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We spent a week in and around Kruger National Park. We managed to have fabulous sightings of the Big 5: Elephant, Rhino, Lion, Leopard and Buffalo as well as numerous other birds and mammals. We stayed in camps within Kruger, in small, self-contained huts known as Rondavels. The food we ate during our stay was hearty and delicious, perfect for a long day in the bush looking for wildlife. One of the highlights, besides the beautifully rugged landscape, was waking up to an early morning coffee at 5am before going out as dawn was breaking over the park to see what we could find. Simply wonderful! Naturetrek provide a a first-class experience. Nothing is too much trouble and their service is all geared up to give the traveller the best possible experience. We have been on trips with them to Ecuador, Poland and now South Africa and there will definitely be more trips with Naturetrek to come.
J.M. Hampshire, Oct 23
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South Africa - Kruger (Mammals)
Tour Code: ZAF04A 10-day mammal-watching tour to eastern South Africa, including six nights in the world famous Kruger National Park.
£3,595 (Inc flights)
£2,895
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
This action-packed mammal-watching safari focuses on the abundant wildlife within Kruger National Park, South Africa’s premier wildlife reserve. We break the journey to Kruger with a night in Dullstroom and the chance to look for Blesbok and Grey Rhebok on the surrounding montane grasslands. Crossing the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains we enter the world famous Kruger National Park where we split our 6-night stay between 3 different camps. Past tours have enjoyed sightings of over 40 species of mammal, including Lion, Leopard, African Wild Dog, White Rhinoceros, Nyala, Elephant and Southern Giraffe. Birdlife is also colourful and abundant and Kruger night drives open another world of nocturnal wildlife possibilities.
- Six nights in the world famous Kruger National Park
- Explore the upland grasslands of Dullstroom
- Up to 40 species of mammal typically recorded
- White Rhinoceros, Lion and African Wild Dog all possible
- Abundant and colourful birdlife
- Night drives in Kruger National Park
- Expertly guided by local South African naturalists
Grading
This is a traditional game viewing tour with no strenuous walking involved.About the region
Dullstroom, a small town three hours north-east of Johnannesburg, is our first stop on this tour. The habitat here is mainly montane grassland interspersed with rocky ridges and marshes (vleis).
The world famous Kruger National Park extends across almost 2 million hectares, and is roughly the size of Wales. Kruger holds a wonderful diversity of animal life. There’s a wide variety of habitats within Kruger including grassland and thornveld.
The tour ‘in a nutshell’
A 10-day tour to eastern South Africa, including six nights in the world famous Kruger National Park.
What mammals might I see?
Around Dullstroom we’ll look for Blesbok, Grey Rhebok and Mountain Reedbuck.
As we heard towards Satara, in the central region of Kruger National Park, we’ll look for Giraffe, Tsessebe, Waterbuck and White Rhino. Satara holds the highest density of Lions in the park due to the high numbers of Blue Wildebeest and Burchell's Zebra attracted by the lush grazing and open country. Leopards also occur in the area, as do Cheetah, Spotted Hyena and African Wild Dog. Other species we’ll hope to encounter include Elephant, Cape Buffalo and Greater Kudu. Optional night drives provide our best chance of finding African Wild Cat, Caracal and Serval, as well as Black-backed Jackal and Honey Badger.
Next we will stay at campsites on the Sabie River and among the mammals we’ll hope to find here are Sable Antelope, the tiny Steenbok and Common Duiker, as well as Vervet Monkeys. Genets are often encountered at night, Thick-tailed Bushbaby is common and can be located by its raucous call at night, while Peter’s Epauletted Fruit Bats roost in colonies in trees in the camp and are very vocal at night!
Anything else?
The beautiful Grey Crowned Crane and Blue Crane around Dullstroom.
In Kruger we may see breeding Lesser Masked Weavers, as well as Kori Bustard, African Spoonbill, African Green Pigeon and a variety of vulture species.
We’ll hope to see Cape Clawless Otters along the Sabie River.
