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| Duration: | 8 Day(s) - 7 Night(s) |
| Tour Category: | All In One Tours |
(7 NIGHTS / 8 DAYS – ALL IN ONE)
The 3x Bs – BUSH – BERG AND BEACH
N/3D Hluhluwe-Umfolozi
KwaZulu-Natal – North Coast
Day 1: Arrival – All Meals at Own Cost
Depart from Durban International Airport and arrive at Hluhluwe-Umfolozi just before lunch. Lunch at the lodge, then depart for whichever activity you have chosen from the list below, or enjoy a late afternoon sundowner at the lodge while viewing the most amazing African sunset (depending on flight arrival times).
(Please read additional activities below. These need to be booked in advance and are at an additional cost.)
Overnight at the lodge.
Day 2: Umfolozi National Park – Breakfast Included
After breakfast at 08H00, depart for a game drive in Umfolozi National Park. Return to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, depart for a boat cruise on the St Lucia River, viewing hippos, birdlife, and crocodiles.
Overnight at the lodge.
Possible Activities:
Birding
Cheetah Encounter
Cultural Tours – own cost
Deep-Sea Fishing – own cost
Elephant Interaction
False Bay Park
Frogging Tours – own cost
Golfing – own cost
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park
Ilala Weavers
Kayaking – own cost
Kosi Bay Trip
Mkuzi Game Drive
Muzi Pan
Ndumo Game Drive
Night Drive
Rhino Tracking
Scenic Flights – own cost
St Lucia Boat Cruise
Tembe Reserve
Zulu Croc
Accommodation – Umkhumbi Lodge
We offer comfortable accommodation in spacious air-conditioned rooms. We have 12 air-conditioned rooms, all nestled in an unspoiled natural sand forest. High ceilings and air-conditioning ensure a comfortable space for all our guests.
All rooms have en-suite bathrooms and are fitted with a fridge, as well as tea- and coffee-making facilities, which you can enjoy while looking out into the tranquil sand forest from your private veranda.
The family rooms have an interleading door, making these units perfect for families. Kids can easily sleep close by while you still enjoy your privacy.
Location
Umkhumbi Lodge is superbly located close to Hluhluwe in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, with easy access to the wildlife areas of Hluhluwe-Imfolozi and Mkhuze National Parks, the endless sandy beaches of Sodwana and Kosi Bay, and one of South Africa’s World Heritage Sites, iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
There is the opportunity to spot the Big Five, abundant birdlife, and on the beaches, Loggerhead and Leatherback turtles.
The nearest airports are Durban King Shaka International and Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal on the east coast of South Africa.
Umkhumbi Lodge is situated just 15 minutes outside the town of Hluhluwe towards Sodwana Bay.
Onsite Facilities
Splash pool
Laundry service
WiFi internet at the office
Safe for locking away valuables
Private restaurant and bar for guests
Walking trails
Travel Information
Shuttle service to and from any location
Visa and MasterCard facilities are available
Additional Notes
Umkhumbi’s rates include meals on a DB&B basis.
We suggest bringing your binoculars and walking shoes with you!
Day 3: Southern Drakensberg – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Depart after breakfast at 08H00 for the Southern Drakensberg. Afternoon at leisure.
Overnight in Underberg at the hotel.
Lesotho Overland Tour: 2 Nights / 3 Days – Lesotho Hotel
Day 4: Underberg/Himeville
Breakfast. Departure at 08H30 from Underberg/Himeville and travel to the World Heritage Site.
Ascend the legendary Sani Pass with its hairpin bends, offering unparalleled vistas of the Sani Valley and Drakensberg Escarpment, situated within the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, one of our World Heritage Sites.
Proceed to view the Twelve Apostles. These geological structures are part of one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world.
Our guide will take care of the border formalities. At the summit (2,874m), we stop for refreshments at the Sani Mountain Lodge.
Thereafter, we proceed to a village where the Basotho culture will be explained. Ascend the Black Mountain Pass up to 3,280m, following the Senqu River. Nearby is the highest mountain in Southern Africa, Thabana Ntlenyana (3,482m), meaning “the little mountain which is nice”.
Picnic lunch en route.
Our guide will explain the Letseng Diamond Mine while passing by. It is the highest mine in the world (3,250m).
Continue onto the summit of the highest road in Africa, the Tlaeeng Pass (3,255m), known as the Roof of Africa.
Pass the Mahlasela Ski Slope to Oxbow within a ski resort. In winter, all mountains are covered in snow.
