Twana Adventure

South Africa Tour
South Africa Tour

Country visited: South Africa & Swaziland

 

This tour gives you the best of South Africa & Swaziland.  From Pretoria we head to the Drakensberg for 3 days.  Drakensberg is considered the premium hiking destination in South Africa. The Drakensberg also has the higest concentration of rock art in the world and has the 2nd highest waterfall on the planet! Here we go and find it as we climb up Tugela Falls Hiking trail. From here we head to the east coast for cycling, whale watching or just taking a relaxing walk on the beach.  We visit Isimangaliso Wetlands Park and spend the afternoon swimming in the Indian Ocean. The next day we are off for a full day game drive in Hluhluwe Game Reserve. We cross the border with Swaziland where we spend the next 2 nights walking/cycling or whitewater rafting. Then to Nelshoogte Nature Reserve where we spend a full morning hiking, enjoying the waterfalls and swimming holes at the Queen Rose Hiking camp!  Before we get into Kruger, we visit the Jane Goodall Chimp Eden. It is the first and only Chimpanzee sancuary in South Africa.  After this, we head to the famous Kruger National Park, where we keep our eyes peeled for the Big 5.  We are then off to Hoedspruit for some very informative, fun activities! We stay in Balule Nature reserve where you do a morning walk with a qualified naturalist on her Big 5 farm.  We also visit the Hoedspruit Reptile Center. We spend a day with Rhino Revolution in Khaya Ndlovu in Hoedspruit as well as an open jeep safari. Before making our way back to Pretoria we visit the Echo Caves and then the breathtaking Blyde River Canyon. The last night we spend in Sabie, where you can enjoy hiking through the forest and swimming in the hot swimming pool.

 

Tour Code: SA/7/2025
Tour Price: € 2195,- 

 

Tour price includes: 

  1. All transport in our fully equipped Overland vehicles
  2. Camping equipment, cooking equipment, all meals as specified.
  3. Full day hike to Tugela Falls in Drakensberg
  4. Royal Natal National Park Cascade waterfall hike 
  5. Afternoon Boat cruise in St Lucia
  6. Game drive through iSimangaliso Wetlands park and afternoon on the beach at Cape Vidal
  7. Full day game drive in Hluhluwe Game Reserve
  8. 14km Queen Rose hike and waterfall tour in Nelshoogte Nature Reserve
  9. 2 hour tour at the Jane Goodall Institute Chimp Eden 
  10. Full day game drive in Kruger National Park in open Jeeps
  11. 2 x Night drives in Kruger National Park in an open safari jeep
  12. Morning walk in Big 5 Balule Nature Reserve
  13. Afternoon tour at Hoedspruit Reptile centre
  14. Visiting Rhino Revolution and an open Jeep
  15. Echo Caves tour
  16. Blyde river canyon tour 

Tour price excludes: 

 

Visas, flight ticket, additional spending money, optional activities, sleeping bag & pillow. 2 dinners (St Lucia & Sabie) & 1 lunch (Hoedspruit) 

 

Per person price is based on a minimum of 7 students.

 

Please make sure that you are at Twana Lodge 1 day before departure date...so arrive in South Africa on or before the 30th of June 2025.

 

Departure Date for July 2025:

1 July 2025

Return Date for July 2025:

19 July 2025

 

Please book your return flight back to the Netherlands on or after the 20th of July 2025!

 

Please make sure that you are at Twana Lodge 1 day before departure date...so arrive in South Africa on or before the 10th of August 2025.

 

Departure Date for August 2025:

11 August 2025

Return Date 2025:

29 August 2025

 

Please book your return flight back to the Netherlands on or after the 30th of August 2025!

 

Utrecht

This year the Safari course has become a new ‘Biologie in het Werkveld’ course (2.5 ECTS): (http://biologieinhetwerkveld.nl/safaricursus/). 

 

Wageningen

 

The trips for Wageningen and other students remain a Capita Selecta Course (3 ECTS). 

 

 

Looking for an adventure coming year? 

Would you like to do something completely different?

And have you always wanted to explore the exciting nature and wildlife of Southern Africa?

  

If you are looking for more info contact us via studentsafaris@gmail.com, and/or add me as a friend on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/africastudenttours/.

 

Hope to see you soon :)!

