There is a world of difference between experiencing a safari in Africa on foot, "old style", than say, from the tinted windows of a luxury bus! To walk is to be out there with the African wildlife, sharing their paths and waterholes, the daily drama’s of their lives, sharing their space. To walk is to follow their tracks, feel the tingle of your own senses and hear the beating of your heart as you edge closer to a herd of elephant resting in the shade. To sleep in a tent under the trees with only the canvas between you and the bush is an experience not easily forgotten.

A safari is a journey of the body and the soul, a venture into the unknown and an opportunity to face some of the mysteries of nature. With over 20 years of experience, we still believe in the magic of the bush and strive to offer that “once in a lifetime experience” to all our guests.

• Where?
Our operation is based in the bush in the Greater Kruger, but the safaris run JHB - JHB. Transfers are included in the package, but your safari only really starts on arrival at a lovely bush pub on the edge of the Greater Kruger National Park. From there, open 4x4 Landrovers transport you to one of our exclusive unfenced tented camps where you will stay during your safari. There are no fences between the Kruger National Park and the Reserves, hence the name Greater Kruger NP. The big advantage of these exclusive wilderness areas is their privacy, so no sharing sightings or camps with other tourists.

• Who?
The safaris appeal to all with an adventurous mind, keen on a learning experience. Every walk is a book on its own, with the emphasis on information on all the wonders of nature, big and small. Because of the dangerous aspects of a walking safari, the minimum age is 16. Although there is no maximum age, the walks can last up to 4 hours and tracking might lead the trail through thick bush, riverbeds and gullies. Therefore an average fitness level is required, especially in the hotter summer months (Nov - March). A maximum of 8 people makes up a trail, no minimum.

• How?
The safaris run every Mon-Fri (5 day / 4 night) and every Fri-Mon (4 day / 3 night). We operate throughout the year and all departures are guaranteed but bookings need to be made in advance. Wed departures (6 day - night) will be considered for group bookings. The unfenced camps are private and secluded and not open to day visitors. Each camp can sleep up to 12 people in large walk-in twin-bedded tents (linen is provided, so sleeping bags are not needed) with sown-in mosquito screens. Ablutions are separate but close with hot showers and flush toilets.

Although there is no electricity, there is solar lighting, candles, lanterns and a campfire to guide you around the camp at night. Meals are prepared in the kitchen tent and served in the dining tent. Each safari is accompanied by one or two experienced and armed rangers and each camp is serviced by a chef.

The combination of walks and drives in the open 4x4 Landrover are dependent on weather and animal movements and are conducted from camp in the early mornings, late afternoons and at night.

Each safari is basic and designed to experience the bush the way one should: on foot. After the first walk you’ll realise you’ve gone back in time – one with your ancestors who roamed these African trails. Although in Big Five areas, there are no guarantees on sightings – what you see is what you get. We do however guarantee a real bush experience!

• What is the difference between 5 days and 4 days?
The Mon-Fri 5 day 4 night walking safari will take you to two different camps in two different Reserves in the Greater Kruger NP, changing camps midweek. This adds on to that true safari feeling and will give you a chance to explore two different areas.

The Fri-Mon 4 day 3 night walking safari remains in one camp with an exciting optional sleep-out in a fly-camp in the same reserve. For the people who really want to go back to basics for a night, this is a must-do!

• What all is included?
As of 01 November 2008 the safari prices are exclusive of transfers to and from JHB and Pretoria but these are still available at an additional cost (with pick-up/drop-off from a selected list of hotels or OR Tambo International). Rates are inclusive of all meals and accommodation in our unfenced tented camps, all walks and drives. Excluded are drinks from the honesty bar in camp and the once-off payment of max R200 pp (subject to change) for Conservation Levies for the Reserves we operate in. This money goes back into conservation and is used for purposes such as anti-poaching, animal monitoring and research. The Conservation Fee and the drinks consumed in our camps will be paid for cash in Rand on the day you leave the safari. Drinks like beers, wine, ciders, Smirnoff spins, gin & tonic, cokes, juices and bottled water are provided in the camps. Coffee, tea and water from the tap are free of charge.

Mastercard/VISA are accepted, but an extra 5% is charged. Travellers cheques are not accepted. A 50% Single Supplement will only apply to travellers not wanting to share with a same-sex traveller.

OUR CAMPS
The unfenced camps are private and secluded and not open to day visitors. Each camp can sleep up to 12 people in large walk-in twin-bedded tents (linen and towels are provided, sleeping bags are not needed) with sown-in mosquito screens. Ablutions are separate but close with hot showers and flush toilets. Although there is no electricity, there is solar lighting, candles, lanterns and a campfire to guide you around the camp at night. Meals are prepared in the kitchen tent and served in the dining tent. Each safari is accompanied by one or two experienced and armed guides and each camp is serviced by a chef and camp attendant.

