The Kruger2Canyons Meander
Five nights, rainforest, bush and gorges, $$$
Explore the Lowveld's highlights in the lap of luxury! Enjoy safaris through the contrasting extreme south and north of the Kruger, visit the Blyde River (Motlatse) Canyon and the gardens of the famous Rain Queen, the unique Mojadji cycad forest, and soak up the culture and history of the people of this beautiful area. Enjoy the superb luxury of the Honeyguide Tented Safari Camp, the wonderful Coach House and one of the new gems of the north, The Outpost in the Makuleke Region of the Kruger National Park.
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Itinerary details
Mantobeni Tented Camp
Day One
Take an early morning flight from Johannesburg or Cape Town to Nelspruit. On arrival you will be met by your Ranger/Guide and enter the southern Kruger National Park through Paul Kruger gate. Game viewing starts immediately as we travel north to Orpen Gate and the luxurious Honeyguide Tented Safari Camp. Honeyguide offers two discrete Tented Camps enjoying Manyeleti's exclusive 23,000 unfenced hectares adjoining the Kruger.
We will arrive at around 16h00 for an evening and night safari on open vehicles before dinner at the lodge.
Overnight: Honeyguide Tented Safari Camp
Mantobeni tented camp is set among Tamboti trees on the banks of a riverbed. From the sundeck of the sparkling swimming pool, you can watch elephant visiting the nearby waterhole to enjoy their own cooling off time. The reception area has a large lounge, indoor and outdoor dining facilities and a complimentary bar with a climate-controlled wine cellar, stocked with a wide range of fine South African vintages to browse through and enjoy.
Day Two
Early wake up call with coffee before your dawn safari. After breakfast at the lodge, enjoy a bush walk with your ranger or relax around the lodge pool. A day for you to fully enjoy the magic of the African bush. Perhaps a siesta, before afternoon tea and your evening game drive.
Overnight: Honeyguide Tented Safari Camp
Khokamoya camp has been designed to reflect the simplicity and openness of African living. Using the universal building material of corrugated iron, reminiscent of the houses of the early gold prospectors, and aged planks recycled from a previous wooden structure, Khoka Moya camp has been created to a traditional African plan. The communal lounge, dining and bar areas encircle an open atrium where al fresco evening meals are served around a massive log fire. Manicured green lawns flow through to the pool and outside bar.
Day Three
After your morning game drive and breakfast we depart the lodge at 09h00 and travel to the mighty Drakensberg Escarpment and into the awesome Blyde River Canyon for a visit to the dam and museum. We then travel North at the foot of the escarpment to the lovely Coach House for lunch. Set in cool forests the Coach House is the ideal place to relax for the afternoon. Maybe you'll choose a walk to the lake in the stunning grounds (look for the Samango monkeys), a visit to Agatha Health Spa for a massage, or a trip out to local tea or coffee plantations. The day is completed with a sumptuous dinner.
Overnight: The Coach House, Tzaneen
The Coach House at Agathe, Tzaneen
Enjoy breathtaking views of the Drakensberg mountains from private verandahs leading off rooms imbued with cosy warmth and a relaxed ambience, offering every comfort and convenience. Discover the enchanted country garden, a rambling wonderland of indigenous trees, flowers and foliage, perfect for daydreaming, birdwatching or mountain gazing. Venture out with a specially packed picnic basket for a day of exhilarating walks, hiking or mountain biking in pristine mountain air. Sumptuous meals are created wirydarth a signature touch and taken in the dining room or on the terrace. They are complemented by a choice of over 200 fine local and imported wines from the extensive cellar.
Day Four
After breakfast we depart at 08h30 via the town of Tzaneen and on to the gardens of the Rain Queen at Mojadji Cycad Reserve. The Rain Queen, Mojadji, was immortalized by Sir Henry Rider Haggard in his book She. Traveling north we pass through colourful rural villages on our way to the Punda Maria gate of the Kruger Park. Here we enter the Kruger again, into the land of giant Baobab trees, elephants, legends and history. Dependant on game sightings we arrive at The Outpost in the mid afternoon with time to enjoy the magnificent setting of the lodge, high above the Levuvhu river, before dinner.
Overnight: The Outpost
In the most remote part of Kruger National Park, in a wilderness area previously unattainable by visitors to the Park lies the vast concession awarded to The Outpost as a result of a ground-breaking agreement between the Makuleke People and the South African National Parks Board. The Makuleke Region fell outside the borders of Kruger National Park until 1969 when, allegedly for security reasons, they were forcibly removed under the Apartheid laws of the day to allow for the Park to extend to the borders of Mozambique and Zimbabwe. After South Africa made the trasition to democracy in the 1990s, the Makulekes instituted a land claim which culminated in an agreement conferring title of the region to the Makuleke people provided it remains part of the Park and is used only for limited ecotourism. The Outpost was the first lodge to be built in this vast region and is a stunning contemporary take on the Safari Experience.
Pafuri's stunning Outpost Lodge
Day Five
A full day to enjoy this unspoilt wilderness region of Kruger. Approach the Mozambiquan border and the spectacle of what Rudyard Kipling described as “the banks of the great, grey, green, greasy Limpopo River”. We visit the Fever Tree Forest and Crooks Corner, where three countries meet. The history of the Makuleke people also forms an important portion of this day, all while enjoying wonderful game viewing and magnificent birding. Truly, a day to be remembered!
Overnight: The Outpost
Acclaimed Italian born architect Enrico Daffonchio designed The Outpost. Using simple, clean lines and combining elements of steel and canvas the unashamedly contemporary design of The Outpost emphasizes its beautiful surrounds but blends and preserves the wilderness that is its home.
Its awards include:
- Top 100 Best New Hotels in the World, Conde Nast Traveller US (2004)
- Best Safari Lodge, Wallpaper (2003)
- One of Five Best Baths with a View, The Independent, UK (2004)
- Hottest New Game Lodge, Young Rich Travel, Australia (2003)
- South Africa’s Sexiest Bathrooms, Style, RSA (2003)
The Outpost's main deck has a beautiful pool with a view
Day Six
We depart at 08h30 and drive west along the Limpopo River valley before turning south through the tunnels of Wyliespoort Pass, through the towering Soutpansberg mountains. After a late morning stop in Makhado (formerly known as Louis Trichardt) we continue south to Polokwane (Pietersberg) to check in for your return flight to Johannesburg.
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TESTIMONIALS
From a UK couple celebrating their 50th birthdays with us, July 2007:
Now that we are home and have managed to get past the initial rush of things to do I just thought that I’d drop you a note to thank you for the itinerary that you put together and your present. The trip was exactly what we were hoping to do and the places certainly more than lived up to their descriptions. We had a wonderful time.
...The Outpost was out of this world! What stunning views and such a different experience. From “Bob” the elephant holding us up for half an hour getting back to supper to our English ranger and the different wildlife (Civet, Genet, Jackal and many other rarities) it was a wonderful experience. So much so that we just had to stay for that extra day!
...Thank you once again for arranging the trip for us, I’ll certainly be recommending any of our friends and colleagues who may venture out to South Africa to contact you for advice!
