Day to Day Itinerary

Day 1  
You will be picked up at either Hoedspruit or Phalaborwa airport by our transfer service.  On arrival  a light lunch or afternoon tea and coffee awaits you. The  team, including Philip, Gerti, Debbie and Trevor are there to welcome you. Philip, your guide, will introduce you to the safety procedures before going on your first riding safari. This orientation ride takes you through the area surrounding the camp as you unwind from your journey and forget yourself in the peace of the African bush. This is your chance to become accustomed to our horses and riding style. We might even see the first giraffe or zebra. Sundowners, looking out towards the Drakensberg Mountains, are a perfect prelude to the generous 3 course dinner, accompanied by hand-picked South African wines, which awaits you in our dining area, furnished with antique African art. The first night, with all its fantastic sounds and noises, is probably the most exciting one. Accommodation for these first two nights are in old style safari tents with ensuite bathrooms, mounted on platforms above the Makhutswe River at the main camp. 
Day 2
We wake you with tea or coffee in the morning. After a light, continental breakfast we are ready to mount our horses and go on safari. When we hear a leopard roaring in the night, Philip looks for tracks in the riverbed to show you this impressive cat. An elephant spoor might lead you through the river systems or a rhino track will take you to the open savannahs and invite you for a sporty long canter. The thrills of the morning’s sightings are relived over lunch, served on Wait a little's terrace. Fresh salads, homemade breads, pizzas and quiches are served together with light meats and cheeses amply satisfy the hunger brought on by a long ride. On our afternoon ride, Philip all of a sudden stops, fresh tracks… cheetah. He immediately follows the route to go and look for this beautiful cat, the fastest animal in the world. If we are lucky we can follow them hunting or join their peaceful repose as they relax on a termite mount.
Day 3
Waking to the rich colors of the sunrise we get ready for a long ride. Entering the Greater Makalali Game Reserve, dominated by huge open planes, where you might find yourself cantering next to giraffes, zebras or wildebeest. Spectacular views, over big distances show you the way to Tandane, our camp for the next two nights. Our arrival at camp is heralded by the first glimpses of thatched spires through the trees. As it gradually reveals itself, it seems to have been inspired by Africa herself: red like the soil, white like the bones, brown like the branches, orange and grey like the rocks. Designed by one of Africa’s most famous architects, Silvio Rech, all of Makalali’s camps have been built using the natural materials found around their locations: clay, reeds, wood and skulls have been put to innovative use to make these camps unique, yet firmly nestled in their surroundings. As with all the Makalali camps, accommodation is in private chalets, each equipped with en-suite bathrooms, outdoor showers and private salas for your relaxation.
The afternoon siesta is followed by a game drive, orientated towards searching for lions. An open top land rover will follow the directions of your native tracker as he reads the signs left by the big cats during the day. After a long, slow Gin, watching the sunset, the drive continues into the night, where, with luck, some of the nocturnal wildlife will show its face. Bushbabies, owls, maybe even a leopard, may complete your day’s excitement.
Dinner is served by Martha, our camp manager, and cooked by Makalali’s chefs, famous for their fuse a mixture of European and African flavors.
Day 4
Today we go exploring, cutting through the veldt at a canter, twisting and turning around the trees “what Philip calls bushwhacking” and your surefooted horse carries you nimbly through the undergrowth, changing direction as you guide his course, having just as much fun as you. Here and there a tree, felled by an elephant, provides an irresistible jump. Or perhaps the eland, kudu or wildebeest seeing us pass, fall in front of us to show us the best path. At the top of the hill you pause for thought, as mile after mile of unspoiled Africa stretches away before you.
Served on banana leaves, we have fresh salads, meats and cheeses for lunch on Makalali’s veranda, whilst we watch nyala, waterbuck, kudu or other little animals roaming the river systems.
Refreshed after a well deserved siesta, we ride to a nearby dam, where Hippos live during the heat of the day. Let them entertain you, playing in the water, rolling and laughing. With luck, a crocodile is relaxing on a sandbank, enjoying the warm evening sun.
