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| Guided Safaris is Independently Marketed by Far and Wild Safaris cc | |
Overland Tours and Guided Safaris Tours
Private Guided Safaris Tours. Book your Tailor-made South African Tour
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These guided safaris and tours include sites and attractions in three or more provinces within South Africa. Due to the nature and distance covered in these packages and routes, they are mostly of ten or more days in length. South Africa is a large country (covering 1,221,037 sq. kilometres or 471,443 sq. miles) and these tours do therefore involve some long driving days. Because our tours are exclusive to only your party or group, we can tailor-make these to suit you and your specific interests. For example, if you would like to stay longer at one of the luxury private lodges or spend additional time game viewing in the Kruger National Park, you could leave out an attraction or lodge, perhaps in the Eastern Cape. It is possible to lengthen or shorten your visit at any of the establishments or venues - the choices are entirely yours.
Addo Elephant National Park – Eastern Cape :
Addo Elephant Park is the third largest national park in South Africa. The Park has grown in size and protects a wide range of biodiversity, fauna, flora and different landscapes. Reaching from the northern, semi-arid Karoo area - in the vicinity of Darlington Dam, over the Zuurberg Mountain range and through the Sundays River Valley to the southern coast - in the region of the Sundays and Bushman's River mouths - Addo covers approximately 180 000 hectares (444 700 acres) including the St Croix and Bird Island groups.
The original elephant section of the park was proclaimed in 1931 and at the time was home to only eleven remaining elephants. Today this ecosystem conserves more than 600 elephant, buffalo, lion, spotted hyena, black rhino, leopard, a variety of antelope and zebra species, as well as the unique Addo flightless dung beetle, found almost exclusively in the Addo area. The park claims to be the only national park in the world conserving the "Big 7" - being the Big 5 - Rhino, Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard and Lion, as well as the southern right whale and great white shark, found in the protected marine reserve area, off of the Algoa Bay Coast.
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de Stijl Gariep Hotel – Free State :
Previously called the Gariep Hotel, the de Stijl Gariep Hotel is considered to be the Upper Karoo's most stylish hotel, offering extremely comfortable, chic and contemporary rooms overlooking the Gariep Dam with breathtaking sky views. The hotel offers an ideal atmosphere for overnight stops, lazy weekends, short breakaways, conferences, functions and weddings. The Mondrian Restaurant opens onto indigenous Karoo gardens with views sweeping over the horizon.
The Gariep Dam, surrounded by the stark beauty of the Karoo, stretches for as far as the eye can see; offering visitors panoramic sunrises and sunsets combined with silent evenings, under starlit skies.
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Golden Gate Highlands National Park – Free State :
Golden Gate Park derives its name from the brilliant shades of gold cast onto the park's sandstone cliffs, by the sun - in particular the imposing Brandwag rock, which towers over the main rest camp. Approximately 11 600 hectares in size, this reserve offers a unique environment, providing genuine highland habitat to a variety of mammals including eland, black wildebeest, oribi, blesbok, springbok and zebra - and birds, including the rare bald ibis, which breed in the sandstone cliffs as well as the endangered bearded vulture (or lammergeier). Ribbokkop is the highest point in the park revealing a spectacular tapestry of changing colours - various shades of yellow, red and purple merge with the mountain shadows, especially during the late afternoon sunsets.
Highveld summers are mild with the possibility of afternoon thunderstorms, while winters are cold with occasional snow on the mountain peaks - creating a picturesque white wonderland. The winter temperatures in Golden Gate can drop to as little as -9 to -15 degrees C. The Golden Gate National Park region benefits primarily from a summer rainfall, usually experienced between Sept to April - with an annual rainfall of approximately 760 mm per year. This figure has, during very wet years risen to 1250 mm.
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The Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park – KwaZulu-Natal :
The Hluhluwe - iMfolozi Game Reserve, is Africa's oldest established wilderness area and lies in the heart of the Zulu Kingdom. Historically the royal hunting ground of King Shaka, (where the first conservation laws were put in place) this area boasts a rich natural and cultural history. The Hluhluwe and iMfolozi Game Reserves were formally proclaimed in 1895 and today, along with the Corridor Reserve, which was proclaimed in 1989 have become the Hluhluwe - iMfolozi Park - covering approximately 96 000 ha and offering an immense diversity of fauna and flora.
