4 Day Kruger Safari - Walking & Camping Safari

4 Day Kruger Safari – Walking & Camping Safari

Overview

A captivating four-day safari in Greater Kruger, tailored for adventurous and enthusiastic nature enthusiasts seeking an intimate encounter with the wild African bush.

During this environmentally conscious walking safari, a maximum of eight guests traverse Greater Kruger Park on foot and may partake in optional twilight game drives. This is a mobile camping safari, indicating that you will camp in pristine wilderness. Daily, the safari team establishes a new bush camp in a picturesque and secluded area of the Maseke Balule Game Reserve, which has unfenced boundaries with Kruger National Park. This private game reserve features the Big Five and various other wildlife species, offering an amazing natural environment for a unique walking safari.

A seasoned safari team, comprising a committed cook, establishes the mobile bush camps and prepares meals, while your expert guide and tracking team navigate the game-abundant wilderness on foot, showcasing the finest aspects of the African bushveld and its remarkable wildlife.

Detailed itinerary – 4 Day Kruger Safari – Walking & Camping Safari

Day 1: Johannesburg to Maseke Game Reserve (Greater Kruger National Park)

At the commencement of our distinctive Greater Kruger Safari, our shuttle service retrieves you from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg or from the specified pick-up location in Pretoria. The shuttle departs from OR Tambo at 07:00, then traveling north to Pretoria to pick up additional passengers at 07:30. From Pretoria, proceed northeast to Greater Kruger Park.

The shuttle transports you to Three Bridges, adjacent to Hoedspruit, arriving between 12:30 and 13:00. Your guide will get you from Three Bridges and transport you to the Maseke Balule Game Reserve, which is a component of Greater Kruger Park. This brief transfer occurs in a game viewing vehicle and transports you to the commencement of your initial bush trek in Maseke Balule. The driver transports all excess bags to our initial mobile camping location in the safari vehicle.

This afternoon, you embarked on a trek through the untamed African wilderness on foot, escorted by your guide and tracker. The 8000-hectare Maseke Balule Game Reserve is home to enormous game species, including potentially hazardous animals; hence, your guides are armed to guarantee your safety. The expert guide and tracking crew escort you into the bush on an exhilarating two-to-three-hour walking safari, familiarizing you with the indigenous flora and fauna along the way. The path leads you over a picturesque koppie to our initial campsite, which the safari team prepares prior to your arrival.

Upon arrival at the exclusive mobile camp, there is an opportunity to acclimate and unwind before to our inaugural optional dusk game drive. During our evening wildlife drive, we pause to savor sundowners in the untamed bushveld. Following the observation of a stunning African sunset, we return to the campsite, remaining vigilant for wildlife along the way.

Upon returning to our lantern-lit campsite, we are welcomed by a warm bonfire. Following a substantial three-course supper in the dining tent, you may either relax and observe the stars or return to your tent. Drift into slumber to the auditory ambiance of nature in the pristine African wilderness.

Key features: pedestrian safari to initial campground and evening game drive

Day 2: Maseke Balule Game Reserve (Greater Kruger National Park)

Awaken in the heart of the African bushveld and commence your day with freshly brewed coffee and rusks at camp, before to embarking on a foot expedition into Balule at approximately 06:00. Our three to four-hour morning bush walk traverses the private game reserve, offering numerous opportunity for close observation of the untamed ecology.

At approximately 09:30, your guide selects a location to partake in a light breakfast, featuring fruit, yogurt, and muesli. We will proceed with our research until approximately 11:30 or 12:00, pausing in a picturesque location for a comprehensive breakfast. During brunch, tables will be arranged with an assortment of beverages, food, and snacks. Following breakfast, you have the opportunity to unwind, peruse your book, or take a nap. Following a period of recuperation, we resume our walking safari in the Maseke Game Reserve area in northern Balule at approximately 13:00.

This afternoon’s two to three-hour wildlife walk will take us to a large dam where the safari team has established our next bush camp. Upon arrival at camp at 16:30, there is leisure time to relax, enjoy a snack, and recuperate after our approximately 12 kilometer trek over the varied landscape.

Subsequently, you may choose to do a twilight game drive in an open safari vehicle, departing in pursuit of large wildlife, including the Big Five. The sundowner game drive is succeeded by dinner by the campfire and a tranquil night beneath the stars.

