Southern Africa: The Rhythm of Africa

This morning your guides will pick you up no later than 9:30 am at the Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport or at your hotel. Then we transfer 4 hours to Mt Anderson Reserve - we'll lunch in Dullstroom on the way. We’ll have an opportunity to settle into our stunning location, prep our bikes, and enjoy a sundowner on the terrace. The Golden cottage is a luxurious ranch style homestead, catering for a max of 6 guests in 3 double en-suite rooms. Trust us you'll love it.

We're on holiday, so no wake up calls here. After a light breakfast we climb to above 2000m. We emerge on highland plains and cruise down winding trails, herding eland, wildebeest and zebra as we go, eventually dropping into the Spekboom river valley. We break for a swim and lunch and head back to the cottage for well deserved siesta. We ride mostly testing single track, in pristine highland wilderness (up to 2000m), at a relaxed pace with plenty of stops to soak up the views. We may encounter wildlife including zebra, black wildebeest, baboons, reedbuck, jackal and eland.

After breakfast we ride the Bushman's trail - short steep climbs, winding single track along an escarpment with dramatic views of the valley below, through late 1800s gold prospecting scars, flowing descents with some technical and steep sections, past San rock art and over stream bridges. We'll lunch on the trail and be back at the cottage in the afternoon for down time.

We wake to a hearty breakfast and set for perhaps the biggest day’s ride of the trip. Over Olifant’s Nek we descend the course of the upper Blyde River mostly on forestry dirt roads, through unparalleled vistas, as it tumbles down to the 1800’s Gold mining town of Pilgrims Rest. We lunch in a local tavern and have the afternoon to explore the historical village. We spend the night in the Pilgrims Rest Royal Hotel.

We depart early for the 5hr drive to Pont Drift border post where we meet the Botswana team. After sandwiches and packing the land cruisers we ride to our 1st wilderness camp. The wilderness camps are set up prior to our arrival and contain basic amenities to offer comfort without distracting from the wilderness experience. Meals prepared on open fires, hot water bucket showers, camp cots and cold beers all add up to a comfortable and exhilarating night out.

We awake at sunrise to a breakfast of yogurt, cereals, toast and fruit. We ride a variation of paths and trails to reach the next camp by lunchtime. We relax during the midday hours and then enjoy a sundowner from a vantage point in the afternoon. The riding at Mashatu is very relaxed where we ride for approximately 4 to 5 hrs a day, with many stops en-route. We often encounter wildlife including elephants, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, impala, kudu, eland among others and occasionally we see lions and leopards. The group is guided by 2 armed guides and we ride to certain safety protocols. A back-up vehicle is in radio contact with the group at all times.

After a breakfast and home brewed coffee, we ride, our last of the trip, out to the sandstone ridges of the Limpopo valley, through stellar moonscapes and gardens of Eden. We’ll arrive at our Kgotla camp where we’ll enjoy an afternoon of relaxation and a final epic sunset. Tonight we’ll head out for a game drive to view some predators from the comfort of the Land Rovers.

We wake up at leisure, breakfast and pack bikes. We'll return to Pont Drift border post for the drive back to Johannesburg for your flight home or to your hotel. **We will return to the Johannesburg Airport by 6pm on this day. For those heading to Kruger Park, it’s an easy road transfer to Pafuri Camp in the northern Kruger National Park. We’ll fit in a short siesta before we head out to explore baobab studded ridges, acacia forests, floodplains and mature woodlands that’s abound with wildlife. Pafuri offers meru-style en-suite tents set on the banks of the perennial Levuvhu River. This is the ideal end to 8 days in the saddle and caps off your trip with an exciting safari experience. Wonderful accommodation, fine cuisine, massage and superb wildlife viewing makes this a great addition to this riding holiday.

We enjoy a full day at Pafuri starting with an early game drive, returning for a sumptuous brunch. We’ll while away the midday poolside, or with cocktails on the deck before embarking on our final sunset drive.

We will wake at leisure and enjoy breakfast on the deck. Today we head back to Johannesburg and a farewell to new discovered friends. We’ll arrive back in Jo’Burg at 6pm and can drop you off at the airport for your evening flight home, or at your hotel.