Day 1 – Thursday 4 August: Sawubona South Africa

Sawubona! The most common and beautiful greeting in Zulu (one of the 11 official languages in South Africa), which means ‘I see you’, ‘you are important to me’ and ‘I value you’. A warm welcome to the Soul Safari Retreat ‘Soulful South Africa’. Today you arrive at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. Johannesburg is a big city with a long name, so it has a lot of nice nicknames too: Jozi, Joburg, Joni, Joeys or simply JHB. Joburg is a lively, bustling, creative city with a not so funny image and a sharp edge, that’s for sure. A bad image unfortunately too. Joburg is a city of hope, now and in the past. Joburg was discovered by gold and diamond diggers. Today, Johannesburg is called the City of Gold or Egoli and is Africa’s economic powerhouse. Depending on your flight schedule, you will arrive in the late evening and be able to dive straight into a soft bed in Safari Club SA, our guest house for the first night. If your flight arrives earlier in the day, you can visit the Apartheid Museum, an impressive museum dedicated to the dark days of the Apartheid regime, which has left its mark on South Africa intensely. When you buy an entrance ticket, you will receive a ticket for the ‘blankes’ (the white people) or the ‘nie-blankes’ (the non white people). You will feel how the Apartheid was like for the people of South Africa (please express your interest in advance, optional payable activity). Or do you prefer relaxation? Enjoy the homely ambiance of Safari Club and prepare yourself for a soul shining South African safari.

Day 3 – Saturday 6 August: The best of the Panorama Route & Discover your wild heart

After breakfast we leave for a full morning of exploring the spectacular Panorama Route, one of the most beautiful road trips in the world! The Panorama Route in Mpumalanga is named after its unbelievable views situated around every corner. The mountainous escarpment provides us with stunning vistas of the Lowveld. This wonderful morning includes sights such as God’s Window, a picturesque viewpoint called due its pure beauty contained in one view;  Bourke’s Luck Potholes with its extraordinary rock formations; the highest waterfall of Mpumalanga, Lisbon Falls; the Blyde River Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in the world and the famous Three Rondavels.  Re-wild your spirit with nature experiences that leave you breathless! Afterwards it’s time for the bush! We will check-in in Little Africa Lodge. Our home for incredible safaris in Blue Canyon Private Game Reserve, only a few minutes away from Greater Kruger, adjacent to Kruger National Park. We sleep in luxury safari tents, built on the banks of the Moditlo River. Settle into your elegant tent and enjoy lunch. After lunch we start our first game drive, which you are undoubtedly looking forward to. Ready for the wilderness, full of action and wildlife? You climb in open safari jeeps for an afternoon and evening full of adventure under the guidance of professional rangers who explain to us the rules and life in the bush. Your eyes focused on the bushes, you hear a rustling noise and suddenly the ranger stops at a magnificent sighting. A family of elephants, sleeping lions, a group of zebras, giraffes feeding on leaves in the trees. Adventure and full hearts guaranteed. The smells, the sounds, the call of the birds; the bush is getting ready for the night. We will find a beautiful sundowner spot and enjoy a skemerkelkie (a crisp South African g&t or glass of wine, a beer or a soft drink) with tasty bites. We see the sun disappear at the horizon, to make room for the moon and the stars. A delicious dinner awaits us at the lodge. Afterwards we tell safari stories around the campfire and make plans for a new safari day to come. Time to go to bed. Sweet safari dreams!

Day 5 – Monday 8 August: Take the road less travelled

After an early breakfast we say goodbye to Little Africa Safari Lodge. We leave for Leshiba Mountain Retreat, a hidden gem situated in the Soutpansberg Mountains and our home for the next three nights. Once we arrive at the foot of the mountain, 4×4’s and their drivers will pick us up in the afternoon to take the steep path to Venda Art Lodge, on your left and right you will see deep gorges, valleys, cliffs, vast plains and canyons. Venda Art Lodge is an authentic traditional village re-created by internationally renowned artist Noria Mabasa. This artistic wonderland of sculpted walls, seating areas, figures and entrances breathes the mystical spirit of Venda. Settle into your room, enjoy the pool with panoramic views and take time for yourself. Soak up some soul & solo time. Enjoy a delicious tea or coffee with cake and get ready for the afternoon game drive in Leshiba. We can expect to see giraffes with long eyelashes, dazzling zebras, crazy wildebeests, regal kudu and with a bit of luck the shy leopards. Some of the antelopes to be spotted are: kudu, waterbuck, impala, red duiker, Sharpe’s grysbok and klipspringer. Enjoy a magical sunset with bubbles, a delicious dinner and a good night’s sleep under a blanket of millions of stars. 

Day 7 – Wednesday 10 August: Bushman rock art, slow down & soul food

After breakfast, we put on our hiking boots for a rock art & tour. This is a guided archaeological walk. We will discover several Bushman (San) rock paintings and Khoi hand and foot paintings. The rock paintings are between 200 and 2000 years old and provide evidence of the first inhabitants of this mystical region. We learn more about medicinal plants and their natural healing power, we track animals, go birding and get to know all about the history and archaeology of the region. In the afternoon it’s  YOU time! Rest & relax. Book a massage (please express your interest in advance, optional paying activity). Slow down & find your tranquil spirit. In the evening, we will taste the delicious soul food typical of the Limpopo region during a cooking workshop. Nighty night! 

Day 9 – Friday 12 augustus: Soweto Tour & Time to Say Goodbye

We have breakfast in the trendy Hallmark House. We pack our luggage and drive to Soweto. Soweto stands for South Western Townships and includes a cluster of several townships southwest of Johannesburg, the largest township in the country and a true metropolis of over 5 million inhabitants. A visit to Soweto might sound scary! A lively mix of a turbulent history and a hard African street life, from modern villas with expensive cars in the driveway to slums with corrugated iron roofs, but above all, encounters with friendly and smiley residents. We explore all the highlights of Soweto: we have a panoramic view of Soweto from the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital (the largest hospital on the African continent). We visit the Hector Pieterson monument in Orlando West commemorating the uprisings on 16 June 1967, when hundreds of children and young people lost their lives in protests against the education system during the Apartheid regime. Not to miss is the former home of freedom fighter Nelson Mandela and the house of Archbishop Desmond Tutu in Vilakazi Street. Soweto is the only place in the world where no less than two Nobel Prize winners lived in the same street. Soweto must be experienced with your own eyes! Receiving high fives from playing kids, tasting a home-brewed beer in a shabeen (small café) with an African mama, taking a look in old workers’ houses, attending street dance performances, tasting chicken legs at a local food stall, admiring the colourful streets with street art, the souvenir shops of artists… For a fun and exciting twist, we will explore this bustling township either on bikes or from a tuk tuk. We end this special morning and the Soul Safari Retreat ‘Soulful South Africa’ with a feast of typical South African dishes. On the menu is pap, chakalaka, boerewors and potjiekos (stews). The Soul Safari Retreat comes to an end. We are driving to OR Tambo International airport & wave our guide goodbye. South Africa is the place where you can find your soul again. I hope South Africa touched your soul deeply. The inspiring people who coloured our journey, gave meaning to our retreat. South Africa makes you understand things and puts events into perspective. The beautiful nature on the Panorama Route caused wonder and many wow moments. The unique wildlife encounters are memories we will always cherish in our hearts. Take the slow rhythm and the feeling of being one with nature home. Surf the waves of emotions that South Africa brought you. Soul FULL South Africa.