Off the beaten track: Kwazulu-Natal Safari

On the first day of your adventure, you’ll touch down at King Shaka International Airport in Durban. Having been met off your plane, you’ll be privately transferred by road to the seaside town of Umhlanga, approximately 16 kilometres away, for your stay at The Oyster Box Hotel. This is a very elegant seafront property, with spectacular views over the Indian Ocean! Communal spaces include a number of relaxing lounges, first-class restaurants, tropical gardens, two swimming pools, and a spa. Your accommodation will be a Classic Garden Facing Room, featuring individually controlled air conditioning, flatscreen satellite television, and a well-stocked mini-bar. Oyster Box offers direct beach access and is conveniently close to Umhlanga’s pier and promenade, both overlooked by the town’s vibrant lighthouse!

Board basis and activities:
B&B accommodation, including mineral water, teas and coffees, fresh fruit and flowers, a selection of books and magazines, and high-speed Wi-Fi. Beach equipment such as parasols, beach bags, bats, balls, and suntan lotion is available from Reception. Guests hoping to dine at The Grill Room restaurant or to visit the spa are advised to book in advance due to limited capacity.

Following your night at The Oyster Box, you’ll be driven from Umhlanga to iSimangaliso Wetland Park in a private SUV – usually this journey takes just over 2 hours. Your home while in iSimangaliso will be Makakatana Bay Lodge, a very comfortable property on the banks of Lake St Lucia. You’ll stay in a Standard Room, which features air conditioning, wildlife artwork, and a private veranda where you can watch out for the local bush babies and birdlife! The communal timber structure contains pleasant lounge and dining areas, both flowing out onto a wraparound deck. With a traditional boma in the grounds, as well as a lakeside swimming pool and a wine cellar that was once used as a crab store, Makakatana is a characterful base from which to explore iSimangaliso. Some of the area’s reserves boast all Big Five species, in addition to numerous smaller predators and herbivores. If you venture out to the coast, you might spot whales and dolphins!

Board basis and activities:
Full-board accommodation, including all meals, a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, afternoon game drive on day of arrival (arrive 3pm for 3:30/4pm), morning game drive on day of departure (5am–8am), guide/driver meal, signature guide, bicycle ride to Khula Village.

On Day 4, you’ll privately transfer by road to Phinda Private Game Reserve. Here, you’ll stay at &Beyond Phinda Mountain Lodge. Set high above the reserve, this stylish property provides uninterrupted vistas from its U-shaped communal building and all guest accommodation. Comfortable lounge and dining areas extend onto numerous decks from which to marvel at the scenery below. With 24 suites, Mountain Lodge is Phinda’s largest property, but through its superb service standards it maintains an exclusive feel. Each suite includes an outdoor shower and a private plunge pool! A number of classic safari activities are available, providing opportunities to see a wealth of wildlife. Lion, black and white rhino, cheetah, and nyala are just a few highlights – and if you travel here during November/December, you can take part in a turtle nesting adventure!

Board basis and activities:
Full-board accommodation, including all meals, a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, scheduled safari activities, 1-hour nature walk in the company of experienced trackers (subject to availability), transfers between the lodge and the local airstrip, and a laundry service. Turtle nesting adventure is not available on 24–25 and 30–31 December and is subject to tides.

On the final day of your trip, you’ll transfer from Phinda Mountain Lodge to the local airstrip, arriving at Johannesburg’s O. R. Tambo International Airport in time for your flight/s home.