfort and peace of mind, we recommend using filtered or bottled water instead. The water we provide on our vehicles are either from water outlet shops or they’ve been treated with water purification tablets.

Gaze across Blyde River Canyon from viewpoints that frame the Three Rondavels and quilted Lowveld far below. Continue to Bourke’s Luck Potholes to admire sculpted whirlpool basins where the Treur meets the Blyde, and finish at God’s Window for sweeping escarpment vistas.

Carved through ancient quartzite, this is among the world’s largest “green” canyons—lush, dramatic and geologically intriguing. Boardwalks and lookouts invite you to pause for photos and reflection, capturing the scale and colour of Mpumalanga’s celebrated Panorama Route.

Ride the glass Graskop Gorge Lift down a sheer cliff into misty greenery, then follow elevated walkways and forest paths beside cascades and ferns. The descent shifts you from escarpment views to the cool hush of the gorge in moments.

This pocket of indigenous Afromontane forest shelters rich birdlife and delicate understory plants. Interpretive signage and platforms enhance the experience, blending gentle adventure with a deeper appreciation of this rare high-forest ecosystem.

Explore iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage mosaic of lakes, dunes and coastal forest. Travel through game-rich habitats in search of buffalo and rhino, pause at Mission Rocks where turtles are sometimes seen offshore, and continue to the wild sweep of Cape Vidal Beach to feel the warm Indian Ocean breeze.

Meaning “miracle” in Zulu, iSimangaliso protects Southern Africa’s largest estuarine system and a rare meeting of savanna and sea. The contrasts—woodland birds, surf-lashed reefs, tranquil pans—create a scenic, multi-ecosystem safari that rewards both wildlife lovers and seascape seekers.

Cruise Lake St Lucia on a two-hour wildlife boat excursion through reed-fringed channels and open lagoons. Watch hippo pods jostle and yawn, scan sandbanks for crocodiles, and listen for the piercing call of the African fish eagle as you glide across this tranquil estuary.

Part of iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Lake St Lucia anchors Southern Africa’s largest estuarine system. The low vantage from the boat offers intimate encounters and superb photographic angles, revealing how tides, mangroves and birdlife knit this watery wilderness together.

Join a ranger-led game drive in open safari vehicles as golden light settles over Hluhluwe–iMfolozi’s rolling hills. Search for the Big Five with a focus on rhino, and hone your bushcraft as your guide interprets tracks, alarm calls and behaviour in the deepening dusk.

Proclaimed in 1895, Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park is celebrated for pioneering white rhino conservation. The mix of riverine thickets and grassy slopes heightens predator activity at twilight, making this prime time for sightings and atmospheric photography.

Walk the African bush with an armed ranger, limiting the group to a small number for safety and quiet. Learn to read spoor and subtle bush signs—fresh prints, browsed leaves, distant calls—as you move through savanna and woodland at the pace of the wildlife itself.

This immersive experience shifts perspective from vehicle to foot, heightening awareness of scent, sound and texture. Your guide shares conservation insights from a park that helped rescue rhinos from the brink, making this a rare, ground-level encounter with a storied ecosystem.

Gather around the campfire for a bush braai, the South African ritual where glowing coals and starlight set the evening’s stage. Enjoy flame-grilled favourites and hearty sides while night jars call and embers drift into the dark.

The braai is more than dinner—it’s a shared cultural moment. Hear stories from the day’s sightings, savour the smoke-kissed aromas, and feel the easy camaraderie that defines safari life as the Southern Cross wheels overhead.

Swim with wild dolphins off Mozambique’s Ponta do Ouro on an early launch that heads beyond the surf line to clear, coral-rich waters. Don mask and fins, slip in gently when invited by your skipper, and watch these curious animals arc and whistle in the blue.

Operated with strict, no-touch guidelines, this ethically run encounter reveals the vibrancy of the Agulhas Current. From July to November, migrating humpbacks may breach nearby; from December to May, whale sharks sometimes cruise past, adding to the open-ocean thrill.

Spend full days on safari with local experts across Kruger’s southern and central regions. Set out at first light to track lions on the move, watch elephants at river crossings, and scan marula-knobthorn savanna for stealthy leopards and vast herds of buffalo and zebra.

One of Africa’s greatest wildlife sanctuaries, Kruger blends riverine forests along the Sabie and Crocodile Rivers with open plains and rocky koppies. The varied habitats and Big Five density make these drives rich in behaviour, light and landscape—ideal for keen observers and photographers.

Add a second ocean launch to maximise time with wild dolphins and improve conditions flexibility. This additional outing mirrors the included experience—brief surf launch, ocean search, and careful entry when behaviour is welcoming.

Bookable on tour at additional cost, this extension can also increase chances of seasonal encounters—breaching humpbacks (Jul–Nov) or gliding whale sharks (Dec–May). Operators follow strict codes for an ethical, low-impact swim that keeps wildlife welfare front and centre.

Meet your Tour Director and travelling companions on South Africa’s sunlit Dolphin Coast, where the Indian Ocean sets an easy rhythm for the evening. Your leader hosts an informal briefing and arranges a convivial meal at a local restaurant, a relaxed setting to swap first impressions and travel hopes.

Explore the region’s coastal character as you sample the flavours of KwaZulu-Natal, shaped by Zulu heritage and a storied Indian diaspora. This is a gentle immersion into South Africa’s famed hospitality—an evening designed to settle in and share the journey ahead.