Off the Beaten Track in Southern Africa: Road Trip from the East Coast to Eswa

Our team on the ground will once again be waiting for you at the airport to guide you through customs and take you to pick up your rental car. Your first destination in South Africa is a charming lodge near the small town of Bergville, about a four-hour drive away. The rest of today is yours to spend relaxing, settling into your new environment and enjoying a good, hearty meal in the hotel’s restaurant.

Located halfway between Johannesburg and Durban, the friendly town of Bergville acts as the gateway to the sweeping parks of the Northern Drakensberg region. Local life mostly revolves around farming and ranching, but there is always a pleasant buzz of tourism to keep things lively. Nature-loving travellers come here to explore the Sterkfontein and Spioenkop Game Reserves, as well as the majestic mountain range that winds into Eswatini: the Drakensberg, or 'Dragon Mountains’. Today is yours to spend freely in nature. You can explore the game reserves on foot, horseback or mountain bike and history enthusiasts can hike to historic battlegrounds where the British and the Boer fought the local Zulu people for power over the lands. You could also drive to further onwards to the Royal Natal Park.

Make sure to fuel up on breakfast and snacks this morning as today you are swapping the mountains for the beach. Hop back into your rental car and drive about three-and-a-half hours to the small coastal town of Salt Rock on the east coast. Settle in for the night in a small hotel on the Indian Ocean and spend the rest of the day relaxing on the beach… you’re on holiday after all! Enjoy a cocktail and good spot of reading while soaking in the soothing view.

Today you’re leaving Salt Rock, but don’t worry, you’re not leaving the coast just yet. Your next destination is the small village of Saint Lucia, a two-and-a-half hour drive up the east coast. Hang up your hat for the next two nights in a charming guesthouse in the heart of the village. Spend the rest of today relaxing on the nearby beach before heading back to the hotel for a traditional South African meal, most likely a good old barbecue.

Saint Lucia is not a big resort with lots of shops and bars. It is small, peaceful village known for being at the entrance to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, an exceptional and little-visited UNESCO World Heritage site. Covering nearly 275,000 hectares and 30 nautical miles in the Indian Ocean, the park is home to five independent ecosystems, 300 species of birds and several hundred hippos and crocodiles. Today, you’ll be setting off early in the morning for a safari cruise with a knowledgeable local guide. Enjoy a delicious breakfast onboard as you sail pass mangroves and swamps, keeping an eye out for a crocodile's eye or the snout of a hippo. This is also a great time to look (and listen) out for water birds, as they are very active in the morning. Once you’re back on dry land you’ll swap your boat for a bike and head out for a guided cycle ride through the ecological sanctuary that is Santa Lucia. Ride through the village and out to mangroves, swamps, forests, beaches and wetlands, all home to hundreds of species of exotic birds.

Today you’ll swap the wetlands for the bush, driving an hour-and-a-half inland to a beautiful lodge in Hluhluwe, where you’ll be spending the next two nights. The rest of today is yours to enjoy as you wish. You can kick back and relax in your new home, or head out to catch a glimpse of your majestic surroundings. The landscape is made up of sweeping savannah, the Umsunduze River and the Lebombo Mountains.

The Manyoni Game Reserve covers over 23,000 hectares in the heart of Zululand, where great emphasis is placed on the protection and reintroduction of endangered species. You have all of today to explore the wild beauty of this little-visited park. Head deep into the bush in a 4x4 vehicle or on foot with an experienced guide for a chance to see black and white rhinos, antelopes (impalas and kudus), giraffes, buffaloes, hyenas and even elephants.

Today is an exciting day as you’re swapping South Africa for teeny-tiny Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland). Drive four hours further inland to the capital city of Mbabane and settle in for two nights in a charming guesthouse in a friendly neighbourhood. Spend the rest of today settling into your new environment and enjoy a delicious meal at the hotel in the evening.

You only have one full day in Eswatini and there’s not a moment to waste. Wake up bright and early, fuel up on breakfast and head out of the city with a local resident of the Ezulwini Valley. Mbabane sits an altitude of almost 4,200ft and is located between two beautiful reserves: the Malolotja National Park and the Mantenga Nature Reserve. Your guide will lead you through the peaceful landscapes of the valley to villages and schools where you can experience the local culture and customs.

After one last delicious breakfast at your guesthouse, you’ll be privately transferred to the airport to board a one-hour flight to Johannesburg, back in South Africa. Check in to your final hotel: a charming guesthouse in the tranquil Orchards area. The property is steeped in history as this was the former home of Mahatma Gandhi in the 20th century. Both the guesthouse and on-site museum breathe Gandhi’s philosophy and principles of non-violent resistance throughout. Spend the rest of today settling into your new home and enjoying a tasty evening meal at the hotel’s restaurant.