South Africa doesn’t greet you with a signpost — it greets you with a scent. From the sun-warmed streets of Johannesburg to the misty folds of Magoebaskloof, you wander at your own pace — through silence, wildlife, and wine. And just when you think it couldn’t get any stranger, you find yourself surrounded by hippos… in your flip-flops.
Prijsindicatie
from €3500 per person with 2 people
Gezelschap
Maybe you’d like it a little different — an extra night here, a flight there? Just tell me. We’ll piece the puzzle together, until it feels right for you.
Reisperiode
Wanneer het jou uitkomt
A 15-day self-drive that begins and ends in Johannesburg, winding through the Drakensberg, St. Lucia, Eswatini, Hazyview, Timbavati and Magoebas Gorge. Along the way you pass a UNESCO nature reserve, colonial villages, tropical waters teeming with life, and wide savannahs where silence sometimes has four legs. Nights are spent in characterful 4/5-star stays, days behind the wheel of a comfortable SUV. And always with the freedom to wander off course — especially when the mist suggests you slow down and listen.
Inclusief:
14-night stay in 4/5 star accommodations on a bed & breakfast basis
15-day Compact SUV rental car including all-risk insurance, extra driver and plenty of space for souvenirs (and a suitcase or two)
Meals & activities at Bush Camp (Timbavati)
Contribution to preserving nature in Timbavati Private Game Reserve — so that zebras still have stripes tomorrow
Most likely a few unexpected extras along the way... simply, because traveling is also a bit of magic
Guidance by Emily: personal, attentive and relaxed
Exclusief:
International flights (I'd love to help you find)
Fuel for your road trip (the lion drinks water, the car petrol), border crossing (ZAR 1,700), rental car age allowance
Excursions and activities that you choose on site, meals not included in the program
Personal expenses and souvenirs that should fit in your suitcase
Visa and health fees if applicable
Any additional car costs such as age allowance or border crossing
Van dag tot dag
DAY 1
Johannesburg — where the heat lingers long after sunset
Arriving at O.R. Tambo International Airport
Pick up rental car & drive to hotel near the airport
Flight rest, optional dinner with Cape flair
First impressions: asphalt still warm, gentle chaos in the air, and coffee that never tires of being poured.
You haven’t truly landed until a traffic cop nods at you as if you’ve known each other for years.
Overnight stay: 1 night
DAY 2-3
Drakensberg Mountains — where silence has peaks
Ride to the Drakensberg Mountains
You walk out of the lodge and the mountains are already waiting — calm, immovable, vast.
Routes of varying lengths — some with a guide or shuttle
Conservation fee, shuttle and guide via lodge can optionally be pre-arranged
Evenings here glow with firewood, silence, and stars scattered above the pass.
The horizon stretches lazily, the way you did on day three — without hurry, without reason to rush.
Overnight stay: 2 nights
DAY 4-6
St. Lucia — where sand keeps the secrets of hippos and wind
Drive through green hills and villages to St. Lucia
UNESCO World Heritage: Tropical Rhythm & Coastal Forests
Boat safari on Lake St. Lucia: crocodiles, hippos, tales with wind
Beach walk, souvenir shopping on the main street, cocktails under palm trees
The moment you put your feet in the sand and forget what Wednesday actually means.
Overnight stay: 3 nights
DAY 7-8
Ezulwini Valley (eSwatini) - Where your breath and landscape recognize each other
Border crossing to eSwatini (documents required)
Ride to hotel in Ezulwini Valley — full of mountain patches and vapour
Optional: Bike ride, game walk or horse riding: intimate nature experience
Small kingdom atmosphere: hospitable, rolling and layered
Evening sun steeped in the colors of rooibos tea.
Overnight stay: 2 nights
DAY 9-10
Hazyview - where treetops speak in bird language
Drive via Mpumalanga towards Panorama Route
Visit God's Window, Bourke's Luck Potholes, Blyde River Canyon
Optional ziplining between treetops or rafting
Route full of waterfalls, gold digger stories and sky that pops open
Villages like Graskop for lunch, local crafts & views
Drifting between the treetops, you realize: this must be how a bird feels with a license to roam.
Overnight stay: 2 nights
DAY 11-12
Timbavati Private Game Reserve — where peace runs on four legs
Ride through the savannah landscape to safari lodge in Timbavati
Luxury tents, bush sounds, campfire and starlight
Chance to win Big Five — but above all: rest, rhythm, wonder
Swimming pool moments among elephant trumpets
The safari starts with the idea that silence sometimes has four legs.
Overnight stay: 2 nights
DAY 13-14
Magoebaskloof/Haenertsburg — Coming home between fog and forest air
Ride via a mountain pass from Timbavati to Haenertsburg
Afromontane forests, patches of fog, bright blue dams
Optional: Zipline, abseiling, walking or lunch in the village of Tzaneen
Rhythm of valleys, viewpoints and sudden silences
And then “coming home” appears to be somewhere between Haenertsburg's mist and mountain pie.