Continue to the summit of the Moteng Pass (2,840m), one of the highest roads accessible by normal two-wheel-drive vehicles in Southern Africa.
Descend into the Hololo Valley (River of the Blue Crane) and continue to Butha-Buthe.
Overnight at Oxbow Lodge.
Day 5: Katse Dam
Breakfast. After breakfast, continue to Katse Dam via Hlotse, where strange, richly coloured rock formations may be seen.
Pass missions and rock shelters before reaching the town of Hlotse, the administrative centre of the Leribe district (established in 1876).
Picnic lunch en route.
Continue along the Nelson Mandela Road, crossing the Malibamatso River (River of Dark Pools), where Katse Dam was constructed between 1991 and 1997.
Our guide will take care of the security checkpoint. Katse Dam is one of the largest dams in the world and supplies water to the Witwatersrand region (Gauteng, Soweto), supporting farming and mining in South Africa, and irrigating the lowlands in Lesotho.
Enjoy a guided tour of the dam wall.
Dinner at the lodge.
Overnight at Katse Dam Lodge.
Day 6: St James Mission
After breakfast, proceed via St James Mission for a viewing. Return via the same route as Day 4.
Refreshment stop at Sani Stone Lodge.
Our guide will take care of border formalities before descending Sani Pass.
Arrive at Sani Pass Hotel at 12H00. Lunch at a local restaurant in Himeville.
After lunch, depart via the picturesque Donnybrook and Ixopo farmlands and rural Zulu villages en route to the Dive Resort.
This will be a very long day (approximately 10 hours).
Overnight at Aliwal Shoal Dive Resort.
Day 7: Dive Resort
Depart after breakfast at 08H00 and transfer to the beach for a morning dive session.
Return to the Dive Resort for lunch. After lunch, depart for an afternoon dive session.
Overnight at the Dive Resort.
Day 8: Departure
Depart after breakfast at 08H00 for Durban International Airport.
Included:
All accommodation and meals as indicated
Airport transfers (x2)
Transport in a 4x4 vehicle
Mineral water
Excluded:
Personal expenses and insurance
Beverages and alcohol
Entry fees
General Information – Lesotho Overland Tours
Guests are entering a rural and unspoiled African terrain; therefore, it is necessary to travel with a flexible and tolerant mindset.
Accommodation, bathroom facilities, and meals are, in most places, basic, simple, and rustic.
Most lunch stops consist of packed or picnic lunches. Toilet facilities en route are very limited.
We reserve the right to alter routes or itineraries due to weather, road conditions, or unforeseen circumstances.
Some accommodations use generators.
Please bring soft bags only – no large suitcases.
1N/2D Umkomaas
KwaZulu-Natal – South Coast
Overview
The Dive Resort is located in the quaint diving village of Umkomaas on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.
Aliwal Shoal is a rocky reef, the remains of an ancient fossilized dune approximately 5 km off the coast. The reef hosts many kinds of hard and soft corals and an estimated 1,200 species of tropical and subtropical fish.
Aliwal Shoal was named after the near-sinking of the three-masted vessel "Aliwal", captained by James Anderson in 1849.
Two wrecks near the reef are prime dive sites:
The Norwegian bulk carrier "Produce" (sank in 1974)
The "Nebo" (sank in 1884)
There is a fantastic variety of sharks, including:
White Tip Reef Sharks
Oceanic Blacktips
Dusky Sharks
Tiger Sharks
Zambezi/Bull Sharks
Hammerheads
Occasional Great White sightings
Umkomaas is located 48 km south of central Durban. It was formed in 1861 as a harbour to export sugar.
The property is security fenced with automated gate access and secure parking. Staff are on-site 24/7.
Dive Resort offers:
40 spacious, newly renovated rooms
Suites, Family Rooms, Double and Single Rooms – all en-suite
Buffet breakfast served on the deck
Fully licensed restaurant and bar
Kids’ play and entertainment room
Swimming pool facilities
Daily Diving – Requirements:
Please ensure you bring:
Certification card
Logbook (minimum 1 logged dive within the last year)
Marine Protected Area permit
Dive equipment (unless renting)
Swimsuit, towel, and suntan lotion
Money for drinks, sundries, and tips
Children:
Children are most welcome at the Dive Resort.
Divers younger than 15 years of age will be buddied with a qualified and experienced Dive Master or Instructor at no extra cost upon request.
End of Tour!
Note:
The cost is based on a minimum of 2 people, at a per-person rate.
Valid passports are essential.
Please advise your nationality, as Lesotho has visa restrictions for certain countries.
This is true, unspoiled Africa – at its best!
