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Cheetah, Phinda Game Reserve

KwaZulu-Natal Discovery Self-Drive

10-day tailor-made self-drive from £4,510 pp incl. flights

Summary

Short description

Combine wildlife, culture and epic landscapes on a curated road trip

Highlights

  • Spot rhino on an andBeyond Big-Five safari
  • Discover the spectacular mountains of the Drakensberg
  • Explore the unique history of the Zulu Battlefields
  • Relax with a beachfront stay in Durban
  • Indulge with gourmet dining in luxury lodges

In Brief

  • 1 Night Durban
  • 2 Nights Drakensberg Mountains
  • 2 Nights Zululand
  • 2 Nights Phinda Private Game Reserve

About

Recommended for:
April holidays | Beach | History & culture | Natural world | Safari | Self-drive

The southeastern province of KwaZulu-Natal is perhaps the most dramatic and varied in all South Africa. Culture, wildlife and epic landscapes – it really has it all. And, it's all showcased on this hand-picked road trip. Indeed, after relaxing with a beachfront stay on Durban's white sands, you'll sweep up into the awe-inspiring peaks of the Drakensberg before yet more scenic roads bring you among the rolling plains of the Battlefields region. After taking in the unique Anglo-Zulu history, you'll end with one of the country's best private game reserves, spotting the Big Five on twice-daily game drives. What's more, you'll stay in luxury lodges throughout, enjoying included gourmet dining.

Day by day itinerary

Day 1
Depart UK

After making the most of your airport lounge access, board your overnight flight to South Africa.

Day 2
Durban

Arriving into Durban's international airport, you'll pick up your hire car and make the short drive to your luxury hotel. Set right on the Umhlanga beachfront, it overlooks the Indian Ocean and the iconic red-and-white lighthouse. It's the perfect place to place to unwind after your flight, perhaps with a spa treatment and a meal of just-caught seafood in one of the superb restaurants. But, if white-sands relaxation isn't for you, Durban's arts scene and famed Indian cuisine are just a short drive away.

Stay: Oyster Box, KwaZulu-Natal (Deluxe)

Meals: B

Days 3-4
Drakensberg Mountains

After breakfast, you'll set off on a truly scenic drive up into the Drakensberg, Durban's city limits quickly giving way to rolling farmlands and cragged mountain plateaus. Whichever standard of accommodation you choose, you'll enjoy a farmhouse idyll and spectacular views of your UNESCO-listed setting. However, you'll also want to explore. Gentle walks and chain-ladder hikes will bring you into a world of soaring peaks and buttresses, where eland pick out paths along towering sandstone cliffs and vultures soar above crystal-clear rivers. Each day, you'll return to included dinners of superlative gourmet delights.

Stay: Cathedral Peak Hotel, Drakensberg Mountains (Superior) or Cleopatra’s Mountain Farmhouse, KwaZulu-Natal (Deluxe)

Meals: B D

Days 5-6
Battlefields

The name Zulu translates as "heaven", which aptly describes the rolling expanses, mist-clad hills and traditional settlements that you'll drive through today. You'll arrive into the Battlefields region, where both of our accommodation options offer thatched luxury and privileged views of the surrounding Anglo-Zulu war sites. We highly recommend booking onto a Battlefields tour and those at our Deluxe hotel are especially good. The staff are simply the best storytellers you're ever likely to meet. You'll learn how 600 Voortrekkers defeated a force of 12,000 Zulu at Blood River, and why the British Empire was crushed by a Zulu army at Isandlwana. Whatever you do, however, you'll be treated to gourmet full-board dining.

Stay: Isandlwana Lodge (Superior) or Fugitive's Drift Lodge (Deluxe)

Meals: B L D

Days 7-8
andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve

Driving east, you'll be treated to yet more undulating grasslands and super-scenic roads before you arrive at the andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve. Spread over 23,000 hectares of Big-Five wilderness, your included twice-daily game drives will see you spot shy suni antelope, track rhino in the bushveld, observe breeding herds of elephants and see cheetahs teach their cubs how to hunt. Led by expert rangers, it's a model for conservation, whose communities are supported by our not-for-profit charity – the Wexas Travel Foundation. Along the way, you'll enjoy full-board fine dining, including spontaneous bush picnics before you unwind in your luxury suite. Our options feature  the likes of roll-top baths, private plunge pools and stilted views over the bush.

Stay: andBeyond Phinda Mountain Lodge, KwaZulu-Natal (Deluxe) or Vlei Lodge, Phinda Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal (Deluxe)

Meals: B L D

Days 9-10
Depart for UK

After a final breakfast, make the journey back to Durban to drop your car off and board your flight home. Please note, there's also the option of taking a flight direct from Phinda Private Game Reserve.

Meals: B

Map

Pricing

Any element of this itinerary can be adjusted to suit your needs. Just contact us to find out more.

Accommodation rating: Superior Deluxe

10-day tailor-made self-drive
from £4,510 pp incl. flights

Superior

Low Season

from £4,510 pp. incl. flights

High Season

from £5,100 pp. incl. flights

Includes:
  • Complimentary UK airport lounge access
  • Return international flights from the UK to Durban
  • 9 days car hire (Compact car with sat-nav)
  • 1 night in a 5* (Deluxe) hotels on a B&B basis
  • 2 nights in a 4* (Superior) hotel on a half-board basis 
  • 2 nights in a 4* (Superior) hotel on a full-board basis
  • 2 nights in a 5* (Deluxe) hotel on a full-board basis
  • Twice-daily shared game drives while on safari
  • Airport meet & greet 


Terms & Conditions

Prices are per person based on two people sharing a twin/double room; prices are subject to availability and possible change; normal booking conditions apply.

Meet our experts

Speak to a tailor-made specialist on 020 7590 0797

Meet the team

Adjust your itinerary with our recommended extensions

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Makakatana Wetlands Extension

3-day extension from £500 pp

A three-day self drive package that fits perfectly as an extension to a KwaZulu-Natal self-drive.

Aerial View, Thonga Beach Lodge, South Africa

Thonga Beach Break

4-day extension from £635 pp

A four-day extension to a holiday in KwaZulu-Natal's attractive Maputaland Coast, with superb activities available

White Pearl Resort, Mozambique

White Pearls of Mozambique

5-day extension from £2,110 pp

Perhaps the perfect prelude, or epilogue, to a stay in KwaZulu-Natal’s andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve is this relaxing beach break across the border in neighbouring Mozambique.

Why book with Wexas Travel?

At Wexas, we specialise in bespoke travel experiences. Our itineraries are just samples of what we can arrange, and can be changed depending on your precise needs, finances and ideas by our experienced destination specialists.

Contact one of our consultants on 020 7590 0797 to discuss how we can tailor your holiday.

Learn why Wexas is the leader in creating luxury holidays. What is tailor-made travel?

Expert advice & support

Visit us in our London office

Let our travel specialists curate the perfect holiday:

  • Inspirational ideas based on experience
  • Established for over 50 years
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Every step of the way

Every step of the way

Our services are with you from start to finish:

  • Dedicated personal consultants
  • Free airport lounges on qualifying bookings
  • Care and guidance pre, post and during holiday
  • Full financial security: ATOL & ABTOT protected