Big 5 Safari in the Kruger Park, snorkel and swim on the tropical beaches of Mozambique.
13 Days,12 Nights
(Code KB14)
Panorama Route, Kruger National Park & Mozambique
Sit back and relax while your dreams come true as we set out for the wide open spaces of the spectacular Panorama Route, descending the escarpment to the iconic Kruger National Park. After this we head off into remote regions of Africa to the sun drenched coast of Mozambique before returning to South Africa to discover fascinating remnants of the oldest continent in the world.
Day 1, Night 1 - Johannesburg to Panorama Route
Your tour guide will meet you either at the OR Tambo international airport or at your place of residence in Johannesburg.
After loading your luggage, we board the tour vehicle and depart across the high grasslands, passed the yellow gold mine dumps on our way east to the scenic beauty of this well-known attraction, the Panorama Route on the escarpment of South Africa.
On arrival we check into our comfortable accommodation in a lodge near the top of one of the tallest peaks in the northern Drakensberg Mountains the lodge is home to the highest brewery in Africa.
After checking in and freshening up we meet back in the lounge and dinning area where we can choose one of the home brewed beers on offer or choose a glass of wine or something nonalcoholic to refresh you after a day on the road, seated around the glowing warmth of a wood fire.
After a delicious home cooked meal, we make our way to bed in one of the comfortable rooms in the lodge.
Overnight at lodge on the Panorama Route, lunch, dinner bed and breakfast.
Day 2, Night 2 - Mountain Lodge to the Blyde River Canyon
As this is your first full day on tour, we get up early to catch the sun rising up over the lowveld (low country) to the east to make our way to the top of the mountain near the lodge, where we are treated to with magnificent views over the rolling hills and steep valleys below as we watch the sunrising over the province of Mpumalanga, the “Place of the Rising Sun”.
We return to the lodge for a wholesome breakfast before checking out and setting off on a full day of exploring the sights and sounds views and vistas of the renowned Panorama route. God’s window, a mist forest walk, the 3 Rondavels and other vistas await you. Seeped in history, we visit a large canon used by the Boers soldiers against the British forces and further on an entire gold mining village, preserved as it was in the late 1800’s. En route we stop at clear mountain streams with deep pools in which to swim. View tall waterfalls spilling over steep cliffs into deep pools. Do some curio shopping while taking plenty of photographs.
Stop for lunch at a riverside Bos kombuis (bush kitchen) where, accompanied by a gurgling mountain stream we enjoy pure South African traditional food on a Braai (Barbecue).
At the end of the day, we drop down out of the high country into the sub-tropical climate where the vegetation consists of many of the savanna trees we will become familiar with in the Kruger National park. We check into our overnight accommodation in a river lodge set on the banks of the Blyde river (River of happiness) where we are surrounded by huge riverine trees and a profusion of birds.
Day 3, Night 3 - Blyde River Lodge to Private Luxury Tented Camp
After a wonderful sunlit breakfast on the patio overlooking the gardens, the river flowing in the background, we pack up and check out and with a sense of excitement we head for the mighty Kruger National Park.
We have chosen to spend our first night in this iconic conservation area at a privately owned tented camp on a private concession in the heart of the Kruger Park. These are no ordinary tents pitched in the bush. The camp takes you back to the day of old and mirror the unadulterated luxury of “Safari”. Nothing is left to chance in this exquisite camp on the banks of a quiet backwater with a rim flow pool engaging the raw bush with the understated comfort of this camp.
Tented camps have the advantage of having a reduced footprint in this pristine wilderness, so they effectively reduce the impact of man on this environment
After checking in we immediately begin our game viewing experience, searching the savannas for the abundant wildlife birds and reptiles we have come all this way to find. You will not be disappointed.
On arrival your period dressed reception will greet you with refreshments and a warm or cold towel depending on the season to refresh you before check in.
You will be shown to your individual tented accommodation with outside shower and private plunge pool.
At midday we meet on the patio overlooking the river for our lunch after which is a bit of down time to relax and soak up the bushveld atmosphere.
We once again meet on the patio in the early afternoon for pre-game drive refreshments where you will meet your ranger and board the open 4 x 4 vehicle for your first game drive to find the wildlife you’ve been so looking forward to seeing.
