Wild Kruger & Madagascar Safari

Take your flight from Johannesburg to Hoedspruit today. The flight duration is approximately 1 hour.

Airport transfer to/from your hotel with private vehicle

At about 3.30pm everybody convenes for high tea, before departing with the same ranger/tracker team for the day's second African bush safari. Enjoy a sundowner drink along the way (not included in the tariff), and get out of the vehicle to stretch your legs and watch the sun go down over the distant Drakensberg Mountains. As darkness descends it's time to return to the safety of the Landrover and let the tracker scan the landscape with a spotlight picking out the glinting eyes of nocturnal animals. Return to the lodge at around 7pm, where there is time to freshen up before dinner.

Before first light you'll meet up with others at the lodge and embark on your early morning game drive. Sunrise and sunset are when the animals are most active. You'll be out in the reserve for a few hours before returning back to the lodge for breakfast. A private vehicle can be booked at an additional cost depending on availability.

At about 3.30pm everybody convenes for high tea, before departing with the same ranger/tracker team for the day's second African bush safari. Enjoy a sundowner drink along the way (not included in the tariff), and get out of the vehicle to stretch your legs and watch the sun go down over the distant Drakensberg Mountains. As darkness descends it's time to return to the safety of the Landrover and let the tracker scan the landscape with a spotlight picking out the glinting eyes of nocturnal animals. Return to the lodge at around 7pm, where there is time to freshen up before dinner.

Two daily game drives are part of the fully inclusive tariff and your skilled ranger and tracker do their best to find the animals of Africa for you to admire. There are also many other species to be seen, large and small, as well as fascinating plants and colourful birds. Stop halfway through the morning game drive for hot drinks and rusks from the Landrover snack box and return at around 9am for breakfast. During the rest of the day, you are likely to see wildlife like nyala antelope and vervet monkeys around the lodges.

A guide will take you to the Hoedspruit Centre for Endangered Species facility where cheetah and a number of other rehabilitated animals can be viewed at close range. An educational video is shown to explain the projects undertaken by this unique establishment. A guided tour will follow to view the cheetah and other animals.

Get some African soil under your feet with a bush walk after breakfast. Explore the environment with your ranger, learn about curative properties of plants and identify animals from their footprints and dung. Large game is avoided when on foot but animals can often be seen from a safe distance. Please note that this will be done under ranger discretion.

Take your flight from Hoedspruit to Johannesburg today. The flight duration is approximately 1 hour.

Today enjoy a private tour of Soweto (South Western Township), a promitant historical township that is now the most populated suburb of South Africa. Soweto was propelled by the increasing eviction of Africans from Johannesburg city by state authorities during the mining area. Now this sprawling “city within a city” is home to many who work in various parts of the greater metropolitan area of the Witwatersrand. This tour shows you the major points of interest, such as the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Baragwanath taxi rank, Freedom Square, Hector Pieterson Memorial and Nelson Mandela’s former home.

Airport transfer to/from your hotel with private vehicle

Fly from Johannesburg to Antananarivo. Flying time is approximately 3 hours.

Depart from the Madagascar capital, Antananarivo, and travel along the hillside twisty roads towards the Eastern part of the island. The first scheduled stop will be at the Pereyras reserve for the first glimpse of Madagascar’s unique biodiversity and fantastic Chameleon Sanctuary. Continue along to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, where you will start this discovery tour of the nocturnal animals and primates that inhabit this unique and distinctive National Park.

The Lemur is a clade of strepsirrhine primates endemic to the island of Madagascar. The actually word "lemur" derives from the word lemures (ghosts or spirits) from Roman mythology, and was first used to describe the nocturnal habits and slow pace of certain creatures, which applied perfectly to the habitual primates of Madagascar. Shortly after humans arrived on the island of Madagascar some 2,000 years ago, there were some lemurs as large as a gorilla. Today, there are nearly 100 species of lemurs, and most of those species have been discovered or promoted to full species status since the 90's.

Begin the day with a hike through the rainforest to discover the natural Malagasy flora and fauna, as well as the famous Indri lemurs. The Indri lemur which is one of the largest in size and has a lovey thick black and white coat. The indri is well known for its loud, distinctive songs, this helps you locate them within the forest. Other lemurs which can be seen in this area are the red-bellied lemur, brown lemur, lesser bamboo lemur. The park is also place for the nocturnal lemurs - brown mouse lemur, greater dwarf lemur, eastern woolly lemur, sportive lemur and if you are a lucky one, you might see the elusive nocturnal Aye Aye. Along the way, stop for some relaxation at a picturesque waterfall. This day tour is filled with beautiful landscapes and a variety of habitual wildlife.

Ranging in size from 30gm (1.1 oz) to 9 kg (20 lb), lemurs share many of the common primate traits, such as divergent digits on their hands and feet and nails instead of claws. However, their brain-to-body size ratio is smaller than that of anthropoid primates, and among many other traits they share with other primates, they have a "wet nose" (rhinarium). Lemurs are generally social and communicate more with scents and vocalizations than with visual signals. Many lemur adaptations are in response to Madagascar's highly seasonal environment.

Lemur research focused on taxonomy and specimen collection during the 18th and 19th centuries. Although field observations trickled in from early explorers, modern studies of lemur ecology and behavior did not begin in earnest until the 1950s and 1960s. Initially hindered by political instability and turmoil on Madagascar during the mid-1970s, field studies resumed in the 1980s and have greatly increased our understanding of these primates. Research facilities like the Duke Lemur Center have provided research opportunities under more controlled settings. Lemurs are important for research because their mix of primitive characteristics and traits shared with anthropoid primates can yield insights on primate and human evolution. However, many lemur species are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss and hunting. Although local traditions generally help protect lemurs and their forests, illegal logging, widespread poverty, and political instability hinder and undermine conservation efforts.

Before leaving Andasibe, visit a colony of Nile-crocodiles and some more indigenous lemurs. After lunch, a private vehicle will take you back to Antananarivo.

Enjoy a private vehicle transfer to/from the Antananarivo International Airport.

Begin this Madagascar adventure by exploring the capital and largest city in Madagascar. Discover the colonial history of this ancient city, and find out the reason why Antananarivo was once named "the city of a Thousand." Marvel at the goings on and the daily life routines of these Malagasy people.  Highlights of this tour include a visit to the Old City sections, and the palace of the Queen, which will introduce you to the architecture and urbanism of this dynamic African city. No tour of the town is complete without a moment's pause on one of the hills to take in the view over the city. Finally, you might want to opt to visit the Tsimbazaza Zoo and Botanical Gardens, if time and energy allows.

Enjoy a private vehicle transfer to/from the Antananarivo International Airport.