Outline Itinerary
What's Included?
- Flights
- Accommodation: Simple, comfortable tourist chalets and furnished en-suite tented accommodation
- Food:
Lunches and dinners are not included, and will be taken at the varied restaurants, shops and bars of Dullstroom and the Kruger rest camps. You are likely to spend £150-£200 on the tour on these meals, depending on your appetite! Breakfast is included.
Reviews
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We were picked up from the airport by our two guides JP LeRoux and Gavin Sims - both were informative and friendly. We drove to Dullestroom and had an excellent afternoon observing birds and mammals. We then went to Kruger for 6 nights - our guides pointed out a wide range of mammals, birds and plant species, showing excellent knowledge and observational skills. The camps were all excellent and contained a wide range of birds. The food in the camps was high quality and very reasonable in cost. My wife and I found both guides attentive, respectful and friendly throughout with a high degree of knowledge of both the animals and the best tracks to see them. Our highlights were seeing a pack of Wild Dogs, Leopards and a Serval. This was our first safari and we found it to be extremely exciting. We hope to be able to enjoy more wildlife holidays in the future. Naturetrek provided us with detailed information of the requirements we would need for our holiday. This included details of all of the equipment we would need, insurance necessary and even checklists of possible mammals and birds. They were extremely responsive to all of my questions.
A.B. Monmouthshire, Oct 23 -
There were six participants and a guide on our six night safari to the Kruger park. We stayed in three different camps getting a flavour of the various habitats through the south of the park. We had two safaris per day, the length of time determined by the sightings and destinations. Our guide was excellent and our tally for mammals sighted was34. Although billed as a mammal safari birds were not ignored and our bird tally was one hundred and seventy five. Highlights were seeing a pack of wild dogs; a leopard walking out in front of our vehicle and staying around us for nearly ten minutes, scent marking the roadside bushes, and rolling in the grass. A pride of lion causing quite a roadblock, but everything was viewed with a sense of wonder and plenty of time to soak up the bush atmosphere. A night drive taken with the park rangers (optional extra) gave us a view of the Milky Way whilst sitting and listening to the hippos and frogs at the water hole. Naturetrek is a tour operator specializing in providing experiences of nature around the world. The pre departure information was very comprehensive, and any questions either by email or phone were dealt with promptly.
R.H. Hampshire, Feb 23 -
Leon was absolutely excellent. His knowledge of wildlife was very good and his observation skills brilliant. Enjoyed the most - seeing a pride of lions 16 strong.
D.C. West Midlands, Mar 20 -
A family holiday based on our love of natural history and the great outdoors. A resounding successful safari to Africa with lots of family focused time together enjoying new experiences.
J.E. Alabama, Oct 19 -
All animal sightings were excellent, with so many highlights such as lions chasing a giraffe, lots of leopard sightings and elephants pushing down a tree and jostling with each other. I also learnt a lot of new information from the guides. Both guides were very knowledgeable, professional and fun to be with, making the whole week extremely enjoyable. I could not have wished for better. Everybody in the group was friendly and got on well with each other, I really could not have asked for a better group to share my holiday with. The guides were fantastic, even managing to find me a dung beetle! Africa never disappoints with regards to sightings, and overall this was the best trip I have had. I have never been so sad to come back home! The part that really made this holiday was the people I was with, including the guides. The animal sightings are always excellent on safari, but if you are with people who don't get on, it can ruin it. This group and the guides were the best company I have had on any trip, with everybody getting on. I really did not want it to end!
A.C. Cheshire, Oct 19 -
Warren and Richard were absolutely outstanding leaders. They were extremely knowledgeable and worked tirelessly to make our trip the best it could possibly be. They made the holiday a superb experience. All in all it was excellent value for money!
H.M. Norfolk -
The whole experience was better than anticipated - due in no small measure to the professionalism, dedication, knowledge and experience of our guides. The mammals, the scenery and countryside, particularly the riverside growth and the koppies were all that I wanted from South Africa. I shall go again!
