On Safari in South Africa - Karongwe Game Reserve

You’ll travel on your overnight flight to Johannesburg, South Africa’s biggest city.

Upon arriving at the airport, your group will be welcomed by a friendly driver. A long but rewarding and scenic transfer with plenty of comfort breaks and lunch (on your own account) will take you to Karongwe Private Game Reserve. Located in the Limpopo province and with views of the Drakensberg Mountain range, Chisomo Safari Camp will be your home for the next week.

In the late afternoon, you’ll arrive and check into a luxury tented camp, looking out over the Makhutsi River. There’ll then be time to settle in, familiarise yourself with the facilities, and perhaps refresh with a dip in the swimming pool.

If you’d like to venture out on a game drive, you can embark on one before dinner. With an experienced guide and tracker at the helm, you’ll drive into the depths of the reserve in an open-air 4x4 safari vehicle. Karongwe Private Game Reserve is home to the ‘Big Five’, including lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino, and elephant, as well as 365 different bird species. Keep your eyes peeled and have a camera at the ready to take a snap of wildlife roaming through the bush vegetation.

This evening, dinner will be enjoyed at the camp.

This morning, you’ll wake up early, meet the other travellers in the main area for a hot drink and then head out for a morning game drive as the sun rises over the mountains.

Breakfast will then be served back at the camp, and you’ll have some time to relax, perhaps opting for a complimentary hand or foot treatment at the spa, which offers a beautiful view of the bush and draws on natural, local products (this can be done on a different day). You’ll also have a programme of optional excursions at the camp to choose from, such as a cooking workshop and a mediative yoga experience. Alternatively, just pick a sun lounger by the swimming pool to observe the activity around the Makhutsi River, with a cocktail in hand.

An afternoon game drive awaits following afternoon tea, providing another opportunity to spot more wildlife, like cheetahs and elephants.

This evening, you’ll sit down to a special private dinner under the star-dappled sky (weather permitting) with the sounds of nocturnal animals unfolding around you.

Another early morning wake-up is followed by a game drive with breakfast upon return to the camp. After you’ve freshened up, you can then join an anti-poaching talk, where an anti-poaching specialist will discuss the plight of poaching and the camp’s pivotal role in conserving the local wildlife.

The rest of the late morning and early afternoon will be free to unwind or perhaps partake in an optional excursion, like an anti-poaching walk in the bush to learn more about the tracking methods of poachers and the designated ‘kill zones’. An optional community visit takes you to a nearby village and offers an insight into how the local people live and their culture.

Back at the camp, you’ll go on an afternoon game drive before returning in the evening after the sun has set for dinner.

This morning, you’ll go on a game drive, tuck into breakfast when you return, and then the remainder of the morning and early afternoon is free. Customise your day by perhaps choosing to partake in an optional photography workshop, where you’ll learn about camera settings, editing processes and different types of composition.

Alternatively, join an optional visit to a wildlife rehabilitation centre, dedicated to the conservation of endangered species and the rehabilitation of injured and poisoned animals. Here, you can see a range of baby animals, as well as leopards, lions, lynxes, eagles, vultures, and honey badgers.

A full-day excursion to the nearby Kruger National Park is also available for those who want to do some more wildlife spotting.

You’ll have another game drive in the afternoon before you savour dinner at the camp this evening.

Board the open-air vehicle again this morning for a game drive before breakfast. You’ll then join a nature specialist for a guided bush walk. As you’re led into the bush, the group will get to take in the scenery and wildlife from a different angle, learning about the endemic plants, bird species and animals.

You’ll then have some time at leisure to perhaps go on a helicopter ride over the nearby Olifant’s River Gorge or the Blyde River Canyon, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the dramatic landscape and gushing waterways from above.

Another afternoon game drive will take place this afternoon and then you’ll return for dinner.

Please note: Children aged under 16 cannot participate in the bush walk for safety reasons.

Head out for a morning game drive and have breakfast. The rest of the day is free to fit in more optional activities, such as a panorama drive along one of South Africa’s most scenic routes. Encompassing famed natural sights like Pinnacle Rock, God’s Window, one of South Africa’s most well-known vantage points (weather permitting, you can see as far as Mozambique), this excursion will also pass the Blyde River Canyon, waterfalls, and unusual rock formations, as well as colourful craft markets.

Later, you’ll venture on a game drive and return to the lodge for a gin tasting and pairing by the pool. This involves sampling locally crafted gins, complemented by different tonics and garnishes.

Wake up for a morning game drive followed by breakfast and a tree-planting activity. This involves planting a tree within the local community or donating a tree, a chance to leave your legacy and make a positive contribution. You can choose between planting a fruit or an indigenous sapling.

Perhaps you’d like to make use of the spa with an optional relaxing treatment after your hard work in the sun. Spa packages include full body massages, exfoliation, wraps and facials.

An afternoon game drive will then be concluded with a farewell dinner alongside your new-found friends, allowing you to reflect on the week.

Relish your final morning game drive and breakfast before you pack up and check out of the camp. In the late morning, you’ll travel back to Johannesburg airport over a journey of around five and a half hours with plenty of stops and a packed lunch.

Early morning arrival.