South Africa Safari - Tracking the Big Five

Today you will fly to Johannesburg, arriving on day 2.

Your local guide will meet you on arrival in Johannesburg and transfer to your luxury safari lodge in the Greater Mabula Game Reserve. Located in the Limpopo Province and known for its rugged beauty, the Waterberg Biosphere is surrounded by low-lying mountain ranges, escarpments, and a network of streams, rivers, and lakes. It proudly hosts South Africa’s inaugural savannah biosphere reserve, in additional to several other nature reserves, providing a protected habitat for diverse array of wildlife. Upon your arrival, you’ll be warmly greeted by the lodge team, who will then look after you throughout your stay. Enjoy a welcome drink with your fellow travellers, and if time allows, there may be the opportunity to take your first afternoon game drive before a welcome dinner this evening.

After an early rise, we’ll enjoy tea, coffee and South African rusks before heading out on our first morning game drive - this is the when the 12,000 hectares Greater Mabula Game Reserve is bathed in glorious morning sunlight. The reserve’s diverse habitats provide the ideal conditions for an incredible selection of large mammals including the renowned ‘Big Five’ - lions, leopards, elephants, buffalos, and rhinos. Keep your eyes peeled in the shadows where you may spot the elusive brown hyena, jackals, cheetahs, and a range of smaller, lesser-seen predators. And that’s not all - the sweeping savannah plains sustain iconic species including zebras, wildebeests, impalas, warthogs, and giraffes. Each game drive is in a luxury Land Cruiser and unveils a unique chance to witness wildlife in their natural habitat and learn about their behaviours and roles in the eco-system. The Waterberg environment transitions with the seasons and the landscape changes dramatically before and after the rains. The deep green thickets and lush grasslands, replenished by summer rains, dramatically transform the bushveld into the greys, yellows and browns at the onset of autumn and winter. After your explorations, you’ll return to camp for breakfast and to spend some leisurely hours at the lodge. Both lunch and high tea will be served daily before you head out on your afternoon game drive.

Today promises two more captivating game drives. You may observe a large herd of impala and zebra grazing on the plains or witness a herd of elephants as they trapse across the open grasslands or trample through thick bush to feed off the trees. Your drive might take you to stop along one of the dams where you can search for hippos and crocodiles who appear to float just below the water surface or search for one of Africa’s most elegant spotted big cats, the cheetah. Later in the day, venture into the bush to enjoy a delightful sundowner. As the sun sets, take in the tranquillity of this incredible setting with your fellow travellers.

One morning during your holiday, you will also enjoy a guided safari walk through the African bush. This wonderful experience offers you the chance to meet nature up close and your guide, an expert in walking safaris will introduce you to smaller animals and a variety of plant and tree species. Learn more about the Waterberg’s biodiversity and take some time to listen and look out for the countless species of birds. There will be plenty of time for you to relax at the lodge perhaps lazing by the pool or indulging in a treatment at the lodge’s spa (payable locally) before a game drive this afternoon.

This morning you will visit the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project, a non-profit conservation project. The team here aim to slow down, and then reverse the decline of the Southern Ground-Hornbill in South Africa. Learn about how they are changing perceptions of this iconic but endangered species and the work they have carried out since releasing the first group of birds at the Mabula Private Game Reserve in 1999. Later, enjoy an afternoon safari drive before dinner.

As well as your two daily game drives, there are a variety of optional excursions (bookable locally) that you can enjoy. One evening during your stay (weather permitting), you’ll enjoy an authentic South African Braai, served in the open air around a roaring fire. After dinner on another evening, when there is a clear night, you will enjoy some time star-gazing under the vast African sky in the company of a local expert.

After breakfast, you’ll be transferred Johannesburg for your flight back to the UK, arriving on day 10.

You’ll arrive back in the UK today.