South Africa 2017

26
RED ROUTE
Game on
Driving Route Four: Hazyview-Sabi Sands Game Reserve-Graskop-Timbavati Game Reserve
Total distance: 550km; 10 days
HAZYVIEW: DAYS 1-3
After their flight arrives into Johannesburg’s
OR Tambo International Airport, clients would
fly to Nelspruit’s Kruger Mpumalanga Airport,
pick up a rental car and point their sat nav in
the direction of Hazyview, approximately a
50-minute drive. Hazyview is a regional
hub that offers easy access to Kruger
National Park, with the park’s
nearest gate, Phabeni, just
15km away. There are also
plenty of activities within
easy reach of Hazyview.
These include:
Elephant Whispers:
Clients with young
families will love interacting
with the trained and tame
elephants, which they can
follow with by a short ride on
one through the African bush.
seasonsinafrica.com
River rafting: Ride the
gentle rapids of the
Sabie River near Hazyview on a
three-hour rafting trip.
hazyviewactivities.co.za
From Graskop,
photographers
will find the
best light in the
mornings for
the waterfalls by
heading south and
the afternoon light
better for sights
north of Graskop,
including Blyde
River Canyon,
Three Rondavels
and God’s Window
Canopy Tours: Two different adventures
offer the chance to enjoy the region’s
natural environment from a thrilling aerial
perspective. skywaytrails.com
Sabie Brewing Company: In the nearby
town of Sabie (a 30-minute drive away)
your clients can enjoy tasting local craft beers.
sabiebrewery.com
SABI SANDS GAME
RESERVE: DAYS 4-5
An hour’s drive from
Hazyview, Sabi Sand (sabisand.
co.za) is the oldest private
game reserve in South Africa,
having been established
in 1948. It shares a 50km
unfenced border with Kruger
Park, so that animals can pass
freely between them. Sabi
Sand comprises a collection
of private game reserves
and lodges spanning 65,000
hectares and is known for its
frequent leopard viewing as
well as possessing many other
species, besides the Big Five.
The game reserve’s name derives from the
Sabie and Sand rivers that flow through it
providing an important water source for the
region’s wildlife.
Airport: Kruger Mpumalanga Airport is
around1.5 hours away (from Hazyview)
by road, but the closest airport is Skukuza, just a
few minutes from the closest reserve within Sabi
Sand. Skukuza is served by direct daily flights
from both Johannesburg and Cape Town and
has car rental facilities. Game lodges close to
Skukuza Airport will collect guests and transfer
them to their accommodation.
GRASKOP: DAYS 6-7
A 90-minute drive from Sabi Sands, Graskop
is a small town noted for its pancake bar and
curios shops. It makes an excellent base from
which to visit the area’s many scenic wonders
and other attractions. Among them are:
Pilgrim’s Rest: Twenty minutes from
Grashop this former gold rush town and
national monument has been preserved as it was
in the late-1800s when it attracted a rush of
prospectors. The Royal Hotel takes visitors on a
nostalgia-filled trip to a bygone era.
pilgrimsrest.org.za
saspecialist.southafrica.net