Peaks & Wildlife Explorer

On arrival in Durban, pick up your hire car and drive to Pietermaritzburg, the capital of KwaZulu-Natal. Once you’ve settled in, take a look around the peaceful KwaZulu-Natal National Botanical Garden, home to plants from across eastern and southern Africa. Take a look around the City Hall, the largest red brick building in the Southern Hemisphere, or perhaps have a look around the Voortrekker Museum, which tells the story of the Great Trek, a mass migration of Dutch settlers into the interior of South Africa from 1836.

Accommodation at 4* Anew Hotel Hilton

Affectionately known as ‘The Berg’ the Drakensberg is your next stop, a dramatic mountain range with panoramic vistas and sweeping scenery at every turn. It’s the ideal spot for hiking, and there are plenty of routes to choose from. Perhaps step inside the Royal Natal National Park’s famous natural amphitheatre, take in the magnificent Doreen Falls in the Didima Valley or walk across the Drakensberg Suspension Bridge in the Lost Valley.

Accommodation at 4* Cathedral Peak

Fans of the film Zulu will know of Rorke’s Drift, as it was here in 1879 that the great Battle of Rorke’s Drift took place. Learn all about this historic day, plus more about the Anglo-Zulu wars at Fugitive’s Drift, which is the place where Lieutenants Melvill and Coghill lost their lives attempting to save the Queen’s Colour of their regiment. Take a walk or a horse ride around the area and see if you can spot the local birdlife, or perhaps try fishing in the Buffalo River.

Accommodation at 4* Fugitives' Drift Guest House

A small town in KwaZulu-Natal, Mkuze is dominated by the looming presence of Ghost Mountain, a burial ground for various tribal chiefs and so-called because it is thought to be haunted. Mkuze shares its name with its neighbouring game reserve, a collection of open savannahs, dense woodlands and soggy swamps at the foot of the Lebombo Mountains. The park is home to more than 420 bird species including fish eagles, so head out into the bush or hang out by the river to spot elephant, wild dog, wildebeest, hippos, giraffe, cheetah and leopard.

Accommodation at 5* Ghost Mountain

Enter Swaziland and drive to Mantenga Lodge is the Ezulwini Valley, a beautiful spot with some lush, mountain scenery. Swaziland may be a small country, but there’s plenty to do here. The Mantenga Nature Reserve is home to the picturesque Mantenga Falls, Swaziland’s largest waterfall, which you can hike to, and there’s also a cultural village, where you can learn more about Swazi history and culture.

Accommodation at 4* Mantenga Lodge

Re-entering South Africa, continue north and stop in Hazyview, a green and pleasant farming town set among banana plantations and easy access point to the spectacular Blyde River Canyon, the third largest canyon in the world. Come for hiking, scenic drives and picnics by pretty waterfalls and rock formations. On your drive to Blyde River Canyon, perhaps stop off at the historic town of Pilgrim’s Rest, and the God’s Window viewpoint, which offers a gorgeous panorama of the lush Lowveld below.

Accommodation at 4* Aha Casa Do Sol Hotel & Resort

Time for your final stop and the main event: Kruger National Park, perhaps the most famous safari park in all Africa. Kruger is home to the Big Five (elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, rhino), and is also blessed with high concentrations of the most loved of the game animals, such as zebra, cheetah, giraffe and impala. With four safaris included, you’ll have ample chance to spot the animals, so bring your camera, keep your eyes peeled, and see what you can find.

Accommodation at 5* Hamiltons Tented