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
In pictures
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:
10-day tailor-made self-drive
from £4,955 pp incl. flights
Deluxe
Low Season
from £4,955 pp. incl. flights
High Season
from £5,340 pp. incl. flights
Includes:
- Complimentary UK airport lounge access
- Return flights from the UK to Durban
- 9 days car hire (Compact car with sat-nav)
- 1 night in a 5* (Deluxe) hotel on a B&B basis
- 2 nights in 5* (Deluxe) hotels on a half-board basis
- 4 nights in 5* (Deluxe) hotels on a full-board basis
- Twice-daily 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
Adjust your itinerary with our recommended extensions
You might also like
Travel in sheer opulence aboard Africa's most luxurious train as you swap Cape Town’s beach-framed urban sophistication for a Big-Five safari on an all-inclusive private reserve.
A once-in-a-lifetime South African adventure awaits. Combine the best of the Western Cape and award-winning wine and gastronomy with world-class hotels and a unique Big Five Kruger safari.
