Overview
This 10 Day Safari Package combines two top South African destinations offering you the best wildlife and beach experience in the game-rich savannas of the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve and the tropical beaches of Thonga Beach Lodge. Your journey starts and ends in Johannesburg and includes all inter-lodge road transfers.
At Arathusa Safari Lodge in Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve you will enjoy the rich savannas ideal for big game and wildlife experiences as well as the delicious cuisine and breathtaking scenery. This area is known for it’s high density of leopard.
Then spend a night in Johannesburg and visit the Apartheid Museum or do a half day tour of Soweto.
Thonga Beach Lodge is the epitome of luxury on the Maputaland Coastline. Here you are spoilt for choice with an array of land and water activities that include turtle tracking from November to February, snorkelling, scuba diving, kayaking & sundowners on Lake Sibaya, open ocean cruises, guided forest walks, bird watching, spa treatments and Tsonga cultural excursions.
On your last day you will return to Johannesburg for your flight home.
Highlights
- Thrilling Big 5 wildlife safari at Arathusa Safari Lodge
- High density of leopards in Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve
- Pristine wilderness at Thonga Beach Lodge
- Endless beaches and freshwater lakes
- Fantastic coral reefs for scuba diving & snorkelling
Itinerary
DAYS 1 – 5
ARATHUSA SAFARI LODGE, SABI SAND PRIVATE GAME RESERVE, GREATER KRUGER NATIONAL PARK
Warehole Suite – Full Board
Arrive on an early flight at OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg and then take a flight to Hoedspruit bordering the Greater Kruger National Park. On arrival at Hoedspruit Airport you will be met by a driver from Assured Tours who will display a Welcome Board with your names on it. You will be transferred to Arathusa Safari Lodge in Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve which shares unfenced borders with the Kruger National Park and is part of the area known as the Greater Kruger National Park.
The abundant game moves freely between the National Park and Private Game Reserves.
You will enjoy the huge diversity of game, plant and birdlife from your safari vehicle and on bush walks. Look out for the endangered African wild dogs, Big 5, hippo & hyena to name just a few. Enjoy an unforgettable wildlife experience in a magical environment. Thrilling game activities include early morning and late afternoon into evening game drives as well as bush walks where you can enter the space of wild animals and get up close and personal to nature.
Arathusa Safari Lodge is located in the northern part of the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve and shares an unfenced border with Kruger National Park. The lodge overlooks a large waterhole that attracts an abundance of wildlife.
Your accommodation is in a Waterhole Suite with a private veranda that overlooks the waterhole. Room features include an ensuite bathroom with shower as well as a private outdoor shower, mini bar, electronic safe, hairdryer, air conditioning, direct-dial telephone, mosquito net and tea/ coffee making facilities.
The lodge has an inifinity swimming pool, safari spa and traditional open air boma. Wifi is available in the public areas and Reception.
Activities include 2 game drives per day in an open Landrover. At Arathusa you will indulge in a most thrilling wildlife safari. Your ranger and tracker will follow the signs of the wild in open vehicles, sometimes driving offroad to track animals such as a leopard stalking prey in the early morning or a pride of lion resting under the shade of a tree.
The combination of thrilling wildlife encounters, luxury lodge, tantalizing food, the excitement of stories around the campfire and the sounds of the bush will make your safari a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And don’t forget the special birdlife that create a unique bush atmosphere with their calls, beautiful plumage and constant antics.
Included : Accommodation, all meals, house wines, beers and spirits, teas and coffees, two game drives per day in Open Safari Vehicles, a guided bush walk, Wifi and Conservation Levies.
DAY 5
DA VINCI HOTEL, SANDTON, JOHANNESBURG
Deluxe Room – Bed & Breakfast
This morning you will be transferred to Hoedspruit Airport by Assured Tours for your flight to Johannesburg. On arrival at OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg you will be met by a driver from EZ Shuttle who will display a Welcome Board with your names on it. The driver will be wearing a black and green uniform. You will then be transferred to Da Vinci Hotel situated in Sandton, Johannesburg’s business, shopping and entertainment hub. Set within the Sandton Mall and leading onto Nelson Mandela Square, Da Vinci Hotel is conveniently located close to a diversity of restaurants, shops and the Gautrain, should you wish to shop or dine in Rosebank.
You are booked in a Deluxe Room with Breakfast included.
Hotel facilities include free Wifi, the Maximillien Restaurant, the Maxim Lounge, spa & gym and a swimming pool.
