South Africa

Walking South Africa / Rainbow Route / Kruger Walking Safaris

SOUTH AFRICA "RAINBOW ROUTE"
ACCOMMODATED ADVENTURE

17 day small group comfort adventure

An accommodated safari through South Africa, trekking, cultural visits and wonderful game viewing in the Rainbow Nation

Highlights
* Mpumalanga Panorama Route - sight seeing
* Kruger National Park - game drives
* Swaziland - mountain walks
* Zululand - game drives & cultural village
* Drakensberg mountains - maintain walks
* Wild Coast - beach walks & Xhosa culture
* Addo - game drives
* Tsitsikamma - forest walks
* Hermanus - beaches and whales
* Cape Town - Cape Point & Table Mountain

Day 1 JOHANNESBURG to MPUMALANGA [lodge -LD] (B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner)
Departing from Johannesburg at 06:30am we head towards Mpumalanga where mountains, panoramic passes, valleys, rivers, waterfalls & forests characterise the landscape. Few regions in the world can match the extraordinary beauty of the lowveld & escarpment. We visit Pilgrims Rest, Mac-Mac Falls and God's Window, before staying in a lodge on the edge of the escarpment near Graskop.
Includes: Entrance to Mac Mac falls & God's Window
Overnight: Chalets - 2 twin share bedrooms in each chalet with 1 bathroom shared between 2 bedrooms. Swimming pool, bar, restaurant
Distance/time: 380kms, ± 5½ hours, excluding stops for sightseeing, breakfast & lunch

Day 2 - 3 KRUGER NATIONAL PARK [tented lodge or chalet BLD]
The largest game reserve in South Africa, boasts the world's greatest concentration of species, and has an amazing 16 different ecosystems. Exciting game drives provide us with excellent game viewing. Spot the "Big 5" (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo) and many other animals in this true African wilderness.
Includes: Entrance to Kruger National Park, morning & afternoon game drives
Overnight: Chalets - twin chalets (or lodge tent) shared facilities, swimming pool, restaurant
Distance/time: 150kms, ± 2 hours + 3 x 3 hour game drives
Optional Activities Night game drive in National Parks open game viewing vehicle

Day 4 KINGDOM OF SWAZILAND [cabin BLD]
Malolotja Nature Reserve in the mountainous Kingdom of Swaziland is our next attraction. Renowned for a great variety of habitats from short grassland, to thick riverine scrub, bushveld and moist forest, we explore the reserve on foot to enjoy the fantastic mountain views. Relax around a campfire dinner and stay in mountain cabins for the night. Tradition is strong in the Kingdom of Swaziland, with no better example than the use of traditional medicine & healers. We visit the traditional medicine and craft market in Mbabane for insight into the traditional beliefs of the Swazi people.
Includes: Entrance fees to Malalotja Nature Reserve
Overnight: Cabin - each cabin sleeps a maximum of 6 people in 2 bedrooms and a loft room which share a ablution facilities, hot showers
Distance/time: 200kms, ± 4 hours, excluding 2-3 hour morning drive out of Kruger, shopping stop in Malelane, Jeppes Reef border formalities & stops for sightseeing etc

Day 5 - 6 ZULULAND [tented lodge or chalet BLD]
We visit craft markets near Mbabane that have a fascinating range of handmade crafts and the local witchdoctor stall is not to be missed! We re-enter South Africa and head to Mkuzi Game Reserve, which is a safe haven for the endangered black rhino. We visit a waterhole hide and watch game come down to. An early morning game drive is followed by a cultural afternoon where we visit a Zulu village on the border of the game reserve and learn about the Zulu culture. Our stay in Mkuzi Game Reserve not only supports the wildlife but also the local surrounding villages. Your tour funds are used to support the local Zulu villages which surround the Game Reserve. Our village visit and our local guide create employment and income for the villages increasing the importance of tourism and conservation. Community awareness and prosperity helps to reduce subsistence poaching.
Includes: Entrance to Mkuzi Game Reserve, morning and afternoon game drive & Zulu village visit with local Zulu community guide
Overnight: Chalets - 2/3/4 twin share bedrooms in each chalet with 1 or 2 bathrooms shared. Swimming pool, restaurant & shop
Distance/time: 300kms, ± 4 hours, including border formalities + game drives in Mkuzi

Day 7 - 8 DRAKENSBERG MOUNTAINS [chalets or cottage BLD]
The Drakensberg Mountains or "uKhahlamba" - the Barrier of Spears, is a 200-kilometre-long mountainous wonderland and world heritage site. From Mkuzi we move further south to the base of these mountains where we overnight for two nights in a quaint cottage or chalets. We will spend time walking along beautiful mountain stream paths, looking for Bushman rock paintings or just enjoying spectacular views.
Includes: Morning and afternoon hikes in the Drakensberg Mountains
Overnight: Chalets or Cottage - 2/3 twin bedrooms with 1/2 bathrooms shared between rooms.
Distance/time: 500kms, ± 7 hours, excluding stops for sightseeing & lunch. The last 50km is a slow gravel road
Optional Activities N/A

