9 Day Kruger National Park & Zululand Safari

Guests are met and welcomed on arrival at O.R. Tambo International Airport, or at any convenient location in Johannesburg or Pretoria, before your safari heads east and then south into KwaZulu-Natal. The journey passes through changing scenery and small towns en route to the rugged hills of Ithala Game Reserve, a protected area of roughly 29 000 hectares where ancient rock formations and dramatic cliffs frame deep valleys and open plains. Arriving at Ntshondwe Camp, you immediately sense the shift from city to wilderness as the sounds of the bush replace the hum of traffic.

The remainder of the afternoon is devoted to settling in and absorbing the setting rather than rushing out on activities. Ithala’s topography ranges from about 450 to 1 450 meters above sea level, creating a mosaic of habitats that support a wide variety of antelope species and large numbers of giraffe. As the sun begins to sink behind the ridges, you can stroll to the viewpoints around camp, enjoy your first African sunset of the journey, and look forward to the more in-depth wildlife experiences that await over the coming days.

This morning you head out on the first full game drive of the safari, exploring the folds and ridges of Ithala. The reserve’s mix of grassland, woodland, and rocky hillsides makes every bend in the road feel different from the last. Without resident lions, wildlife is often more relaxed, which can make for lingering sightings of plains species and smaller predators that might otherwise be elusive. Look out for Ithala’s notably large giraffe population, as well as common lowveld species like zebra, blue wildebeest, red hartebeest, and various antelope.

After a midday rest back at Ntshondwe, an afternoon drive takes you into different sections of the reserve, highlighting how altitude and vegetation influence the animals you encounter. You may explore river valleys where nyala browse along the bank, or scan open slopes where eland and mountain reedbuck sometimes appear against a dramatic backdrop of ancient rock. As daylight fades, you return to camp with a growing appreciation for this lesser-known, uncrowded corner of South Africa’s safari circuit and the quieter, more contemplative experiences it offers.

An early breakfast is followed by a scenic drive east toward Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, South Africa’s oldest proclaimed game reserve and a cornerstone of global white rhino conservation. As you leave Ithala’s hills behind, the landscape softens into rolling Zululand country before you arrive at Hilltop Camp, set on a ridge with wide views over the surrounding valleys. After check-in, there is time to settle into your chalet and enjoy the sense of space before your afternoon safari.

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi’s mixed woodland and grassland provide habitat for an impressive range of mammals, including both black and white rhino, elephant, buffalo, and healthy populations of nyala, impala, kudu, and zebra. Afternoon game viewing focuses on productive loops and river valleys where animals congregate to drink or graze in the cooler hours. As your guide interprets the signs of the bush, you gain insight into the park’s history, its critical role in saving rhinos from the brink of extinction, and the ongoing efforts that keep this landscape thriving today.

Today’s program combines terrestrial and aquatic wildlife. After breakfast you depart for the coastal town of St Lucia, gateway to the wider iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized for its remarkable diversity of ecosystems and species. Here you board a boat cruise on the estuarine Lake St Lucia, where calm waters and extensive reedbeds shelter large pods of hippo, Nile crocodiles basking on the banks, and prolific waterbirds that thrive in this mosaic of channels and sandbanks.

The lake region supports hundreds of bird species and one of Africa’s largest hippo populations, making the cruise both scenic and rewarding for photographers and wildlife enthusiasts alike. Returning inland, you head back to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi for a late-afternoon game drive, exploring different sectors of the park as the light softens. With luck, you may encounter rhinos at close range, see elephant families browsing in riverine thickets, or watch herds of wildebeest and zebra moving across the open slopes before you return to Hilltop Camp for dinner.

Leaving Zululand behind, you travel north and cross the border into the small, mountainous kingdom of Swaziland (officially Eswatini). The route passes through a landscape of forested hills, small homesteads, and fertile valleys, offering a different cultural and geographic flavor from the South African lowveld. By midday you reach the Ezulwini – or “Heaven” – Valley, a scenic corridor framed by gentle mountains and known for its pleasant climate and relaxed atmosphere.

Your overnight stay at Reilly’s Rock offers a charming, historic base from which to appreciate this change of pace. The afternoon is left largely at leisure: you might stroll along garden paths, enjoy views over the valley, or simply relax on the veranda with a book and a cool drink. While the focus today is less on big game and more on scenery and culture, the stop in Swaziland adds a distinct layer of variety to the journey before you continue toward Kruger National Park the following morning.

From Ezulwini the road winds north through rolling hills and rural settlements before you re-enter South Africa at Jeppes Reef and continue toward Kruger National Park. Proclaimed as a protected area in its early form in the late 19th century and now covering nearly 19 500 square kilometers, Kruger ranks among Africa’s largest and most celebrated wildlife reserves. Reaching one of the southern gates in the afternoon, you enter a world of mopane thickets, marula trees, and wide savanna plains alive with game.

A leisurely game drive en route to Lower Sabie Rest Camp serves as your introduction to Kruger’s wildlife. This region is known for frequent elephant and buffalo sightings, regular encounters with giraffe and various antelope, and the possibility of predators at almost any moment. Your guide will explain how the park’s different vegetation zones and river systems influence the movements of animals, setting the scene for the more intensive game viewing that awaits over the next two full days.

The day begins at first light with a morning game drive in the productive triangle between Lower Sabie, Skukuza, and surrounding roads. Dense riparian vegetation along the Sabie River provides excellent habitat for bushbuck, nyala, and hippo, while open clearings attract impala, zebra, and wildebeest. With patience and a bit of luck, you may also encounter lion prides using the cover of the bush to stalk grazing herds, or spot leopard draped over a tree branch above a dry riverbed.

After a late breakfast near Skukuza, there is time to visit the small museum and interpretive displays that recount Kruger’s early conservation history and the stories of pioneering rangers who helped protect it. In the afternoon you return to Lower Sabie via a different route, maximizing your chances of new sightings and varied scenery. Back at camp, sundowners on the riverbank offer a peaceful end to the day as elephants, kudu, and other animals drift down to drink in the golden light.

Your final full day in Kruger is dedicated to exploring some of the many roads and loops that radiate from Lower Sabie, taking advantage of your guide’s knowledge of recent sightings and seasonal hotspots. Kruger is home to roughly 148 species of mammal, including large populations of elephant, buffalo, and numerous antelope, which in turn support strong numbers of predators such as lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, and wild dog. Every drive brings a different combination of species and behaviors to observe.

During the heat of the day, you may spend time quietly waiting at a productive waterhole or lookout, allowing the wildlife to come to you while you scan for interesting interactions through binoculars. As afternoon temperatures ease, animals become more active again, making the last game drive of the journey a particularly rewarding one. Returning to camp after sunset, you can reflect on the sheer variety of landscapes and wildlife you have experienced since leaving Johannesburg.

Your final morning in the bush begins before sunrise, when the light is soft and many animals are at their most active. A last game drive heads out from Lower Sabie in search of any species that may have eluded you so far, from smaller nocturnal predators heading back to cover to herds of elephant and buffalo on the move. This is a chance to savor the sounds and smells of the African bush one more time before turning toward the park gate.

After breakfast back in camp, you depart Kruger and travel west along the national highway toward Johannesburg. The road offers time to reflect on the contrasts of the journey – from Ithala’s rugged ridges and Hluhluwe-iMfolozi’s rhino-rich valleys to Swaziland’s mountains and the vast savannas of southern Kruger. You are dropped off at O. R. Tambo International Airport or a preferred location in Johannesburg or Pretoria, concluding a memorable Kruger and Zululand safari.