Day 5
Leaving Tandane, we cross the river to our next camp, Phiva. Arguably the most spectacular, in very tough company, Phiva has a magical atmosphere and a stunning location. It opens out onto a small dam, offering a haven to Hippos and crocodiles during the summer and to a myriad of birdlife, all year round. Various species of kingfisher, storks, and raptors live in the vicinity providing a continuing display during the quieter hours. Returning to camp from a lovely stroll along the river, we wait with more than a passing appetite, for the delights of dinner, served alternately at the water’s edge, in an outdoor boma, or in the dining area.
Day 6
Today we prepare ourselves for a full day adventure as we ride to a huge open savannah. The preferred haunt of many plains game such as Giraffe and zebra, this is one of the most open areas in the reserve and offers fabulous opportunities galloping amongst the game. On top of the escarpment, Gerti and Debbie await you with a new set of horses as well as a well deserved lunch. In the shade of one of the African giants here, we are snacking contentedly on the delicious selection sent from camp. After a snooze, with a saddle for a pillow, we mount our fresh horses for our return to camp.           
Day 7     
Today we direct ourselves toward a more northerly part of the reserve and the luxuries of Garonga safari camp. Tucked into the edge of a steep cliff, overlooking a tributary stream, Garonga is different again to what we have so far experienced. Fusing the familiar sight of the termite mound with the light, airy, feel of an old, colonial expedition, Garonga spoils you for tranquil relaxation. Owned and run by Bernardo Smith, the camp is particularly personal in its approach and your every desire can be catered for here.
Our long ride this morning will have seen us cantering through the grassy plains and tracking over the hills and valleys that rise between the camps. Long hours in the saddle, over numerous days, mean that you will definitely have earned the right to spoil yourself with an aromatherapy treatment by Bianca this afternoon. Or perhaps a long siesta and a strong sundowner is more to your taste! There is even a “bush bath” set in the veldt, in which you can wash away the smell of leather, up to your ears in bubbles, whilst listening to the sounds around you. Whatever helps you more, you are free to choose how you spend this afternoon before rejoining the party for another excellent meal. Dinners are served as a group, where all guests of the lodge eat together, or individually, as a party in the torch lit boma.
Day 8
After all that pampering yesterday afternoon, we are fit again for another full day ride. Today we head out towards Garonga’s tree house. Our route takes us over one of the highest points in the reserve: the view from this point is truly bird’s-eye and can only emphasize the sheer grandeur of the immense space around us. Literally coming off the top of the world, we are once more embraced by the bush as we venture deeper and deeper into the world we have just surveyed. Coming across a dam we watch some hippos cavorting in the water before we casually look up: waiting for us, half way up a Marula tree, is Bernie and the rest of the team. A true, old style picnic has been laid out for us on the deck, so we can continue watching life on the water from our eagle-eyed vantage point. Our horses wait patiently below, snacking on their own, natural picnic from the veldt, until we choose to head off, in pursuit once more of Africa’s finest.   
Day 9
Whatever has thrilled us most so far can be tracked again this morning as we ride out with the sun on our backs to warm us. Perhaps the elephants are snoozing in the river reeds, or a rhino is having a mud bath in one of the little waterholes. With our return to camp we have ample time to gather our thoughts before embarking on the afternoon’s activity. Again, this is your choice – perhaps a bird walk appeals, another game drive to search for something not yet encountered or another relaxed afternoon by the pool.
Day 10
Today promises to be another full day in the saddle as we make our way across the reserve for our return to the base.
At home, the team eagerly awaits our exciting tales, which are the perfect accompaniment to one last, sad farewell sundowner. The African fever is sure to have taken hold and the good bye can be hard. But it mustn’t be pre-empted, for there is one last sumptuous dinner to be enjoyed, when Gerti chooses something special – perhaps game fillets, such as Kudu or Eland – to crown the final evening.
Day 11
An early wake up will get us on the horses quickly, so we can enjoy a short, sporty ride before the transfer service brings you to the Airport.