TUSKER TENTED CAMP – KLASERIE PRIVATE NATURE RESERVE

Tusker Tented Camp is situated amongst lush riverine forest on the banks of the Klaserie River in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. Its name referring to the Elephant’s Tusks, this camp often receives visits from Africa’s largest land mammal.

MADACH TENTED CAMP – TIMBAVATI PRIVATE NATURE RESERVE

The name Madach means “Wild Dog” in Shangaan and it was given to this lovely camp upon construction when a pack of Africa’s second most endangered large carnivore moved through the area. Situated on a small riverbed and surrounded by Mopane, Acacia and Leadwood trees, this camp and its surroundings give you that true African feeling.


Daily Itinerary 4 or 5 Day Walking Safari
On the day of departure you will be collected from your selected hotel at first light and transferred to the reserve gate. The journey takes approximately 5 hours with stops along the way. You will meet your ranger at a lovely bush pub at the edge of the reserves, where you will sign the indemnity forms and have lunch together. After lunch, we transfer you into open safari vehicles to one of our bush camps in the Greater Kruger National Park making sure that you spend the maximum time out in the bush!

In the mornings we set off at first light after a snack breakfast of rusks and coffee or tea. Enjoying the cool morning air we may walk directly from camp or else use a vehicle to get further out. Your ranger will decipher the tracks and signs left by the passing animals during the night. The thrill of walking, tracking and getting up close to one of the creatures of the bush is an unforgettable experience. On the walks there is a lot of emphasis on all the interesting things seen such as trees, plants, insects and birds. A big breakfast is prepared back in camp and then there is time to unwind and siesta during the heat of the day. After lunch is served it is time to head out again.

The afternoon activity is a walk/ drive combination, looking for tracks and activity in other areas. After the walk we drive to a beautiful spot in the Reserve, where we’ll have sundowners while waiting for a stunning African Sunset. As the diurnal animals and birds anxiously get ready for bed, the stage and sounds change and a whole new world awakens. This is when we connect the spotlight and night drive back to camp, looking for the nocturnal creatures that are so rarely seen during the day. Back in camp a hearty supper and a warm campfire will be waiting for you. After a long day in the bush there is nothing more rewarding then to sneak off to bed and listen to the sounds of the night under a blanket of the overwhelming African stars!

On the last day you will still go out for one last walk. Sniffing the typical scents of the bush you’ll realise how much you’ve learned already! After breakfast it’s time to pack up and go back to the bush pub, where you will pay the Conservation Fee and the drinks you’ve consumed in our camps. Then we say our goodbyes and transfer you back to the city.

Daily Itinerary 8-day Incomati Overland
4 NIGHT WALKING SAFARI IN THE GREATER KRUGER NP & 3 NIGHT INCOMATI RIVER LODGE MOZAMBIQUE

Day 1 - Monday - JHB - Greater Kruger NP
You will be collected from your selected hotel at first light and transferred to the reserve gate. The journey takes approximately 5 hours with stops along the way. You will meet your ranger at a lovely bush pub at the edge of the reserves, where you will have lunch together. After lunch, we transfer you into open safari vehicles to one of our bush camps in the Greater Kruger National Park. You settle into camp and then set off on an introductory walk/drive and night drive, returning to camp by late evening for dinner.
Day 2 - Tuesday - Greater Kruger NP
We set off at first light after a snack breakfast. We may walk directly from camp or else use a vehicle to get further out. Your ranger will decipher the tracks and signs left by the passing animals. The thrill of walking, tracking and getting up close to one of the creatures of the bush is an unforgettable experience. A big breakfast is prepared back in camp and then there is time to unwind and siesta or spot some birds around the camp. The afternoon activity is a walk/ drive combination. After sundowners you will drive back to camp using a spotlight to search for some of the nocturnal animals. Dinner is served around the fire and then sneak off to bed and listen to the sounds of the night.
Day 3 - Wednesday - Greater Kruger NP
An early start gets you out into the bush on foot on the tracks of Africa’s big game. You become more and more aware of your surroundings. Full of excitement and anticipation, it really is the chase that is the prize! On return to camp a breakfast will ease the empty stomachs and in the afternoon a light lunch is served before getting out to explore a new area. The afternoon activity is a walk/ drive combination, followed by sundowners at a beautiful spot in the Reserve and a night drive back to camp. Here your supper and a campfire will be waiting for you.
Day 4 - Thursday - Greater Kruger NP
An early morning start gets you out before the heat of the day sets in. Return to camp for breakfast and siesta and then get out by vehicle to explore the further territories and find those missing species.
Day 5 - Friday - Greater Kruger NP - Mozambique via Kruger NP
After a last morning walk and brunch you leave by open vehicle for the rendezvous point where you will pay for your drinks and the entrance fees (Conservation Levy). When all is settled, you will continue and head for the border post into Mozambique. Late in the afternoon you will arrive at Incomati River Lodge where you will spend the next couple of days relaxing and enjoying all that Incomati has to offer!
Day 6 - 7 Saturday - Sunday – Incomati River Lodge Mozambique
On the banks of the Incomati River, 35 km north of Maputo lies the delightful Incomati River Lodge. Incomati caters for an exclusive maximum of 8 people in comfortable en suite chalets in an ambiance of absolute peace and tranquility. From the deck one has views up and down the Incomati River with unique sunsets over the slowly flowing river. Surrounded by sensitive wetlands and reed beds, the abundant birdlife is ever present. The focus of our leisure activities is based on and around the river and its local communities. Bird walks, canoeing, sunset cruises and excursions over land or water to one of the close by stunning beaches all add up to an unforgettable Mozambican experience!
Day 8 - Mon - Motapa - ORT International
After breakfast and settling your bar bill it is time to reluctantly pack your bags to head back to South Africa. In Nelspruit you can connect with the shuttle to ORT International, where you will arrive late in the afternoon. Hopefully till we meet again!

