Itinerary
Included Highlights
Blyde River Canyon
Kruger NP, Game Drives
Bakone Open Air Cultural Museum
Motobo NP, Nature Drive and Wilderness Walk – half day
Victoria Falls Visit
Vic Falls Zambezi Sunset Dinner Cruise
Intended Itinerary
It is our intention to adhere to the route described below but a certain amount of flexibility is built into the tour and on occasion it may be necessary or desirable to make alterations to the published itinerary. Please therefore treat the following as a guide only.
Your tour starts in Pretoria, South Africa’s administrative capital. Close enough to Johannesburg to almost be considered a suburb, Pretoria is known as the Jacaranda City, with purple blossoms covering the streets in October each year. Pretoria boasts many sights of interest – such as the 10m bronze statue of Nelson Mandela standing beside the historic Union Buildings. Various cultural sites, shops, bars and restaurants are within an easy walk of our recommended hotel (and tour start point).
How do I get to Pretoria? Simple. Book a transfer before you leave home to meet you at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International and take you direct to the hotel in Pretoria. Journey time is about 45 minutes depending on traffic. We particularly recommend a pre-booked transfer if you are arriving late. Alternatively, there is a regular low-cost train service called the Gautrain which runs from OR Tambo International to both Johannesburg and Pretoria. If the train interests you, email or ask Acacia for more information.
Duration: 9 Days
Countries visited: South Africa and Zimbabwe
Day 1:
Pretoria – Hoedspruit
Distance travelled: +/- 460 Km
Approx driving time: 10-11 Hours
Departing from South Africa’s administrative city, Pretoria, we drive across the scenic Mpumalanga province and enjoy the spectacular mountain vistas. We stop at the Blyde River Canyon to view the odd looking Three Rondavels rock formations perched at the edge of the Blyde River Canyon and enjoy the crisp air and picturesque views. The Blyde River Canyon is revered as an unusual sight owing to the fact that it is a ‘wet’ canyon, making it different from the wind-carved dry canyons found in desert regions elsewhere. After lunch we continue our journey making our way to accommodations, set in attractive gardens situated an hour or so drive from Kruger National Park. After dinner relax and enjoy the first night on tour.
Accommodation: Nsele Lodge or similar - Twin share room with en-suite facilities
Meals included: Dinner
WIFI: Yes
Optional Activities: Nil
Day 2:
Hoedspruit – Kruger National Park
Approx driving time: Full day with game drives
Waking early, we board 4x4 game viewing vehicles for an intense but rewarding day in Kruger National Park. Your professional guide will point out items or interest as we go, and we hope will help the day to be a wonderful opportunity to learn something of the varied and world-renowned Kruger. The park is home to over 505 species of birds and 148 species of mammals as well as good numbers of reptiles and abundant flora. The park has a good network of roads allowing relatively easy access – essential given its size – but has clear rules about encroaching on the animals’ space ensuring conservation is given a high priority, which perhaps helps explain why Kruger is held in such high regard amongst travellers worldwide. We game drive morning and afternoon with a break during the middle of the day to enjoy the peace of the rest camp and wait out the hottest part of the day (when wildlife is usually less active). If you have questions about the wildlife you see, or about the park itself, please ask your resident guide who will be happy to explain the ins and outs of animal behaviour and other interesting sights in Kruger. Eventually we leave the park to return to our accommodation for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Nsele Lodge - Twin share room with en-suite facilities
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
WIFI: Yes
Optional Activities: Nil
Day 3:
Hoedspruit – Polokwane
Distance travelled: +/- 320 Km
Approx driving time: 7-8 Hours
After breakfast we leave the Kruger area and travel across undulating country-side to the northern town of Polokwane. The journey takes us over some beautiful scenic mountain passes and through flourishing citrus plantations of nestled along the valleys of the Limpopo Province. Previously known as the Northern Province, this is a land of myths and legends and is also highly rated as a southern Africa Eco-tourism destination. Arriving in Polokwane, we head off to learn more about the local Bakone culture.
This interesting open-air museum allows us to learn about traditional methods of the Bakone tribe who were settled in this area from historic times to the present day. Learn how they made fire, harvested and prepared the staple mielie meal, and about the interesting decorations that adorn their dwellings. We later make our way to our accommodations nearby.
Accommodation: Destiny Inn Lodge or similar - Twin share cabins with en-suite facilities
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
WIFI: Yes (payable)
Optional Activities: Nil
*Please note that some group members may be starting their tour on this day.
Day 4:
Polokwane – Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Distance travelled: +/- 600 Km
Approx driving time: 10 Hours
This morning we make our way north crossing out of South Africa and into Zimbabwe. Immigration formalities at the busy Beitbridge border may be lengthy as this is South Africa’s busiest land border, but once completed we continue to Bulawayo, a pleasant city with broad tree lined avenues and wide-open spaces. The area around the city offers much in the way of historical, geological and natural interest. Several national parks are nearby including the well-known Matobo (sometimes written Matopos) which we shall visit. Our accommodation for the evening is in a quiet garden setting on the outskirts of town.
