Cape Town & KwaZulu-Natal Safari

Transport Arrangements DAY 1
On arrival at Cape Town International Airport today, you’ll be met by Chris Hannival on +27 71 308 5852, your driver and guide during your stay in Cape Town. He’ll take you and your bags to your lodging, Liberty Lodge, where you’ll be staying during your time in the Mother City.

Chris is a very interesting chap: he was born and brought up in the area formally known as District Six, a part of central Cape Town that developed into a large racially-mixed and creatively prolific community in the first half of the 20th century. It was razed by the apartheid-era government starting in the late 1960s to make way for whites-only suburbs. The project was a complete failure and to this day, the area is still being rebuilt, with houses slowly being reallocated to the original inhabitants.

Chris is a self-made man having built his own guiding and transport business from scratch in 2003 into whole fleet of cars and guides that he now operates.

He’s a mine of information on the history and current politics of South Africa and offers a very different view from the conventional colonial and European perspective.

DAYS 1 - 5
LIBERTY LODGE: (4 nights)
CAPE TOWN
33 De Lorentz Street, Gardens, Cape Town, 8001
Tel nr: +27 (0) 21 423 2264
www.libertylodge.co.za

Liberty Lodge is a fascinating building, having worn many hats in her long years in Cape Town. Built originally as a Victorian gentleman’s residence, before being used (briefly!) as a bordello, it has been extended and turned finally into one of Cape Town’s premier B&Bs.

It was named after the previous owner’s escape from corporate life but now Ruth Parsons, the current owner, has gone further and themed each room individually, naming them after those who had a hand in creating modern South Africa, for example Ghandi and Madiba. But this is no Africa kitsch: Ruth is a collector of Art Nouveau and Art Deco pieces and so the house is a skillful combination of Victorian, turn-of-the-century and contemporary décor, with some stunning feature pieces.

The two housekeepers at Liberty Lodge are in fact a whole feature of the place in themselves: Lisa Leemans and Thandeka Balumane are both highly respected leaders in their respective communities (Lisa in Woodstock and Thandeka in Khayelitsha). Nothing happens in Cape Town that they don’t know about or have an opinion about! Both absolute powerhouses of energy, they cook superb breakfasts and never seem to stop smiling. You’re in good hands.

You can walk to trendy Kloof Street, just around the corner, with its wide variety of restaurants, cafes, bars and shops. However we would warmly recommend you try out Millers Thumb for your supper tonight (if you haven’t been there before).

Millers Thumb
Tel nr: + 27 (0)21 424 3838
www.millersthumb.co.za

Millers Thumb is a superb relaxed seafood restaurant, just a five-minute walk (downhill) from Liberty Lodge (but please take a taxi home after dark). It’s owned and run by the inimitable Jane and her husband Solly, whose names have been Spoonerised above the bar into ‘Sane and Jolly’ – that should give you some idea of the informality and general joie de vivre of the establishment!

DAY 2
Now we know it’s a little cheesy but the City Sightseeing Bus (Red Route) is a great way to get Conrad into the swing of Cape Town. It’s definitely the easiest way to see the whole city just to get yourself orientated – granted it’s a little touristy but it’s so much fun, so well organised and goes on such a great route that Liz and I do this at least once a year!

In the afternoon, we would suggest donning your walking shoes and seeing Cape Town a different way. There are numerous guiding companies offering a wide range of hikes, up, on or around Table Mountain and you can of course just hike yourselves. However, if you do decide to do this, please do make sure you only take busy public routes and check the weather before you go.

Personally, we feel it’s worth considering taking a guide if you want to see the parts of the mountain that most visitors never see. There is only one ‘Fynbos Guy’ - Dominic Chadbon + 27 (0) 72 992 5636. Dominic’s been hiking Table Mountain and the other mountain ranges of the Cape for the best part of 20 years. There are few people who can match him for knowledge of routes, weather patterns, flora and fauna so you’re in safe hands. Dominic fits each hike around you and the prevailing conditions. So he may choose the 12 Apostles route (above Camp’s Bay) with superb views of the Atlantic Ocean and Lion’s Head or he may decide to take you the Constantia route with views over False Bay and the rest of the Peninsula: it all depends on conditions on the day.