We stop at sunset in a safe place where we get down off the vehicle stretch our legs and have a special sundowner drink and some snack to fortify you for the evening drive under cover of darkness as we search by spotlight for the nocturnal creatures of the African bushveld.
We arrive back at camp in time to freshen up before meeting for a candle lit meal under a magical, star lit sky. Great friendships spark and stories get longer as we slowly wind down and make our way, accompanied by your armed ranger for safety, to our tented accommodation and a peaceful nights rest surrounded by the sounds of the African night.
Overnight luxury tented camp lunch, dinner, bed and breakfast
Day 4, Night 4 - Luxury Tented Camp to Kruger National Park
The lodge operates on a 2 season basis, winter and summer schedule. During the longer days of summer, we wake earlier to catch the sunrise, take refreshments on the deck before boarding the 4x4 vehicle with your ranger to venture out and find what has been happening under cover of darkness, coming back at around mid-morning, 10 am for a hearty breakfast on the deck overlooking the river bed.
In winter it is breakfast first, before going out, returning later in the morning for a quiet period of relaxing under the great riverine trees on your private deck or taking a refreshing dip in your private plunge pool.
In this case we return to the lodge in time to pack our luggage bid farewell to the team as we board the tour vehicle and make our way to our overnight accommodation in a centrally situated Rest Camp that is renowned for its game viewing with large concentrations of Zebra, Wildebeest, Giraffe and great herds of Buffalo and of course the predators, Lion, Hyena, Leopard and Cheetah that follow the herbivores. Elephant are common and Hippo and crocodile can be found in the river systems and mud wallows.
After checking in we freshen up before taking our lunch in the park restaurant. After lunch we take time to relax during the heat of the day and then go out in search of the many interesting sightings we will find in this immense wonderland.
Returning to the rest camp in time for our evening meal, we catch up with the days happenings before making our way to our comfortable accommodation and a peaceful nights rest in the heart of Africa.
As optional extras, there are morning, sunset and evening game drives, in the parks own open game drive vehicles available as well as guided walks in the bush should you wish to experience the African bush in more detail. Bookings are essential.
Overnight Kruger National Park rest camp, lunch, dinner bed and breakfast
Day 5, Night 5 - Full Day Kruger National Park
The quality of the extensive Grassland savannas that surround this centrally situated Rest Camp is the reason we find so many thousands of herbivores in this area and where there are herbivores there will be predators that follow the herds. It is for the sightings of the predators, the Lions, Leopard, Cheetah, Hyena and Wild Dog and others that make this area so popular with wildlife enthusiasts.
With this in mind we wake early, enjoy a fresh cup of coffee and rusk, an oven baked bread roll and head out into the new dawn to search the plains for the amazing sighting that can be found.
We get back to or camp in the midmorning for a hearty breakfast at the restaurant after which one will get some time to put your feet up or wonder around the camp meeting other creatures that share this space with the passing human parade.
Some folks might like do some shopping at the well-stocked in house shop or take a dip in the pool.
We meet at the tour vehicle in the early afternoon and head out following up on any information on where we might find some of the animals or search in new areas for some interesting sightings.
We get back to camp just before the gate closing time and prepare for the evening meal at the camp restaurant before heading off the bed after another exciting day in the mighty Kruger National Park.
Overnight Kruger National Park rest camp, lunch, dinner bed and breakfast
Day 6, Night 6 - Central Camp in Kruger National Park to Northern Rest Camp
We wake early for that important cup of coffee and head out for the sunrise safari fortified by the coffee we search the grassland savannas for the wildlife that is so abundant in this area. This time of the day is especially good for the predators such as the Spotted Hyena prides of Lions and Leopards that might still be hunting or making their way to shelter in the heat of the day. We return to camp intime to take a hearty breakfast and check out of this camp and depart, north to our next overnight stop which is found in the tough Mopane country that occupies much of the north of this gigantic wildlife refuge. The Mopane tree is a tough resilient species much favoured by elephants not so much for its taste but for its ability to provide good food and sustenance in times of drought.
We keep a keen watch on the wildlife always alert to sightings of the fantastic bird, animal and reptile life that abounds in this beautiful game reserve and take a lunch break of the road at one of the rest camps en route.