E.S. Swansea -
We had our ten year old son with us and Warren and Martin were both fantastic at providing answers to his animal questions. It was great for him to have people who could give clear answers and follow up with other interesting facts - their passion for their subject was infectious and for the first time in my life I began to understand why my husband enjoys birding!
J.O. Gloucestershire -
Our guides Warren and Martin were extremely knowledgeable, informative, helpful and friendly. They both helped ensure our trip was well organised and thoroughly enjoyed!
E.R. Cardiff -
Both leaders were excellent ‘spotters’ of wildlife and Dave Steyn was particularly popular with his story telling of life in Africa with our grandchildren. Alan organised our comings and goings with great care. We also liked his sensitivity to the environment. We would be very happy to travel with either of them again and recommend them for a family group.
F.T. Hampshire -
Both tour leaders were incredibly knowledgeable and patient. No question was too basic for them. They made the trip highly enjoyable and informative, and also ensured that everything ran smoothly. I would recommend Naturetrek to everyone.
R.D. Cardiff -
Warren and Martin made South Africa come alive for us... The knowledge and skill that they both exhibited was amazing, their efforts to provide the maximum opportunity to see everything possible at the time were unceasing and totally successful.
R. & S.B. Birmingham -
The tour guides were fantastic, knowledgeable and deeply committed to African wildlife. I found it a good balance of mammals and the fabulous bird life abundant in the area.
M.G. Staffordshire -
We really appreciated our guide’s ability and willingness to pass on information about all the bird calls throughout the trip. He also shared with us lots of information on the history and culture of the areas we visited, clearly having much experience and knowledge of Kruger.
P.C. & P.C. Oxfordshire -
I took my 2 grandsons aged 13 and 7 years. Both enjoyed themselves tremendously. Our guides were excellent. John our guide had endless patience with both boys.
C.C. Hampshire -
Excellent leaders, well-filled itinerary, lots to see. As camp to camp was game driving all the way, very little time was ‘wasted’ getting from place to place.
E.L. Ayrshire
Dates & Prices
2025
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Naturetrek offers a wide selection of long-haul wildlife holidays primarily focusing on mammals. These tours offer an intensive mammal-centred focus, outstanding value for money and top quality sightings. They are led by at least one expert local English-speaking naturalist, and visit countries in Africa, Asia, Central and South America and more.
Naturetrek Bargain mammal Holidays
These tours are best suited to keen, active mammal-watching enthusiasts – whether expert or beginner – and people looking for an action-packed mammal-focused tour.
Our bargain mammal-watching tours offer:
- An expert English-speaking local naturalist leader
- Outstanding value for money
- Dawn-to-dusk mammal-watching with limited time for rest, relaxation and outside interests
- Enviable mammal lists!
- Focused searches for endemic species, while also looking for non-endemics
Naturetrek’s selection of bargain mammal-watching holidays includes tours to the Americas in Brazil, Peru and Panama. In Africa our selection includes Botswana, Zambia, Ethiopia and South Africa, while in Asia we offer bargain mammal tours to India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Borneo.
Our specialist recommends...
“I’d recommend Ecuador – Amazonian Mammals for a good introduction to South America’s rainforest mammals. In Africa, it’s hard to beat our Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park holiday for its combination of Leopards, other ‘big game’ and first-class accommodation! In Asia, try India – Bandhavgarh National Park for Tigers and other Indian mammals.”
Paul Stanbury - Operations Manager
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[description] => Family Wildlife Tours – Education and Adventure in the Wild
Integrating some of the world’s top wildlife spectacles into a family holiday with your children or grandchildren is an inspirational way to spend a half term or longer holiday and we offer tours focusing on a range of iconic wildlife from Tigers to Brown Bears, often with a little culture thrown in. We believe older teenagers will enjoy the majority of our group holidays, although unfortunately not all of our group tours are suitable for young children. We would be very happy to adapt any of our group tours to create bespoke itineraries to meet your family’s requirements and our expert team are always on hand to offer some fresh ideas for private holidays that can be enjoyed by families of any age, allowing you to curate those precious memories that will last a lifetime.
