Thonga and Hluhluwe Safari
12 days London to London
- Day 1. Fly overnight to Johannesburg and connect onwards to Durban.
- Day 2. Travel by road to Thonga Beach Lodge for 6 nights [B,L,D]
- Thonga Beach Lodge nestles in beautiful coastal dune forest on the pristine shores of the Maputuland coast, KwaZulu-Natal, and is the ideal place to discover one of Africa's last remaining unspoilt wilderness beaches and to explore South Africa's best snorkelling and off-shore scuba diving. Accommodation is in luxurious thatched suites, all en-suite with bath and shower, and a comfortable lounge offers spectacular views of beach and forest. Guests can take guided wilderness walks, visit nearby Lake Sibiya, part of Greater St Lucia Wetland Park and home to KwaZulu-Natal's second largest population of hippo and crocodile or, in summer, take nocturnal walks and drives along the beach in search of Leatherback, and Loggerhead turtles as they come ashore to lay their eggs. Mabibi is South Africa's only tropical dive site, with more than 1,200 species of fish found on the protected reefs and a diversity of seascapes include amazing flora, branching, table and plate corals, beautiful overhangs, drop-offs and mushroom-shaped pinnacles.
- Day 8. Travel by road to Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Reserve and stay 3 nights [B].
- Enjoy one game drive each day at Hluhluwe-Umfolozi covers some 96,000 hectares with a wide range of plant life, supporting an exciting diversity of fauna. The 'Big Five' (Lion, Elephant, Leopard, Buffalo and Rhino) are all to be seen, as are zebra and giraffe. The park also carries out world-renowned White Rhino conservation work with hides that overlook pans and waterholes to enable visitors to see animals at close range. Hluhluwe-Umfolozi is one of South Africa's most popular game parks, affording visitors fascinating wildlife encounters.
- Days 11 & 12. Drive to Durban and fly out via Johannesburg back to London