You may want to visit the Apartheid Museum in the afternoon or do a short tour of Soweto which can be arranged. Another amazing experience is a 4 hour tour of the fossil sites in the Cradle of Humankind though you will need an extra night in Johannesburg to fit this in.
Included : Bed and breakfast
DAYS 6 – 10
THONGA BEACH LODGE, MAPUTALAND, ISIMANGALISO WETLAND PARK
Ocean View Room – Full Board
Today you will be collected by EZ Shutle and transferred to OR Tambo Airport for your flight to Richards Bay on the coast of KwaZulu Natal Province. On arrival at Richards Bay Airport you will be met by a driver from On Safari Africa who will transfer you to Librodi Lodge in Sodwana Bay from where you will then be transferred to Thonga Beach Lodge and have a 4×4 ride through the dunes, a journey in total of about 3 to 4 hours from Richards Bay.
Thonga Beach Lodge is located on the azure shores and pristine coastal wilderness of the Isimangaliso Wetland Park in Northern Kwazulu Natal Province, a paradise of white beaches, blazing corals and freshwater lakes.
Your accommodation is in an Ocean View Room offering views of the Indian Ocean, a large bedroom opening onto a secluded balcony with facilities that include an ensuite bathroom, air conditioning, overhead fans, mosquito nets, coffee & tea, mini bar and electronic safe.
Lodge facilities include indoor and outdoor dining areas, bar, lounge, swimming pool, beach deck, wifi lounge and a spa.
Activities include turtle tracking from November to February, snorkelling, scuba diving, kayaking & sundowners on Lake Sibaya, open ocean cruises, guided forest walks, bird watching, spa treatments and Tsonga cultural excursions.
Mabibi is regarded as one of the best snorkelling sites in South Africa. The coral reefs along this protected stretch of coastline are home to thousands of species of tropical fish. The rockpool snorkelling area is home to mostly juvenile fish, but you can see octopus, fire fish, moray eels and electric rays too. The snorkelling is in the bay, about 400 metres south of the lodge. Snorkelling is tide dependent and is best at low tide. Guests can also experience the thrill of snorkelling in the open ocean on shallow reefs.
Scuba diving at Thonga Beach is phenomenal, with reefs located only a short distance from the lodge. Shoals of game fish, sharks and schools of bottlenose dolphins are often encountered.
Thonga Beach Lodge is located in the Isimangaliso Wetland Park, an internationally recognised World Heritage Site that is one of the most biodiverse regions in all of Africa. The 358,534 ha and 220 km long reserve is a tropical paradise of crystal clear water, marshland, swamp and coastal forests. Inside the reserve is Lake Sibaya which has 100 kms of untouched shoreline and is South Africa’s largest freshwater lake. Hippo and crocodile bask in and around the lakes and the reserve provides a haven for a variety of rare fish, flora and fauna.
Included : Accommodation, meals, use of snorkelling equipment, guided walks, kayaking and sundowners at Lake Sibaya, cultural tours to Mabibi Community, road transfers and Park Fees.
DAY 10
END OF SAFARI
Today you will be collected by On Safari Africa and transferred to Richards Bay Airport for your flight to Johannesburg from where you will take your flight home.
1 2 Go Tours wishes you a safe and thrilling journey that will leave lasting memories and a desire to return.
Rates
- 1 – 31 Aug 2024 – ZAR 75,610 per person sharing
- 1 – 30 Sept 2024 – ZAR 69,170 per person sharing
- 1 Oct – 31 Dec 2024 – ZAR 75,610 per person sharing
- 1 Jan – 30 Apr 2025 – ZAR 81,155 per person sharing
- 1 May – 30 Jun 2025 – ZAR 73,265 per person sharing
- 1 Jul – 31 Aug 2025 – ZAR 84,500 per person sharing
- 1 – 31 Sept 2025 – ZAR 76,900 per person sharing
- 1 Oct – 31 Dec 2025 – ZAR 84,500 per person sharing
Rates based on 2 people sharing
Single supplements may apply
Accommodation subject to availability
Inclusions
Arthusa Safari Lodge – Accommodation, all meals, house wines, beers and spirits, teas and coffees, two game drives per day in Open Safari Vehicles, a guided bush walk, Wifi and Conservation Levies.
Da Vinci Hotel – Bed & Breakfast
Thonga Beach Lodge – Accommodation, meals, use of snorkelling equipment, guided walks, kayaking and sundowners at Lake Sibaya, cultural tours to Mabibi Community, road transfers and Park Fees.
All road transfers included
Flights not included
