Day 1 - Arrive Johannesburg – Thornybush Private Game Reserve

On arrival at O.R Tambo International Airport, a representative meets you airside and assist you through customs, immigration and luggage collection to your onward private charter flight to Thornybush Private Game Reserve.

On arrival at Jackelberry Airstrip, a Royal Malewane representative meets and transfers you to the lodge. The transfer time is approximately 10 minutes.

Royal Malewane is a luxury safari lodge in South Africa’s Greater Kruger National Park that exudes the romance and beauty of a bygone age while offering every modern comfort. From expert rangers and trackers to specialist photographic safaris, the camp offers a classic safari experience where nature is paramount. The area features over 130 mammal species, the Big Five and over 300 bird species.

The afternoon is at leisure to enjoy the lodge activity on offer. You have your own private guide and vehicle for the duration of your stay (subject to availability).

Game Drives - A signature activity on any African safari. During a game viewing excursion, your senses sharpen, excitement grows, you draw close to the most remarkable animals as they hunt, play and sleep. Game drives at Royal Malewane are tailored to suit your interests, so you can track your favourite animal or see the birds, flowers or trees that you love most.

Overnight: Royal Malewane

Meal Plan: L,D

Day 2 - Thornybush Private Game Reserve

Today is at leisure to enjoy the activities on offer.

Bush Walks - For those that want to get even closer to nature, highly qualified rangers and trackers lead guests on foot through the wild African bush. Stroll among the Big 5 (lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalos) and glean rare insights into our natural world, focusing not only on animals, but on the biodiversity of habitats and plant life. Bush walks generally leave after breakfast and your early morning game drive.

Overnight: Royal Malewane

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 3 - Thornybush Private Game Reserve

Today is at leisure to enjoy the game viewing activities on offer at the lodge.

Hot Air Ballooning: Take an hour-long flight over the scenic, Lowveld section of the Blyde River, West of Hoedspruit. Meet before sunrise and enjoy a coffee while you watch your eight-storey high balloon being inflated and prepared for flight. After a safety briefing you should be airborne in time to witness the sunrise. As the sun rises, the landscape, the vegetation and, if you're lucky, some wildlife provide great photo opportunities! (Additional cost)

Overnight: Royal Malewane

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 4 - Thornybush Private Game Reserve – Tswalu Kalahari Reserve

After breakfast you are transferred to Jackelberry Airstrip for your onward private charter flight to Tswalu Kalahari Reserve. On arrival at Tswalu private airstrip, you are met by a lodge representative and transferred to Tswalu Kalahari The Motse.

Tswalu serves as a focal point for your Kalahari experience,  manifesting the warmth and hospitality of the people of the Kalahari. Designed and sited to make the best of Tswalu’s dramatic and expansive views, accommodation offers exclusivity, privacy, and unfettered access to one of southern Africa’s last true wildernesses.

The afternoon is at leisure to enjoy the activities on offer. You have your own private guide and vehicle for the duration of your stay (subject to availability).

Habituated meerkats - Join a group of habituated meerkats as they emerge from their burrows and warm themselves in the rising sun or meet up with them as they return home at the end of the day and groom and play at dusk.

Junior Ranger's Programme - Children are welcome at Tswalu and the reserve is well equipped to cater for them. Tswalu believes that they too can be part of the conservation vision. The youngsters are introduced to the Junior Ranger programme and given a backpack with guides and tools to help them learn about the Kalahari. During their stay they make their own bow and arrow for archery, learn how to identify spoor, and track game on foot.

Overnight: Tswalu Kalahari The Motse

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 5 - Tswalu Kalahari Reserve

The day is at leisure to enjoy the activities on offer.

No two Tswalu experiences are the same. That’s because the way you see and touch this magical place are shaped by your particular interests and happen at your own pace. Tswalu is a generous landscape and as the sun rises above the Korannaberg mountains each morning, new opportunities to learn, play and explore come to life.

Bush walks - Much of Tswalu’s beauty can be found in the smaller details: the ripples left by the wind on the crest of a sand dune, a yellow flower opening to face the sun, or the tracks of a porcupine digging for roots. Walking at Tswalu gives you the opportunity to see these and other signs of the abundance of the southern Kalahari, as well as following the tracks of larger species.

Horseback riding - Another exciting game viewing option at Tswalu is a horseback ride. Horseback safaris allow guests to explore the dunes and savannahs on our well-schooled and well-mannered horses, which are suitable for all ages and all levels of experience.

