This
14-day safari combines the best of diving on the North
and South Coasts of KwaZulu Natal with an exciting
two days Land Safari for an unforgettable South African
experience.
Requirements
Advanced
or equivalent certificate or at least 30 dives logged
under different
conditions. At a nominal extra cost you can qualify
as a Shark Specialty Diver during the safari. Other
“on safari” qualifications available are a basic Nitrox
qualification and the PADI Advanced certification.
Day
one:
The
safari departs from Durban Airport. From here we transfer you in
air-conditioned
vehicles to Sodwana Bay on the north coast of KwaZulu
Natal for the first leg of your South African adventure.
A big campfire will welcome us on arrival – electricity
is a luxury and there are no telephones or television
– this is really away from it all!
The
dive camp is small and private in laid back African
style, and the accommodation
consists of reed and thatch chalets under the shade
of pine trees. A fire heats the plumbing, and the showers
are in reed enclosures under the trees. A swimming
pool to cool off in and a bush pub with ice-cold beers
provide all the luxury necessary. The meals are mostly
cooked outdoors on open fires, and are a combination
of traditional and international foods (nothing funny
though!). All the meals are freshly prepared at the
camp. South Africans eat a lot of meat – so be prepared
(and let me know beforehand if you are vegetarian)!
No one has yet managed to lose weight on one of our
safaris, and I don’t think you will either!
Included:
Experienced
driver and guide
All
land transfers
All
entrance fees as well as conservation and community
levies
Shared
accommodation
Lunch
and dinner
Excluded:
Drinks
Days
two to five:
It
is widely accepted that Sodwana Bay is the Mecca of diving in South Africa. The bay is situated in a marine
reserve that now forms part of the World Heritage classified
Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park, and makes for safe and
relaxed diving. You can expect to see an abundance
of tropical fish, hard and soft coral, sponges, moray
eels, large schools of pelagic fish, potato bass, turtles
(hawksbill, loggerhead, green, leatherback) and depending
on the time of year, whales (southern right, humpback),
whale sharks and dolphins. Visibility is rarely less
than 15 meters, and the water temperature in summer
is 24+ degrees Celsius and 
in
winter not colder than 19 degrees Celsius. The depths
vary between 12 to 18 meters with 30 and 50-meter sites
for the suitably qualified. The dives are all done
from semi-rigid boats, with exiting launches through
the surf! We do eight dives at different locations,
including the specially protected 5, 7 and 9-Mile Reefs
to ensure that
you experience the full magic diversity of Sodwana.
The diving is normally done early in the mornings to
leave the afternoons free to explore the area. This
includes a three-hour hike to Lake
Mgobeseleni as well as a half-day 4x4 trip
to Lake Sibaya in the heart of rural Zululand.
Included:
Experienced
driver, guide and dive master
All
land transfers
All
entrance fees as well as conservation and community
levies
Shared
accommodation
4
x 4 excursion to Lake Sibaya
Hike
to Lake Mgobeseleni
8
Dives, air fills, weights & tanks on a “use it or
lose it” basis.
Light
breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Excluded:
Drinks
Day
six:
After
breakfast we leave camp for one of our many Wildlife
Reserves. En route we stop over at a Zulu cultural
village for a display of traditional skills and dances,
as well as a decent lunch.
The
reserves have a large variety of animal life including
elephant, lion (not all reserves), leopard, buffalo,
cheetah, hyena, wild dog, giraffe, hippo, crocodile,
many species of antelope, an abundance of bird life,
interesting flora and fauna and stunning views. The
accommodation is in comfortable thatched chalets and
you will go to bed with
the sounds of wild Africa around you…
Included:
Breakfast
Experienced
driver and guide
All
transfers
Entrance
to the Zulu Cultural Village & Lunch
All
entrance fees conservation and community levies.
One
Game Drive
Shared
(twin) accommodation
Excluded:
Dinner
and all drinks
Day
seven:
By
sunrise we will be out and about exploring the bush!
