Soarin' Over Zululand
Duffle & Compass Exclusive 2010 Safari
A 10-day private safari in South Africa with
specialist guide Daryl Dell
escorted by founder Carol Oken
April 27 to May 6, 2010
Limited to 6 persons
This South Africa safari begins at the edges of the Kalahari Desert and ends near the Indian Ocean coast, offering an incredible diversity of animal habitat and activities. We’ll travel north to Madikwe, a 187,000-acre game reserve along the Botswana border, home to the “super seven” – lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, buffalo, cheetah and African wild dog. Our journey continues near the Indian Ocean coast where our private guide and Zulu tracker will share their knowledge of the wildlife, the culture and the history of the land known today as Phinda. We’ll learn about the leopard research project, track elephant and lion on foot through the bush, and soar like an eagle over the tapestry of forests, mountains, and sun-kissed beaches of the area. We’ll stay in luxury safari lodges and enjoy gourmet meals, cold sundowners and star-gazing in the southern sky.
Tuesday, April 27 Johannesburg
We will be met upon arrival at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and transferred to the D’Oreale Grande Hotel at Emperors Palace, just a short distance away.
The D’oreale Grande at Emperors Palace is a 5-star luxury hotel with a spa and fitness center available to help you adjust your body clock to South Africa time. Accommodation is in a classic room on a bed and breakfast basis.
Wednesday, April 28 Madikwe Game Reserve
After an early breakfast we’ll return to the airport for our light aircraft transfer to Madikwe Game Reserve. Upon arrival at the Madikwe Airstrip we will be met and transferred to the Madikwe Safari Lodge.
The Madikwe Safari Lodge is nestled between two hills and overlooks the game-filled plains. Each luxury suite has a sitting area, circular fireplace in the bedroom, large bathtub, indoor and outdoor shower and a private veranda with a plunge pool. Accommodations at Madikwe are on an all-inclusive basis including meals, soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers.
Enjoy lunch on the deck overlooking the plains and perhaps a short siesta during the heat of the day. Later we’ll head out in our 4x4 open vehicle for our first game drive and see what might cross our path. We’ll stop to view the sunset and toast our great fortune to be on safari!
Thursday, April 29 
As we explore this semi-arid landscape we’ll focus on tracking the endangered African wild dog and the elusive brown hyena. You can spend a leisurely afternoon catching up on journal writing or laying around the pool. Tonight we’ll take a night drive through the acacia savanna looking for bushbabies leaping from branch to branch.
Friday, April 30 Phinda Private Game Reserve
After a morning game drive and breakfast, we’ll be transferred back to the Madikwe Airstrip where we will meet our scheduled light aircraft transfer to Johannesburg. Upon arrival we will transfer to a scheduled flight to Richard’s Bay. When we arrive at Richard’s Bay we will be met and escorted to the shuttle flight to Phinda Game Reserve. Upon arrival at the Phinda Airstrip, we will be met and transferred by road to Phinda Forest Lodge.
Phinda Private Game Reserve
Set deep in the heart of a rare, dry sand forest, the spectacular Phinda Forest Lodge fuses architectural design and conservation. This award-winning safari lodge is designed in a Zulu Zen style with private stilted suites with luxurious bathrooms and private viewing decks.
Daryl Dell, our specialist guide will give us an overview of the next few days. We’ll settle into our rooms before our late afternoon adventure – lion tracking! Daryl has followed this particular pride of lions for eight years and will introduce us to their social dynamics and behavior patterns.
We will spend the next six days in this Reserve – over 51,000-acres of prime wilderness land in the Maputaland region of KwaZulu-Natal – and the adjacent Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park, a World Heritage Site just west of the white sand beaches of the Indian Ocean.
We will spend three nights at Phinda Forest Lodge and then move to Phinda Rock Lodge for three nights. Accommodations at Phinda are on an all-inclusive basis including meals, soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers.