 

 

Depart: Pretoria
End: Pretoria

 

Day 1: Drakensberg 

Day 2: Drakensberg (full day hike to Tugela Falls) - included

Day 3: Drakensberg (Visit the Cascades Waterfalls - included

Day 4Durban (Ushaka Marine world optional activity)

Day 5: St Lucia (afternoon Hippo & Croc tour) - included

Day 6: St Lucia (game drive through iSimangaliso Wetlands Park to Cape Vidal) - included

Day 7: St Lucia (full day Hluluwe-Umfolozi game drive) - included

Day 8: St Lucia (full day for optional activities)

Day 9: Swaziland 

Day 10: Swaziland (full day optional activities)

Day 11: Nelshoogte Nature Reserve

Day 12: Nelshoogte Nature Reserve (14 km Queen Rose Hiking Trail) - included

Day 13: Kruger National Park (Jane Goodal Chimp Eden & Night drive with open jeeps) - included

Day 14: Kruger National Park (full day game drive in open jeeps & Night drive with open jeeps) - included

Day 15: Balule Hoedspruit (half day game drive through Kruger NP) - included

Day 16: Balule Hoedspruit (morning walk in big 5 game reserve, Hoedspruit Reptile Centre) - included

Day 17: Balule Hoedspruit (Rhino Revolution & open jeep safari) - included

Day 18: Sabie (visit the Echo Caves and Blyde river canyon) - included

Day 19: Twana Lodge

Day 20: Depart Home

Day 1: Drakensberg
Driving day to the Drakensberg
Day 2:

Drakensberg

Tugela Falls - Included
Tugela Falls is widely regarded as one of the most impressive cliff faces on earth as well as the 2nd highest waterfall on the planet!  Spend a full day with an experienced guide trekking the 12km hike to experience the breathtaking beauty and if you lucky the endangered Bearded Vulture!

Day 3:

Drakensberg
Bushman paintings 
We take a short hike around the side of one of the hills to see ‘San’ bushman paintings, learning about the geology of the area and the history of the paintings (see activity page for optional activities and rates)

  

Hike to ‘The Cascades and Tiger Falls’ 
We travel to the Park hike along the foothills of the Drakensberg to the ‘Tiger Fall’s and the ‘Cascades’, this hike takes about 4hrs and everybody will manage. (see the activity page for optional activities and rates)

 

Horse riding 
You have the option of horse riding in the surrounding foothills of the Drakensberg mountains. Experienced and non-experienced horse riders can be accommodated. (see the activity page for optional activities and rates)

 

Lesotho
The option of a visit to the neigbouring country Lesotho. You will be accompanied by local guides and have the opportunity to interact with the local ‘Basotho’ people of the area. (see the activity page for optional activities and rates)

 

The Sentinal
This is a hike/climb up one of the Drakensberg’s famous peaks (see the activity page for optional activities and rates)

 

Cultural village tour 
If available you will have the opportunity to visit the local village just outside the Park at the foothills of the Drakensberg (price depends on the number of people wanting to do this tour and number of places that we visit (see the activity page for optional activities and rates)

Day 4:

Durban
Durban is South Africa’s third largest city and is popular with holidaymakers for its long beaches. It is also one of many beaches protected by shark nets. Each morning the Natal Sharks board goes out to check the nets and release any sea life caught in the nets. Today is a driving day, we continue south to the coast, if time allows you can visit Ushaka Marine world - The largest aquarium in the Southern Hemisphere! (see the activity page for optional activities and rates)

Day 5:

St Lucia

Once we reach St Lucia, there is an afternoon Hippo and Croc boat cruise. - Included

Day 6:

St Lucia

This town originated as a result of the good fishing in the area. The estuary is a combination of fresh and sea water and has its own unique ecosystem. Today we take you to Cape Vidal as we game drive through the iSimangaliso Wetlands Park. - Included

Day 7:

St Lucia 

Today we do the full day game drive in Hluhluwe-Umfolozi National Park.  Hluluwe/Imfolozi National Park are actually two parks that have been joined together. These National Parks are one of South Africa’s ‘Big five’ parks. Rhino breeding projects have been taking place here for years, and have resulted in the White rhino being reintroduced into many parks as far north as Kenya. - Included

Day 8:

St Lucia

Take a day to relax, chill by the pool, explore the markets or do other optional activities.  (see the activity page for optional activities and rates)

Day 9:

Swaziland
A beautiful drive to Swaziland.  Once there, you can do various activities for the next 2 days. 
(see the activity page for optional activities and rates)

Day 10:

Swaziland

A free day to explore, go horse riding between the antelopes or climb up to Sebebe rock. (see the activity page for optional activities and rates)

Day 11:

Queens River Hiking Trail Camp

Driving out of Swaziland, we spend the next 2 nights in the Nelshoogte Nature Reserve for a full day hike. 

Day 12:

Queens River Hiking Trail Camp - Inlcuded

We leave this morning on a 14km purple trail hike that includes waterfalls and swimming holes.  Spend the day enjoying nature and splashing in the water.

Day 13:

Kruger National Park

We drive to Kruger National Park where we spend the next 2 days game driving. On the way to Kruger National Park Park, we visit the Jane Goodall Institute Chimp Eden where we get a 2 hour tour with the Chimps.

