South Africa small group trips

April to May and September to November suit both halves: Cape Town is mostly dry and the Kruger bush is thin enough for good viewing. June to August is excellent for safari, with cold dawns, but wet in Cape Town. December to March is hot and green in Kruger, with thicker bush and the highest malaria risk.

Answer for South Africa: Cape Town, the Winelands and Kruger

Not very. Walking is easy: flat paths on Table Mountain, a two hour walk in Langa and short walks at Cape Point. The effort is early starts on safari and long hours seated, about ten on the Kruger National Park day, which you can swap for a quieter day at the lodge.

Answer for South Africa: Cape Town, the Winelands and Kruger

A room of your own is from CAD 1,300 more than the shared price, shown up front before you book, with no surprise at checkout. Solo travellers join the same group, the same drives and the same tables as everyone else.

Answer for South Africa: Cape Town, the Winelands and Kruger

The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. On safari we ask the lodge for two open vehicles for our group, so there are no more than 6 guests in each and every seat is an outside seat, with a ranger driving and a tracker spotting.

Answer for South Africa: Cape Town, the Winelands and Kruger

Choose a start date and request to book. We check the lodge, hotels and flights and confirm your trip within 24 hours. No payment is taken until we confirm. The small group starts from CAD 7,670 per person sharing, taxes included.

Answer for South Africa: Cape Town, the Winelands and Kruger

No. Canadian passport holders can visit as tourists for up to 90 days without a visa. Your passport needs two blank pages and at least 30 days of validity after you leave South Africa. Other nationalities should check, and we send the current rules with your booking.

Answer for South Africa: Cape Town, the Winelands and Kruger

May to September, the dry winter, is easiest for game viewing: the bush thins and animals gather at water, though dawn drives are cold in June and July. April and October are warm and good too. Summer is hot, green and wet, with young animals and birds but thicker bush, so we run the small group from April to October.

Answer for South Africa: Kruger and the Panorama Route

Moderate fitness is enough. The hardest part is the Matobo rhino tracking, two to three hours on rocky, uneven ground, followed by a short granite climb to World's View. You also need to step in and out of a low mokoro and cope with early, cold starts and two long road days. Every walk, drive and boat trip can be sat out.

Answer for Southern Africa: Kruger, Matobo, Hwange, Victoria Falls, Chobe and the Okavango

Only if you want a room of your own, which is from CAD 1,150 more and shown before you book. If you would rather share, ask and we will try to match you with another solo traveller of the same gender. Solo travellers get the same seats, meals and guide as everyone else.

Answer for South Africa and Zimbabwe: Kruger, the Panorama Route and Victoria Falls

The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. On safari we put no more than 8 guests in an open vehicle and use two vehicles when the group is larger, and we rotate seats each drive so everyone gets time on the outside.

Answer for South Africa and Zimbabwe: Kruger, the Panorama Route and Victoria Falls