Fly-In Kruger Safari

4 Days

Overview

Fly-in safaris are ideal if you’re short on time and you want to spend your days on game drives rather than travelling from one lodge to the next. Kruger is easily accessible from Johannesburg, with direct flights to many of the airstrips located in the private game reserves that ring the national park. You’ll be met by your ranger as your charter flight lands and be transferred directly to your lodge or tented camp. Just 2 hours after leaving the bustle of Joburg airport, you’ll be sitting in middle of the African bushveld with only the sounds of crickets singing and jackals calling to accompany your sundowner.

This 3 night safari, which can easily be extended or combined with other destinations, highlights the supreme safari experience of private reserves such as Sabi Sand and the affords you the opportunity to get up close to the Big Five for the most thrilling wildlife experience.

There are two accommodation options to choose from for your fly-in safari: 5 star luxury lodges or the more affordable tented camps. The luxury lodges offer an indulgent stay that includes private decks and plunge pools, outdoor star baths, pampering spas and bedecked tree houses. The emphasis is on opulence mixed with comfort and you’ll quite easily feel like royalty with all the attention. The tented camps provide a slightly different but no less satisfying experience. They are still luxurious, but the emphasis is on being at one with the bush instead of basking in your ivory tower above it. Some camps have no electricity and are powered by generators during certain times. Some are unfenced with nothing but an elephant wire between you and the animals, making for some thrilling encounters. Many camps have luxury tents as well as paired-down safari tents, so you’re still able to safari in classic style and comfort if that’s your preference.

You will be met on arrival at Johannesburg airport and transferred to the Federal Air charter lounge for your flight to Kruger. Once you've checked in at the lounge, you can repack and store excess baggage if necessary before your charter flight. After a short flight to the private reserve, you will be met by your ranger at the airstrip and transferred directly to your lodge or tented camp for check in where cool refreshments will be waiting for you.

What to Expect on Safari:

You will arrive at the lodge or camp in time for lunch. After a delicious meal, you’ll have some time to relax and enjoy your surroundings before your evening game drive. As the shimmering heat of the bushveld starts to ease up, you’ll meet with your fellow guests and rangers for afternoon tea before heading out on your evening game drive.

The drive departs the lodge just before sunset. You’ll catch some day-loving animals winding down, perhaps around a waterhole or heading into the bush towards their dens, before you stop to enjoy the sunset in a bush clearing or vantage point on your drive. You’ll be allowed to get out of the vehicle while you enjoy a sundowner and some time to stretch your legs. As the sky gets dark, you’ll continue on your game drive into the inky black bush where nocturnal animals are on the move. Your ranger drives the vehicle while the tracker is up front looking out for spoor and using a powerful spotlight to spot the animals.

The timing of dinner that evening is determined by what happens on your game drive. If your tracker spots lions hunting or a pack at a kill site, your dinner will wait. You’ll have a chance to freshen up on your return to your lodge or camp before dinner. Dinner will be served in the boma, on a terrace overlooking the savannah or other venue depending on the weather. Your ranger usually joins you for dinner and the camp fire stories have been known to continue late into the night.

Your wakeup call in the morning is usually between 05h30 and 06h00 depending on the season. You’ll meet your ranger and tracker for early morning tea and coffee before heading out on safari. It’s an exciting time of the day and anticipation is always high – what’s waiting for you? A pack of lions ravaging a fresh kill, a breeding herd of elephants drinking at a waterhole or a shy giraffe quietly munching on the tall trees as the sun peeks over the horizon.

After your morning drive you’ll return for a sumptuous and much needed breakfast. Depending on the season and the rules of the reserve, many lodges offer a bush walk with an armed tracker. This gives you a chance to concentrate on the smaller animals that are easily missed in a vehicle. During the day you’ll have all the time in the world to relax and unwind, either in a cool corner of the lodge or in a sparkling swimming pool to bring some relief from the intense heat.

After your morning game drive and breakfast you will be transferred to the lodge airstrip for your return flight to Johannesburg.

This fly-in safari can be combined with other destinations - Mozambique for a luxurious bush & beach break or Cape Town and Victoria Falls for a Southern African highlights tour.

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