Balule River Lodge & Zanzibar

Depart from Europe in the afternoon on your overnight flight to South Africa

Your flight will land in Johannesburg early in the morning. After a wait of a few hours you will fly to a regional airport, either Phalaborwa or Hoedspruit, close to Kruger National Park.

Here you will be greeted by one of Balule’s guides who will drive you to the camp. You will be welcomed in camp by a delicious lunch. There will be an information meeting then you can relax in your new surroundings.

Saturday will include two game drives in an open safari vehicle in Balule Nature Reserve: a morning game drive at 06.00 and an afternoon game drive at 15.30.

Hopefully we will be able to spot zebras, gnu, elephants, giraffes, lions, warthogs, impalas, monkeys, rhinos etc., but as always the case with wild animals, there is no way of predicting what you will actually see. But one thing is absolutely certain: a safari like this is a unique experience, constantly following the animals, their tracks and their smells.

During the afternoon game drive we will make a stop in the bush to watch the sunset. Here we will be served a classic “sundowner”, while we enjoy the fantastic sights, sounds and smells of the bush and its fauna and flora, before we return to camp where dinner will be waiting for us.

Before sunrise, a light breakfast will be served in camp, then after an hour’s drive we will reach the state-owned part of Kruger National Park - just as the sun rises.

The park is the largest and most impressive game reserve in South Africa, covering an area of around 20,000 square kilometers.

In Kruger there is the possibility of seeing Africa’s wildlife up close, including the “The Big Five” - a traditional term used to describe the most sought after hunting big game trophies: leopard, lion, rhino, buffalo and elephant. We will drive in an open safari vehicle, while searching for these animals our ranger will lead the way, he knows exactly what we will be able to see. He knows the watering holes, where the animals often come to drink, and the plains where many different animal species can usually be found.

During our tour we will make a stop in one of the park’s rest camps, where we will be served brunch, prepared by our rangers. Along the way we will also stop at a number of places to stretch our legs and eat lunch.

We will leave the park just before sunset and arrive back at Balule River Camp, where a delightful evening meal will be awaiting us.

Enjoy a relaxing day in Balule River Camp, where you can lie and relax by the side of the pool or sit on your terrace and watch the animals that live close to the camp.

You can also choose to book one of the many extra tours you can buy here, for example a balloon safari, a Olifant’s River Cruise or a visit to the Shangaan Tribal Village.

On Tuesday we will again start with an early morning game drive in the camp’s open safari vehicles. We will look for animals in Balule Nature Reserve while the bush wakes up and the sun slowly rises higher and higher onto the sky.  In the afternoon there will also be a game drive in Balule Nature Reserve, where we will have a really good chance of seeing antelopes, giraffes, rhinos, monkeys and many other different animals.

Along the way we will stop to enjoy the sunset and the classic “sundowner” while we enjoy the fantastic sights, sounds and smells of the bush and its fauna and flora, before we return to camp where dinner will be waiting for us.

Today it will again be possible to book one of the extra activities, for example, an extra safari, a river cruise or a flight in a hot air balloon.

In the afternoon there will be a game drive in Balule Nature Reserve.

If the weather is good, the afternoon drive will end with a traditional South African barbecue, a “bush braii” at the viewpoint known as Lion View. Here we will enjoy a delicious dinner under the starry African sky.

A wonderful atmosphere arises when the delicious smells of meat cooking on the grill begins to spread, the red wine is poured into your glass, and the waiters lay the table with candles and a white tablecloth. All to the sound of singing cicadas and lions roaring in the distance.

We start early in the day with a bushwalk. This type of safari is a wonderful experience, where you can really feel the intense presence of South Africa’s wildlife and get really close to the animals in their natural surroundings. On this activity, which will take place in Balule Nature Reserve, you can meet a selection of the animals that live in the South African Bush, for example, giraffe, warthog, impala, waterbuck, baboon, zebra, and - if you are lucky- elephant and hippo. You will naturally be led by an experienced guide, who knows the area and its animals. The guide will tell you about the animals, from the mammals to the insects, the vegetation, climate and much more.

The afternoon is at your own disposal. It is possible to book one of the extra activities or simply relax by the pool or in the lodge.

You will depart from Balule River Camp in the morning, and arrive in Johannesburg in the early afternoon.

Your flight to Zanzibar leaves on Saturday morning, therefore you will stay in an airport hotel close to O.R.Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.

Depart from Johannesburg Saturday morning and arrive in Zanzibar during the afternoon, local time.

You will be met at Zanzibar’s airport and transferred to your hotel by car.

Arrival and check-in at your hotel, where the hospitable staff will be ready to welcome you.

7 full days on exotic Zanzibar, where you will have plenty of time to relax in your wonderful beach hotel, with its lovely palm fringed beaches, as well as explore this exciting island.

There are a multitude of activities and guided tours available on the island offering a wide range of both cultural and historic attractions and lovely nature.

Whether you stay at the hotel or explore the island, you are certain to meet the locals who are open, friendly and very helpful.

Your fantastic holiday is drawing to an end, and after being taken from your hotel to the airport, it will be time for you to fly home.

Car transfer from the hotel to Zanzibar’s Airport.

Depart Zanzibar for Europe

After catching a connecting flight (if necessary), today you will arrive back at your home airport.