South Africa – Hazyview

Itinerary

Day 1 – 5 : Hulala Lakeside Lodge

You will be met by a representative of E-Coaches and transferred to Hulala Lakeside Lodge (approximately 2h30 minute drive). Check in on arrival and get settled. You will spend four nights at Hulala Lakeside Lodge. Enjoy the rest of the day and evening at leisure.

Situated on the shores of the Da Gama Lake, Hulala Lakeside Lodge is located in the most beautiful part of the Lowveld. The 28 suites have magnificent views overlooking the lake – each tastefully decorated, and equipped with satellite TV and tea/coffee making facilities. Mealtimes bring out the best of Hulala Lakeside Lodge. You can choose from an extensive breakfast menu served on the terrace or in the restaurant. A delicious pub lunch is served at the pool or under the trees alongside the impressive Rock Inn Bar. As the sun goes down, enjoy a cocktail in the lounge before entering the romantic Feathers Restaurant for a fine dining experience. All dishes are freshly prepared and cooked by our experienced chefs and offer and a wide range of culinary masterpieces to delight all palates. Hulala has a fleet of two-man canoes, peddle boats, rowing boats and bass boats for the anglers and the ever-popular “Sundowner Cruise” which departs daily in the late afternoon.

Seven species of Kingfisher, Egyptian Geese, African Jacana and the elusive Narina Trogan. News of hundreds of White-Fronted Bee-Eaters nesting in the embankment has travelled far, and visitors frequently pop in to photograph these birds. A recent addition to Hulala Lakeside Lodge is the 9-hole “Golf” Course – a mixture between croquet and golf – fun for everyone! There are walking trails along the dam’s edge on the property, with various shortcuts should you prefer an easy stroll. The walking trails take you through streams and over rocks and can take an hour to ninety minutes. There is a swimming pool…sunshine. Or you may wish to relax at the Boma on the water’s edge. After enjoying a sundowner drink on the veranda or in the lounge, head over to dinner.

Your stay is at the hotel is on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis. All extras are for your own account.

After breakfast on day 2 you will set out on your day trip to enjoy the sights of the world-renowned Panorama Route. This is a land of dramatic contrasts characterised by majestic mountains, primeval indigenous forests, later-day plantations and ancient mountain fortresses. The Panorama Route is one of the most beautiful and popular travel destinations in South Africa and leads through the rugged mountain range of the northern Drakensberg Mountains. You will set out early in the morning as visibility from certain view spots along this route can become clouded in towards the later part of the day.

The most spectacular stretch of the Panorama Route is the Blyde River Canyon. From many well-positioned vantage points, one has a view of the 33 km long gorge, which starts at “Bourke’s Luck Potholes” and ends at the “Three Rondavels”. There are also countless waterfalls to visit en route, the more spectacular of which is situated close to the town of Sabie.

Along the way, you will pass through the small town of Graskop, which was originally a gold mining settlement and is now a major forestry centre. Here you can stop and enjoy a break and one of the legendary pancakes served at Harrie’s Pancakes (lunch for your own expense.)

No tour of the Panorama Route would be complete without a visit to Pilgrims Rest, a historic old mining town set in the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains where a gold rush took place during 1873.

At the end of an exciting day, you will make your way back to your hotel in Hazyview for some relaxation time before heading to dinner. 

On day 3 you can enjoy a scrumptious breakfast before departing on your activity for the day. “The Big Swing” is situated in scenic Graskop, Mpumalanga, South Africa, nearby the small town of Sabie. The maximum weight on a tandem is 200 kg but the swing can handle this weight tenfold. 442 stairs ascending through the gorge and into the trees will take you back up to the top. Enjoy the stunning and unusual plants and bird life, as well as a few old car wrecks. To complement the swing, The Edge Bar, the multi-tiered deck on the opposite side of the gorge allows you to sit back and enjoy a drink while watching the jumpers! The Graskop Gorge Lift is the latest and most innovative tourism development in South Africa and the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Your journey begins as you drop off the grassy cliff top in a custom-designed 26-passenger viewing elevator. It travels 51m down the cliff face into the cool mountain forest below. An extensive network of elevated walkways, suspension bridges and interactive exhibits lead you along the 500 meter forest trail and across the streams. The site’s towering cliffs have been cut back over time by the Motitsi River, with the Panorama Gorge waterfall which plummets 70 meters into the gorge below.

The ride down with the elevator only takes a few minutes, but you can spend hours exploring the indigenous forest below. And one ticket is good for multiple daily rides down into the forest. The Lift Co Lifestyle Centre forms the gateway to the forest below and is made up of a number of small retail outlets, a community craft market, and a restaurant and bar area. These are perched on the cliff edge with spectacular views of the waterfall and forest below. Arriving at the Adventure Center, you will be introduced to your quad guide. The guide will then give you a briefing on how to operate the quad bike. There after you will get the opportunity to train on a flat track before you depart for your out ride. Even if you have never been on a quad bike, you will be able to get the hang of it quickly. For those who don’t want to drive their own quad bike can be a passenger behind a competent driver.

Return to your hotel late afternoon. After enjoying a sundowner drink on the veranda or in the lounge, head to dinner. 

After a scrumptious breakfast on day 4 you will depart on your activity for the day. Join the Microlight Flying Club in Hazyview and get a flip in a fixed-wing, fully enclosed, Bantam B22 J Microlight aircraft. Your experienced pilot (with more than 6,000 flying hours) will point out landmarks like the Northern Drakensberg and the thin green ribbon of the Sabie River below.

After enjoying a sundowner drink on the veranda or in the lounge back at the hotel, head into dinner on your last night.

Day 5 : transit

Wake up early and enjoy a delicious breakfast before checking out. You will be met by a representative of E-Coaches and transferred to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport in time for your connecting flight to Johannesburg. Transfer time to the Airport is approximately one hour.