Southern Africa Safari: Kruger & Coast

Experience Overview

Combine two great wildlife-watching destinations on an adventure that goes beyond your average safari vacation. In South Africa, we scour Kruger and Hluhluwe-iMfolozi for lions, elephants, rhinos and more on multiple game drives and walks, while also cruising the hippo and croc-filled waters of Lake St Lucia. In Mozambique, we head into the Indian Ocean for a classic bucket-list moment: swimming with dolphins. Our animal-watching excursions will be illuminated by expert guides, who have a deep knowledge of the local wildlife and a keen eye for picking out those harder-to-spot creatures. 
Profile
— Accommodation: 10 Classic nights (7 lodge/chalet, 3 permanent tented camp) — Travel by private minibus, 4x4 safari vehicle and boat
At a Glance
— Accommodation: 10 Classic nights (7 lodge/chalet, 3 permanent tented camp) — Travel by private minibus, 4x4 safari vehicle and boat
Trip For You
This trip is graded Activity Level 2 (Easy & Moderate) with a Wildlife Rating of Five. For more information on our trip gradings please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page or our Wildlife Holidays page for more on our Wildlife Ratings. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to contact us. This 11-day tour connects some of the best wildlife-watching destinations in the region but, considering this is Africa, journey times between destinations are relatively short. The longest drive is approximately five hours (not including stops) but the rest are less than four hours unless there is a game drive. The drives between destinations are completed in a comfortable minibus while the game drives are in open-sided safari vehicles. Please note, drives in and out of Kruger National Park and Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park will mostly be in the minibus but our other drives will be in the safari vehicles. The game drives in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park may be with other guests at the camp who aren’t members of our group. The swimming with dolphins excursion is in open water, which can be choppy at times. It is optional and you should have a moderate level of fitness and be a confident swimmer if you would like to take part. If you do not wish to swim, you can stay on the boat and look for dolphins from there. We launch the boat from the beach so boarding may be difficult if you have limited agility. There is limited walking on this trip. The longest will be a two-hour game walk over relatively flat terrain, but the ground can be uneven, and vegetation will have to be navigated. Legal note: All group members joining this tour will be asked to sign an indemnity form at the start of the trip. This indemnity form is a requirement of the South African Tourism Service Association, of which our local supplier is a member. As a client of Exodus Travels Ltd, your rights under the Package Travel Regulations (1992) are unaffected, and Exodus remains liable for the actions of our sub-contractors.
Eating Drinking
All breakfasts, seven lunches and five dinners are included. In the itinerary, we state which meals are included on which day. The list below provides an indication of what these will consist of: Breakfast: Cereals, coffee, tea and toast, the occasional cooked breakfastLunch: Cheese, cold meats, salads, bread or rollsDinner: Potjies (stew), braais (barbecue), stir fries, pasta Where meals are not included, the leader will recommend a restaurant for a group meal. Dinners can cost on average £12‐18 ($20‐30) per person and lunches from £5 to £8 ($8 to $13). The tour leaders do all the shopping, meal planning and cooking for each group. They will purchase fresh produce wherever possible. Each tour has two cool boxes for meats and fresh produce and one cool box for cold drinks. We will supply the following drinks: fruit squash served with breakfast and tea or coffee served with breakfast and dinner. All other beverages will be at your own expense. Please note, on days when the group are on morning game walks or drives, we have an early morning cup of tea or coffee and rusks followed by the walk. Once we return to camp, we have a large brunch at around 11am. In the early afternoon, we have a snack-style lunch and dinner will be served after completion of the optional game drives. Please be aware, we need at least two weeks’ notice to deal with special dietary requirements (eg vegetarian or allergies). The water provided on this trip is safe and clean drinking water, normally from boreholes. It is not bottled water, however. If you would rather have bottled water then this will be at your expense, though we would encourage you to make use of the safe drinking water provided as this helps diminish plastic consumption.
Transportation
Transport is by minibus fitted with forward-facing seats and towing a trailer for equipment and luggage. Game drives are in open-sided safari vehicles with three rows seating three people each. Please note, drives in and out of Kruger National Park and Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park will be in the minibus but our other drives will be in the safari vehicles.
Joining Instructions
Joining Instructions Start hotel: Dolphin Coast Lodge, Umdloti Phone: +27 (0)63 855 8780 Recommended arrival time: You can arrive at any time today. There will be a welcome briefing in the evening, but if you miss it the leader will update you separately. Airport: King Shaka International Airport (DUR) Getting to the start hotel The start hotel is approximately a 10 to 15-minute drive from the airport. Exodus provides one group arrival transfer from the airport, which is timed to coincide with the arrival of a chosen flight from London, UK. You may join this transfer at no extra cost, provided you can be at the airport before the transfer leaves. Speak to your sales representative for the group arrival transfer times, to arrange a private transfer, or for more information. Flying via Johannesburg If you are travelling on flights via Johannesburg, please note that you will need to collect your baggage in Johannesburg, even if your bag has been checked all the way through to Durban (and even if you are told you do not need to pick it up). After collecting the bag, you are required to clear customs, and you should then drop it off at the bag drop for the onward flight. This only applies to the outbound flight – you do not need to do this at the end of the trip on the return flight. Catching your return flight There’s a group departure transfer to Johannesburg International Airport (JNB) for customers who Exodus booked onto a chosen flight to London, UK. Please speak to your sales representative if you wish to join. If the group departure transfer does not suit your flight time, speak to your sales representative to arrange an alternative transfer.
Weather Information
Although the greater part of South Africa lies south of the Tropic of Capricorn, the temperature is moderated by the altitude. The average midday temperature is likely to be about 22C (72F) on the coast and 24C (75F) inland. This trip covers various different weather regions. Generally, inland areas will be dry between April and October (although storms can occur). In August, the nights can be very cold. However, the days are warm and crisp with generally cloud-free skies. November through February, rain can sometimes fall and the temperature will be higher. However, as anyone who has travelled to these parts will say, rain is often a blessing, it manifests the local colours, drops the sometimes sweltering temperatures and never generally lasts too long. It also means the night times are incredibly clear.
Spending Money
We suggest you allow about 150 rand (US$8) per day for incidentals. These activities can be paid in local currency or card: Optional excursions (prices are approximate and subject to change) — Kruger National Park night drives 307 rand (US$16) per person. — Johannesburg city tour 900 rand (US$48) per person — Apartheid museum with transfers 1000 rand (US$54) per person — Johannesburg Township and city tour 1330 rand (US$72) per person
Tipping
Our local staff are paid well and fairly for their work, but we would still recommend for your leader approximately 90 rands (US$5) per person per day. Tipping is expected but not compulsory in both South Africa and Mozambique. In most restaurants, an average of tipping 10 percent is common and service staff as well as local guides rely on tipping as part of their wages but be sure to check. This tip is voluntary and can be declined if service was unsatisfactory.

Highlights