Day 14:

Kruger National Park
Spend the day game driving looking for animals, such as elephants, lions, buffalos, rhinos and leopards.  Don't just focus on the Big 5, but also see the beauty in the small things.  This will be done in an open safari vehicle. - Included

Day 15:

Balule Hoedspruit
We spend the next 3 nights at Campfire Academy in Balule Nature Reserve.  It will take us a full day of game driving in Kruger National Park to get there.

Day 16: Balule Hoedspruit
After doing a morning walk with Campfire, we are off to Hoedspruit Reptile centre.  After lunch, we spend the afternoon at Moholoholo Rehab centre. This is a rehabilitation centre for injured and sick animals, those that can get released back into the wild and those that are unable to be released are cared for by the Rehabilitation centre. - Included
Day 17:

Balule Hoedspruit 

We spend the morning at Rhino Revolution and learn about their efforts to save the rhino and their anti-poaching program.  Then we do an open jeep safari to find the Big 5! - Included

Day 18:

Sabie

We head to the town of Sabie via the Blyde River Canyon.  We sleep at Merry Pebbles campsite where they have a hot swimming pool!

Bourkes luck Potholes - Included
This is with rocks that have been eroded by whirlpools. It was named after Tom bourke who staked a gold claim nearby. Although he did not find any gold here, he was correct in predicting that the was gold in the area. 

Three Rondavels - Included
Here we stop for a view of the Swadini/Blyder river Dam –which covers an area of 370 hectares and a view of the ‘Three Rondavels’ - these are three quartzite /shale peaks which protrude more than 700m above the landscape. 

Day 19:

Twana Lodge

We head back home to Twana Lodge for our last evening together.

Day 20:

Heading home

 

 

See full route map

Student Safaris are accredited (3 ECTS) Field Courses for university students that provide field experience with conservation issues, ecology, wildlife and plants in Southern Africa, while focusing on the importance of wildlife conservation and understanding actual conflicts concerning protection of wildlife species and their habitats. The course will provide a deeper understanding of the structure and functioning of animal communities, population control, translocations, wildlife diseases and animal behaviour. From experts in the field, students will learn more about wildlife conservation, doing ecological research, and the management of national parks during visits of protected areas, research institutes and other field excursions.

To facilitate an understanding of conservation on Southern Africa, students will prepare presentations that will be giving on site. These presentations will mainly focus on biodiversity, conservation, human-wildlife conflicts and ecology in certain areas and habitats.

Students will gain knowledge about wildlife, habitats, flora and the applicability of all of these to ecological studies. The course will provide a unique opportunity for students to learn new skills and concepts. This course enables students to orient themselves on a potential internship, thesis or research project and will trigger them to evaluate their ambitions and further steps in their academic career.

 

Learning goals

- Student presentations

- Final discussion on assignment: GPS sightings/monitoring rare species/body condition scores

- Certificate for overall participation and motivation

- Final report per group

 

Qualification of guides General guides

The guides that accompany the students during the complete trip have nearly 20 years of experience with overland travels in Southern Africa. Therefore, they have varied general knowledge on the nature, culture and geological background and history of all the locations. The guides also stimulate the students to reflect on their career aspirations and give them some life experiences and flexibility when working in developing countries. Local guides Qualified, certified local guides and game rangers are arranged at all specific sites. They offer essential knowledge of the park, nature and animals present.

 

Learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:

- critically discuss and evaluate the conservation and management of wildlife/ problems in wildlife management

- understand species distribution and adaptation to specific climate circumstances and resource availability

- understand the major physiological and behavioural adaptations of animals in different habitats and ecological systems

- describe different strategies aimed at prioritizing areas for conservation and effective management - discuss human-wildlife issues on an academic level

- students can set up a small experiment and analyse and discuss collected data

- explain some of the techniques relevant for the management of wildlife populations

- present the results in an understandable way for both managers and policy makers.

 

Activities:

The course consists of one week preparation and three weeks in the field in which students from different disciplines will be exposed to a large diversity of mammals, birds, invertebrates, fish, reptiles and amphibians.

 

- preparing for field trip and oral presentation

- Presentation of results in an oral presentation (field practical)

- Plenary discussions;

- Writing a final report based on the acquired knowledge

All activities are mandatory.

 

Examination:

- Oral presentation

- Final group report

- Overall motivation and participation

 

Optional Activities for South Africa:  Prices are subject to change at any time without notice. We do our best to keep prices current and provide accurate information. 

 

Drakensberg Optional Activities:

Rock Climbing - R1180 (3 people or more)

Pocolane Peak Abseil - R500

Zipline - R220

Extreme Cable Tour - R810

Quadbike Mountain Outride - R1010

 

Durban:

Ushaka Marine world Aquarium: R214 

 

St Lucia Optional Activities:

Snorkel Safaris - R750,-

Horse Riding - R495,-

Bicycle Tour - R275,-

Bird Watching Tour - R425,- 

 

 

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