RIVER HORSE GAME VIEWING FROM HORSE BACK AND BUSH SLEEP OUT
River Horse out-rides offer game viewing from horse back on a family farm just outside the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve. The joy of riding a fine responsive horse through the African bush along side a herd of impala or sitting in the saddle under the lofty stare of a giraffe bull is an exciting and memorable event.

Out-rides are available in the mornings and late afternoon and are led by experienced horse men and woman who are also skilled field guides and will enhance your African Safari experience.

Add to this delight by over-nighting cowboy style under the stars with your trusty steed softly chomping on grass close by. At sunset the riding party arrive at the welcoming overnight camp to ice cold drinks and dinner on the fire. After a meal of venison and fresh vegetables, the crackling camp fire warms a pot of coffee and the elevated beds under mosquito netting beacon to weary riders. The sleep out brings a night filled with sounds of the bush, distant lions roaring from across the river with the whoop of a lonely hyena locating her clan and the repetitive call of an owl close by. The dawn brings the building up of the campfire for hot drinks before saddling up for a ride out into the bright new day.

The twin beds are set on raised platforms with a covering mosquito net. Alternative accommodation is on stand by at the base camp if the weather should turn bad. This is in the form of twin bedded wooden bandas with separate ablutions. For the less adventurous, a morning and afternoon out ride can be combined with a night at a nearby lodge.

Bruce and Judy Meeser invite you to join them with their latest venture in the bush on their River Horse out-rides. We believe this to be a unique and wonderful way to experience the African Bush.

Eco Awareness Course starting in November 2009!
Running on set departures once a month and with a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 8 people, this course will take you on an unforgettable journey. Submerging into the mysteries of nature instead of being kept at bay, participants will share the bush with an expert Natural Exposure guide for 7 nights, focusing on and learning about the following subjects:

• The basics of 4x4 driving
• Southern Hemisphere Constellations
• Bird Identification & Behaviour
• Animal Behaviour and Tracking
• Plant Identification and their cultural, medical and environmental roles
• Tracks, signs and approaching potentially dangerous game
• Survival & Navigation
• Preparing meals in the bush
• There will be small exam on the last morning and a certificate for each guest

The Eco Awareness Course is designed around participation and interaction – not just between the participants but also between the “teacher” and its “pupils” - there are daily lectures and putting acquired knowledge into practice. Although in Big Five areas, the main focus is on learning and not on Big Five sightings. Have you perhaps once wondered how your guide managed to find his way back to camp, or how one would stand a chance to survive if one gets lost, or why certain birds decide to lay their eggs in another species’ nest? So many questions, and often so few answers.

There is so much to learn and the more you know, the more you realize how much there is still to learn. No one has all the answers, but the humbleness of the previous statement is the beginning of understanding, which is exactly what we will try and bring across on the Eco Awareness Course.

RATES

Valid 01 November 2011 - 31 October 2012
Rate includes accommodation in a private unfenced tented bush camp, all meals and all activities. Local conservation levies (R100 per person) are excluded. Towels are provided and sleeping bags are not required - linen and blankets are supplied. Transfers between Johannesburg and Hoedspruit are excluded from the rates and charged separately. No single supplement is charged if the guest is willing to share accommodation but a 50% supplement applies if a single tent is requested. There is a 5% surcharge for credit card payments.

4-day Safari (Friday - Monday): R5,100 per person sharing
5-day Safari (Monday - Friday): R6,800 per person sharing
Transfers are available on Mondays and Fridays only and only from a selected list of hotels at R700pp one way.