11-Days Big Five Guided Budget Campi...

>> Marakele National Park, situated in the heart of the Waterberg Mountains, truly lives up to its Tswana name, meaning "place of sanctuary." Its unique location in the transition zone between South Africa’s dry western and wetter eastern regions supports an impressive diversity of wildlife.

Your accommodations for the night will be at Bontle Rest Camp. Fittingly, "Bontle" means "beautiful" in Setswana, and the camp offers stunning, unobstructed views of the unspoiled bush and surrounding mountains. In the evening, you will prepare your own meal over an open fire under the stars, known locally as a "braai." You will have the opportunity to purchase your favorite snacks for lunch.

Please note: Refer to our company profile for an overview of the benefits of driving your own vehicle. A separate quotation will be provided for vehicle rental.

• Time: 8-10Hrs
• Meals: Meals at own expense Drinks not included

•  Accommodation: Budget camping Inside Marakele NP (Waterberg Biosphere Reserve)

>> You will start your day by joining a professional guide for a sunrise drive in an open vehicle. After a light, self-prepared breakfast, you will explore the park and drive up the mountain pass to the Lenong lookout point for an incredible view near the Cape vulture colony. Take along your favorite snacks for the day.

You will prepare your own food on an open fire under the stars (locally called a “braai”) or you can use the kitchenette. You will drive your own vehicle when you go up the mountain pass.

• Time: 8-10Hrs
• Meals: Meals at own expense Drinks not included

•  Accommodation: Budget camping Inside Marakele NP (Waterberg Biosphere Reserve)

>> After a light, self-prepared breakfast, you'll depart for your camp inside Mapungubwe National Park. The camping area is located in the western section of the park next to the Limpopo River. Do not be surprised if you have a visit from an elephant here! It is 11km from the main gate, in the spectacular sandstone hills. In the eastern section, guests can enjoy the treetop hide out, confluence view site, and picnic area.

You will drive your own vehicle and be well rehearsed in preparing food in the spirit of the “bygone pioneers” by now.

• Time: 8-10Hrs
• Meals: Meals at own expense Drinks not included

•  Accommodation: Budget camping Inside Mapungubwe NP

>> After a self-prepared breakfast, you will join a guided heritage tour. As part of the tour, you will visit the elite graveyard at the top of Mapungubwe Hill, view a natural amphitheater and entire region below, and traverse the territory once walked upon by the ancestral Mapungubwe people. Four of the “Big Five” can be found here. The museum tour will be in the middle and is home to the famous golden rhino. Take along your favorite snacks for the day as there will be no formal stops for lunch.

The park is well known for the famous baobab trees growing in the region. All baobabs are deciduous trees ranging in height from 5 to 20m. The baobab tree is a strange-looking tree that grows in low-lying areas in Africa and Australia. They can grow to enormous sizes and carbon dating indicates that they may live to be 3,000 years old.

You will drive your own vehicle and be well rehearsed in preparing food in the spirit of the “bygone pioneers” by now.

• Time: 8-10Hrs
• Meals: Meals at own expense Drinks not included

•  Accommodation: Budget camping Inside Mapungubwe NP

>> After a sunrise drive and self-prepared breakfast, you will proceed to Punda Maria Rest Camp in Kruger National Park via Crook's Corner and a fever tree forest.

Kruger is where nearly two million hectares of unrivalled wildlife and ecological diversity fuses with historical and archaeological sites—this is the real Africa. It offers a wildlife experience that ranks among the best in Africa.

Punda Maria lies in the northernmost part of the park in the Sandveld region, which is often described as the botanical garden of the Kruger National Park. There are numerous plant species that occur that are unique to the area. Game species most likely to be spotted include impala, zebra, buffalo, elephant, eland, and sable. The area is also a bird paradise.

Tonight, you have the choice of preparing your own food or spoiling yourself by visiting the on-site restaurant.

• Time: 8-10Hrs
• Meals: Meals at own expense Drinks not included

•  Accommodation: Budget camping Inside Northern Kruger NP

>> The northern section of Kruger National Park is an area of unique biodiversity. It's one of the few places where fever tree forests grow alongside giant baobab forests. Today you’ll explore the area around the camp on your own. Be on the lookout for animals behind bushes and around corners. Who knows, maybe you’ll see more than the “Big Five” today.

