Rare Mammals of South Africa 11‑Day Tour

11-Day Tour

King Shaka International Airport Durban – Zululand – Maloti Mountains – Kimberley – Hanover – Beaufort West – George International Airport, Western Cape

Tour Information

Aardvark, pangolin, honey badger, black-footed cat, aardwolf, caracal, serval, striped weasel, striped polecat, bat-eared fox, suricate, fox, black rhino, wild dog, cheetah, brown hyena, Cape porcupine, hedgehog, civet, spotted-necked otter, Cape clawless otter, side-striped jackal, elephant shrew (sengi), African wild cat, suni, oribi, roan, Smith’s red rock rabbit, large grey mongoose, Sloggett’s ice rat, etc.

Private wildlife and birding guide
Accommodation (may change subject to availability, in which case similar will be found)
All ground transport – maximum 6 participants and 1 guide per luxury touring vehicle
Specialist guided tours and activities
9 x Guided open safari vehicle day and night drives – 4 x Manyoni, 2 x Marrick, 2 x Khoisan Karoo, 1 x Karoo NP
1 x Pangolin monitoring night tour – 1 x Manyoni
2 x Sengi (elephant shrew) and suricate (meerkat) morning tours – 1 x Marrick, 1 x Khoisan Karoo
All road tolls and parking fees
All meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner
Bottled water in vehicles
All entrance fees, conservation and community levies to parks and reserves
Trip guide
Personalised species checklist

Airport departure taxes or visa fees
Travel and medical insurance (incl. personal equipment and repatriation)
All snacks and drinks (except bottled water)
Optional excursions
Specialist guide fees and activities not specified
Items of a personal nature
Laundry and telephone charges
Tips and gratuities
Anything else not mentioned in “Includes”

Distance:

Total driving distance (including around sites) = About 2,900 km.

Scheduled Dates:

02 − 11 October 2024
Or alternate dates on request

Validity:

01 January 2024 – 31 December 2024.

Duration:

11 days, 10 nights.

No. of Pax:

Maximum 6 guests per vehicle and per guide.

Tour Starts:

At King Shaka International Airport in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

Tour Ends:

At George Airport in George, Western Cape.

Price:

2025: ZAR 74,530 per person sharing, and ZAR 15,570 single supplement.

Terms and Conditions apply
Minimum of 4 participants per vehicle required to undertake the trip
The species mentioned in the itinerary represent only some of those we may possibly view on the tour, however, none can be guaranteed
This itinerary is subject to change due to weather conditions at the time and other factors beyond our control
Tour group is responsible for paying for all guide meals

Tour Insight

Join us on a journey to extraordinary destinations in this magnificent country, including 6 reserves renowned for sightings of rare and elusive mammals. Our strategically selected route and key destinations provide you with the best chance of encountering these mammals in the time available and potentially many other diverse wildlife and bird species.

The route offers a mammal list exceeding 65 species, with a high success rate for spotting many rare species. The bird list is also impressive, totaling over 600 species in the region and we may spot over 270 of these, including raptors, owls and endemics.

Valid dates: between 15 April and 15 October every year. Price to change annually.

Tour Overview

Comfortable private lodges and national park resorts. Luxury accommodation can be arranged at your request (additional cost).

The climate is subtropical and mostly hot during the day in the summer and cooler in the evenings with a chance of mist. Rain is possible, usually in the form of summer convection thunderstorms, and in the event of a cold front moving up from the south, cool wet weather is possible. This is a summer rainfall region, with an average rainfall of between 500mm and 1100mm per year (19.6in and 43.3in). Temperatures range from -8˚C (17.6˚F) in winter to an average maximum of 18˚C (64.4 ˚F) and an average minimum of 10˚C (50 ˚F). The driest month is July, the most rainfall falls in January, and the warmest month is February at 32˚C (89.6 ˚F).

Woodlands, savanna, wetlands, grassland, mountains and cliffs, scrubland, and rocky slopes, which host numerous regional endemics, threatened and endangered mammal and bird species, as well as great floral diversity. Each destination offers extraordinary scenery, providing you with unparalleled photographic opportunities.

Optional extensions:

Garden Route to Cape Town: A two-day continuation from George along the gorgeous Cape south coast to the world-renowned city of Cape Town. Kindly select this option when booking.

Kruger National Park and Blyde River Canyon: Add on several days by exploring the iconic Kruger National Park and the Blyde River Canyon, by proceeding from northern KwaZulu-Natal through Eswatini.

Tour variation:
This set-departure tour is also available as a private or custom tour on request. Kindly submit an enquiry with your preferred dates and group size.

Manyoni Private Game Reserve, Zululand (2 nights): Verdant bushveld region with pangolin monitoring and open vehicle Big 5 night and day game drives.

Spionkop Nature Reserve & Golden Gate Highlands National Park (2 nights): Lush grasslands and the scenic mountain landscapes of the Drakensberg and the Maloti/Maluti Mountains.

Marrick Safari, Northern Cape (2 nights): Harsh grasslands and savanna. Sengi tours and productive night game drives for rare nocturnal predators.

Mokala National Park, Northern Cape (Day drive): Grasslands and savanna.

Khoisan Karoo Conservancy, Northern Cape (2 nights): Stark Karoo landscapes. Open vehicle drives in search of the “Shy 5” mammals and other wildlife.

Karoo National Park, Western Cape (2 nights): Unique Big 5 national park in the Karoo with dramatic mountain ranges and valleys.

George, Western Cape: Descend an extraordinary mountain pass to the evergreen coastal town of George, our final destination before departure.

Medium-paced with optional mid-day breaks (advisable on hot days). If you’re a keen photographer (and so are we), there will be many opportunities to capture moments to make you the envy of your friends!