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:
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.
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 4: Durban (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 |
| Day 3: |
Drakensberg
Hike to ‘The Cascades and Tiger Falls’
Horse riding
Lesotho
The Sentinal
Cultural village tour |
| Day 4: |
Durban |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Day 15: |
Balule Hoedspruit |
| 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 Three Rondavels - Included |
| Day 19: |
Twana Lodge We head back home to Twana Lodge for our last evening together. |
| Day 20: |
Heading home |
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,-