South Africa Encompassed with Four B’s (Big 5, Berg, Battlefields & Beach) 12D11N

You fly into Johannesburg today and transfer from OR Tambo International Airport to your luxury hotel, 54 on Bath, located right next door to a popular shopping mall in trendy Rosebank. You’ll spend 2 nights at this exceptional hotel, renowned for its elegance, style and comfort. Your sophisticated Deluxe Room offers every facility, including plush en suite bathroom and stunning views over the hotel’s terrace garden or the iconic Johannesburg skyline.

Once you’ve settled into your room, you’ll be whisked away to explore this dynamic city. Visit historic Constitution Hill, a jail where anti-apartheid activists were incarcerated, and now a beacon for this beautiful country’s future. From here you discover the magic of Victoria Yards in the city centre, a commercial enterprise created from developing community skills and enhancing them, including urban farming, artisans’ studios and creative visual arts.

End your day on a high note with dinner at the Marabi Club, situated in the trendy area of Maboneng in downtown Johannesburg. This prestigious dining establishment is situated in the basement of an iconic building called Hallmark House, designed by award-winning Ghanian architect David Adjaye. Dining is an exquisite affair paired with winning wines as you are serenaded with a fine live jazz performance.

Enjoy breakfast before flying to Kruger Mpumalanga Airport close to the famous Kruger National Park. Here you embark on a journey of discovery to enjoy magnificent scenic splendour. Mpumalanga is famous for its breathtaking scenery. Explore its famous sights including magical God’s Window, a spectacular sight that resembles paradise on earth, two exquisite waterfalls – Mac Mac Falls and Lisbon/Berlin Falls – and fascinating Pinnacle Rock, a massive 30m-high rock towering over forested Driekop Gorge. Along the way, devour a delicious lunch amongst all the untamed beauty.

This afternoon you will be transferred to beautiful Highgrove House, your home for the next 2 nights. Nestling in 158 acres of farm serenity with sweeping views of the valley, your exclusive boutique hotel caters to only 16 people at a time in sumptuous suites. With this, personalised service is the norm and your spacious Luxury Suite includes a private bathroom and sitting room with wooden fireplace.

Tonight, work up an appetite for a gastronomical fine dining experience at the Highgrove’s award-winning restaurant. Indulge in fresh vegetables and herbs picked fresh from the hotel’s organic vegetable garden; these are the inspiration for creating the stunning signature dishes on the menu.

Delve deeper into the treasures of the Panorama Route and continue unveiling more of Mpumalanga’s spectacular natural highlights today. Explore the fascinating Bourke’s Luck Potholes, an extraordinary natural water feature created over centuries. The water has eroded over time into a series of holes that resemble the surface of the moon. Be captivated as you discover the breathtaking outcrop of mountains called the Three Rondavels (a ‘rondavel’ is a round house, and this is what they resemble). Marvel at one of the largest canyons on Earth at the iconic Blyde River Canyon, an area so magnificent that it defies description. This winding route takes you from one impressive viewpoint to the next, each dropping down 800m to the riverbed below.

Stop off at Graskop Gorge to enjoy the famous Lift, an elevator with a glass bottom which takes you 51m down the face of this spectacular gorge into the forest below – from here you embark on an exciting 600m trail, a path with elevated walkways to explore your magnificent surroundings. Enjoy lunch with a view at The Lift while enjoying its scenic vistas.

Retire back at your hotel. Take a refreshing dip in the private pool, explore the pretty garden or surrender to rejuvenation with a decadent spa experience before another gourmet affair at its restaurant.

Today, you take the driver’s seat as you taste the sense of freedom of your very own road trip.

Your hire car will be delivered to your hotel this morning (Audi A3 or similar) and you’ll set off on a 330km road trip to Eswatini where you will be going on safari in this little country’s premier game reserve, Mkhaya.

You will spend the night in a Stone Camp Cottage - semi-open stone cottages with en suite facilities (If this is your accommodation style, we can change to other accommodation. Please contact us to discuss). Located in the heart of Mkhaya Game Reserve in a riverine forest, this unspoilt haven is ideal for seeing wildlife up close where its prime location boasts best chances to see black rhinos. It is home to Eswatini’s only buffalo, sable antelope, Livingstone’s eland and tsessebe populations. Experience unforgettable wildlife moments as you venture out on game drives in open four by four vehicles with experienced guides.