Day 9 - 10 WILD COAST [chalet or guesthouse BLD]
The Wild Coast remains a relatively untouched paradise in South Africa. There are unspoilt stretches of dramatic and savagely beautiful coastline, open spaces and pristine forest areas. We stay overnight within walking distance of the beach and the next day is free to explore the area, meet local villagers or relax on the beach.
Includes: Scenic coastal walks
Overnight: Chalets or guesthouse - twin rooms with shared ablutions, hot showers, swimming pool, restaurant & bar
Distance/time: 600kms, ± 8½ hours excluding stops for sightseeing & lunch - a long day!
Optional Activities Quad bikes, ocean fishing & village walks

Day 11 ADDO ELEPHANT NATIONAL PARK [chalets BLD]
The Addo Elephant National Park was established in 1931 to protect the last 11 wild elephants from extermination. Today more than 350 elephants roam through the area. The park also offers excellent viewing of black rhino, Cape buffalo, lion and leopard, as well as a host of other large and small mammals and over 400 species of birds in the greater park area.
Includes: Entrance fees to Addo Elephant National park, afternoon & morning game drive
Overnight: Chalets - twin room, with en-suite facilities, restaurant & floodlit waterhole.
Distance/time: 500kms, ± 7½ hours - a long day! Excluding stops for sightseeing & lunch + game drives
Optional Activities Night game drives in National Park open game viewing vehicles

Day 12 - 13 KNYSNA / TSITSIKAMMA [lodge B - -]
For two nights we will stay in a lodge resort in Knysna, which is nestled on a tranquil lagoon. We will take a day trip to the Storms River mouth where there are walks up the gorge and along the rocky coast. The Tsitsikamma National Park incorporates 80km of spectacular sea and landscapes; a remote mountainous region with secluded valleys, coastal forests with deep river gorges leading down to the sea. There is also an option of the world's highest bungi jump. Sample seafood at one of Knysna's great restaurants (own expense).
Includes: Entrance fees to Tsitsikamma National Park
Overnight: Chalets - 2 twin bedrooms in each chalets with 1 bathroom shared between 2 rooms. Swimming pool & restaurant.
Distance/time: 300kms, ± 4½ hours excluding stops for sightseeing
Optional Activities Bungi jumping, whale watching & treetop canopy tour

Day 14 HERMANUS [guest house BL-]
Hermanus offers some of the best land based whale watching in the world. From May to December Southern Right whales come up from the southern oceans to the coast to calve and mate in the shallows. In the afternoon we will take a walk along this beautiful coastline before having a meal out at local restaurant (own expense).
Overnight: Guesthouse - twin rooms with en-suite facilities, swimming pool & restaurant
Distance/time: 500kms, ± 7 hours excluding stops for sightseeing & lunch
Optional Activities Whale watching by boat, shark cage diving

Day 15 - 16 CAPE TOWN [hotel B - -]
Cape Town is one of the most picturesque cities in the world, with the majestic Table Mountain providing its central focus. On our way into Cape Town, we visit Stellenbosch, South Africa's renowned wine region, for wine tasting (own expense) and a cellar tour. The "mother city" has many attractions; we will visit Cape Point, the harbour at Hout Bay, enjoy the famous beaches and the V&A Waterfront. Optional visit to Robben Island (own expense). We sample the local fare at a variety of local restaurants (own expense).
Includes: Cellar tour, Entrance fees to Penguin colony & Cape Point National Park
Overnight: Guesthouse - twin rooms with en-suite facilities.
Distance/time: 150kms, ± 2 hours, excluding stops for sightseeing + 150kms full day Cape Peninsular tour on day 16
Optional Activities Robben Island cruise, shark cage diving, seal colony visit

Day 17 TOUR ENDS - TRANSFERS [- B - -]
In the morning we climb Table Mountain, offering panoramic views over Cape Town reaching out into the bay and Robben Island. Having explored the highlights of the Rainbow Nation we take a last look at Cape Town and catch up on last minute curio shopping in the afternoon, before your tour ends at 18:00.
Includes: Guided walk up Table Mountain

Guaranteed from 4 clients, maximum group size: 12 clients

DEPARTS JOHANNESBURG on Saturday at 06:30am ENDS CAPE TOWN on Monday @ ±18:00pm

Includes
* 16 nights in lodge / hotel / chalet or cabin
* Entrance fees
* Transport in minibus / safari truck
* Meals as per itinerary
* Professional guide

I want to book this!

