Your journey begins in the Thornybush Game Reserve, 14,000 hectares of untouched wilderness, at Saseka Tented Camp. This is a superior safari lodge in the private reserve and offers a spectacular bird-watching and game-viewing experience. Saseka is the Tsonga word for ‘beautiful’ and if you’re lucky, you might get to witness the majestic female leopard that resides in the surrounding area and goes by the same name.

Situated in an elevated position, this Thornybush tented camp flaunts sweeping views over a riverbed. Take up a seat at the bar, by the pool or perch on your private deck – you’ll be spoilt for choice in picking an area to relax and soak in the surroundings of the African bush.

Staying at Saseka Tented Camp is an intimate and exclusive affair. Between morning and afternoon game drives, relax on the main deck overlooking the dry riverbed where the wildlife roams nearby. Spend your days exploring this stunning reserve searching for the famed Big 5 and other fascinating species.

On your second day at Saseka Tented Camp, you will join a community tour at Nourish Eco Village, spending your morning engaging in cultural tourism. You will learn all about the various projects that support education and the livelihoods of the local community. This is an immersion into Shangaan culture: you can try your hand at mat weaving, taste traditional foods and local home-brewed beer, as well as meet a traditional healer (Sangoma).

You will arrive in Johannesburg today and be transferred to the Peech Hotel for your overnight stay in Johannesburg. Set within two acres in the residential suburb of Melrose, the Peech Hotel is a true boutique-style luxury stay. The mature garden is home to a quiet pool, and inside the hotel you’ll find cottage-esque rooms, decorated in rich African tones. The location feels both private and central being located near the city’s main shopping hubs and adjacent to boutiques, cafés and the park of Melrose.

Transfer from the Peech Hotel to the airport for your connecting flight to Tswalu Private Game Reserve on the edge of the Kalahari desert, where you spend four nights at the luxurious Motse Lodge.

A stay at Motse Lodge provides the chance to explore the beautiful and surprisingly diverse landscapes of the Kalahari. Malaria-free Tswalu is the largest private game reserve in South Africa and is home to lion, king cheetah, giraffe, pangolin, Cape buffalo and both the white rhino and the highly endangered black rhino. Smaller animals include the bat-eared fox and aardvark while the bird life is incredibly rich and varied. Enjoy game drives, guided dune walks and excursions to view San rock art, or treat yourself to a spa treatment or a spectacular hot-air balloon ride. Order an iced cocktail and relax by the swimming pool in the heat of the day.

During your stay at Tswalu Kalahari, you will visit the community clinic as well as the local pre-school and be introduced to the Tswalu Foundation’s research projects. The Tswalu Foundation has grown into a world leader in the field of environmental research within the southern Kalahari and attracts research teams from around the world.

In order to generate income for research, a core objective is to stimulate interest among guests through ongoing interaction with both researchers and staff. If available, you will have the chance to get involved in some of the wildlife projects on the go at the time of your travels. To end an already luxury safari experience, you will sleep out under Kalahari skies, surrounded by the calls of nocturnal animals, on the Malori sleepout deck.

Fly back to Johannesburg for your connecting flight home out of OR Tambo International Airport.