8 Day East, West Safari Honeymoon

Arrival / Madikwe

Flights

• Johannesburg - Madikwe (1 hr)

Transfers

• Madikwe Airstrip to Madikwe Hills Lodge

Guests are met and welcomed at a location of their choice in Johannesburg. Once a few formalities have been completed, you'll be transferred to the charter terminal, where you'll board a light aircraft flight to the malaria-free Madikwe Private Game Reserve, located in South Africa's North West province, adjacent to the neighboring country of Botswana. Once safely on the ground, you'll enjoy your first open 4x4 game drive experience as friendly lodge staff meet and transport you to luxury overnight accommodations.

On arrival at your safari lodge, you'll be warmly welcomed and assisted with settling in, after which some rest is on the agenda. Later in the day, you'll enjoy your first exciting game drive into the Madikwe wilderness, guided by expert rangers and trackers. The game drive starts in the late afternoon, pauses at a remote location in the bush for sundowners, and continues into the evening, lasting three to four hours to maximize your experience.

Madikwe / Pretoria

Flights

• Madikwe - Johannesburg (1 hr)

Transfers

• Madikwe Hills to Madikwe Airstrip
• O.R. Tambo International to Castello di Monte (50 min)

After a last morning activity in Madikwe, you'll return to Johannesburg, where you'll be met and transferred to the Castello Di Monte in Pretoria, South Africa's capital city. This luxury accommodation is located on a hilltop in the affluent suburb of Waterkloof Ridge and enjoys superb views of Pretoria. You can spot the Union Buildings on the opposite side of the valley and the granite Voortrekker Monument to the west.

Creature comforts at Castello include fully stocked minibars, satellite television, underfloor heating, air conditioning, on-demand tea and coffee, and local newspapers. The upper roof deck is the perfect location to unwind and enjoy an African sunset with your beverage of choice. A full-course dinner is included in your stay as an African Sky guest.

Sabi Sand

Guests enjoy two exciting guided game drives daily atop custom-built 4x4 vehicles, conducted by a professional ranger and tracker. You may also participate in an optional guided bush walk at no additional expense (weather permitting). Once privately owned commercial farms, the Sabi Sand today is open to the celebrated Kruger National Park and is considered an extension of that prestigious wildlife area.

The reserve is internationally renowned for its high frequency of leopard sightings, arguably the best in Africa. These compelling cats are habituated to the presence of vehicles, and very close encounters are now often the norm. Their close cousins, the impressive lion, are also common, and there is no experience more thrilling than observing a pride of lions bringing down its quarry. Sabi Sand also protects the endangered white rhino and its more aggressive cousin, the black or hooked-lipped rhinoceros. Their other Big Five counterparts, the elephant and Cape buffalo, also occur. These are not the only animals found here, and sightings of impala, zebra, giraffe, warthog, waterbuck, nyala, and wildebeest occur frequently.

Once uncommon, African wild dogs and cheetahs are now recent additions to the predator hierarchy and are often spotted. Game drives occur during periods of increased activity - the early morning, late afternoon, and evening.