You drive 220km today, from Eswatini to the tropical East Coast of KwaZulu Natal. Your home for the next two nights is the Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge situated on the western boundary of the famous Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve. Both game viewing and bird watching is superb here, offering a unique window on Africa’s wildlife. Find your special nook in this cleverly designed open space and embrace unforgettable wildlife moments. See rhino, zebra, giraffe and perhaps the elusive wild dog at the local drinking hole in the bushveld below the lodge.

When you’re not on safari, enjoy soaking up the sun on the deck of the lodge’s huge infinity lap pool or be indulged at the excellent spa. Unwind in your Luxury Bush Villa and absorb the tranquility from your private wooden deck or cosy up by the fireplace.

Life here is at a relaxed pace, but everything is laid on for your comfort, including drinks on evening game drives, superb cuisine, bush walks and much more. The lodge offers an optional complimentary Mpembeni Community Walk/Drive along a scenic guided trail that takes you through traditional Zulu homesteads where life and activities carry on as they have for centuries.

Take a leisurely 295km drive to Fugitive’s Drift along the iconic Battlefields Route, where the famous Anglo/Zulu war took place. Fugitives Drift is a Natural Heritage Site comprising 5000 acres full of fascinating stories to tell. You’ll be staying at the award-winning Fugitives Drift Lodge on the game reserve of the same name, the ideal location to find out all about this historic battle. You will spend the night in a luxurious cottage with its own private verandah offering spectacular views over Buffalo River Gorge.

Before you settle down to enjoy the view, get ready for an exciting 3-hour afternoon adventure discovering the story behind the Battle of Rorkes Drift in January 1879. Gain insight at the Museum and enjoy a lecture that explains everything in fascinating detail before walking the graveyard and memorials on the site.

Today is a relatively short drive – 170km from Fugitives Drift to the Spioenkop Game Reserve, where you will spend the next two nights at stunning Three Tree Hill Lodge in the foothills of the Kwazulu Natal Drakensberg range. You’ll enjoy breathtaking scenery, delicious fresh farm food and exceptional hospitality at this family-run Colonial-style lodge with its exquisite setting.

This stunning lodge specializes in the history of the second Anglo-Boer War which took place between 1899 and 1902. This afternoon, step back in time as you gain insight and relive moments of the bloodiest single day of the entire South African war. The next 4 hours, lodge guides Simon Blackburn and Ron Gold will bring this dramatic period to life on a holistic, evocative and insightful journey.

Today, immerse yourself in the natural wonders the Drakensberg has to offer. Your lodge is ideally situated to explore many famous Drakensberg sights including the uKhalamba National Park, Cathedral Peak and Champagne Valley. In fact, many famous Drakensberg sights are within an hour’s drive of the lodge, so you can spend your morning exploring if you wish. The area is also renowned for its exceptional rock art where options to hike is available to discover these incredible artworks while enjoying a picnic en route.

This afternoon, embark on a cultural immersion to Hambrook Village. For the next two hours, gain a taste of local village life as you visit a pre-school and are invited to the homes of the friendly residents.

Today, continue your thrilling road trip adventure to a beachside paradise close to Durban, the tiny town of Umhlanga that nestles on the KwaZulu-Natal coastline. Enjoy this popular and bustling beachside destination at leisure and enjoy its excellent selection of dining, shopping and entertainment activities.

You will be staying at the ultra-luxurious Oyster Box, a Colonial-style 5 Star hotel renowned for its hospitality, attentive service and excellent dining options. Unwind at one of its two outdoor pools, rejuvenate at the award-winning spa, enjoy a movie at the 24-seat private cinema – that’s just a taste of the luxury on offer. High Tea at the Oyster Box is another unforgettable event!

Your charming Sea Facing Room offers scenic views of the ocean, the majestic KwaZulu Natal coastline and Umhlanga’s historic lighthouse. The atmosphere here is plush, languid, luxurious and very romantic – the perfect end to your unparalleled African adventure.

One final unforgettable breakfast awaits before you leave the Oyster Box and drive to Durban International Airport. Here, you hand over your rental car and fly homewards.

NOTE: This itinerary is provided as an example only – prevailing conditions and local arrangements may cause variation.