ASIA TC JOURNEYS
South African Stories : Soweto, Safaris & the Sea
11 days | 2 adults
Trip highlights
Ride through Soweto with guides who live and work there, stopping at Vilakazi Street and sharing lunch in the community.
Hear local stories and see Zulu crafts made on a cultural visit near Ghost Mountain Inn.
Set out with a guide into Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, watching for the Big Five and the park’s southern white rhinos.
Cruise Lake Jozini beneath the Lebombo Mountains.
Snorkel and walk the forest at Thonga Beach Lodge, then finish beside Thompson’s Bay at Sala Beach House.
Created in partnership with sustainable tourism NGO, local voices shape this journey from the start. In Soweto, guides share the stories behind the streets and landmarks; near Mkuze, local hosts introduce Zulu craft and customs; in the reserves and along the coast, guides help you read the landscape, from signs of wildlife to the life of the reef.
Travel north from Johannesburg into Zululand, where a game drive and a Lake Jozini cruise bring the bush and mountains into view. Then leave your car at Sodwana Bay and continue by 4x4 to Thonga Beach Lodge, inside iSimangaliso Wetland Park. After three nights of coastal activities, drive south to Ballito for a final pause by the Indian Ocean.
Days 1-2: Johannesburg and Soweto
Arrive in Johannesburg and settle into The Peech Boutique Hotel in Rosebank. Your first day is free to recover from the flight or get your bearings in the neighbourhood.
The next day, head to Soweto for a guided tuk-tuk tour. Your guide lives and works in the community, and shares its history as you pass Vilakazi Street, the former homes of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, and other local landmarks. Stop for lunch at an outdoor restaurant, where stews or curries are served with pap and seasonal vegetables. On the way back, pass the Soweto Towers. Originally built in 1951 as part of the coal-fired Orlando Power Station, the brightly painted structures now host extreme sports, sweeping township views, and massive cultural murals.
Days 3-5: KwaZulu
Fly to Durban, collect your hire car and drive north to Ghost Mountain Inn, beneath the Lebombo Mountains. A local guide leads the inn’s cultural experience, introducing Zulu crafts and customs through demonstrations and stories from the area.
The following day, join a guide for a four-hour game drive in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. Look for the Big Five as you travel through a landscape with a deep connection to southern white rhino conservation. Lunch is included during the excursion.
On your third day, take to the water on a guided cruise of Lake Jozini. Watch the shoreline for birdlife and wildlife as the boat moves beneath the Lebombo range.
Days 6-8: iSimangaliso
Drive to the Sodwana Bay pick-up point and leave your car at the secure parking area. A 4x4 transfer takes you to Thonga Beach Lodge, set on Mabibi Bay within iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You’ll stay for three nights.
The lodge’s included activities take you from the beach into the surrounding landscape: guided snorkelling, forest walks and kayaking on Lake Sibaya. There’s also a cultural visit to Mabibi and a sundowner excursion by the lake. Turtle-tracking walks are available in season, from November to February. Between outings, take a swim or walk along Mabibi Bay.
Days 9-11: Ballito
After breakfast, return by 4x4 to the pick-up point, collect your car and drive south to Sala Beach House in Ballito for two nights. At nearby Thompson’s Bay, walk the shore or swim in the protected tidal pool. Spend your last full day at the coast before driving to King Shaka International Airport the following morning, returning your hire car and continuing your journey home.