Table Mountain is vast, dominating the centre of Cape Town but also extending right down to the southern tip of the Western Cape. The actual massif of rock that you can see from the city centre is 57 square kilometres but the entire park is much bigger, bigger even that the city itself.

There are several routes to choose from, depending on your fitness and interests: the top of the cable car can get very crowded so it’s often better to opt for an alternative route to the top. If the weather doesn’t play ball, there are plenty of alternatives going around rather than over the mountain.

Some of the routes are very light but some are technical requiring hands and feet and some scrambling. All routes are strenuous, though (this really is a mountain not a hill) You’ll need to carefully monitor your own fluid intake and take lots of clothing to mitigate the effects of the sun (sun stroke is a common problem on the mountain).

If you’re not feeling on top form on the day for whatever reason, please rather don’t climb.

Dominic’s fee includes his time and transport to and from the start of the hike and includes the cablecar ticket, should it be necessary: if not, we’ll refund the ticket value.

Tonight you’re booked in at Societi Bistro for your evening meal.

Societi Bistro
Tel nr: + 27 (0)21 42 42 100
www.societi.co.za

Societi Bistro – a splendid small-scale eatery on Orange Street, which is just behind Kloof Street. Originally a former residence of one of Cape Town’s grande dames, the restaurant still feels like a house, with a front door, two front rooms, two back rooms and kitchen. When the team started the restoration, they found a vintage Citroen in the garage (now the bar). The places is full of lovely nooks and crannies and one can even eat in the house kitchen (which is noisy, theatrical and unforgettable!).

As such, it’s no surprise that Societi is a perennial favourite with locals. Chef Stefan Marais leads a team of enthusiastic and knowledgeable serving staff and offers a broad but tight menu of bistro-style food named after famous Capetonians.

DAY 3
Chris will meet you at Liberty Lodge this morning at around 09h30: today you will be going on a full day’s Food and Wine Tour.

Visiting the Cape Winelands is without a doubt a must-do for any visitor to South Africa (and are indeed a reason to visit the country on their own). There are three distinct Winelands regions: the central Winelands, the Overberg and the Peninsula, all of which are equally worth visiting. Today you’re going to be visiting the central Winelands.

Despite the name, the Winelands are about far more than just wine: the region pours (pun intended) with creativity and history, particulary in the realm of food. The scenery is also stunningly beautiful and the range of olives, chocolate, port, brandy, cheese, fruit are world-class and form a major part of the country’s exports. On top of this, the towns and villages are architecturally fascinating and Stellenbosch boasts the third largest university in the country.

There are over eight winelands towns (all very pretty and different from one another), numerous villages and in excess of 1800 wine estates. We have never met anyone who has been to all of them!

Have your batteries charged and camera at the ready!

Chris’s tours aim to give you an overview of the Central Winelands, so includes the towns, the history, the scenery and the vineyards of the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek regions. He can contextualise our wines into your experiences of other wine regions and particularly delights in removing the pomp and elitism so often associated with wine. A wine tour with Chris is first and foremost about making the winelands accessible and fun, at any level of wine appreciation. On tour with Chris, you’ll become infected by his love of wine, the achingly beautiful scenery in which its grown and made, and the centuries of tradition, skill and dedication the people of the winelands possess.

Tonight, we have reservered a table at Cape Town’s chicest deli; Manna Epicure for this evening’s meal.

