In Search of the Big Five – A Small Group Safari

Our flight with British Airways will depart from London Heathrow, with complimentary regional connections from Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen or Belfast.

Upon arrival, and after the usual immigration formalities, we board our waiting coach for our transfer to South Africa’s beautiful Mpumalanga Province. The quaint village of Dullstroom is our destination – known for its excellent fishing opportunities, panoramic walks, and fresh country air. Dullstroom (‘stroom’ meaning stream), enjoys an abundance of water, located close to the origin of the Crocodile River and home to other major tributaries. Our hotel for the night is the fabulous Walkersons Hotel and Spa. Reminiscent of a traditional Scottish country fishing lodge, relax in beautiful surroundings with a drink prior to dinner, which provides a chance to become acquainted with our new travel companions.

Early risers may wish to follow Walkersons mountain trail, which is almost fully paved for safety and convenience, and covers a distance of approximately 1.8km to the nearby mountain. The views are fantastic, and a number of antelope species and zebra can be seen in the area. After breakfast, we make our way to Makalali Private Game Reserve. Upon arrival at the outstanding Main Lodge, settle in and enjoy a welcome drink prior to lunch. Later in the afternoon we meet our rangers for our first open jeep safari. Makalali Private Game Reserve is home to over 1,000 wild animals and marks the start of our search for the ‘Big Five’ – lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo, as well as a wealth of birdlife.

Rise early for our morning game drive as we continue our search for the Big Five. Keep your eyes peeled for cheetah and wild dog, who also call Makalali their home. Makalali means ‘place of rest’ in Shangaan – and you can do that in style today, by the Main Lodge’s spectacular large crystal-blue pool, with its decking area overlooking the adjacent watering hole. Later, prepare for your afternoon game drive with accompanying sundowners. Enjoy!

Rise to join our morning game drive. Hopefully, by now, we may have ticked off a couple of the Big Five. Perhaps the leopard is being elusive? Enjoy another relaxing day prior to our afternoon game drive. Dinner this evening is a real pleasure as we dine under the stars in Makalali’s stunning boma.

Today, we travel south enjoying part of the famous Panorama Route with picturesque views of the Blyde River Canyon and God’s Window. Eagles fly overhead as a stunning landscape of mountains, canyons and forests stretches out ahead of us. We arrive at our beautifully-presented tented accommodation, located inside the south-western region of Kruger National Park, Mdluli Safari Lodge. The lodge offers game-viewing opportunities of its own from the bar, deck and infinity pool as we look out over the park and river. We head out this afternoon on our first game drive in Kruger, in our open-top vehicles with an expert guide, in search of the Big Five and more!

We wake to another day in wildlife paradise. We explore Kruger National Park further on a full day game drive, hoping to tick off more sightings on our wildlife bucket list. For keen birders, keep an eye out for Kruger’s endemic species – the kori bustard, Pel’s fishing owl, martial eagle, colourful ground hornbill, saddle-billed stork and the lappet-faced vulture. We return to our lodge mid-afternoon in time for a sundowner game drive, showcasing the beautiful South African sunset.

Enjoy one final game drive in Kruger National Park prior to our departure. A short drive away, our final game reserve awaits. The privately-owned Balule Game Reserve is adjacent to, and open-bordered with, the greater Kruger National Park. Our home is the boutique Greenfire Game Lodge, which is situated in a beautiful natural environment, perfectly complementing our safari experience. Become acquainted with this wonderful lodge, relax and enjoy an authentic home-cooked lunch prior to meeting our rangers and taking our first evening drive.

We rise and take an early morning drive. The rich diversity of vegetation within the Balule Reserve ensures excellent game sightings are guaranteed. In addition to the Big Five, there is an abundance of bird life and smaller mammals attracted by the riverine forest and open plains. Later in the day, we join our rangers for our evening drive.

Whilst the big game is the undoubtable highlight of Balule, we can also look forward to spotting an array of other African wildlife, such as a variety of buck, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest and over 250 bird species living amongst the savannah, forests and wooded mountains. Whilst back at the lodge, view the river or riverbed (dependent on season) from the comfort of your own secluded balcony, in between game drives. This evening, after our day’s viewings, we join our new-found friends in Greenfire’s boma and exchange memorable tales of our wildlife sightings, during our final South African dinner.

One final game drive prior to breakfast and then it’s time to bid farewell to South Africa’s wildlife. No doubt we will have memories and stories to last a lifetime. We leave Greenfire and Balule as we make a short journey to Hoedspruit Airport in time for our flight to Johannesburg. Our onward flight to London Heathrow departs this evening.

We arrive into London Heathrow this morning. For regional UK airports, flights will connect via Heathrow. After two fabulous weeks, our search for the Big Five is complete.

Explore more of Africa…

Take the opportunity to explore Africa further by extending your holiday with a three-night stay at Victoria Falls, with a guided walking tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Victoria Falls; or add a stay amid Botswana’s abundant wildlife with a fabulous six-night extension to Victoria Falls and Chobe National Park; or visit Cape Town with a three-night stay experiencing pristine beaches to rugged mountains, the perfect addition to your African adventure.