20 Day Extensive South African Self Drive

Upon arrival at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, clients are met by a representative of African Sky Safaris & Tours. Our representative will discuss the route with you, highlight any local conditions you should be aware of, and offer general advice and guidance. Clients are then assisted in obtaining their rental vehicle before making their way to the Mpumalanga Highlands.

You spend your first two nights in Mpumalanga and should consider utilizing the second day to explore the Panorama Route. From here, continue to the world-famous Kruger National Park, where you'll enjoy five nights and six days on a self-drive safari. For a convenient yet comprehensive Kruger Park safari, you'll experience two different park areas in central and southern Kruger. As you'll spot animals alone, keep your eyes peeled and always obey the park rules.

From God’s Window, at the southern end of the Blyde River Canyon reserve, the cliffs drop more than 700 m to the Lowveld. On a clear day the view reaches the Lebombo Mountains on the Mozambique border. In Kruger, Skukuza is built where the N’waswitshaka River meets the Sabie. Its Stevenson-Hamilton Memorial Library and Museum, opened in 1961, displays the knife ranger Harry Wolhuter used to kill a lion that had attacked him.

Following your safari in Kruger, you will return the rental vehicle at Skukuza Airport and board a flight to Cape Town, where you will collect the rental vehicle for the southern leg of your journey. Four nights are spent in Cape Town, with an additional two nights in the Cape Winelands town of Franschhoek, ensuring ample time to experience the Mother City's highlights and surrounds.

Franschhoek, just under an hour from Cape Town, still carries the French farm names of the Huguenots who settled the valley after 1688. Further east, Oudtshoorn has another climate altogether. Rain is scarce, under 400 mm in an average year, January afternoons are often around 30°C, and the bare ridges of the Little Karoo take the place of vineyards.

You will then travel through the semi-arid Little Karoo en route to the Garden Route region. A stop at the Cango Caves is always a highlight. With three nights to enjoy on the Garden Route, you'll be spoiled for choice with regard to your activities. Enjoy an elephant interaction, cruise across the Knysna Lagoon, hike in the Tsitsikamma forests, or unwind on the beach. En route back to Cape Town, you'll spend an evening in charming little Arniston, a quiet seaside town known for its sweeping dunes and the Waenhuiskrans Cave, a large sea cave reached at low tide.

Arniston faces Marcus Bay, just north-east of Cape Agulhas, the southern tip of Africa. Waenhuiskrans Cave can only be reached at low tide, so check the tide table when you arrive. Leave time, too, for a walk through Kassiesbaai, where the thatched fishermen’s cottages are protected as a national monument.