An early morning game walk accompanied by an armed Game
Ranger affords the opportunity to meet any of the mentioned
animals close-up (and I mean close-up), a quiet hour
or two in a hide the chance to see a kill, the game
drives the thrill of finding as many species as possible
and a night drive in an open vehicle to observe the
nocturnal animals will see to it that not a moment passes
without excitement and adventure!
Included:
Breakfast
Experienced
driver and guide
All
entrance fees and community levies.
One
accompanied game walk
One
game drive
One
night game drive
Shared
(twin) accommodation
Excluded:
Lunch,
dinner and drinks
Day
eight:
Next
in line is six nights on the south coast of KwaZulu Natal.
On
the way there we do a two-hour cruise on the World Heritage
Site of Lake St Lucia to find you a couple of hippos
and crocodiles. Now that we are back in civilization,
your accommodation and itinerary will reflect just that.
Included:
Breakfast
Experienced
driver and guide
Transfers
Boat
cruise on Lake St Lucia
Shared
(twin) accommodation
Dinner
Excluded:
Lunch
and drinks
Days
nine to thirteen:
Adventure
kicks into a higher gear when we spend these days completing
a total of ten dives on the world-famous Aliwal Shoal
and Protea Banks!
During
the months of June through to November we are sure to
see the Ragged Tooth Sharks as they congregate on the
Shoal and Banks to mate, and it is not uncommon to find
15 to 50 of these ferocious looking but docile animals
on a single dive. During the other months we find Tiger,
Zambezi and Hammerhead sharks. Depending
on conditions we dive Cathedral, Raggie Cave,
Shark Alley or any of a number of spots at Aliwal Shoal.
Should you tire of the sharks, we can always dive on
any of the wrecks or go hunting for the huge (and I
mean huge) Brindle Bass! Other species, depending on
the season include Manta, Devil and other Rays, schools
of pelagic fish, whales, dolphins, and many, many more!
Often
described as the best shark diving site in the world,
Protea offers exciting drift dives with (depending on
the season) Ragged Tooth Sharks, three species of Hammerheads,
Zambezi (Bull), Tiger, Thresher, Copper, Dusky, Mako,
the occasional Great White and many other species of
shark. Like on Aliwal the shark dives are done without
cages and are quite safe. No diver has ever been attacked
by a shark on any of these sites.
To
give the adrenaline a chance to subside we will give
you one day off diving,
and take you on a tour of the area as well as a visit
to the premises
of the Natal Sharks Board to study their display of
the sharks endemic
to the area! The audiovisual show and display will
give you a new insight into these lovely and much maligned
creatures. The last night is obviously never without
a good party, and party we can!
Included:
Experienced
driver, guide and Dive Master
All
transfers
10
Dives, air/Nitrox fills, weights & tanks on a “use
it or lose it” basis.
Shared
(twin) accommodation
Breakfast
and dinner daily
Day
tour to Durban markets/shops and Sharks Board
Excluded:
Lunch
and drinks
Personal
diving gear
Day
fourteen:
A
lazy morning to recover and degas before flying from
Durban to
Johannesburg International Airport to be in time for your flight
home.
Included:
Transfer
to Durban Airport
Breakfast
Excluded:
Airfare
to Johannesburg
Lunch
Dinner
General:
All
travel costs to and from South
Africa
are excluded.
C-cards
and Log Books must be presented.
Most
of the game reserves are in malaria areas and precautions
must be
taken.
Terms:
25%
Non-Refundable deposit to secure booking.
Balance
payable 30 days before departure date.
For
payment by credit card add 7%.
We
are committed to delivering the exact itinerary, but
we reserve the right to without notice make any changes
that we find necessary for the comfort or safety of
the client.
Rates
- KwaZulu-Natal Safari 2004
Rate
@ ZAR19,999.00
Single
supplement @ ZAR3,000.00 if rooms
are available
