Itinerary Details
MT Sobek: South Africa, Lesotho & Eswatini Multi-Adventure
Day 1 Arrive in Johannesburg
Welcome to Africa! Upon arrival at OR Tambo International Airport, meet your guide and transfer to the hotel. Depending on your flight's arrival time, you may get an afternoon tour of Soweto. This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner with the group.
Accommodation: Peech Hotel
(L, D)
Day 2 Take a Nature Hike en Route to Northern Drakensberg
4-hour private van transfer
After breakfast, transfer to Northern Drakensberg, in KwaZulu-Natal province. En route, stop for lunch at a historical property dating back to the years preceding the First Boer War. After lunch, take an informative guided hike and learn about the rich history of the area, as well as the indigenous cultures of the Zulu and Sotho communities. This is a great bird-watching and game-viewing opportunity, as there are loads of interesting fauna and flora on certain routes. Then continue to the majestic Northern Drakensberg region, your home for two nights.
Accommodation: Cavern Resort & Spa
(B, L, D)
Day 3 Hike to the Amphitheatre in Royal Natal National Park
6-8 hours/9 miles hiking, 1,800 ' elevation gain
A scenic morning drive takes you to the start of today's hike in stunning Royal Natal National Park. The initial leg is the most strenuous (but doable for all fitness levels), then levels out onto an easy contour path. Two ladders span the last 100 feet of the cliff; alternatively, you can ascend via the gully. The reward: standing atop the famous Amphitheatre — on the roof of Africa! After exploring the summit, ascend Beacon Buttress for the return trip via the gully or ladders and the easy path downhill.
Accommodation: Cavern Resort & Spa
(B, L, D)
Day 4 Head to Southern Drakensberg
4-hour private van transfer
Depart after breakfast for another scenic drive, this time to Underberg, in the Southern Drakensberg. On the way, stop for lunch and visit the internationally renowned Ardmore Ceramic Studio, founded in 1985 by Zimbabwean-born ceramic artist Fée Halsted. Originally established in the Drakensberg foothills, today the bustling studio and gallery sits in the picturesque Caversham Valley in South Africa's Natal Midlands. Here you meet the local artists, some of whom have work commissioned by the likes of Hermès and Queen Elizabeth II.
Accommodation: Premier Resort Sani Pass
(B, L, D)
Day 5 Tour the Kingdom of Lesotho
Full day cultural touring
Relish a full-day tour of Lesotho, a high-altitude, landlocked kingdom crisscrossed by a network of rivers and mountain ranges, making for breathtaking scenery. Begin today with a 4x4 drive up the Sani Pass (9,436'), atop which you enjoy lunch at the highest pub in Africa — the Sani Mountain Lodge — with incredible views over KwaZulu-Natal. After lunch, continue to Skeering, a living village of Basotho, a Bantu ethnic group that has inhabited this region since the fifth century, where your experienced mountain guide discusses Lesotho and its people.
Accommodation: Premier Resort Sani Pass
(B, L, D)
Day 6 Discover Durban
3-hour private van transfer
1 hour/2 miles cycling
Drive through the scenic Natal Midlands this morning bound for Durban. Upon arrival, stroll up historical Florida Road and stop for lunch of a local specialty, "bunny chow" — street food that harks back to the Indian indentured laborers from the 19th century. Along the Durban promenade, bordering the warm Indian Ocean, take a leisurely cycle along the beachfront to iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium, which you ascend by funicular for incredible views. Stop at the Kwa Muhle Museum for insight into Durban's history of apartheid before enjoying dinner on your own.
Accommodation: Benjamin Hotel
(B, L)
Day 7 Enter the Kingdom of the Zulu
3.5-hours private van transfer
1 hour walk, possible 3-4 hours/3-5 miles hiking
En route to northern KwaZulu-Natal, the Kingdom of the Zulu, visit the Luthuli Museum, the former residence of Chief Albert Luthuli. Luthuli was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1960 for his fight against apartheid. Arrive at the foot of legendary Ghost Mountain for lunch. Then immerse yourself in a Lebombo Mountains community and enjoy a cultural walk with remarkable views. Learn about rural Zulu customs and modern-day living, interact with local people, and gain insight into life in Zululand. Time permitting, also hike to the top of Ghost Mountain.
Accommodation: Ghost Mountain Inn
(B, L, D)
Day 8 Spot Wildlife in Mkuze Game Reserve & on Lake Jozini
3-hour cruise, game drive in 4x4 vehicle
2 hours walking
Today is a full day of getting up close to South Africa's resident animals! Start with a game drive at Mkuze Game Reserve, where you see elephant, giraffe, white rhino, and other grazing animals, as well as beautiful birdlife. After lunch, stay in the reserve for a ranger-led Fig Forest walk, a special-permission walk arranged exclusively for our group. Come late afternoon, return to the inn for a sunset boat cruise on Lake Jozini, one of South Africa's largest dams, for a chance to spot elephant, rhino, hippo, and crocodile.
Accommodation: Ghost Mountain Inn
(B, L, D)
Day 9 Explore the Kingdom of Eswatini
3-hour private van transfer
Ziplining canopy tour or adventure caving
The landlocked Kingdom of Eswatini (Swaziland) is rife with beautiful mountain scenery, game reserves, lush valleys, misty mountains, ancient rock formations, and plunging waterfalls. In the lower reaches of the country are unexpected expanses of sugar-cane farms and typical African bush. Discover it all today and enjoy an exhilarating (optional) afternoon activity: either an adventure caving experience or a breathtaking zipline canopy tour at Malolotja Nature Reserve. Dinner is at the hotel.
Accommodation: Summerfield Botanical Garden & Exclusive Resort
(B, L, D)
Day 10 Go on Safari in Kruger National Park
4-hour private van transfer
Game drive
Gear up for an authentic safari experience today! Drive to a private concession within the southern part of Kruger National Park, an enormous wilderness area comprising nearly two million hectares. The topography, vegetation, and game vary dramatically from south to north in the park. The park's southern part sees the most rainfall and denser animal numbers. Moving north, rainfall becomes scarcer and animals center around the river courses and waterholes. Upon arrival at the lodge, have lunch and then set out for an afternoon game drive. Lukimbi introduces you to the impressive Big Five — leopard, lion, rhino, elephant, and buffalo — plus antelope and other exciting game, and an incredible 420 species of bird.
Accommodation: Lukimbi Safari Lodge
(B, L, D)
Day 11 Spot the Big Five in Lukimbi
Two game drives
Another full-day safari in Lukimbi. Expert guides and trackers share their knowledge of these animals with you on today's safari adventure, which comprises morning and afternoon game drives. Hear the whooping of hyenas, the reverberating roar of a lion, the loud grunting of hippos, the majestic trumpeting of elephants, or the peaceful call of the fish eagle...this is African wildlife at its finest!
Accommodation: Lukimbi Safari Lodge
(B, L, D)
Day 12 Enjoy One More Safari Before Departing for Home
5.5-hour private van transfer
Game drive
After a final morning game drive and breakfast, say farewell to Lukimbi and drive to Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport for your departure flight home.
(B, L)