Overnight: Tswalu Kalahari The Motse

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 6 - Tswalu Kalahari Reserve

The day is at leisure to enjoy the activities on offer.

With your own dedicated guide and vehicle, you can experience Tswalu exactly the way you want to. There are no fixed schedules or time limits at special sightings – during your stay, the dunes and grasslands are yours to explore the way you want to, and each wildlife encounter can unfold at its own pace.

Helicopter Safari - Viewing Tswalu from the air is the best way to appreciate the sheer scale of the southern Kalahari. The folds in the land reveal themselves as you look down on mountain peaks where quite possibly no-one has ever walked and trace intertwined game paths that wind through the grasslands. (additional cost) 

San petroglyphs - Join your guide in trying to puzzle out the hidden meanings in millennia-old rock engravings of animals, birds and abstract shapes. Today, no one knows whether they were created as memories, prayers or maps, but their beauty and mystery endure. (additional cost) 

The Malori starbed - Watching thousands of stars slowly spin through a black velvet sky as you fall asleep makes a night spent on our Malori sleep-out deck an unforgettable experience. Enjoy a glowing Kalahari sunset as you eat dinner, then see the world anew as birdsong and the strengthening light awaken you at dawn. (additional cost) 

Overnight: Tswalu Kalahari The Motse

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 7 - Tswalu Kalahari – Cape Town

After breakfast you are transferred to Tswalu Airstrip for your private charter flight to Cape Town International Airport. The flying time is approximately two hours. On arrival a representative meets and transfers you to your hotel. The transfer time is approximately 35 minutes.

The Silo is an exclusive five-star hotel towering above the V&A Waterfront surrounded by the natural wonder of South Africa’s Mother City. This magical hotel is a celebration of art, style, architecture and design. A tribute to timeless glamour and contemporary luxury, The Silo Hotel has been built in the grain elevator portion of the historic grain silo complex occupying six floors above Zeitz MOCAA (Museum of Contemporary Art Africa). Zeitz MOCAA houses Africa’s largest collection of contemporary African art.

The rest of the day is at leisure to explore Cape Town.

Overnight: The Silo

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 8 - Cape Town

The day is at leisure to explore Cape Town and its surrounding areas.

Let us know which private excursions you would like to include during your stay in Cape Town.  We can arrange private tours of Cape Town city, Robben Island or a full day Cape Point tour. Adventure seekers might want to book a Cape Point cycling tour, a Table Mountain hike or a shark cage diving excursion (additional cost). These are only suggested tours, there are many more to choose from that we can tailor-make to our preference. 

Overnight: The Silo

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 9 - Cape Town

The day is at leisure to explore Cape Town and its surrounding areas.

We can arrange private tours of the Cape Winelands and visits to Stellenbosch, Franschhoek or Paarl (additional cost).

Overnight: The Silo

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 10 - Cape Town

The day is at leisure to explore Cape Town and its surrounding areas.

Perhaps you would like to get out to the ocean and experience one of the most unique marine habitats in the world. Go on a Cape Peninsula adventure and enjoy a surfing experience of profound purity and unbridled, utterly gratuitous, fun (additional cost).

Overnight: The Silo

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 11 - Cape Town

The day is at leisure to explore Cape Town.

The Silo Spa is located on the fourth floor of the hotel. Enjoy signature treatments in a tranquil space in which guests can relax and indulge in the latest therapies and spa techniques. There’s also a gym, sauna and a dedicated manicure and pedicure area (additional cost).

Overnight: The Silo

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 12 - Depart Cape Town

Please meet the representative in the reception area of the hotel for your private transfer to Cape Town International Airport. The transfer time is approximately 35 minutes.

While in Cape Town we are able to arrange for a nurse to conduct a COVID-19 PCR test at your hotel if required for your onward destination.

COVID-19 Protocols & Entry Requirements
Please note: The above information has been researched with the utmost care. However, we can provide no guarantee of accuracy and the information and detail change regularly. Please always check travel restrictions both in your home country and the destination you are travelling to before you book and before travel.

In recognition of our dedication and commitment to Safe Travel Protocols, Akorn has received the global World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Safe Travels Stamp. We follow the guidelines established by the leading health experts (including World Health Organization) to minimize any opportunity for coronavirus exposure.

Overnight:

Meal Plan: B