Naturetrek Family Wildlife Tours
It can be tricky for families to find a good wildlife holiday that meets their needs during school holidays. We are always pleased to provide suggestions for holidays that fit around the family calendar and also coincide with the best chances for wildlife sightings. Many of these holidays offer significant discounts for children. Whether you choose to travel as one family, or join your friends to form an extended group, we are here to help every step of the way.
Here’s a selection of our family wildlife tours:
- South Africa – a big game safari in Kruger National Park
- Visit the Taj Mahal and look for Tigers in northern India
- Watch Brown Bears in Sweden from a purpose-built cabin
- Enjoy the whales & dolphins of the Azores
Can I take children on other Naturetrek tours?
Some of our tours are more suitable for children than others. Some holidays may involve very long days spent out in the field, and a great deal of patience can be required as we quietly sit, wait and scan for our quarry. Experience teaches us that this is something many young children tend to struggle with, and so to be fair to them and our other guests, we are unable to accept young children on most of our group tours. Having said that, we love nothing more than nurturing the interests of intrepid young naturalists and once interested children reach secondary school age (11+) then generally our group tours work well and an interested child can get a great deal out of a Naturetrek group holiday. Please bear in mind, however, that the average age on our group tours is 60+! Alternatively, we are often asked to tailor our itineraries to ensure suitability for children of any age. If there is a group tour that you think would be of particular interest to you and your family party please contact one of our Operations Managers to discuss the possibility of a private departure.
Our specialist recommends...
"We offer a good choice of short-haul holidays for families such as Bear watching and whale and dolphin trips. However, if you fancy something further afield, I’d recommend our ‘Tigers & the Taj’ Tailormade tour. The combination of culture, wildlife and adventure is a perfect one.”
David Mills - Managing Director
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Many of the world’s mammals are instantly recognisable to us. Animals such as Lions, Tigers, elephants and bears capture our imaginations from an early age. At Naturetrek, we take great pleasure and pride in helping people to fulfil their lifelong dreams of seeing these iconic species in the wild. We also enjoy introducing our clients to some of the world’s more unusual mammals, many of which are just as fascinating.
Naturetrek Mammal Watching Tours
Many of our tours have a primary focus on mammals and we offer the widest choices of mammal-watching holidays across the globe, from the poles to the tropics. Our holidays are guided by at least one professional naturalist tour leader and usually benefit from additional guiding by expert local naturalist guides. We have holidays to see an incredible range of the world’s most sought-after mammals, such as orangutans, lemurs, bats, polar mammals, big cats, and mammals of the African savannah. A significant number of tours also targets some of the planet’s more unusual and elusive species, from pottos and pangolins to slender lorises and obscure cetaceans.
Here’s a selection of our mammal tours:
- India’s Kanha and Pench Tiger Reserves
- A cruise to Spitsbergen in search of Polar Bears
- A chance to see the ‘Big Five’ and much more in South Africa’s Kruger National Park
- Search for Blue, Fin and Sperm Whales in the Azores
- Close-up views of Brown Bear and Wolverine in Finland
- Enjoy the mammals of Kenya’s Masai Mara, while staying in luxury camps
- Search for elusive nocturnal mammals, such as Aardvark, Black-footed Cat and Aardwolf, in the Kalahari Desert
Bargain mammal selection
We offer a range of action-packed bargain holidays for the dedicated mammal enthusiast, which are exceptional value for money, from Belize to Zambia.
Our specialist recommends...
Paul Stanbury - Operations Manager
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Safari Holidays – Experience Earth’s Greatest Continent for Wildlife
Why choose Africa for wildlife safaris?
When people think of visiting Africa, safari holidays are regularly at the top of the list. Riding in an open-top jeep along dusty tracks and looking out across sun-baked savannahs teeming with big game is arguably one of life’s best experiences.