Key Features: comprehensive walking trail and evening game drive after sunset

Day 3: Maseke Balule Game Reserve (Greater Kruger National Park)

On the third day of our Kruger Walking Safari, we commence with coffee and rusks at the mobile camp, followed by another excursion into the bush on foot.

The subsequent three to four hours are dedicated to traversing the pristine bushveld, under the guidance of our knowledgeable leader. Your guide highlights the intriguing aspects of the wilderness during your walk, revealing indications of wildlife activity and additional features. Initially, we pause for a modest breakfast around 09:30, followed by a luncheon and a brief rest about 11:30. At approximately 13:00, we proceed to traverse the hills and grassy plains of the wildlife reserve for an additional two to three hours. The afternoon stroll leads us to our final mobile camp, established at 16:30 on the banks of the Olifants River. Establish yourself at the campsite and recuperate prior to embarking on an optional twilight game drive in the Maseke Balule Game Reserve within the Greater Kruger region.

During the twilight game drive, we traverse a greater expanse than on foot, appreciating the natural landscape and enhancing our likelihood of observing a variety of animals and birds. Be vigilant for elephants, buffalo, giraffes, wildebeest, zebras, and predators including lions, cheetahs, and leopards. Following sundowners and a gorgeous sunset over the wildlife-abundant jungle, we return to our campsite along to the river. This evening, we partake in our final dinner together and unwind by the campfire, succumbing to the sounds of the wild.

Key features: comprehensive walking trail and evening game drive at sunset

Day 4: Greater Kruger National Park to Johannesburg – South Africa

On the fourth day of our Greater Kruger Safari, we rise early to witness the sunrise over the Olifants River. We commence the day with coffee and rusks before embarking on a foot expedition into the African wilderness. As we stroll down the riverbanks, we remain vigilant for wildlife and avian species attracted to the water, typically observing hippos and crocodiles in the shallows.

Our concluding walking safari is succeeded by a substantial breakfast at the mobile bush camp. It is now time to pack and depart from Greater Kruger.

We return to Three Bridges, where the shuttle departs at 11:45 for the trip back to Pretoria and OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. Drop-off in Pretoria occurs at approximately 17:00, whereas at OR Tambo it is around 18:00.

Key Feature: morning walking safari along the Olifants River

Maseke Balule Private Game Reserve

This 8000-hectare private game reserve is integrated into Greater Kruger Park, sharing unfenced borders with Kruger National Park. The private reserve is situated between Hoedspruit and Phalaborwa, at the western boundary of Kruger, in the Limpopo Province of South Africa.

Maseke Balule, as a private wildlife reserve, is inaccessible to the general public, providing a unique safari experience. Maseke Balule is near to Kruger National Park, facilitating the unrestricted movement of wildlife between the national park and the private game reserve. The Big Five creatures, along with wildebeest, giraffes, hippos, zebras, baboons, numerous antelopes, cheetahs, and crocodiles, are present here, among others. This game-rich private reserve provides an exhilarating and unspoiled wilderness for walking safaris.

The Olifants River traverses the game reserve, drawing a plethora of diverse fauna and avifauna. The reserve encompasses varied terrain, with lush savannahs, rocky hills, and rough mountains that offer optimal habitats for numerous wildlife species.

Concerning the Mobile Safari Camps

This special walking safari utilizes mobile camps established in the private Balule Game Reserve within Greater Kruger Park. The safari team establishes a new camp at a different place each day throughout the camping safari, while you traverse the bush on foot. The afternoon woodland treks conclude at a newly chosen campsite, distinguished by its secluded and picturesque location.

Meals, including breakfast and dinner, are prepared by the camp crew, while snacks and refreshments are provided upon arrival at each camp. Each day commences with coffee or tea and rusks, succeeded by a mid-morning light repast of yogurt and fruit throughout the stroll. At approximately 10:30 AM, we pause our trek to partake in a packed brunch in the wilderness. Dinner is a substantial cooked meal presented around the campfire.

The mobile camping safari sites comprise four canvas dome tents, each accommodating two individuals, with bedding supplied. Each tent is equipped with individual bucket showers, and the campsite includes chemical toilets.

Concerning the Shuttle Transfers

Pick-up and drop-off occur at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and a specified location in Pretoria. For additional information and schedules, please inquire. Transportation to and from these designated destinations is excluded from the trip cost.