Manna Epicure
Tel nr: + 27 (0)21 4262413
mannaepicure.com

Situated on Upper Kloof Street, and as such the haunt of the ‘Ladies Who Lunch’, this South African-French fusion restaurant first made its name for its sensational bread. That success continued into a deli and now a brasserie open for lunches and dinner. Agnes and Jonny, the owners, actually met in London many moons ago, with Jonny being the South African and Agnes the Corsican (don’t call her French!). Expect to get simple, classic dishes enhanced with a bit of South African flare.

DAY 4
Today’s an open day but being the kind of people we are, we can’t resist tempting you into some of our favourite things to see and do on the Cape. To get around, you might need a car, in which case give us a call and we’ll get one delivered to your door.

For your benefit, you can’t visit Cape Town and say you’ve truly experienced it without visiting one of the jewels of the city, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.

Nestled on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain it is widely acclaimed as one of the greatest botanical gardens of the world, not least for the size of the collection of plants it holds but also the sensational location. Be sure to find your way to the “Boomslang” (meaning tree snake) Tree Canopy Walkway, a low impact sculptural raised walkway that promises some of the most breathtaking views over Kirstenbosch and the Cape Flats.

The magnificent landscape of Kirstenbosch is also the perfect setting for art. The Gardens present a variety of art exhibitions, both long and short term, so it’s well worth looking at their Events page to find out what is current. However, one of our personal favourites is the permanent Sculpture Garden in the lower Gardens. These affable and convivial works of art lead you on a delightful meander through the grounds in this truly magnificent location.

Each sculpture at Kirstenbosch was commissioned for placement in the garden. They depict spiritual, traditional and contemporary themes and are sculpted by artists in the Shona tradition originating in Zimbabwe.

With the vast array of things to see and do in the Cape, you might well feel somewhat bewildered for choice: for example, the Cape is a wine region in its own right, boasting over eight wine estates some dating back into the 17th century (and they call us ‘New World’ in Europe!). Most of these are in Constantia, which is now a suburb of Cape Town, and even if you don’t feel like wine tasting, nearly all have restaurants that you can easily while away a contented hour or two!

One of our favourites (for the view in particular) is Cape Point Vineyards which is actually situated near Noordhoek.

Cape Point Vineyards
Tel nr: + 27 (0)21 789 0900
cpv.co.za

Cape Point Vineyards is nestled between mountains and the ocean, with what can only be described as one of my best spots to watch the sun go down in all of Cape Town. This vineyard is known for its late harvest Sauvignon Blanc, rich in minerality, structure and tone. It is these wines that drive the menu in the restaurant, however personally I would recommend the Cape Point Vineyard Picnic Basket – (which we would need to order 24hrs prior).

Each basket comes stuffed with delicious picnic friendly, but rather grander than normal eats, such as olives, and local cheeses, bobotie wraps, vegetable quiches to name a few. Grab a blanket and two of their prism shaped cushions, and find your perfect spot on the enormous lawns that lookout over the Atlantic ocean. Drinks will be served to you at your preferred spot, so really all you have to do is eat, drink and be merry!

After your day on the road, we have booked a table at The Black Sheep for tonight’s dinner.

The Black Sheep
Tel nr: +27 (0) 21 426 2661
blacksheeprestaurant.co.za

Sitting on what has been dubbed ‘Upper Kloof’, the lesser known end of Kloof Street, Black Sheep opened to great acclaim in 2012, principally for its niche of gourmet pub (which wasn’t at the time on offer in Cape Town). Upper Kloof is known for being a little left-field with high-end designer shops opposite funky junk reclaim and Black Sheep definitely fits like a hand in glove in the area.

The menu is a complete lottery, based on what the chef, Jonny, finds in terms of ingredients that is fresh and interesting that day. Jonny spends his time in the kitchen and Jorge runs the floor and is the guy behind the sensational choice of beers. This is the only restaurant we’ve ever come across where the site has a link to ‘Yesterday’s Menu’, just so you can check if today’s menu really is freshly created!

