Kariega & Addo Big 5 Safari

Once you have arrived at Port Elizabeth International Airport, also known by its Xhosa name Gqeberha, or the Friendly City, your guide is waiting in the arrivals hall with a name board to help with your luggage, along with a local SIM card or currency exchange if needed.

You are then transferred to a beachfront hotel, where you spend two nights on a bed-and-breakfast basis. You might spend the rest of the day strolling along the coastline or exploring the nearby shopping centre.

At 7 am, you are collected from your hotel for the drive to the harbour for a full day marine safari, departing at 7:30 am and returning at around 5 pm. A light meal and water are served on board.

The cruise offers the chance to spot a variety of marine life, including several species of shark such as great whites, along with bottlenose, common and humpback dolphins, Southern right, humpback, Bryde's and minke whales, Cape fur seals, and a range of seabirds including African black oystercatchers, cormorants, terns, petrels, skuas, shearwaters and albatross.

Please note: sightings can't be guaranteed, as this depends on nature, though your skippers will do everything possible to give you the best experience.

Afterwards, you are transferred back to your hotel.

After a leisurely breakfast, you check out of your accommodation and are shuttled to the harbour for a half day at-sea tour of Algoa Bay, departing at around 8 am and returning by midday, lasting between 3 and 4 hours. You visit St Croix and Brenton Islands, home to the largest breeding colony of African penguins in the world, around 5,000 strong, giving you the chance to see these birds up close.

Afterwards, you are driven back to your hotel to collect your luggage before continuing along the N2 to Kariega Game Reserve, around a 2-hour drive, for a 3-night safari stay.

Please note: your lodge is a newly renovated 4-star property.

On arrival, you're welcomed with a drink and an orientation from a senior host, before relaxing over lunch ahead of your first afternoon safari in an open 4x4 vehicle. The day concludes with a deluxe dinner back at the lodge.

Today brings the second of six game drives across your 3-night stay, with early morning and late-night open-vehicle drives led by an experienced ranger. You look out for elephant, lion, rhino and buffalo, alongside smaller species such as the blue duiker and rock hyrax, as well as cheetah, hyena, hippo, giraffe, zebra, warthog and a range of antelope. Night drives bring the chance to spot more elusive nocturnal species, including the bat-eared fox, aardvark, black-backed jackal, aardwolf and spring hare.

Please note: river cruises, canoeing and fishing are also included between game drives, alongside plenty of time to relax by the pool, bird-watch from the observation deck, or unwind on your room's private veranda.

You continue your safari with further morning and evening game drives, tracking the reserve's resident wildlife, from elephant, lion, rhino and buffalo to smaller species like the blue duiker and rock hyrax, alongside cheetah, hyena, hippo, giraffe, zebra, warthog and antelope. Night drives offer the chance to spot nocturnal wildlife such as the bat-eared fox, aardvark, black-backed jackal, aardwolf and spring hare.

Please note: river cruises, canoeing and fishing remain included between drives, with time also available to relax by the pool, bird-watch, or spend time on your veranda.

After breakfast and a final morning game drive, you bid farewell to the reserve. You are driven back to the lodge's reception to meet your driver for the journey to Addo Elephant National Park, before continuing on to Port Elizabeth Airport.