Diverse South Africa—Custom Safari

When you choose Natural Habitat Adventures for your custom South Africa safari, you may select from a wide range of smaller luxury and deluxe safari camps and lodges, with each property comprising 6–15 guest rooms or tents. As the world’s premier nature travel company, we focus solely on small-group journeys and avoid the large impersonal hotels that devalue an authentic safari experience. Please consult with one of our Adventure Specialists to determine which camps and lodges can best accommodate your group’s size and preferred travel style.

Quality vehicles are an important component of your safari experience. The vehicles provided are designed especially for adventures in Southern Africa, with two goals in mind: comfort during overland drives on sometimes-rough roads, and excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. The camps you visit will use several different sizes of Toyota Land Cruisers and Land Rovers. Vehicles typically have 10 cushioned passenger seats: one in front next to the driver followed by three rows of three seats each, though capacity is typically limited to four to seven travelers, depending on each camp, and each traveler is always assured a window seat. Most camps use open-sided vehicles, either with or without a canopy overhead, and each row is raised slightly higher than the one in front of it, allowing for unobstructed views of scenery and wildlife. All vehicles have 4-wheel-drive and are fitted with high-quality imported tires to enable us to press on through rough spots. As is the case with all of our vehicles, these safari trucks are enhanced with specialized suspensions to ensure the most comfortable ride possible in the wilds of Africa.

• Trip price includes: Accommodations as noted in your confirmed proposal, services of professional camp guides and staff, meals and drinks as specified in your confirmed proposal, airport transfers on Day 1 and final day, all activities and entrance fees as described in the itinerary, all taxes, permits and service fees.

• Internal air cost includes: Scheduled flights and transfers as noted (this will be listed separately on our invoicing).

Travel to and from start and end point of trip, any meals and drinks not specified in your confirmed proposal, gratuities, passport and visa fees, optional activities, items of a personal nature (phone calls, souvenirs, etc.), airline baggage fees, airport and departure taxes, required medical evacuation insurance, optional travel insurance.

Easy
A safari vehicle frequently offers a bumpy ride. Wildlife drives often involve long hours of sitting and sometimes bouncing around. While we don't consider this strenuous, it can be uncomfortable and pose a particular type of physical demand on the body. All travelers must be able to climb into and out of the raised 4x4 trucks that we use for safari vehicles. They must also be able to walk to and from the vehicle to our camp accommodations, which sometimes involves walking over uneven ground or on boardwalks. Additionally, while any short walks (if feasible given the conditions) are considered optional, you will get the most out of your safari experience if you can walk a mile or two over uneven ground without assistance. Days spent on safari can be long, as mornings typically start before daybreak and evening meals are served after sundown. We recommend that all travelers have an adventurous spirit, as they will often enjoy the closest animal encounters.

This itinerary features three distinct wilderness areas of South Africa: 1) the woodland savanna and Big Five wildlife—lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino—of the Greater Kruger Park; 2) the semi-desert biome and unique animals and plant life of the Southern Kalahari; and 3) Cape Town's juxtaposition of mountain range and ocean and its marine species, from seasonal whales and breaching great white sharks to resident penguin and seal colonies.

Because this is a custom adventure, we will check availability on your dates of choice, and while you will be traveling independently, you may accompany other guests from each camp as well as share a naturalist guide on wildlife drives, walks and other activities. Meals in camp are often, though not always, served family-style, where all guests sit at one large table and dine together, while private meals can also be requested. Private vehicles can often be booked in advance at an additional cost if you prefer to have private activities. Our recommended accommodations are located in areas that limit the number of people while boasting the most abundant wildlife populations. These camps and lodges combine comfort and style with the highest quality nature and wildlife experience. Depending on the time of year and the movement of wildlife, camp selection will heavily influence the quality of your safari. Our team of professional safari consultants can help you choose the best camp combination for your specific dates. Call our experts at 800-543-8917.

This itinerary departs daily, subject to availability of your preferred accommodations on your chosen dates. You can arrive at any time on Day 1 of the adventure. We can best serve you if our Natural Habitat Adventures Travel Desk makes your air reservations, as our staff is intimately familiar with the special requirements of these programs and can arrange the most efficient and cost-effective travel. Please call us at 800-543-8917. Note that while we offer you the best possible rates available to us on airfare, you may find special web rates or better fares online.