Accommodation: Travellers Guest House or similar - Twin share room with en-suite facilities
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
WIFI: Yes
Day 5:
Bulawayo – Matobo National Park
Included Activity: Nature Drive and Wilderness Walk - half day
Matobo National Park is located a short distance outside Bulawayo and knowledgeable guides will take us to this very impressive park. This reserve has the largest concentration of Black and White Rhino in Africa and, provided conditions are right, our guides will lead us on foot to some of the more concealed places in search of these magnificent animals. The park also has the densest population of leopard and black eagle in the world and we keep our eyes peeled high and low for these creatures. This half day tour will end after the walk and a vehicle will transfer you back to the camp for an afternoon at leisure.
Optional Full Day: The wind-sculptured Matobo Hills are home to numerous Bushman paintings of which we get to visit on this optional full day tour. The hills are also home to the grave site of Cecil John Rhodes who chose this as his burial place owing to the intense natural beauty and startling views from the hills. His grave can be visited at World’s View - a place of continual debate owing to his involvement in claiming the land and its people for Queen & Country in colonial times.
Accommodation: Travellers Guest House or similar - Twin share room with en-suite facilities
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
WIFI: No
Optional Activities: Upgrade to full day tour including historical tour and village tour for US$55
Day 6:
Bulawayo – Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Distance travelled: +/- 450 Km
Approx driving time: 8 Hours
Departing Bulawayo, we continue north to Victoria Falls. We usually arrive to Victoria Falls by early afternoon. This is a relatively small town built along the southern banks of the Zambezi River and is Zimbabwe’s primary tourist centre. The Victoria Falls themselves are only a short walk and the town has a variety of markets, shops, cafes within easy distance. Your tour leader will arrange a briefing to explain the numerous optional excursions typically available here.
We end our day joining a peaceful sunset dinner cruise on the Zambezi River. Soak up the African ambience with drink in hand as you cruise slowly up and down and look out for elephant, buffalo, buck, hippo and birdlife along the shallow muddy banks of one of Africa’s great rivers. We return to our accommodation for overnight or to try some of the local nightlife.
Accommodation: Shearwater Explorers Village or similar - Twin share room with en-suite facilities
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
WIFI: Yes
Optional Activities (prices are guide only): Bungee Jumping US$160, Gorge Swing US$95, Helicopter Flights from US$150 White water rafting US$120, Full day canoe US$145, Jet boating US$120, Birding ½ day US$75, Bike tour – 3 hours US$65
Day 7:
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Rising early, we visit the Victoria Falls National Park itself to witness one of Africa’s most enduring sights. Please take care when wandering along the pathways inside the reserve - the Falls are almost 100 metres deep and the drops are sheer!
The rest of the day is at leisure giving you the opportunity to explore and Victoria Falls. The Zambezi boasts one of the world’s highest rated rivers for pure white river rafting through its many challenging rapids. Enjoy game walks, Micro-light flights or guided hikes to name a few, Victoria Falls will capture and fulfil your imagination, validating the myths of the African spirit.
Accommodation: Shearwater Explorers Village or similar - Twin share room with en-suite facilities
Meals included: Breakfast
Optional Activities: See list on day 6
Day 8:
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
There are many optional activities to do and you will have the opportunity to enjoy these at leisure. Explore the colonial town on foot and visit the local trading markets.
Some choose to cross the border for a day to visit into the neighbouring Zambia town, Livingstone and to visit the falls and the David Livingstone museum which provides an in-depth historical insight, including information on the discovery of the falls.
Accommodation: Shearwater Explorers Village or similar - Twin share room with en-suite facilities
Meals included: Breakfast
Optional Activities: See list on day 6
Day 9:
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Your tour ends after breakfast today.
Accommodation: Not included
Meals included: Breakfast
Please note that whilst every effort has been made to select accommodation of a consistent standard throughout the tour there are areas where this is difficult to achieve. We have not designed the tour with international standard hotels in mind but instead have sourced privately owned properties more suited to the environment and to Acacia’s philosophy of helping local benefit from tourism. For that reason, accommodation, hotel facilities and service levels may vary from area to area between and within countries. To a degree this reflects local infrastructure, tourism development, and of the communities whose areas we are visiting. At times you may find lapses in service frustrating, but we ask your patience and that you consider it part of the African experience. Naturally your tour leader will do all he can to rectify any problems that may arise as the tour proceeds and although we ask that you accept that not everything on tour is under his or Acacia’s control.
To allow for the highlights and experiences packed into this tour, some long distances need to be covered. To minimise the impact travelling inevitably will have on a tour of this nature, we have allocated some days as longer driving days than others. Our intention is to cover the necessary ground as quickly and safely as possible with minimal delays. Border crossings, in particular at Beitbridge (day 3) can be tedious, as are the number of police road checks currently in place in Zimbabwe. We ask that you remain patient throughout. Africa is a wonderful continent to explore but there are occasions when it helps to remember that we are guests here and that when travelling everywhere sometimes things will take longer than we would like or expect at home.