Price: (valid Jan 2011 - Dec 2011) US$ 2 089 pps + local payment of ZAR 1 600 . Single supplement: US$ 651 pp (If you are traveling on your own, Sunway will "room" you with another same gender client. You do not pay extra when booking as a single person. If however you request a single room, then you'll pay the single supplement.)

2011 DEPARTURE DATES: 15-Aug-11 German, 06-Aug-11 22-Aug-1, 20-Aug-11 05-Sep-11, 17-Sep-11 03-Oct-11 German, 24-Sep-11 10-Oct-11, 08-Oct-11 24-Oct-11, 05-Nov-11 21-Nov-11 German, 12-Nov-11 28-Nov-11, 26-Nov-11 12-Dec-11, 24-Dec-11 09-Jan-12, 31-Dec-11 16-Jan-12
* Bold dates are guaranteed departures, all other dates guaranteed from 4 clients.
* German: These tours are lead by a German speaking translator / tour leader.

Accommodation
* Mpumalanga, Graskop Mogodi Lodge - 2 twin share bedrooms in each chalet with 1 bathroom shared between 2 bedrooms. Swimming pool, bar, restaurant, telephone.
* Chalets, Kruger National Park - for 2 nights in Kruger we stay in national parks board chalets with en-suite / shared ablutions (depending on availability). Swimming pool, restaurant, and telephone.
* Swaziland, Malolotja Nature Reserve - mountain cabins, 2 bedrooms per cabin which are twin share with 1 bathroom and 1 washroom shared between 2 rooms.
* Mkhuzi Game Reserve, chalets - 2 nights in Mkhuzi we stay in the park chalets. Each has twin beds and en suite bathroom. Swimming pool, telephone.
* Drakensberg, Lotheni chalets - bedrooms are twin sharing with shared ablutions. (Smaller chalets may also be used subject to availability, these are twin share en suite).
* Wild Coast, Benmore Lodge- twin share rooms with 1 bathroom shared between two rooms. Swimming pool, bar, restaurant, bar, internet & telephone.
* Addo, national park chalets - twin share chalet (or lodge tent) with en suite facilities. (Sandflats Guest Lodge may also be used subject to availability, these rooms are twin share en suite) Swimming pool, restaurant, telephone.
* Knysna, Lagoona Inn - twin rooms with en-suite bathroom / shared facilities, Swimming pool, lounge, telephone.
* Hermanus, Baleens Guest House - rooms are twin share rooms with en-suite facilities. Telephone.
* Cape Town, Sweet Orange Guest House - guest house in the metropolitan area of Cape Town near the V&A Waterfront. Rooms are twin with en suite facilities. (or similar guest house)

Please note:
The accommodation specified above and in the itinerary, is a guide only and is subject to change subject to availability, without prior notice. Alternatives will be of a similar standard.

Transport
* On foot - easy to moderate walks throughout the tour.
* Vehicle - for longer distance travel, place to place, we use custom-built Safari trucks with 12 forward facing seats. Comfortable touring and good for game viewing. Large, sliding windows and viewing hatches give everyone a good view; or Toyota Hiace minibuses with 10 forward facing seats (roof rack and trailer for equipment and baggage); or Mercedes Sprinter minibuses with 16 forward facing seats (and trailer for equipment and baggage). There are a couple of long days of travelling but the vehicles have a comfortable cruising speed. The emphasis of the trip is "getting out and doing things".

Local Payment
" A local payment is required on this safari and this will be collected by your tour leader on departure. The local payment forms part of your overall tour cost, and must be taken into consideration when booking your safari. It will be used by your tour leaders to pay for some of the operational costs incurred on safari. We prepay by bank transfer, as many of the tour costs as possible. However, in many cases, a cash payment is the only option: certain of the destinations that we visit, only accept cash. For example entry fees to most national parks, some of the campsites and also local food markets (and even some shops) are only payable in cash. In addition, each vehicle has a garage card but these are only accepted in South Africa and parts of Namibia, therefore in all other countries, fuel must be paid for in cash. Due to the remoteness of some departure points, having a local payment system enables us to manage tour funds effectively. The efficiency of this system helps keep the overall tour prices down. For these reasons, it is necessary to charge a local payment. It also ensures that a portion of the tour costs goes directly into the country you are visiting, thereby benefiting local communities and contributing to the conservation of the areas we visit. This is all part of our ongoing effort to operate sustainable safaris that make a real difference.

Participation
" An essential part of your Safari is participation - from packing away in the morning to helping with cleaning up - it's all part of your adventure and when everyone puts in a little effort the trip will run smoothly. Your tour leaders will do all the meal preparation but we do ask the clients to help with the washing up. Team spirit is part of the fun!