Saturday, May 1
Celebrate May Day with an early morning game drive heading for the open grassy plains to observe the fastest mammal on earth, the cheetah. Along the way Mike will point out the abundant array of bird life. This evening promises a unique experience, searching for one or more of the twelve leopards under the Munyawana Leopard Research Project at Phinda. We’ll hear more about what is being done to preserve these long-persecuted felines. If we’re lucky we’ll be able to get some great, up-close photos.
Sunday, May 2
You can choose to sleep in and enjoy your luxurious suite or depart early for a morning game drive. Later, we’ll journey to the surrounding Zulu communities where we’ll have the privilege of meeting the locals. After experiencing this culture which is full of song, dance and “ubuntu” (humanness), we may have a different perception of the “African” way. After a late lunch at the lodge we’ll head out again to focus on elephant herd dynamics. We’ll enjoy sundowners from the top of a mountain and toast another amazing day on safari.
Monday, May 3
We’ll leave the lodge at first light and experience Phinda’s ecological diversity on a full day walk. Daryl’s enthusiasm for identifying birds will certainly be contagious. And if we come across fresh tracks of buffalo, elephant bulls or rhino, we will track them and try to view them on foot from a safe distance. As the day warms up we’ll stop for a picnic lunch and siesta. Our crew will set up hammocks for us to snooze or just take in the magic of being out in the bush.
In the late afternoon, we’ll arrive at a camp site set up just for us. We’ll enjoy a delicious bush dinner around the campfire. You can choose to sleep out under a million stars, or to head back to sleep at Phinda Rock Lodge. While we were walking, our luggage has been transferred there.
Phinda Rock Lodge is set into a cliff-face and the suites are seemingly suspended over the valley below, providing breathtaking views. Constructed from contoured stone and adobe, each suite opens onto a private deck with a plunge pool.
Tuesday, May 4
As the sun rises, we’ll wake up in the African bush and depart our tented camp for Phinda Rock Lodge. Upon arrival we’ll be ready for breakfast and a hot shower. Today we’ll get together with the Black Rhino Research Team and also have a chance to ride horses along the beach. As the sun sinks we’ll take a boat cruise on the Mzinene River with frozen gin & tonics!
Wednesday, May 5
The area of Maputaland is so incredibly diverse and one of the best ways to appreciate it is by air. This morning we will soar above Zululand on a 45-minute, scenic air safari. Then it’s off to the beach where we can enjoy swimming, snorkeling or a long walk on the deserted beach. If you are a certified scuba diver, this is your chance to experience one of the world’s top ten dive sites. More than 1,200 species of fish are found along this coastline. Tonight is a seven-course bush banquet with seven perfectly matched wines!
Thursday, May 6
We’ll rise early to enjoy our last game drive of the safari. After breakfast, we’ll be transferred back to the Phinda Airstrip for our shuttle flight back to Richard’s Bay where we’ll connect with our flight to Johannesburg.
Those who will be continuing on to Cape Town will connect with their flight in the domestic terminal. Those who are heading home will connect with their international flight.
Price
Estimated price is $8,132 per person/sharing (10 days/9 nights)
Single supplement is $900
This price is based on six persons traveling together on this safari. If there are less than six travelers, the price will be increased accordingly. This price has been converted from South African Rand to US dollars and is subject to currency fluctuations. The final balance will be adjusted to reflect the exchange rate at the time of final payment, along with any unforeseen fuel surcharges.
Included in price:
- * All accommodations as specified on a shared basis
- * The hotel in Johannesburg is on a bed and breakfast basis.
- * All safari lodges are on an all-inclusive basis including all meals, soft drinks, house wine, local brand spirits & beer, coffee & tea, refreshments on game drives, and laundry service.
- * All professional guide fees & activities as specified
- * All land and air transfers as specified
- * $50 per person contribution to the Africa Fund, a nonprofit organization working to create partnerships with local communities for education, health care and eco-tourism.
- * Medical evacuation insurance
Not included in price:
- * International air
- * Gratuities for your safari guides
- * Passport and visa fees
- * Travel insurance
- * Any pre- or post-safari plans
Reservations
This safari is limited to 6 persons and reservations are taken on a first-come-first-reserved basis.
Contact Duffle & Compass for current availability and further information.