On arrival at our overnight accommodation, we check in, take time to settle in to the chalets, freshen up and then get back out into the park for the late afternoon game drive searching these woodlands savannas for the exciting wildlife sightings to be found in these northern areas.
There are optional extra sunset or night drives at most of the larger camps but please remember that these might conflict with our own activities and mealtimes. Please check on these beforehand; bookings are essential.
After an enthralling afternoon spent in the wilds of Africa we get back to our rest and chalet in time to refresh ourselves before meeting in the camp restaurant for evening meal. Leaving the restaurant, we make our way to bed and a peaceful night’s rest listening to the sounds of the African night.
Overnight Kruger National Park, lunch, dinner bed and breakfast
Day 7, Night 7 - Full Day Kruger National Park
As an alternative to the normal morning game viewing in the tour vehicle we recommend that one of two optional extras are chosen to get a new perspective of the wildlife and ecology in the Kruger national park.
Option 1. An early morning walk with an armed guide in the park. Here your attention is drawn to the smaller creatures, the plants and different aspects like the tracks of animals as well as so many different interesting facts about the environment and how it maintains its health. There is always a chance of bumping into some of the animals big and small.
Option 2. A game drive in one of the parks open game drive vehicles with a trained ranger as your guide. This can be taken morning or evening and it allows for a different point of view and the ability to travel to some of the places not open to the general public.
What ever option one chooses we will return to the rest camp for a hearty breakfast at around midmorning. Head off to the swimming pool to cool down or simply put your legs up for a short while before meeting back at the restaurant for a lite lunch.
We head out into the bush once again in the early afternoon for the sunset game drive and return after an exciting venture in time to freshen up before your tour guide lights the wood fire and prepares the coals for your traditional evening “Braai” as a barbecue is call in South Africa. Here we sit out under the star lite sky relaxing talking about the last few days and what we have seen, keeping an eye out for some of the nocturnal residence of the camp and generally enjoying the evening in good company.
Finally, we make our way to bed for a peaceful night’s rest in this peaceful place while listening to the sounds of the African night.
Overnight Kruger National Park, lunch, dinner, bed and breakfast
Day 8, Night 8 - Kruger National Park to, Parcue Nacional do Limpopo and Massingir dam in Mozambique
There is a renewed sense of excitement as we take an early breakfast, pack up and check out as we prepare to leave the mighty Kruger national park and enter a new world as we travel south along the main north/south route through the Kruger park. Before long we branch off in an easterly direction to reach the Mozambique border post with South Africa. Here we go through the border formalities (Please ensure you have the correct visas or other requirements you might require to enter Mozambique)
The border post is the official gateway to the Parcue Nacional do Limpopo, the Mozambique equivalent to the Kruger National Park and established as a Transfrontier, Peace Park. This is an association between the governments of Mozambique and South Africa.
Once across the border we enter a different world. Although this is a shared park with the Kruger it is a lot different to the South African park. To start with there are not the numbers of animals as in the South African equivalent, as it is in the development stages and still being restocked with wildlife and these need to breed up. Local tribes people still live in this region and we will pass through villages as we head south to our overnight accommodation on the shores of a man made lake to the south of the park. The tracks we drive on are rough two wheel tracks often through soft sand and it is here that one will understand why we use 4x4 vehicles.
We find our overnight accommodation on the shores of the Lake with stunning views over the water and surrounding bushveld.
Overnight Community lodge, Lunch, dinner, bed and breakfast.
Day 9, Night 9 - Massingir to Mozambique Coast
After a hearty breakfast in the lodge restaurant, we pack up and check out of our cabins and make our way in a south easterly direction for the tropical Indian ocean coast of Mozambique.
It’s a relatively slow journey as we make our way through well-kept farmland and small villages surrounded by stands of tall trees. There are road markets and vendors selling fresh Cashew and Macadamia nuts as we approach the buzzing energy of the capital of Mozambique, Maputo. We take the bypass around the city and cross the lagoon over one of the most modern and biggest bridges in Africa as we head for our overnight accommodation to the south near the border with South Africa.
