This combination of Hermanus, the Western Cape and Klaserie Private Nature Reserve in the Greater Kruger showcases the incredible diversity of wildlife that can be found in South Africa above and below the waves.
Flying into Cape Town initially, we hit the ground running with a visit to Betty’s Bay, viewing African penguins en route to our first destination, Hermanus. Here, we spend mornings out on the water, hoping to get up, close and personal with Walker Bay’s marine wildlife, such as southern right whales, bottlenose dolphins and Cape fur seals, before taking to the clifftop trails every afternoon. Hermanus has arguably some of the best land-based whale watching in the world, and hopefully we will watch whales frolic and breach from the shore.
Our next stop is Klaserie Private Nature Reserve in the Great Kruger National Park. This Big Five reserve is particularly renowned for leopard, however we also look out for cheetah and African wild dogs during our 4-night stay and explore the reserve through twice daily vehicle safaris and guided bush walks. From our lodge situated in pristine wilderness, listen to the distinctive call of grey go-away birds and marvel at the spring colours of flowering knobthorns and marulas. We'll wait, full of anticipation, by waterholes for wildlife seeking out fresh water.
Typical Itinerary
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Day 1:
Depart UK
Today, we depart the UK on overnight international flights to Cape Town.
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Day 2:
Arrive Cape Town & transfer to Hermanus
We arrive in Cape Town and are met on arrival before being transferred to the coastal town of Hermanus. On the way, we stop off at Betty’s Bay, which is home to one of three African penguin breeding colonies on mainland South Africa. This area is also an excellent stop for flora and whale watching, should we get the time.
Afterwards, we continue to Hermanus and check-in at our accommodation.
Accommodation: The Marine Hotel, 4-nights
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Days 3-5
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Hermanus whale watching
For the next three days, we will have transfers in the morning from our hotel to the quayside for our whale watching boat trips. During these boat trips, we hope to encounter a range of marine wildlife, with southern right whale, Bryde’s whale, bottlenose dolphin and Cape fur seal being some of the notable highlights. The whale watching season here in Hermanus is between June and November, when the whales arrive in these waters to breed.
During the afternoons, we return to shore and focus on land-based whale watching as we walk along Hermanus's trails and cliff tops. Also, one afternoon, we visit a local vineyard for a spot of lunch and wine tasting.
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Day 6:
Return to Cape Town & fly to Hoedspruit
This morning, after breakfast, we return to Cape Town in time for our domestic flight across to Hoedspruit in the north-east of South Africa. On arrival, we are met and transferred to the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, which is just half an hour away by road. We settle into our new accommodation before heading out on our first game drive in the reserve in the late afternoon.
Accommodation: Baobab Ridge, 4-nights
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Days 7-9
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Explore Klaserie Private Nature Reserve & surrounding area
Over the course of the next three days, we head out on vehicle safaris in the morning and afternoon, night drives and guided walks to enjoy the diversity of wildlife in Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, which covers an area of over 55,000 hectares. Some of the species that we may encounter include leopard, lion, wild dog, buffalo, giraffe, cheetah and hyena.
There is also some fantastic birding to be had here as well. This region of north-eastern South Africa is home to almost 500 bird species, and notable highlights include kori bustard, southern ground hornbill, African fish eagle, secretary bird, saddle-billed stork, Temminck's courser and pearl-spotted owlet.
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Day 10:
Transfer to Hoedspruit & departure
This morning, after one final outing, we depart Klaserie and transfer back to Hoedspruit where we catch our return flights.
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Day 11:
Arrive UK
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