Johannesburg, Sabi Sands and Hwange

Upon arrival you will be met at the airport and transferred to The Peech Hotel in central Johannesburg for a two-night stay.

The Peech Hotel is set amongst 2 acres of lush garden setting, located within the residential suburb of Melrose. Our eco-chic boutique hotel has 16 guest rooms, all with private outdoor patios and overlooking our central garden area with pool.

Full breakfast and unlimited WiFi access are included. Each of our guest rooms offers modern facilities and well-appointed bathrooms, including rain-dance showers and baths, work desk and casual seating area with coffee table, flat screen TV, wardrobe, air conditioning, laptop safes, Nespresso machines and king sized beds. Our Bistro menu offers fresh, light, seasonal produce throughout the day, with ingredients sourced from leading local suppliers, or from our own organic vegetable garden wherever possible.

The Peech is located near the main shopping and business hubs of Rosebank (3 mins) and Sandton (8 mins), and we are surrounded by local boutiques, cafés, salons, an art gallery and an adjacent park for walking or running. Guests also have direct access to neighbouring Planet Fitness gym facility and indoor pool.

The Peech is a champion of responsible tourism by blending awareness for the environment and the community, and we are Fair Trade Tourism certified. Described as “Contemporary, edgy and Afrocentric” by Condé Nast Traveller, and awarded ‘Best City Boutique Hotel’ in Africa at the 2014 World Boutique Hotel Awards.

You will be collected from the hotel and taken on a Johannesburg city tour and a surface tour at the Cullinan Diamond Mines. The balance of the day is free for you to explore at your leisure, whether you prefer more sightseeing, shopping, museums, art galleries or casinos.

Johannesburg is one of Africa’s biggest and most vibrant cities. It is the economic capital of Africa and the gateway to Southern Africa. Although not as famous as other South African destinations, there is plenty to do in Johannesburg and nearby Pretoria. The old city is a multi-cultural mixture of traditional medicine shops, Chinese restaurants, taxi ranks and ultra-modern skyscrapers. There are excellent museums, art galleries and organised tours of historical and political interest. The shopping is Southern Africa’s best and the many restaurants cater for all tastes. The nearby township of Soweto is Johannesburg’s most popular tourist attraction.

You will be transferred from your hotel to the Johannesburg airport to catch your flight to Kruger Mpumalanga airport. On arrival you will be met and transferred to Idube Private Game Reserve and safari lodge.

Idube is a safari lodge situated in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, in the heart of South Africa’s premier wildlife conservation area of the Greater Kruger Park. Game, including the Big 5, is viewed really close by from open Landrovers, or spotted on guided walks. All our experienced rangers and trackers are trained to give guests the best
possible wildlife experience.

The Sabi Sands is South Africa’s premier private game viewing destination. It was here that the southern African safari began and today this famous reserve offers exceptional game viewing and equally exceptional accommodations. Two perennial rivers, the Sabi and the Sand flow through this Game Park, sustaining the diverse fauna and flora of the area. The success of leopard viewing within the Sabi Sands is legendary. Elephants, lion, rhino, buffalo, cheetah, giraffe, zebra and a vast variety of antelope and other species can be closely observed in their natural environment.

You will stay for two nights in a comfortable, tented room. Situated in a remote and private concession within the vast and iconic Hwange National Park, Little Makalolo is one of the few camps built within the park boundaries. Legendary for its array of wildlife, particularly massive herds of elephant and buffalo, you can expect a holiday of a lifetime. Our smiling staff will welcome you into your luxurious en-suite safari-style tent nestled in the treeline. A productive waterhole in front of camp will offer you hours of entertainment from our raised platform or plunge pool, while the lounge and dining areas will provide you with shaded relaxation. With space for only for 12 guests in camp, Little Makalolo is a place of well-being and seclusion.

Located on the edge of the Kalahari Desert, Hwange has a semi-arid climate with marked seasonal changes. During the dry winter months (May to October) wildlife congregates around the shallow pans and man-made waterholes, making for excellent game viewing. In rainy season (the green season), wildlife disperses due to abundant surface water, but game viewing is still very good, prices are lower and there are fewer tourists. Fewer tourists mean more time of uninterrupted game viewing, which is the reason we think the green season is the best time to visit.

Time to say farewell to this amazing place and transfer back to the Kruger Mpumalange airport for your onward flight to Victoria Falls. On arrival you will be met and transferred to your circuit aircraft for the flight to Little Makalolo Camp, in Hwange National Park.

The camp has partnered with the Hwange National Park in jointly combating the effects of poaching along Hwange’s southern boundary, an area beyond our concession. The park is predominately Kalahari sandveld supporting teak and mopane woodlands, dry acacia scrub and is interspersed with saltpans and grasslands. We focus on game drives; however, a well-situated bunker hide provides an idyllic way to spend a lazy afternoon while watching passing wildlife. You will typically see elephant, buffalo, sable, roan, southern giraffe, blue wildebeest, impala and sometimes even gemsbok. Lion, leopard, wild dog and cheetah are regularly sighted. Bird life is prolific with more than 400 species found here.

Fly from the camp back to Victoria Falls Airport. You can extend your stay here for a few days, book an ongoing program to another destination or catch your flight home.

Many optional tours are available in the southern area of Africa, to extend your time in this unforgettable region. Book on our Kalahari Plains Camp program, spend a few days in beautiful Victoria Falls, or perhaps travel to Cape Town, South Africa to enjoy their summer weather and activities.