Offering one of the best views in Cape Town from its front window (which they completely retract in the summer), you’ll enjoy this relaxed, noisy and fun eating experience. Hot Tip: arrive early and have a cocktail at the Dark Horse bar.

Travel Arrangements on DAY 5
It’s an early start this morning: Chris from Hannival’s will pick you up at 07h00 to take you to Cape Town International Airport for your flight to Durban.

Here you will pick up your rental car and once out of the airport, you will be heading north (east) along the coastal motorway the N2. Please be aware that this route has tolls, so it would be advisable to have at least R100 in notes or change to hand.

DAYS 5 – 8
MSENI BEACH LODGE: (3 nights)
SODWANA BAY
Sodwana Bay National Park, Sodwana Bay, Mbazwana, 3974, South Africa
Tel nr: +27 (0) 87 8035878
mseni.co.za

Over the next 3 days you will be immersing yourself into the wonders of Sodwana Bay. Situated in a UNESCO World Heritage Site with over 50km of unspoilt white beaches, you will find the simple but comfortable Mseni Beach Lodge.
Members of staff at Mseni pride themselves on always providing a friendly service & an excellent experience, which go some way to compliment the sheer magnificence of the location. The Lodge is nestled amongst beautiful indigenous bush, which forms part of the iSimangaliso nature reserve. On arrival you will need to pay the Conservation and Gate Fee of R448.00 in cash for your stay.

Classified as one of the top dive sites in the world, Sodwana bay offers a 50km reef complex that boasts over 90 species of hard and soft coral, sponges, other invertebrates and around 1200 different tropical fish species. The Bay’s coral reef system does not form a continuous reef but is divided into a number of reefs that run parallel to the shore, each one named by its distance from the launch site at Jesser Point.

The reefs are the southern-most coral reefs in the world. They are only one tenth the size of the barrier reef but home to more than two thirds of the number of species of fish (six of which are endemic to the area). This means that your chances of seeing more species are greater here than the Great Barrier reef due to the concentration of area you are diving on and the vast range of species here.

You will be pleased to hear that there are lots of fishing options in the area: snorkelling and diving can easily be arranged too: just ask the staff at Mseni if you’d like some help.

Travel Arrangements DAY 8
You are off on your travels again today, with a comfortable 2 hour drive further north to Kosi Forest Lodge, which will be your base for the next two nights.

Kosi Forest Lodge can only be accessed by 4x4 so it’s a requirement to meet the (included) 4x4 transfer at 12h00 on the day. The transfer will be waiting at the Total garage in Manguzi. This means leaving Mseni not later than 10h00 to be sure of being on time. If you’re not going to make it, please contact us and we’ll reschedule.

DAYS 8 – 10
KOSI FOREST LODGE: (2 nights)
ISIMANGALISO WETLAND PARK
Kosi Nature Reserve Manguzi, South Africa
Tel nr: +27 (0) 35 474 1473
www.kosiforestlodge.co.za

Kosi Bay is the sort of place that novelists dream up and then construct adventures in. On arrival at the gate, you are picked up by a four-wheel drive, which can negotiate the rough sand tracks criss-crossing the region. You park up not just your car, but also the modern world you are now leaving. There is no tar and no mains electricity here. Instead you enter a landscape of raffia palm groves, sand forests, mangroves, water meadows and interconnecting lakes (yes, hippo and crocodile like it too and are regularly sighted). Then there are day trips to the sea and the mouth of the river for snorkelling, swimming and fishing in perfect white sand coves with huge overhanging trees.

The reed thatched camp itself perfectly balances the wild (your chalet is in the middle of a lively forest) and the accommodation itself is informal and homely. You will be staying for two nights in one of the simple but elegant Forest Rooms.

Kosi Forest Lodge is all about the atmosphere: the bathrooms have outdoor showers and deep, wide baths under a leafy canopy. Oil lamps are lit along the forest paths as well as in your tent as the sun sets, creating a warm glow and connection with the ancient past of this unspoilt land.