We arrive in the afternoon in time to check into a our well decorated and appointed beach lodge nestled in the sand dunes, overlooking the Indian ocean.
After settling in we take a relaxing sundowner on the deck overlooking the Indian Ocean before dinner at the restaurant.
Overnight beach lodge, lunch, dinner, bed and breakfast.
Day 10, Night 10 - Full Day at Leisure, Mozambique Beach Lodge
Here we take it easy. You get up when you want to and take breakfast on the deck overlooking the Indian Ocean. This is the East Coast of Africa. So, for those with a spring in their heel, it is a great opportunity to get up early to take a walk on the endless golden beach and watch the sunrise over the ocean.
Simply stunning as ghost crabs scuttle across the sand, diving deep into their burrows as you approach.
Fishermen work their seine nets setting out to catch fish for the local marketplace.
There are long walks along lonely beaches or just sit and watch the day awaken to the sound of the surf on the outer edge of the reef.
Blue water lilies festoon the freshwater lakes that lie just behind the dunes close to the lodge.
There is a fringe of forest that protects the edge of the lake, creating a habitat that is a bird watcher’s paradise where one can find an African fish eagle roosting or long toed African Jacanas feeding on the lilie pads as they step delicately from leaf to leaf searching for insects amongst the many other species that live here.
We take lunch and dinner at the beach lodge restaurant where local sea food is a delicacy.
After a warm evening amongst newfound friends, we head for a peaceful night’s rest to the sound of the surf on the shoreline.
Overnight Beach lodge, lunch, dinner, bed and breakfast
Day 11, Night 11 - Mozambique to Historic Gold Mining Town in South Africa
We wake early to celebrate another day as the sun rises over the Indian Ocean and take a delicious breakfast on the sun deck before packing up and checking out of the lodge as we prepare to return to South Africa.
We travel south along the coast of Mozambique before reaching the capital and largest city in the country, Maputo.
Here we turn west as we head for the border post with South Africa. At the border we go through the formalities at this busy border post.
Once back in South Africa, we continue to Barberton, a historic gold mining town near the border of Swaziland. It is here that Tom McLachlan found the first traces of alluvial gold in South Africa in 1874, the earliest discovery of gold in South Africa by a European.
We arrive in time to check into our well-appointed accommodation where we freshen up before a delicious meal at the restaurant.
Overnight Barberton guesthouse, lunch, dinner, bed and breakfast
Day 12, Night 12 - Historic Gold Mining Town to Johannesburg
We wake for a wholesome breakfast before checking out, boarding our tour vehicle and head out for an interesting tour of one of South Africa’s earliest and still productive gold mines.
After an insight into the discovery of gold in South Africa and the wild days of the early gold rush, we continue with a local guide to learn about the earliest rock formations on our planet, as we follow a local geo-trail. The sedimentary rocks in this region have been dated to in excess of 3.5 billion years
We take our lunch along the road before departing at around midafternoon for the final leg of the journey as we return to the City of Gold, Johannesburg, a younger but far wealthier gold mining center; but this is another story altogether.
On arrival in Egoli (“The City of Gold” in the local language) we check into your hotel, freshen up before a delicious meal in a local restaurant and a peaceful night’s rest in this high voltage cosmopolitan city.
Overnight hotel Johannesburg, lunch, dinner, bed and breakfast.
End of Alan Tours services.
Day 13 - Johannesburg
This day is reserved for your outbound flight.
Check out after breakfast.
Transfer to airport is for your own account.
Rate:
R 62 000.00 per person sharing
Minimum 6 people required
Please make sure you know whether you require a visa to cross over into Mozambique and what inoculations you require to conform to the laws of your country as well as that of Mozambique before embarking on your tour.
Tour includes:
- 13 days guided tour, vehicle, trailer, fuel, guide
- 12 night accommodation as per itinerary
- Meals as per itinerary
- Entrance/conservation fees
– Kruger National Park
– Limpopo National Park - Community levy fees
- Entrance fees viewpoints
- Panorama Route
- Parking fees Panorama Route
- Guided Geo Trail
- Guided Mining Tour
- Toll fees
- Border fees
Tour excludes:
- Activities not mentioned in the itinerary
- Bar bills
- Optional extras
- Visa