Rare Mammals of South Africa 15-Day Tour

15-Day Tour

Durban – Zululand – Vryheid – Maloti Mountains – Kimberley – Hanover – Beaufort West – Swellendam – Cape Town

Tour Information

Black-footed Cat, Aardvark, Temminck’s Ground Pangolin, Caracal, Serval, Honey Badger, Aardwolf, Brown Hyena, African Striped Weasel, Striped Polecat, Southern African Hedgehog, Cape Fox, Bat-eared Fox, Suricate (Meerkat), Black Rhino, White Rhino, Cheetah, Cape Porcupine, Spotted-necked Otter, Cape Clawless Otter, Side-striped Jackal, African Wild Cat, White-tailed Mongoose, Large Grey Mongoose, Water Mongoose, Eastern Rock Elephant Shrew (Sengi), Cape Rock Elephant Shrew (Sengi), Suni, Oribi, Roan Antelope, Sable Antelope, Natal Red Rock Hare, Smith’s Red Rock Hare, Sloggett’s Ice Rat, Samango Monkey, Red Duiker, etc.

Destinations and Target Mammal Species

Manyoni Private Game Reserve – Temminck’s Ground Pangolin, Serval, Brown Hyena, Black Rhino, White Rhino, Honey Badger, Suni, Four-toed Elephant Shrew (Sengi), Side-striped Jackal, Cheetah, Leopard, White-tailed Mongoose, Thick-tailed Bushbaby, Red Duiker, Water Mongoose.
Vryheid – Black-footed Cat, Serval, Brown Hyena, Aardvark, Oribi, Cape Clawless Otter, Natal Red Rock Rabbit, Aardvark, Mountain Reedbuck.
Golden Gate Highlands National Park – Oribi, Cape Clawless Otter, Serval, Suricate, Black Wildebeest, Mountain Reedbuck, Grey Rhebok, Angoni Vlei Rat.
Marrick Safari – Black-footed Cat, Aardvark, Aardwolf, Cape Fox, Caracal, Bat-eared Fox, Brown Hyena, Karoo Rock Elephant Shrew (Sengi), Suricate (Meerkat), African Wild Cat, Bontebok, Roan, Sable.
Mokala National Park – Black-footed Cat, Aardvark, Aardwolf, Brown Hyena, Cape Fox, Caracal, Bat-eared Fox, African Wild Cat, Suricate (Meerkat), South African Hedgehog, Bontebok, White Rhino, Black Rhino, Roan, Sable, Black Wildebeest.
Khoisan Karoo Conservancy – Aardvark, Aardwolf, Black-footed Cat, African Wild Cat, Suricate (Meerkat), Bat-eared Fox, Cape Fox, Caracal, Striped Polecat, South African Hedgehog, Water Mongoose, Angoni Vlei Rat.
Karoo National Park – Black Rhino, Cape Mountain Zebra, Brown Hyena, Smith’s Red Rock Rabbit, Mountain Reedbuck, Grey Rhebok, Striped Polecat, Suricate, Bat-eared Fox, Cape Fox, Cape Grey Mongoose.
Bontebok National Park – Bontebok, Cape Mountain Zebra, Cape Grysbok, Leopard (Cape subspecies), Cape Grey Mongoose, African Striped Weasel, Striped Polecat, Honey Badger, Caracal, Smith’s Red Rock Rabbit, Brown Hyena, Cape Fox, Bat-eared Fox, Grant’s Rock Mouse, Cape Molerat, Cape Dune Mole, Water Mongoose, Large Grey Mongoose.

Private wildlife and birding guide.
Accommodation in semi-luxury lodges and guesthouses (may change subject to availability, in which case similar will be found).
All ground transport – Maximum 7 participants and 1 guide per Mercedes Benz Vito luxury touring vehicle.
Activities:
- 5 x Guided open safari vehicle morning and sunset drives – 4 x Manyoni, 1 x Khoisan Karoo.
- 10 x Guided open safari vehicle night drives – 2 x Vryheid, 3 x Marrick, 3 x Khoisan Karoo, 1 x Karoo NP.
- 1 x Pangolin monitoring night tour – 1 x Manyoni.
- 2 x Karoo Rock Elephant Shrew (Sengi) and Suricate (Meerkat) morning tour – 1 x Marrick, 1 x Khoisan Karoo.
All road tolls and parking fees.
Meals – Breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.
Bottled water in vehicles whilst travelling – 2 per person per day.
All entrance fees.
Conservation levies.
Community levies.
Trip guide.
Personalized species checklists.

