Kruger Experience

Day 1 Tuesday / Friday (D)
Morning departure from Johannesburg with your guide. Travel to the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ – Mpumalanga. Your 5 1⁄2 hour journey takes you through incredible scenery – mountains, panoramic passes, valleys, rivers, waterfalls and forests characterise the landscape. Arrive at your hotel in the late afternoon. Check in to start your Kruger Experience immediately with an afternoon open vehicle game drive into the Kruger National Park. All safaris in the Kruger National Park are operated in specially designed open safari vehicles and you are accompanied by a qualified and experienced FGASA and SATOUR registered guide.Kruger National Park consists of nearly 2 million hectares of unrivalled diversity of life forms fused with historical and archaeological sites – this is real Africa. The world-renowned Kruger National Park offers a wildlife experience that ranks with the best in Africa. Established in 1898 to protect the wildlife of the South African Lowveld, the park is a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies. Truly the flagship of the South African national parks, Kruger is home to an impressive number of species: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals.After the sun has set on your first exhilarating day, return to the hotel for dinner and overnight. Overnight Protea Hotel Kruger Gate (standard room) or similar.

Day 2 Wednesday / Saturday (BLD)
After breakfast, embark on a full day safari into the Kruger National Park. The safari starts early in the morning and your guide will cover as much area as possible. Stops will be included at the various lookout points within the park and you will be given the opportunity to explore man’s interaction with the Lowveld environment over many centuries – from bushman rock paintings to majestic archaeological sites like Masorini and Thulamela. These treasures represent the cultures, persons and events that played a role in the history of the Kruger National Park and are conserved along with the park’s natural assets. A packed lunch will be enjoyed inside the park.Return to the hotel in the early evening in time for dinner at the hotel.Overnight Protea Hotel Kruger Gate (standard room) or similar.

Day 3 Thursday / Sunday (B)
After an early breakfast, depart the Kruger National Park and travel back to Johannesburg via the ‘Panorama Route’. The Panorama Route is best known for its cultural heritage and its dramatic landscapes. It leads through the rugged mountain range of the northern Drakensberg in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. Travel through “Gods playground” to God’s Window overlooking the green Lowveld. Further north along the route, stop along many well-positioned vantage points from where one has a view of the 33 km long Blyde River Canyon gorge, which starts at “Bourke’s Luck Potholes” and ends at the “Three Rondavels”. The Potholes are very impressive rock formations that were shaped millions of years ago by erosion. The bizarre swirl holes developed when the once rapid river carried masses of sand and debris. Time and weather permitting, stop at various waterfalls along the way.The tour ends at your Johannesburg based hotel or with a drop-off at the O.R. Tambo International Airport by 18h00.