In the late afternoon, you’ll join a sunset game drive with a professional field guide in an open game viewing vehicle. This is the perfect time for game viewing. All the nocturnal animals become active as evening approaches, and you can experience a truly amazing African sunset.

• Time: 8-10Hrs
• Meals: Meals at own expense Drinks not included

•  Accommodation: Budget camping Inside Northern Kruger NP

>> After breakfast at the camp, you proceed to the Phalaborwa Gate. You will visit a nearby camp where you can buy lunch at the restaurant. Tonight features a special treat because our camp, situated approximately 10km from the Phalaborwa Gate, is a unique place where guests can feel like they are a part of nature.

A bird hide by day, the camp transforms into a basic overnight dwelling by night, where a select few can experience the Kruger National Park nightlife firsthand. The hide overlooks the Sable Dam where an abundance of animals gather to drink. Hear the lion roar and the hippo grunt meters away from where you are sleeping and know this is a true African experience. Toilets with water are available but there are no shower/bath facilities. There is also no electricity.

You can either buy already prepared food in Phalaborwa for tonight or you can prepare your own food on an open fire.

• Time: 8-10Hrs
• Meals: Meals at own expense Drinks not included

•  Accommodation: Sable Dam Hide Budget bush camp located inside Northern Kruger NP

>> You’ll depart early for the Satara Rest Camp. Along the way you will visit the Olifants Rest Camp, where you can buy yourself breakfast at the restaurant.

Satara is a busy camp, and not without reason. It is situated in an excellent game-viewing area, with the bush relatively open and the animals plentiful and diverse. The bungalow you will stay in is fully equipped.

The camp itself has a rustic charm, with the bulk of the accommodations set out in a series of circles. It is also well wooded, and the birdlife is prolific. At night, the clink of fruit bats is fused with the chirping of cicadas and crickets. The calls of owls and nightjars add to the symphony that is punctuated intermittently by the whoop of hyenas, the screech of jackals, and the roars of lions.

You have the choice tonight of preparing your own food or spoiling yourself by visiting the on-site restaurant.

• Time: 8-10Hrs
• Meals: Meals at own expense Drinks not included

•  Accommodation: Budget camping Inside Central Kruger NP

>> After joining a sunrise drive and having breakfast (prepared by yourself or at the restaurant), you’ll depart for Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp. Berg-en-Dal is situated on the bank of the Matjulu Spruit with a view of softly undulating hills to the east.

Dry riverbeds and a dam border the camp on the northern and southern sides. There are large trees along the streams and dry riverbeds. Special care has been taken to preserve the natural vegetation in the camp. Berg-en-Dal is also the only camp set in a rugged mountain environment.

You have the choice tonight of preparing your own food or spoiling yourself by visiting the on-site restaurant.

• Time: 8-10Hrs
• Meals: Meals at own expense Drinks not included

•  Accommodation: Budget camping Inside Southern Kruger NP

>> Today you’ll join a guided morning walk. The walks are relaxed and don’t take longer than a few hours, so no over-exhaustion will take place. Two-armed field guides will accompany you to ensure your safety. They will focus on the flora and fauna that are harder to see from a vehicle. By being out on foot, you’ll cover an area more closely and experience nature with all five senses. If there are any large game in the area, you’ll have the exhilarating experience of approaching them on foot.

In the late afternoon, you’ll join a sunset game drive with a professional field guide in an open game viewing vehicle. This is the perfect time for game viewing. All the nocturnal animals become active as the evening approaches, and you can experience a truly amazing African sunset.

• Time: 8-10Hrs
• Meals: Meals at own expense Drinks not included

•  Accommodation: Budget camping Inside Southern Kruger NP

>> You will continue your journey to your next destination on your own, whenever you feel ready to leave. We hope that you will cherish the unforgettable memories you have made during your time with us and that you have plenty of beautiful photos to share with your loved ones and friends.

• Time: 8-10Hrs
• Meals: Meals at own expense Drinks not included

•  Accommodation: No accommodation (End of tour)