South Africa & Swaziland Cabin Safari

An amazing 17 day cabin Safari through South Africa & Swaziland.

Our journey begins off with a visit to South Africa's premier game reserve, the Kruger National Park. We will spend our days in search of the wildlife that makes this park one of the top wildlife destinations in Africa.

We then head across the border into Swaziland and Malolotja Nature Reserve before heading back into South Africa and the areas of Zululand and the Drakensberg.

Its then westwards to the Wild coast region and onto the Addo Elephant National Park home to Africa's "Big 5" and numerous elephants. After our wildlife adventure here we head down the scenic Garden Route region to the town of Hermanus, where you can partake in seasonal whale watching and Great White Shark Diving!

Our Southern African adventure ends back in the beautiful city of Cape Town.

Day 1: JOHANNESBURG to MPUMALANGA - SOUTH AFRICA [lodge -LD]

(B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner)
The South Africa & Swaziland Cabin Safari departs from Johannesburg at 06:30am as we head towards Mpumalanga, a region of mountains, panoramic passes, valleys, rivers, waterfalls and forests. Few regions in the world can match the extraordinary beauty of the lowveld and escarpment landscapes. We visit Pilgrims Rest, Mac-Mac Falls and God's Window, before staying in a lodge on the edge of the escarpment near Graskop.

Day 2 - 3: KRUGER NATIONAL PARK - SOUTH AFRICA [tented lodge or chalet BLD]

The largest game reserve in South Africa, boasts the world's greatest concentration of species, and has an amazing 16 different ecosystems. Exciting game drives provide us with excellent game viewing. Spot the "Big 5" (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo) and many other animals in this true African wilderness.

Day 4: MALOLOTJA - KINGDOM OF SWAZILAND [cabin BLD]

Malolotja Nature Reserve in the mountainous Kingdom of Swaziland is our next attraction. Renowned for a great variety of habitats from short grassland, to thick riverine scrub, bushveld and moist forest, we explore the reserve on foot to enjoy the fantastic mountain views, relax around a campfire dinner and stay in mountain cabins for the night.

Day 5 - 6: ZULULAND - SOUTH AFRICA [tented lodge or chalet BLD]

We visit craft markets near Mbabane that have a fascinating range of handmade crafts and the local witchdoctor stall is not to be missed! We re-enter South Africa and head to Mkuzi Game Reserve, which is a safe haven for the endangered black rhino. We visit a waterhole hide and watch game come down to. An early morning game drive is followed by a cultural afternoon where we visit a Zulu village on the border of the game reserve and learn about the Zulu culture.

Day 7 - 8: DRAKENSBERG MOUNTAINS - SOUTH AFRICA [cottage BLD]

The Drakensberg Mountains or "uKhahlamba" - the Barrier of Spears, is a 200-kilometre-long mountainous wonderland and world heritage site. From Mkuzi we move further south to the base of these mountains where we overnight for two nights in a quaint cottage. We will spend time walking along beautiful mountain stream paths, looking for Bushman rock paintings or just enjoying spectacular views.

Day 9 - 10: WILD COAST - SOUTH AFRICA [chalet BLD]

On day 9 we head for the Wild Coast, an unspoilt area that remains a relatively untouched paradise in South Africa. There are unspoilt stretches of dramatic and savagely beautiful coastline, open spaces and pristine forest areas. We stay overnight within walking distance of the beach and the next day is free to explore the area, meet local villagers or relax on the beach.

Day 11: ADDO ELEPHANT NATIONAL PARK SOUTH AFRICA [chalets BLD]

The Addo Elephant National Park was established in 1931 to protect the last 11 wild elephants from extermination. Today more than 350 elephants roam through the area. The park also offers excellent viewing of black rhino, Cape buffalo, lion and leopard, as well as a host of other large and small mammals and over 400 species of birds in the greater park area. We overnight either at the national park camp on the border of the park, or nearby at a guest house on day nine of the South Africa and Swaziland Cabin Safari.

Day 12 - 13: KNYSNA / TSITSIKAMMA - SOUTH AFRICA [lodge B - -]

For two nights we will stay in a lodge resort in Knysna, which is nestled on a tranquil lagoon. We will take a day trip to the Storms River mouth where there are walks up the gorge and along the rocky coast. The Tsitsikamma National Park incorporates 80km of spectacular sea and landscapes; a remote mountainous region with secluded valleys, coastal forests with deep river gorges leading down to the sea. There is also an option of the world's highest bungi jump. Sample seafood at one of Knysna's great restaurants (own expense).

Day 14: HERMANUS - SOUTH AFRICA [guest house BL-]

Hermanus offers some of the best land based whale watching in the world. From May to December Southern Right whales come up from the southern oceans to the coast to calve and mate in the shallows. In the afternoon we will take a walk along this beautiful coastline before having a meal out at local restaurant (own expense).

Day 15 - 16: CAPE TOWN - SOUTH AFRICA [hotel B - -]

Cape Town is one of the most picturesque cities in the world, with the majestic Table Mountain providing its central focus. On our way into Cape Town, we visit Stellenbosch, South Africa's renowned wine region, for wine tasting and a cellar tour. The "mother city" has many attractions; we will visit Cape Point, the harbour at Hout Bay, enjoy the famous beaches and the V&A Waterfront. Optional visit to Robben Island (own expense). We sample the local fare at a variety of local restaurants (own expense).

Day 17: TOUR ENDS in CAPE TOWN - SOUTH AFRICA [- B - -]

In the morning we climb Table Mountain, offering panoramic views over Cape Town reaching out into the bay and Robben Island. Having explored the highlights of the rainbow nation on the South Africa & Swaziland Cabin Safari, we take one last look at scenic Cape Town and catch up on last minute curio shopping in the afternoon, before your African adventure comes to an end at 18:00.

Please note:

The South Africa & Swaziland Cabin Safari can be combined with several of our other African safaris to create a complete Southern Africa Adventure. Please contact African Budget Safaris for more details.