All airfares, airport departure taxes or visa fees.
Travel and medical insurance (incl. personal equipment and repatriation).
All snacks and drinks (except bottled waters).
Additional excursions/activities/extensions/purchases.
Specialist guide fees and activities not specified.
Gratuities for guides and local restaurants.
Items of a personal nature.
Laundry and telephone charges.
Tips and gratuities.
Anything not listed under “Included”.

Distance:

Total driving distance (including around sites) = ~3,400 km.

Scheduled Dates:

10 − 24 June 2026
07 − 21 August 2027
23 September – 7 October 2027

Or alternate dates on request

Validity:

15 April – 15 October 2026

15 April – 15 October 2027

Duration:

15 days, 14 nights.

No. of Pax:

Maximum 7 guests per vehicle and per guide.

Tour Starts:

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

Tour Ends:

At Cape Town International Airport in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.

Price:

2026: ZAR 122,630 per person sharing, and ZAR 17,690 single supplement

2027: ZAR 131,820 per person sharing, and ZAR 19,020 single supplement

* Accommodation may change subject to availability, in which case similar accommodation will be found.
** Total driving distance (including around sites) = ~3,400 km.

Terms and Conditions apply
Minimum of 3 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

Durban – Zululand – Vryheid – Maloti Mountains – Kimberley – Hanover – Beaufort West – Swellendam – Cape Town

Join us on a journey to extraordinary destinations in this magnificent country, including 8 South African reserves renowned for sightings of rare and elusive mammals. Our strategically selected route and key destinations provide you with the best chance of encountering specific mammal targets in the time available, as well as the prospect of experiencing many other diverse wildlife and bird species, including the “Big 5”.

The route offers a mammal list exceeding 65 species, with a high success rate of spotting many rare species. The bird list is also impressive, totalling over 600 species in the region, and we may spot over 320 of them, including raptors, owls, and endemics.

Tour Overview

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

The eastern sector of the country 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 cool wet weather is possible in the event of a cold front moving up from the south. On a climate level, the region falls in the summer rainfall region, with an average rainfall of between 500mm and 1,100mm per year. Temperatures range from -8˚C in winter, to an average maximum of 18˚C and an average minimum of 10˚C. The driest month is July, the most rainfall falls in January, and the warmest is in February.

The southern and western region of the country presents a Mediterranean climate, which is warm and temperate, with more rainfall received in the winter than in the summer. The temperature here averages 16.5°C, while rainfall averages around 610 mm per year. The summers are warm, dry, and mostly clear; the winters are cool and partly cloudy; and it is windy most of the year. Over the course of the year, the average temperature typically varies from 8°C in July to 25°C in January, and is rarely below 4°C or above 29°C. Based on the tourism score, the best time of year to visit this region for warm-weather activities is from late November to late March. The driest month is January, with the most precipitation falling in July. The month with the highest relative humidity is August (78%), and the lowest relative humidity is December (68%).

Woodlands, savanna, wetlands, grassland, mountains and cliffs, fynbos, Karoo 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.

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.

Safari Highlights include:

The probability of seeing over 60 of the country’s mammal species, and over 320 bird species, including many endemic and red-listed species.
Experience pangolin monitoring and open vehicle Big 5 night and day game drives in the abundant and exclusive Manyoni Private Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal – 2 nights.
Visit the verdant rolling hills in the foothills of the northern altitudinal grasslands and wetlands of the Vryheid region – 2 nights.
Journey through the breath-taking, dramatic and golden Maloti Mountain highlands – 1 night.
Discover rare nocturnal predators on the productive night drives and sengi tours at Marrick Safari, as well as a day drive in Mokala National Park, Northern Cape – 3 nights.
Search for the Shy 5 mammals and other delights on open vehicle drives at the charming Khoisan Karoo Conservancy, Northern Cape – 3 nights.
Explore a Big 5 national park of a different and more mountainous kind in the fascinating Karoo National Park, Western Cape – 2 nights.
Search the highly biodiverse Bontebok National Park for our remaining target species in the lovely Western Cape – 1 night.

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!