We love the deep stillness of the early-morning guided canoe trip and the other activities which include boat cruises across the lakes, turtle tracking (seasonal), forest walks, bird safaris or just lazing by the pool which overlooks the lake.

Even better, Kosi (and also Rhino Ridge) are both fully accredited by Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa; this means that every two years the entire business is completely audited for is social responsibility to its staff and suppliers as well as its environmental sustainability to world-class standards. We consider Kosi Forest Lodge one of the most rewarding places you can stay in South Africa.

Once you have settled in, you will be going on a Beach and Bush safari in the afternoon followed by dinner under the stars. These are all included in the room rate.

Isimangaliso Wetland Park
Kosi Forest Lodge sits in a ‘reserve within a reserve’ – the enormous Isimangaliso Wetlands Park stretches pretty much all the way from the border with Mozambique right down to St. Lucia town, which is a distance of over 200km. Inland at its widest point the reserve is 25km deep. The smaller reserve of the Kosi Bay Lake System was incorporated into the larger reserve of Isimangaliso shortly after Isimangaliso was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status in 1999.

It is hard to begin to describe the wonders of Isimangliso (which means ‘places of miracles’ in Zulu) – it’s a sub-tropical coastal sand dune, marshland, mangrove swamp and coral reef environment which is incredibly (and we don’t use that word lightly) diverse collection of eco-systems.

But the natural wonders aren’t where the miracles stop. Isimangaliso was first formed after the collapse of apartheid, unlike the vast majority of nature reserves in South Africa, and it is for this reason that it’s managed to incorporate traditional leadership from local communities, provincial government and national government at the highest levels of its management.

This has not been a simple or easy process as the area is economically very deprived but the investment into the park has been first and foremost about sustaining the people who already are the natural custodians of the area and making their lives better. To this end, malaria has almost been eradicated in the park and infrastructure spending (without damage to the fragile ecosystems) continues apace.

DAY 9
This morning you will be enjoying a guided canoe safari on Kosi Lake, followed by a picnic lunch. Crocodiles, hippos, and flamingoes are familiar sights on these excursions and you are guaranteed to experience abundant marine life that thrive in these crystal-clear warm waters.

Hippopotami, which despite their slothful and endearing appearance, are actually very dangerous animals -definitely one of the highlights of this trip.

You will also experience the ancient Thonga tradition still very much in use today, of making fish traps, hopefully along with a plentiful catch!

Isimangaliso has abundant vistas such as the one found with a gentle stroll along a deserted beach.

The afternoon you will be back on the beach for a land-based safari, followed by dinner at the Lodge in the evening. All of these are included in your room rate.

Travel Arrangements on DAY 10
This morning you have an early start, this time taking a relatively short 1 hour drive west to Tembe Elephant Park. On arrival you will be enjoying a full day of safari in this small but very special reserve.

Please note you will need to pay the Community levy and Gate Fee of R310.00 in cash on arrival at Tembe.

DAY 10
TEMBE ELEPHANT PARK: (1 night)
TEMBE
Tel nr: +27 (0) 31 2670144
www.tembe.co.za

Tembe Elephant Park is, similarly to Kosi Bay Lake Reserve, a collaboration between the local Tembe people (who are a Zulu tribe) and Ezimvelo KZN Wildlife, a provincial government department. The key difference here is that the Tembe community partly own (along with the province) the land on which the reserve is located but are fully in charge of the management (including the financial management) of the park. As such, the entire operation benefits the local community on their own terms. This is a most unusual arrangement in South Africa and is one of the reasons why Tembe is so amazingly affordable even to local South Africans – there is no ‘fat cat at the back’ raking in profits for some urban office: what you pay to stay and visit Tembe remains at Tembe.

The other reason why Tembe is so special is that its remoteness has kept it free from the commercialisation larger reserves tend to suffer from. Here, vast herds of wild elephant (and they really are truly wild) still roam free, following their nomadic and ancient pathways through dense sand forest and tall yellow grasses.

