Signature South Africa | Across the Wild Plains

Welcome to Johannesburg, where urban energy meets creative flair and stories of renewal shape the city’s spirit. Complimentary arrival transfers are provided today. Those arriving early can join an optional walking tour of Soweto or accompany local chefs in the Outdoor Kitchen for a hands-on potjie cooking session. Using herbs from the garden and fragrant spices, create dishes like chicken stew, vegetarian curry with pap, and the beloved chakalaka salad (both activities available to prebook on request). We gather at Fairlawns, a serene boutique retreat surrounded by lush gardens. Unwind by the pool or admire the art-lined interiors before meeting your Signature Guide for our welcome reception. As evening falls, head to Marble Restaurant in Rosebank, led by David Higgs, one of South Africa’s top chefs who creates bold flavours that define South Africa’s culinary spirit.

Travel east into Mpumalanga, where sheer escarpments give way to canyons, rivers, and waterfalls. Pause in Dullstroom for lunch at Clarky’s Lakeside Restaurant, a tranquil spot surrounded by still water and soft hills. Continue through the Drakensberg escarpment to marvel at the Three Rondavels, their sculpted forms standing guard over the Blyde Canyon, and at Bourke’s Luck Potholes, where water has carved intricate sandstone patterns through time. By late afternoon, arrive at Hippo Hollow Country Estate on the Sabie River, your serene retreat amid indigenous gardens. Dinner celebrates South African flavours paired with fine regional wines.

Today is your Signature Day, inviting you to connect with South Africa. You could: Visit the Black Mamba All-Women Anti-Poaching Unit, a groundbreaking initiative empowering local women to protect rhinos and reconnect communities through conservation. Try your hand at gold panning in Pilgrim’s Rest, keeping what you find before a guided walk through the town’s historic museums and mining heritage. Cruise the Blyde River Canyon, where lush cliffs rise above Africa’s largest active tufa waterfall, and go behind the scenes at Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre. Fight poaching by crafting your own unique bangle from snare wire alongside the conservation-driven team at Down to the Wire. Return to the lodge for an unhurried afternoon at leisure, before dinner together at our retreat.

Travel the Panorama Route, where Mpumalanga’s escarpment drops into misty valleys. A short walk at God’s Window reveals vast Lowveld views, gold and green fading to the horizon. Descend by glass elevator into Graskop Gorge, joining a naturalist for a guided forest walk and the Next-Level suspension bridges high above the trees. Enjoy lunch at the Lift Café before continuing to our Signature Stay, Leopard Sands, a riverfront retreat where modern design meets wild serenity. After settling in, set out on our first private game drive through Kruger as the afternoon light softens. Tonight, unwind with a cinema under the stars, complete with wine, popcorn, and the gentle hum of the bush.

Signature Experience: Wake before dawn as the bush stirs to life, joining an expert ranger to explore Kruger National Park. Travelling in open 4x4 vehicles, track safari icons – lions, elephants, rhinos, and more – with an expert by your side. Pause mid-morning as your ranger interprets the bush’s subtler signs, from tracks pressed into the dust to birds heralding unseen movement. Midday brings a stop at Skukuza Indigenous Plant Nursery, a sanctuary for native flora and a cornerstone of Kruger’s conservation work. Enjoy an educational talk with a specialist botanist and the chance to adopt and plant a tree, a contribution to the park’s rewilding efforts. A picnic lunch awaits amid the greenery before continuing the safari through the park’s diverse terrain. Return to Leopard Sands in time for sundowners overlooking the Sabie River, the bush glowing with the last light of day.

Descend into the 240m-year-old Sudwala Caves, among the oldest known on Earth, to walk through vast illuminated chambers and ancient formations. Emerge to daylight for a private lunch at the Sudwala Restaurant, gazing over forested hills that once formed part of the Gondwana supercontinent. Signature Experience: Continue to Chimp Eden at the Jane Goodall Institute for a private tour and talk with the Primate Manager. From raised walkways, watch rescued chimpanzees roam freely through semi-wild forest enclosures, a powerful glimpse of protection and hope restored. Return to your lodge to unwind before dinner.

Signature Experience: Join a private tour of Nourish Eco Village, where local hosts share the harmony of community, culture, and conservation. Stroll through organic gardens, create beadwork and recycled art, and cook traditional dishes alongside the village’s ‘grannies’. Meet a Sangoma (traditional healer) to hear stories of ancestral balance before sharing an African braai lunch – a celebration of warmth and togetherness. Return to the lodge for a final private game drive, as the late-afternoon light gilds the Sabie River. As night falls, gather for a farewell boma dinner under the stars. Begin with a hand-washing ritual, then dine in dashiki sarongs to the rhythm of marimba music and traditional dance. The evening closes beside the fire with s’mores, hot chocolate, and stories shared beneath the night sky.