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Best of SA Wildlife

Wildlife safari, South Africa

Best of South African Wildlife: a Guided Safari from Johannesburg to the Kruger

A premier guided tour for visitors from overseas, from the white rhino of Mabula and the forests of Magoebaskloof to Thornybush and the southern Kruger.

A sunlit marula tree standing in golden grassland under a dark storm sky in the Kruger

Starts

OR Tambo Airport, Johannesburg

Ends

Flight from Kruger Mpumalanga Airport to Johannesburg

Regions

Waterberg, Magoebaskloof, Greater Kruger

Group

Minimum of 2 people

Rate

On request

A premier tour of South Africa's wildlife regions

This guided tour links four very different wildlife areas: the Waterberg foothills at Mabula, the mountains and forests of Magoebaskloof, the private Thornybush Game Reserve and the southern Kruger.

A Tembele guide meets you at the guesthouse on day two. All lodging, meals, ground transport and the internal flight back to Johannesburg are arranged for you.

Where you stay on the tour

Mabula Game Reserve

A private four-bedroom lodge overlooking an open plain and the Waterberg mountains, with spacious en-suite, air-conditioned rooms.

Bramasole Boutique Hotel, Magoebaskloof

On the edge of a large forest patch, with gardens and lakes. The rooms look out over the forest, close enough for the dawn chorus.

Marula Camp, Thornybush

A secluded private camp in prime game country, with thatched en-suite, air-conditioned bungalows and a waterhole with a sunken hide.

Skukuza Camp, Kruger National Park

The Kruger's largest rest camp, on the banks of the Sabie River, with dinners at the Cattle Baron and the Shalati Train Restaurant.

Wildlife highlights from the Waterberg to the Kruger

Mabula has well over 300 bird species and mammals including elephant, hippo, Cape buffalo, giraffe, brown hyena, cheetah, red hartebeest and southern oryx. It is one of the best places in Africa to see good numbers of southern white rhino.

Magoebaskloof adds turacos, trogons and twinspots, with Sykes's monkey and bushbuck. The southern Kruger is good for all of the Big 5, wild dog and both black and white rhino, plus birds such as Martial Eagle, Saddle-billed Stork and Kori Bustard.

How the day runs

Day 1

Arrive at OR Tambo Airport, where a chauffeur from our selected guesthouse meets you for the 10-minute transfer. Dinner at the guesthouse.

Day 2

Your Tembele guide collects you after breakfast for the drive to Mabula Game Reserve, on the southern edge of the UNESCO Waterberg Biosphere.

Day 3

A day at Mabula: guided drives in an open safari vehicle, short guided walks near the lodge, or game viewing from the veranda.

Day 4

North to Magoebaskloof, about three hours with stops, to Bramasole Boutique Hotel among the forests and lakes of the eastern escarpment.

Day 5

A full day in Magoebaskloof, with optional forest excursions on foot or by vehicle and rewarding birding around the hotel.

Day 6

Down the escarpment to the Lowveld and a 90-minute drive to Marula Camp in the Thornybush Game Reserve.

Days 7 and 8

Two flexible safari days at Thornybush, with a guide and vehicle available all day: early drives, brunch, siesta, afternoon tea and late drives after dark.

Day 9

Through the Kruger National Park via Satara and Tshokwane to Skukuza Camp. Dinner at the Cattle Baron.

Day 10

Sunrise coffee on Mathekenyane granite hill, then a day exploring the south, with brunch at Lower Sabie. Dinner at the Shalati Train Restaurant.

Day 11

An optional morning game drive, then a leisurely drive to Kruger Mpumalanga Airport for the one-hour flight to Johannesburg.

Your booking

What's included

What your ticket covers on the day, and what to bring yourself.

✓

All lodging from day 1 to day 10

✓

All meals from dinner on day 1 to brunch on day 11

✓

All ground transport

✓

Entrance fees and conservation levies

✓

Guide services

✓

Tipping at group meals and for drivers, porters and local guides

✓

The internal flight from the Kruger to Johannesburg

Not included

International flights to and from South Africa

Airport taxes and visa fees

Airline baggage charges

Alcoholic drinks

Optional personal tips

Phone calls, laundry and personal items

A leopard walking low through pale dry grass in the Thornybush reserve Two cheetah brothers sitting side by side and looking straight at the camera Close-up of a purple-crested turaco with a glossy blue crest and red eye ring A pair of saddle-billed storks standing in long green grass

Questions guests ask

No. Flights to and from South Africa are not included, but the internal flight from Kruger Mpumalanga Airport back to Johannesburg is.

Yes. Tipping at group meals and for drivers, porters and local guides is included and handled for the group. Extra tips for exceptional service are entirely optional.

The tour runs for a minimum of two people. The rate is on request: contact Lisa on +27 83 380 2322 or lisa@tembele.co.za.

Best of SA Wildlife

Ask for a quote

Rate on request. Minimum of two people sharing

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