Overview

A wonderful short Safari at the luxury Mohlabetsi Safari Lodge 3 Days /2 Nights (more days and nights can be added), which is situated in the vast Balule Game Reserve. The lodge is part of the Greater Kruger National Park; this is Africa at its very best! The Balule Private Game Reserve is not only home to the 5 Big Five, but also to black rhino and a healthy population of the rare wild dog.

To get away from the everyday hustle and bustle, this is a great short safari and you can add as many extra days as you want for a longer safari. Mohlabetsi Safari Lodge is a small lodge and a great choice for safari enthusiasts looking for a reasonably –medium priced, intimate lodge, offering great value for money. The lodge offers excellent food and all meals are included. It’s an excellent option for families, friends groups and Honeymooners; they offer a lovely honeymoon suite.

Itinerary

Day 1 – Johannesburg O.R. Tambo Airport – Mohlabetsi Safari Lodge, Balule (L, D)

For this safari and tour idea, we have used Mohlabetsi Safari Lodge, located in the private Balule Game Reserve, as accommodation for the safari.

• We can suggest any other lodge, lower or higher in price, according to your budget, requirements and availability at the lodges
• The safari can be more days and nights, subject to your budget and inerests
• We have used a road transfer for this tour idea, you have the option of a 1hr flight from Johannesburg or a 2hr 20min flight from Cape Town to the Hoedspruit Eastgate Airport, the quotation will be changed accordingly. We will be happy to assist with any further arrangements required.

Depart early morning around 07h00 (time to be confirmed) from the O.R. Tambo Airport in Johannesburg, with a daily transfer shuttle transfer company, in their comfortable air-con vehicle. On arrival at the Balule Game Reserve, the York Gate, the lodge will collect you around 13h15 at the gate for a transfer to the Mohlabetsi Safari Lodge, where you will stay for 2 nights in one of the chalets overlooking pure wilderness.

If you arrive in time in the afternoon, you can enjoy a light lunch and dessert, served on the lodge lawns in the shade of an acacia tree, with a view over a well frequented waterhole. Retreat to your chalet or spend some time in the swimming pool or maybe you would like to take in a siesta.

In the late afternoon, arm yourself with binoculars and cameras and set off with your ranger in an open safari vehicle. Follow bush roads through the reserve, using all of your senses to find the animals. Proceed on a search for secretive nocturnal creatures with flashlights, from the sleek genet, the cute bush baby to an unforgettable view of a leopard on the hunt.

Early evening return to the Lodge, to freshen up for dinner in the boma (open top reed enclosure). Dinners are a social affair, with guests mingling with their hosts as they enjoy fireside cuisine with an African influence. (Lunch & Dinner included).

Overnight: Mohlabetsi Safari Lodge (Lunch & Dinner)

Day 2 – Mohlabetsi Safari Lodge (B, L, D)

It’s an early rise this morning, coffee, tea and rusks (dry biscuits similar to biscotti) are served in the outdoor lounge. Set off into the sunrise in the safari vehicle to find out what has been happening in the dead of night and follow spoor of animals on the move. Your ranger might lead you off on foot too (weather permitting), to discover sights which you would miss from a vehicle.

Return to the Lodge for a hearty breakfast, with an abundance of home-made “goodies”, including our famous Marula Jelly. Relax around the pool for the morning or recline upon a chaise lounge with a view over the waterhole.

In the late afternoon you will return to the bush, in search of the elusive animals that eluded you the day before. Each game drive is different and there is no way of forecasting what your ranger and tracker will find for you. The lodge offers game viewing on 12, 000ha (think of that as 12 000 square football fields!) of traversing area, giving you a myriad of options of what to look for and where to look. Other than the famous Big 5, the Greater Kruger area boasts 149 mammal species (remember, many of these include a huge variety of small rodents and bats), as well as a spectacular variety of birds (our local count is more than 260 different sorts), along with an impressive amount of reptiles, insects and vegetation types.

Early evening return to the lodge for your last hearty dinner – During the warmer summer evenings, we serve candlelit dinners under the stars. (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included).

Overnight Mohlabetsi Safari Lodge (Breakfast, lunch & Dinner)

Day 3 – Mohlabetsi Safari Lodge – Johannesburg (B)

On the last day, enjoy a final early morning game drive followed by breakfast, and then it is time to check out. You will be transferred to Balule York Gate at 11h00 for collection by the daily shuttle transfer company, arriving in Johannesburg between 17h00 & 18h00. (Breakfast included).

END OF TOUR

** You have the option of a 1hr flight to Johannesburg or a 2hr 20min flight to Cape Town from the Hoedspruit Eastgate Airport, the quotation will be changed accordingly.

** We will be happy to assist with any further travel arrangements required.