Due to the inaccessibility of the area, many large adult males who would traditionally have been hunted or poached for their enormous tusks, are still to be found here living in perfect tranquillity. So for many South Africans, Tembe is ‘the tusker park’ and is actually one of the very few places in the world where elephants with large ivory horns die of natural causes.

Whilst the reserve is not large by comparison to state-owned parks like the Kruger or Addo, it plays host to the full range of South Africa’s largest animals too.

Travel Arrangements on DAY 11
You’ll bid Tembe farewell this morning as you are on the road again, this time making your way south to Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge in the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Game Reserve. Please note you must be at Rhino Ridge before 18h00 as the gates close at that time. We would suggest being there by 17h00 to be sure.

Please also do not enter ‘Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge’ into Google Maps as it will bring you to a locked service gate, not the main entrance gate (Memorial Gate).

Please note that the details above only bring you to Memorial Gate. You will still need to drive to Rhino Ridge once inside the park. Here are detailed directions...

Directions from Hluhluwe via Memorial Gate
(1 hour – allow time to stop for animals in the park)

• Head west toward R22 (34metres)
  • Exit the roundabout onto R22 (350 metres)
  • At the next roundabout take the 2nd exit and stay on R22 (2.9kms)
  • You will pass over a bridge driving over the N2. Do not take any turn offs.
  • Continue onto P453 (12.9kms)
  • Enter the HLUHLUWE IMFOLOZI PARK at MEMORIAL GATE (28.6kms to lodge)
  • Please check in at the Park Office and present them with your Reservation Number. There are no additional fees to pay so do not pay anything else!
  • Please keep any paper work that they hand you as you will require this on exiting the park.
  • You are welcome to buy a map book at the park gate (but please note Rhino Ridge is not yet marked in this map book until the Park do a reprint of the booklet!)
  • Please drive with care in the park as not only are there wild animals but the road is in poor condition with several potholes which are being repaired. If you get stuck, get a flat or whatever please call us first! We will get you rescued.
  • Follow the signs to HILLTOP CAMP (12.2kms)
  • Pass Signs 17, 19 and 18.
  • At Sign 28 keep left and DO NOT take road up to HILLTOP CAMP
  • At Sign 12 keep left
  • At Sign 7 turn right onto a gravel road
  • Continue on this road for (4.4kms) past Sign 6 where you will pass the road to Thiyeni hide.
  • Shortly after you will see a sign on the right saying RHINO RIDGE
  • Turn right and follow the signs up to the lodge
  • On arrival at the lodge please drive down the cobbled driveway and park at the entrance.

Hluhluwe Imfolozi
By contrast with Tembe and also with Isimangaliso, Hluhluwe Imfolozi is a large and in fact one of the earliest proclaimed national wildlife parks in sub-saharan Africa. As such, it allows day visitors who travel on tarred roads through the park, akin to Kruger and other state-owned parks. Its easy accessibility from Durban International does then make it busier with humans and infrastructure than the parks you’ve visited until now on this trip.

However, by sacrificing a little of the truly wild and remote you get in return an even greater diversity of wildlife than a smaller reserve can offer: in the heart of Zululand, where King Shaka once hunted, the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park is over 96,000 hectares. Particularly interesting to this part of the world are the semi-domesticated Nguni cattle, some of whom are to be found wild in the reserve, along with large and regal antelope, such as the nyala, who cut a sensational figure against the backdrop of this verdant part of the country.

The Nguni cattle breed is special to southern Africa. A hybrid of different Indian and later European cattle breeds, they were introduced by Bantu-speaking tribes to southern Africa during their migration from the north of the continent. The animals are highly prized in Zulu and Xhosa cultures to the extent that they have a whole section of the tribes’ languages devoted to them.

