Land of Legends Safari

Days 1-2: Natal North Coast

• Collect your rental car on arrival at Durban International Airport and head in the direction of the Natal North Coast (a 1-hour drive away).
• The luxurious Hotel Izulu is your first destination in the sleepy coastal town of Ballito.
• The next few days is completely at your leisure, relax and unwind from your long international flight.
• Explore the area with her fantastic Indian Ocean beaches or simply just relax at the hotel - the choice is yours.
• Numerous day and half day tours available (optional);
  • Durban City tour
  • Shakaland Zulu Experience
  • Ushaka Marine Tour
  • Relaxing on some of the best beaches in the country
  • Impilo Spa
  • Dine a la carte at the elegantly contemporary Gigi's Restaurant
• Accommodation Information: Hotel Izulu

Days 3-4: Central Drakensberg

• After breakfast, you head in the direction of the Scenic Central Drakensberg Mountain Range.
• Travelling at a leisurely pace the estimated travelling time from Durban is in the region of ± 2 - 2.5 hours (direct).
• We highly recommend that you do stop off in the Natal Midlands, unique arts and crafts offer a "shop till you drop" experience.
• Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse is your home for the next two nights, a truly spectacular destination awaits.
• Cleopatra's offers up some of the best cuisines in the country.
• Numerous activities available (optional);
  • Walking
  • Horse Riding
  • Horse Stud Tours and Local Adventures
  • Fishing
  • Sani Pass
  • Crane Rehabilitation Centre
  • Midlands Meander
  • Bushman Rock Art
• Accommodation Information: Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse

Days 5-6: Northern Drakensberg / Battlefields

• Departing Cleopatra's a short 2-hour drive to the Northern area of the Drakensberg awaits, with Three Tree Hill Lodge being your designation.
• Apart from the scenic grandeur that surrounds one here, the area is famed for her history of the 2nd Anglo-Boer War from (1899 - 1902) with the Battle of Spioenkop being our focal point.
• One cannot however hope to understand this watershed event (not just for South Africa - it was 'the longest, the costliest, the bloodiest and most humiliating war that Britain fought in between 1815 and 1914') without studying what caused one of the smallest countries in the world to declare war on the worlds greatest empire of the time.
• Numerous activities available (optional);
  • Battle of Spioenkop tour
  • Battle of Colenso & Churchill's capture tour
  • Walking
  • Hiking in the Drakensberg
  • San rock painting sites
  • Horse riding
  • Game Viewing
  • Birding
  • Golf
• Accommodation Information: Three Tree Hill Lodge

Days 7-8: Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift

• Departing morning early for the Natal Battlefields of Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift.
• The drive itself is a fairly long one, being in the region of ± 3-4 hours (with very little stopping).
• Fugitives Drift Lodge is your home over the next few nights.
• The lodges a Natural Heritage Site overlooks both Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift
• World-renowned for remarkable battlefield tours to Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift led by registered tour guides is without question one of the highlights of your safari so far.
• Numerous activities available (optional);
  • Isandlwana tour
  • Rorke's Drift tour
  • Walks, Fishing and Horse riding (optional)
  • Mangeni Falls (optional)
  • Blood River tour (optional)
  • Hlobane, Khambula and Ulundi Anglo-Zulu War battlefields tours (optional)
• Accommodation Information: Fugitives Drift Lodge

Days 9-10: Phinda Game Reserve

• Breakfast and fond goodbyes, your journey now takes you deep into the heart of the wildlife-rich Zululand area of Natal.
• Estimated travelling time from Fugitives Drift to Phinda is in the region of 2-3 hours (travelling at a leisurely pace).
• On arrival at Phinda Forest Lodge unpack and relax for a while before heading out on your first "Big 5" game drive.
• Face-to-face with lions and rhino, up close to a whale shark or battling sailfish, that's the Phinda experience, one of the most exciting safari destinations in Africa.
• Numerous activities available (optional);
  • Mzinene River canoeing
  • Twice daily game drives
  • Interpretive bush walks
  • Mzinene River boat cruise
  • Deep Sea Fishing (optional)
  • Flight of the Fish Eagle(optional)
  • Scuba safaris(optional)
  • Zulu Cultural Tour (optional)
• Accommodation Information: Phinda Forest Lodge

Days 11-12: Zululand Coast

• After your morning breakfast and a morning game drive, depart for the scenic and remote Zululand coastline.
• Estimated travelling time from Phinda: ± 2 - 2.5 hours (travelling at a leisurely pace).
• The secluded Thonga Beach Lodge is situated within the coastal forest just behind the forested dunes that occur along Maputaland's coastline.
• The warm Indian Ocean lies just beyond the dunes and on one of the most incredible beaches in all of South Africa.
• With nearly 40 kilometres of unspoilt, pristine coastline, where the waves meet endless stretches of beach, it is possible to walk for hours without meeting another soul or seeing a building.
• Numerous activities available (optional);
  • The beach
  • Forest trails
  • Bird watching - coastal forest and grasslands
  • Surf/rock fishing (no tackle provided)
  • Swimming (at own risk as there are no lifeguards)
  • Scuba diving (optional)
  • Excursions to Black Rock (optional)
  • Sangoma visits (optional)
  • Zulu dancing (optional)
  • Horse riding (optional)
• Accommodation Information: Thonga Beach Lodge

Day 13: Safari Ends

• After your morning game drive and breakfast, depart for Durban ± 3 to 4 hours (travelling at a leisurely pace).