World renowned for its white rhino conservation efforts in the 1950's and 60's, the park was the home of Operation Rhino and today still boasts a healthy rhino population.
The Hluhluwe section in the north is characterised by hilly topography and grasslands. This section of the park, has a diverse terrain and vegetation and is noted for its wide variety of both bird and animal life, while the iMfolozi section in the south is characterised by open spaces offering excellent opportunities for game viewing, with a rich selection of fauna and flora.
Sightings of buffalo, rhino, wildebeest, giraffe, warthog, zebra, baboon, vervet monkey, and antelope such as impala, kudu and nyala are frequent, with the possibility of seeing hippo, crocodile, monitor lizard, hyena, lion, cheetah, leopard, elephant, black rhino and antelope such as steenbuck, red duiker, bushbuck, waterbuck, and the rare Samango monkey and wild dog, much less frequently.
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Hilltop Camp, Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park – KwaZulu-Natal :
Hilltop Camp is located in the Hluhluwe section of the Hluhluwe - iMfolozi Park - established atop a forested hill offering wide ranging views of the surrounding park and terrain. The camp is the largest in the Hluhluwe - iMfolozi Park, having been rebuilt and enlarged during the early nineties.
Facilities at Hilltop Camp include an a la carte restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, an attractive bar and lounge area, decorated with photographs and memorabilia sharing the history of both Hilltop Camp and the Hluhluwe Game Reserve, as well as a gift shop and small store - selling curios, basic foodstuffs and a variety of drinks (open from 08:00 to 19:00 daily). There is a swimming pool for the use of camp residents and a short self-guided trail through some indigenous forest, which starts near the entrance to the swimming pool.
Hilltop Camp is fenced, so it is relatively safe to walk about, but it is advised to have a torch or flashlight with you after sunset. There is 24 hour electricity and a back-up generator.
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Karoo National Park – Western Cape :
The Great Karoo is a vast and unforgiving landscape of which the Karoo National Park is just a small portion. As the largest ecosystem in South Africa, the Karoo is amazingly home to a fascinating diversity of life - all having adapted to survive in harsh desert-like conditions. Dominated by the Nuweveld Mountains and rolling plains - the Karoo National Park boasts a wide variety of endemic wildlife - with many species that originally occurred here having been re-introduced to once again occupy their former ranges. These include species such as lion, brown hyena and Cape mountain zebra. There are over 20 breeding pairs of Verreaux's eagle which find sanctuary within the park.
The Karoo National Park further boasts a wide diversity of small reptiles and succulent plants. With an annual rainfall of approximately 260 mm, the plains are hot in summer, and the mountain areas relatively cool throughout the year. Snow occurs regularly on the peaks of the Nuweveld Mountains during mid-winter.
Sunsets in the late afternoon are magnificent - varying from pastel shades of pink and blue to deep oranges and reds.
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The Kruger National Park – Mpumalanga & Limpopo :
The Kruger National Park is world-renowned - offering visitors a wildlife experience that ranks with the best in Africa. Established in 1898, this national park - nearly 2 million hectares in size protects and conserves the wildlife and habitats of the South African Lowveld. Managed by SANParks – Kruger National Park is recognises as a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies and is incomparable in its diversity of life forms.
Undisputedly the flagship of the South African National Parks - Kruger is home to an impressive variety of species: 147 mammals, 507 birds, 336 trees, 114 reptiles, 49 fish and 34 amphibians.
Man has been present on the Lowveld for many centuries – as can be seen from the bushman or San rock art sites as well as impressive archaeological sites like Thulamela and Masorini. These historic treasures represent the cultures, persons and events that played a role in the history of the Kruger National Park and are conserved together with the park's natural assets.
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Umngazi River Bungalows & Spa – Eastern Cape :
Rugged coastlines, pristine beaches, indigenous forests, crystal clear waters and breath taking scenery are some of what makes the Wild Coast unlike any other in the world. Umngazi is set in the midst of this coastline - surrounded by and immersed in all its beauty and mystery.
Umngazi is a resort with extraordinary energy - offering glorious weather, colourful people, unspoilt scenery and remarkable nature – it provides the perfect holiday destination for families and couples.
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