4 Night Walking Safari Trail (IA03)

About the tour

Accommodation

Wildlife

Attractions

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

About the tour

The four night, 5 Day walking safari trail includes one night's accommodation at Rhino Post Safari Lodge, and two nights at Plains luxury tented camp, one night being a sleepout (weather permitting). Accommodation order may also change upon availability.

Accommodation

• Rhino Post Safari Lodge :
Located on the banks of the dry Mutlumuvi riverbed, Rhino Post Safari Lodge's eight suites loom above the riverbank, raised up on stilts that afford them views of the surrounding vegetation and wildlife. Open plan, thatch roofed suites are completed with en suite bathrooms (bath, basins, separate toilet and an outdoor shower), bedroom, living room and kitchen

• Plains Camp accommodation :
Located in a wilderness concession overlooking the spectacular Timbitene Plain & waterhole, Plains Camp is immersed in an Acacia Knobthorn thicket, and offers four comfortably furnished African explorer style tents, with en suite bathrooms and hot running water. Generators and a back-up battery system supply power to overhead fans and lighting, and can be used to re-charge camera batteries.

The concession is an environmentally sensitive area previously unexplored, with a huge diversity of both fauna and flora - an ideal setting for wilderness walking safaris in an internationally renowned Big Five viewing area

Wildlife

Big Five (elephant, rhino, bufallo, leopard and lion) are sometimes spotted in the area, along with wildebeest, impala , kudu, cheetah, giraffe, hyena, tsesebe, zebra, chacma baboons, and very occasional African Wild Dog.

Attractions

Rhino Post Safari Lodge offers game viewing and the opportunity to watch game from the deck while relaxing on the patio.

The lodge itself is proud of its Enviromentally freindly status, specifically built to create minimal impact in the environment - this includes very few permanent structures, the use of low energy lighting, natural materials, and raised walkways and bedrooms.

Plains camp facilitates most of the walking sections of this trail, as well as the sleepout, which is very popular.

Day 1

• Rhino Post Safari Lodge serves as the meeting point for day one, and guests are requested to arrive no later than 2PM in order to make a speedy transfer to Plains Camp in the open 4 x 4. Guests travelling from Johannesburg are advised to have departed by 7AM at the latest in order to make good time

• After arriving, guests are afforded a short window in which to explore the camp itself. High tea is served, followed by a brief on bush walking safari 'do's & don't's', conducted by the lodge's expert guides

• Following this, a pair of armed rangers escort guests on their introductory walk, later returning to sundowners and a short night drive

Day 2

• The early morning wake up call is softened with coffee, tea and rusks, before the group departs again for the next walk. Guides take to sharing their extensive understanding of the area and its culture, identifying animals, trees, grasses, insects, birds, the medicinal uses of plants, local folk lore and basic tracking and survival skills. In order to avoid the midday heat, the three to four hour walks are conducted almost exclusively in the early mornings and late afternoons

• After a light snack on the walk, guests settle into brunch back at camp. Spend the hot hours in between walks enjoying the camp's Africana book collection, or cool off in the plunge pool while watching the regular passage of zebra, buffalo, giraffe, elephant, rhino and lion. The afternoon safari ends with the group setting up camp on a set of raised platforms, and sleeping underneath the stars for the evening. Dinner is prepared on an open fire while guests watch as wildlife congregate around the watering hole

Day 3

• Light snacks are served before the group heads back to Plains Camp

• Brunch is followed by the chance to grab a shower, before packing up and transferring back to Rhino Post Safari Lodge

• Refreshments are served upon arrival, followed by brief introductions to the lodge. Guests are then escorted to their rooms

• After settling in, guests are invited to high tea, and then an afternoon / evening game drive

• Sundowner drinks are enjoyed under a reddening African sky before setting back off into the night to spot some of the nocturnal residents

• Dinner and conversation are enjoyed on the deck back at the lodge before guests retire for the evening

Day 4

• Following another early morning wake up call (with its much needed coffee and snacks) the group departs for a sunrise game drive

• Brunch follows, with the opportunity for a midday siesta before high tea is served. The group then departs on a late afternoon drive, keeping clear of the midday heat

• The evening sees guests enjoying another delicious dinner and each other's conversation, before heading off to bed once more

Day 5

• Early wake-up calls are made before fresh coffee or tea and muffins are served in the lounge

• The group sets off again for another early morning game drive, with a stop being made midway for coffee or tea in the bush and one last opportunity to spot some of Africa's finest wildlife

• Brunch is served upon return to the lodge

Pricing

2 nights at Rhino Post Safari Lodge

2 nights at Plains Camp (luxury tents)

Walking safaris in an internationally renowned Big Five area

Afternoon / evening game drive

01 Sep 2009 - 30 Apr 2010 : Per person sharing	$1,349
01 May 2010 - 03 Jun 2010 : Per person sharing	$1,249
04 Jun 2010 (World Cup) and after : Per person sharing	$1,483