For the nature enthusiast, Naturetrek’s African safari holidays offer unparalleled opportunities. Africa is the world’s greatest continent for wildlife, being home to many of the planet’s most iconic mammals and birds.
Many of these animals are relatively easy to observe and exist in scarcely believable abundance, guaranteeing that our African safari tours are always full of amazing sightings.
From the Okavango Delta in Botswana and Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park to Namibia’s Etosha National Park and the superb Kruger National Park in South Africa, our African wildlife safaris will take you to all the continent’s most unmissable destinations.
Classic African safari holidays
We offer classic safari-style packages to Botswana, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa and Namibia.
On these African safari tours you will stay in or very near the prime game-rich areas such as national parks and reserves, heading out daily for wildlife watching in vehicles. There will usually be additional chances to join night drives and look for nocturnal species.
On the majority of our African wildlife safaris, even those in our bargain range, we are able to use superb accommodation, including in remote locations. Tented, fully serviced camps with private facilities are the norm.
Expert naturalist guides
All of our African safari tours are led by expert naturalist guides. Most of our tours are led by superb local guides (the quality of guiding in many parts of Africa is second to none), while some of our longer tours are joined by a UK leader.
What wildlife might I see?
Africa is the best place in the world for seeing large concentrations of big game such as African Bush Elephant, Lion, Cape Buffalo, Giraffe and Blue Wildebeest. On Naturetrek’s African safari tours we visit some of the world’s most famous national parks and reserves, such as the Serengeti, Kruger and Okavango Delta, as well as some less well known regions, in search of a full range of the continent’s most spectacular mammals, from Hippos, Wild Dogs and White Rhinos to Leopards, bushbabies and African Wildcats.
The birdlife is equally staggering, with an enormous variety of charismatic species found across the continent, from bee-eaters and hornbills to finches, weavers and a stunning diversity of birds of prey. Naturetrek’s African wildlife safaris offer a chance to search for a superb variety of species and avian spectacles, such as flamingo-lined lakes in the Rift Valley, bizarre Shoebills in Uganda’s swamps, and giant Ostriches strutting across endless savannahs.
See our list of the best African Safari Holidays
Our specialist recommends...
"We offer a superb choice of expert-led African safari holidays ranging from 9-day bargain tours in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park to a 17-day birdwatching and mammal-viewing safari through Namibia, Botswana and Zambia. For those who have previously enjoyed a traditional safari, I would recommend our ‘South Africa’s Rare Mammals’ tour, which targets some of the continent’s most rarely seen creatures, such as Aardwolf, Black-footed Cat, Cape Porcupine, African Wildcat, Brown Hyaena and the iconic Aardvark
Paul Stanbury – Operations Manager
Big Cat Safari Holidays
Big cats are among the most admired and sought-after mammals on the planet, and we are proud to offer a broad and comprehensive range of big cat safari holidays. We offer inspiring and truly memorable wildlife tours to enjoy sightings of all of the world’s iconic species in their natural habitats, including Tigers in India and Nepal, Jaguars in the Pantanal, Pumas in Chile and Snow Leopards in India and Mongolia and we certainly do not neglect the smaller cats either.
We offer a range of itineraries around Africa and encounter the continent’s high-profile species like Lions, Cheetahs and Leopards and also the lesser known species such as Caracal, Sand Cat, Black-footed Cat, Serval and African Wild Cat. We also have wildlife holidays that catch sightings of the Asiatic Lion in India and the elusive Leopard in Sri Lanka.
We also offer a pioneering tour to try to see the most difficult of all big cats the Sunda Clouded Leopard in Borneo with Leopard Cat, Marbled Cat and Flat-headed Cat all having being seen on our Borneo holidays. Closer to home, we offer holidays in Europe to go in search of Wildcat and both Eurasian and Iberian Lynx.
We have run these holidays for many years with great success, working with the best local contacts and guides and staying at the very best locations with carefully crafted itineraries which allow the optimum amount of time to achieve sightings.
Our specialist recommends...
Tom Mabbett - Operations Manager
Why Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!
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