The lowland nyala or simply nyala, is also an amazing looking animal. This spiral-horned antelope is native to southern Africa. They can grow up to 2m in length and weigh over 150kg!

Hluhluwe Imfolozi is also large enough to host the African wild dog, long seen as a pest by farmers due to their large roaming territory and highly efficient group hunting methods. These very peculiar looking animals are now finally getting the attention (and conservation) they deserve but remain shy and elusive. Consider yourself very lucky if you get to see them in full hunting mode.

Hluhluwe imfolozi is best known worldwide for being the historical home of the Southern White Rhino. Following the successful ‘Operation Rhino’ efforts of the 1950s the white rhino has been literally brought back from the brink of extinction. The park is home to an important population of both White and Black Rhino; but sadly their biggest threat, as elsewhere throughout Africa, is from poaching and illegal trading of rhino horn which requires round-the-clock anti-poaching mechanisms.

It’s all too easy to overlook the wonders in the sky when you have so much to see on the land during a game drive. So let’s not forget the birds of Hluhluwe: a fairly common sighting, yet one that still brings delight to our eyes is spotting these perch loving insect eaters.

Aptly called ‘little bee-eaters’, these are not as gregarious as other bee-eaters. During the day they hunt alone or in pairs, but roost in groups in a tightly packed row on a branch at night.

A mixture of public rest camps and private reserves dot the landscape here and it’s on a hill overlooking this wilderness that you’ll find Rhino Ridge, your lodging for the next two nights.

DAYS 11 -13
RHINO RIDGE SAFARI LODGE: (2 nights)
HLUHLUWE IMFOLOZI GAME RESERVE
Tel nr: +27 (0) 35 4741473
www.rhinoridge.co.za

Owing to a concession never granted before or since, Rhino Ridge is the only privately-owned lodge in Hluhluwe Imfolozi.

Just as with Kosi Forest Lodge (in fact both properties are managed by Isibindi Africa which also has lodges in Kruger Park), Rhino Ridge is a special place and a destination in its own right. You would be forgiven for thinking that this kind of conglomeration of establishments under a management company would lead to a depersonalised and corporate culture creeping in to the way the places are run: far from it. Rhino Ridge regularly goes through the same painstaking Fair Trade in Tourism audit that Kosi Forest Lodge does and as such, you can be assured that what you’ve paid for this trip is ensuring the future of exactly what you came here to see.

The story of the creation of Rhino Ridge is actually fascinating (meriting a whole book or film on its own), involving the seemingly opposed interests of Inkosi Hlamisa and Nic Vaughn-Jones of Safari Club International, a South African hunting company. Starting on either side of a highly charged racial divide, they started what became a 60-year journey to get to the institution you can see today. This is a little-told and inspiring South African success story.

The lodge itself uses natural materials and modern, retro-inspired finishes. You’ll find Rhino Ridge feels more like a boutique bush hotel (if such a thing exists!), offering a chic, sleek alternative to the traditional, rustic lodges that are the norm in game reserves in South Africa. We love the slate tiled showers, natural wooden mirrors, and especially the open fireplace that separates bedroom from bathroom in the Luxury Bush Villas. You will be staying in one of these villas during your stay.

You’ll enjoy the luxurious comfort of the expansive open plan bedroom with lounge area, fireplace and large viewing deck. On a hot night, relax on your private balcony and relish the gentle breeze and sounds of the African bush.

Tonight you will be dining in the elegant dining room overlooking the vastness of the African bush.

Travel Arrangements on DAY 13
‘Ag nee!’ as we say in Afrikaans (oh no, really?) – today’s the day that sadly your African holiday is coming to an end and it’s time to depart this morning. You will need to leave Rhino Ridge at approximately 07h00 in order to make your way to Richard Bay Airport for your 10h20 flight to Johannesburg.

We do hope you had a splendid time in South Africa and the Kingdom of the Zulus – we very much look forward to planning your next trip for you!