Food
We pride ourselves on giving very good healthy meals to our clients and will provide three meals per day, except where shown in the itinerary, where we try out local restaurants. The tour leaders do the shopping and meal planning for each group. He/she will always try to obtain fresh produce wherever possible. A rough idea of what these will consist of is: Breakfast - cereals or coffee and toast or the occasional fried breakfast, Lunch - cheese, cold meats, salads on bread or rolls, Dinner - braais (local barbecue), potjies (stews), stir fries etc. We use regular plates, cups and cutlery. All cooking and eating utensils will also be provided. We do cater for special dietary requirements (e.g. vegetarian or allergies.) We will supply fruit squash served with breakfast and tea or coffee served with breakfast and dinner. All other beverages will be for your own expense. We will not supply bottled drinking water although it is available at many shops on tour.

Difficulty
Anyone who is generally active and in good health should enjoy this trip. The accommodation used is simple and clean, but full of character. This trip offers excellent value for money safari. Full itinerary with a couple of long driving days but also plenty of outdoors activity. Most places we visit we spend 2 nights allowing time to explore the area.

Things you should know
* You will need a valid passport and visas for entry into Swaziland and re-entering South Africa. Swazi visa is free of charge and obtained at the border.
* Luggage, please pack to a limit of 12kgs in a soft sports tog bag. Bring a daypack for walks.
* We recommend that you bring South African Rand for personal expenses on this trip. Travellers cheques can be changed in most large towns. Major credit cards can also be used for optional activities and restaurant bills.

Common questions about this trip
1. Can I buy camera film & memory cards? Film, memory cards and other photographic accessories will be available several times on tour. A camera with a zoom lens from wide angle to telephoto, 35-200mm, is advisable to capture both scenic and wildlife shots. Each vehicle is fitted with a 12/24V cigarette lighter - this should not be relied on for charging camera batteries and we recommend you bring a 2nd battery. Remember you can also charge your camera on those nights we use accommodation (SA 220V)

2. Is it safe? South Africa, like any many countries, has it's problems but your guide knows the country intimately and will endeavour to show you the best parts while looking after you. Be aware, but not paranoid, and you will have a great trip!

3. Do I need malaria tablets? Mpumalanga, Swaziland and Zululand is a limited risk malaria area but prophylactics are recommended.

4. What do I need to bring? All details are covered in our general tour briefing but the basics are: - comfortable clothes for warm days and cool evenings, walking shoes, a raincoat, hat and sunglasses, swimsuit, a small pair of binoculars also comes in very handy and most importantly - a sense of adventure!

Why Travel with this operator?

* Small groups - by travelling with a maximum of 12 people, you are able to witness Africa and have first hand contact with this amazing continent and it's people without being a negative influence. This has been a key factor in our continued success. Our trips appeal to a wide variety of ages. The average is 37 - with most being aged 25 to 60. The range of travellers gives a variety of perspectives which adds to the experience of each safari.

* 2 tour guides - group leaders are the key to any safari. On this safari you will travel with 2 qualified and registered field guides (FGASA). 2 guides as crew, not a guide and a driver, means maximum knowledge, informative and interesting trips. Our guides have a passion for Africa, her people and her wildlife, and they love nothing more than sharing their knowledge with our guests.

* All inclusive price - All of the entrance fees are included and a wide range of activities, and most meals. We have included as many highlights in our tours, so that you will see and experience the highlights without having to pay extra when you get there. So when you decide on which safari company to book with, look carefully at what you're actually getting. You may only visit a place once, make sure you get the most out of it.

* Safety - All of our vehicles are custom built to ensure comfortable and safe touring. Each is constructed, by an authorised passenger vehicle builder, to the latest safety requirements, with a safety shell, and every seat has a lap belt. This gives you peace of mind when travelling with Sunway Safaris on the often demanding African roads.

* Responsible travel - Our commitment to sustainable & responsible tourism is reflected in our low impact travel style where all we take is photographs and all we leave is our footprints. Being an African company we have the grassroots contacts to make a real difference in the lives of the people whose lands we visit.

* Experience - We have more than 16 years experience in planning tours throughout Southern Africa. As such, our itineraries and routes have been perfected over many years ensuring that your tour will run smoothly. We visit the highlights of Southern Africa, but ensure that you do not follow the well trodden tourist track. All of us at Sunway Safaris have extensive travel experience in Africa, and throughout the world.
" Being adventure travellers ourselves, we know how to plan trips that give you a broad experience of the countries that you will visit.

* Based in Africa - probably the most important part of this safari is that we are an African company. We live in Africa, we travel in Africa and it is our passion for this amazing continent that makes us your best travel option.