12 Day Kruger NP, Mapungubwe NP & Northern Tuli Wilderness

Depart after breakfast, drive in convoy on normal roads via Polokwane and Tzaneen to the small
village of Gravelotte, where we turn away to visit one of the oldest Baobab trees in South Africa.

Enjoy a picnic lunch here before we follow the road to the town of Phalaborwa which borders
Kruger Park, where we will camp tonight.

Meals: Prepared around the camp fire

Accommodation: Camping in rooftop tents on top of your camper vehicle.

Depart after breakfast and enter the Kruger National Park.
We now drive via Letaba Rest Camp and Mopani Rest Camp to Shingwedzi Rest Camp.

En-route we will marvel in the rich animal kingdom of this world famous Park.

Meals: Prepared around the camp fire

Camping in Shingwedzi Rest Camp in rooftop tents.

Wake-up in the Kruger National Park!
Today we will explore the Park in the Shingwedzi area.

Meals: Prepared around the camp fire

Camping in Shingwedzi Rest Camp in rooftop tents.

Depart from Shingwedzi, and make our way further north into the Park.
This is Elephant and Buffalo country – who knows what we will encounter on today’s drive….

En-route we will visit the famous “Crookes Corner” in Pafuri where three countries meet :
South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique

To understand how the name Crooks Corner came about we need to go back in time. One
hundred years ago if you visited this area it would look very similar to how it appears today, an
untamed natural wilderness, where animals roamed and paid no attention to international borders.

Now imagine if you will, that you are not exactly a model citizen, but you are a gun runner, a
poacher, a fugitive – A CROOK!! You would have needed a place to hide out or move goods in
and out of the country. This was the ideal location to hide from the law. Far removed from
civilization, lawless and wild !

Proceed from there before we exit the Park and end the day at the lovely Pafuri River Camp which
is situated next to the Mutale river.

Meals: Prepared around the camp fire

Another night camping under the stars in our rooftop tents.

Depart at 10h00.

Drive to the nearby Awelani community owned lodge, and check into your comfortable
accommodation.

Time to chill – swimming, hiking, birding – your choice!

Meals: Awelani lodge.

Shared accommodation: Awelani Lodge

Now further north past the border town of Musina, before arriving at the World Heritage site of
Mapungubwe National Park.

Situated at the confluence of the Shashe and Limpopo rivers, the Greater Mapungubwe
Transfrontier Conservation Area measures 5909 km2 and encompasses areas in three countries –
South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Meals: Prepared around the camp fire

Camping tonight will be in the Park’s Mazhou campsite on the banks of the Limpopo river.

It time to further explore the beauty of this Park.
Discover an ancient African Kingdom – Southern Africa’s first, established at Mapungubwe Hill
between 1200 and 1290 AD. Home to a powerful tribe that flourished on trading with Eastern
cultures such as China and India. Mapungubwe saw the rise and fall of this great civilisation more
than 700 years ago. This is the place where archaeologists excavated the famous golden rhino
and other evidence of a wealthy African kingdom.

Meals: Prepared around the camp fire

Our second night camping at Mazhou camp site in Mapungubwe National Park.

Like any good story we leave the best for last …
Depart early and drive to the nearby border post between South Africa and Botswana.

After border formalities on the South African side, we drive in the dry riverbed through the
Limpopo river to the Botswana side.
After border formalities we exit the border post and immediately enter the Tuli Wilderness area.

This is a pristine wildlife paradise, and one of the few places where one is almost guaranteed to
see spotted Hyaena, and…. wait for it – Leopard!

Our destination is the beautiful Serolo Safari Camp which is located within the Northern Tuli
Game Reserve along the shady floodplain of the Limpopo River – 600m from the river itself –
under the many massive riverine trees as well as magnificent Mashatu and tall Apple-leaf trees.

This will be our home from home for the next two nights.
The unfenced Serolo Safari Camp offers accommodation in five fully-serviced safari-style tents,
with each tent sleeping two people. The tents comprise a twin room or a double room with
electricity, en-suite showers with hot water and flush toilets. Bed linen and towels are provided.

A late afternoon guided game drive with guided open game viewing vehicles and a dinner under
the stars will end this near perfect day!

Meals: Serolo lodge

Shared accommodation: Serolo lodge

Two game drives take place daily, which are included in the rates. Morning game drives are
usually around 3 – 4 hours in duration. The late afternoon game drive is slightly shorter as it
usually extends into darkness and continues as a night drive for a while in the hope of finding
some of the more elusive nocturnal wildlife. Your professional guide will also discuss the options
of guided game-walks or a combination drive and walk. Make sure that you don’t miss out on the
opportunity to visit and walk up the spectacular Eagle Rock!

Game such as Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, spotted and brown hyena, a variety of Antelope,
Bush Pig, Warthog and more may possibly be seen on guided open vehicle Game Drives around
the reserve.

Birders will be pleasantly rewarded with sightings of many species occurring in this camp’s
habitat: Meyer’s Parrot, Meve’s Starlings, Southern Black Tit, African Mourning Dove, African
Scops-Owl visit all year long. Summer brings further visitors like Broadbilled Roller, Eurasian
Golden Oriole, Woodland Kingfisher and Levalliant’s Cuckoo. Raptors include the Little
Sparrowhawk and Gabar Goshawk.

Sadly our last evening around the fire in this pristine wilderness, before drifting away with the
African night sounds in our ears.

Meals: Serolo lodge

Shared accommodation: Serolo lodge

Early morning game drive followed by breakfast, before we reluctantly depart from this liferewarding
experience….

Cross the border back into South Africa, and drive to Blouberg Nature Reserve

Meals: Prepared around the camp fire

Our last night of camping under the African stars ……

Depart after breakfast and drive back to Johannesburg.
Drop-off the camper vehicle, and take a the transfer to OR Tambo Intl.