South Africa, Eswatini & Lesotho — Self-Launched 20-Day Overland

Start early in Pretoria and take a shuttle or intercity bus (Intercape/Greyhound-style coach, or a shared shuttle booked via your hostel) east to Nelspruit/Mbombela — roughly 4.5 hours, £18–25. From Nelspruit pick up a minibus taxi or a pre-booked budget shuttle to Hazyview (£8–12). If you have your own wheels or hire a car for this leg, drive the Panorama Route yourself: Blyde River Canyon viewpoints (Bourke's Luck Potholes, God's Window, Three Rondavels) are R30–R60 each. Overnight in a Hazyview backpackers — dorm beds run £12–18. Self-cater or grab a braai dinner at the hostel.

🚌Intercity coach Pretoria–Mbombela (~£20) + minibus taxi/shuttle to Hazyview (~£10)

🛏Hazyview backpackers dorm or budget guesthouse (~£15/night)

• →Panorama Route self-drive or shuttle viewpoints
• →Blyde River Canyon (God's Window, Bourke's Luck Potholes, Three Rondavels)

Book a self-drive day permit at Kruger's Phabeni or Numbi gate (SANParks conservation fee ~£22/day for international visitors) or join a shared open-vehicle day safari from Hazyview (£60–85 including park fees, booked via GetYourGuide or your hostel). A hostel-arranged sunset drive in a SANParks vehicle costs ~£25–35 extra. Do morning and afternoon loops along the Sabie and Skukuza roads — Big Five sightings are realistic but never guaranteed. Pack your own lunch and plenty of water.

🚌Hostel shuttle or own car to Kruger gate (~£8)

🛏Hazyview backpackers dorm or budget guesthouse (~£15/night)

• →Morning game drive in Kruger
• →Afternoon game drive in Kruger
• →Optional SANParks sunset drive (~£30)

Second day in the park — either self-drive again (cheaper if you've hired a car and split costs) or take a second shared day safari focusing on a different region (Lower Sabie and Crocodile Bridge are excellent for predators). In the evening, join a SANParks night drive from a camp like Skukuza or Pretoriuskop (~£25–35), which is the best value way to see nocturnal wildlife. Back to Hazyview for the night.

🚌Hostel shuttle or own car to Kruger gate (~£8)

🛏Hazyview backpackers dorm or budget guesthouse (~£15/night)

• →Full day self-drive or guided game viewing
• →SANParks night drive

Take a minibus taxi or shuttle from Hazyview to Nelspruit, then a minibus to the Manzini/Mbabane area in Eswatini (about 3–4 hours total including border formalities at Matsamo or Jeppe's Reef; most nationalities get a free 30-day entry stamp). From Manzini take a local kombi to Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary (£3–5). Mlilwane is Eswatini's oldest reserve and you can walk and cycle freely among zebra, wildebeest and warthog. Book a beehive hut or Rest Camp rondavel (£20–30) or a dorm bed (~£12). Self-cater at the camp kitchen.

🚌Minibus Hazyview–Manzini (~£12) + kombi to Mlilwane (~£4) + border crossing

🛏Mlilwane Rest Camp rondavel or dorm (~£20/night)

• →Arrive Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary
• →Self-guided walking trails among plains game

Hire a mountain bike at the sanctuary (~£10/day) or walk the trails at dawn. In the afternoon head into Lobamba to see the Royal Enclosure (Somhlolo National Stadium area) and visit the Swaziland National Museum (£2–4), or arrange a local village walk/community tour through the camp (~£12–18). Optional extras: horse riding at Mlilwane (~£20/hr) or a guided game walk. Birdlife here is excellent and it's all very low-key compared with Kruger.

🚌Local kombi/taxi to Lobamba (~£3)

🛏Mlilwane Rest Camp rondavel or dorm (~£20/night)

• →Cycling or hiking in Mlilwane
• →Royal Enclosure & Lobamba village visit
• →Swaziland National Museum
• →Optional horse riding (~£20)

Retrace your steps to Manzini, cross back into South Africa and take a coach/minibus down to Richards Bay or Mtubatuba, then a local taxi to St Lucia (total 7–8 hours, £20–28). Book a St Lucia backpackers dorm (£12–16). In the late afternoon, join a two-hour boat cruise on the St Lucia estuary (~£18–22 direct with operators like ShakaBarker or Advantage Tours) — hippos, crocodiles and prolific birdlife are near-guaranteed.

🚌Kombi/coach Manzini–Mtubatuba (~£22) + local taxi to St Lucia (~£5)

🛏St Lucia backpackers dorm (~£15/night)

• →St Lucia estuary boat cruise (self-booked, ~£20)
• →iSimangaliso Wetland Park

A slow day: walk the beaches, swim, and explore the iSimangaliso Eastern Shores (self-drive or join a half-day tour, ~£30–45) for more game viewing including rhino and buffalo. Optional night-drive to spot leopards and hyenas (~£25–35). Self-cater at the hostel and use the free time to plan the Durban and Drakensberg legs — book Baz Bus or a coach ticket online in advance.

🚌Walking/bicycle locally; optional self-drive

🛏St Lucia backpackers dorm (~£15/night)

• →Beach day
• →Optional iSimangaliso Eastern Shores tour
• →Optional night drive

Take a taxi to Mtubatuba and a coach or Baz Bus down to Durban (~3 hours, £12–18). Stay in a hostel around Florida Road or Umhlanga's Backpackers (£15–20 dorm). Spend the afternoon on the Golden Mile beachfront promenade (free), dip into the Victoria Street Market for spices and curios, or splash out on uShaka Marine World (~£18). In the evening try a Durban bunny chow (£5–7) — the city's signature dish.

🚌Taxi + coach St Lucia–Durban (~£15)

🛏Durban or Umhlanga hostel dorm (~£17/night)

• →Golden Mile beachfront walk
• →Victoria Street Market
• →Optional uShaka Marine World (~£18)
• →Bunny chow dinner

Take a shuttle from Durban/Pietermaritzburg to Underberg or Himeville (£15–22, ~3 hours; book with a local operator or your hostel). Alternatively hire a car for the Drakensberg leg, which makes the Sani Pass day and the drive north much easier. Afternoon walking trails from Underberg — the Emerald Stream and Drakensberg foothills walks are free and easy. Overnight in a budget guesthouse or hostel (£18–25).

🚌Shuttle Durban–Underberg (~£18)

🛏Underberg/Himeville budget guesthouse (~£20/night)

• →Afternoon foothill walking trails
• →Village wander in Himeville

The highlight of the trip and one to book ahead: a full-day 4x4 Sani Pass tour from Underberg up Lesotho's notorious gravel pass (~£65–85 including Lesotho entry, a Basotho village visit, a traditional lunch of samp and beans, and a walk toward the Thabana Ntlenyana highlands). You cannot drive this road in a normal car — a guided 4x4 is the only sensible option. Bring a passport, warm layers (the top sits at 2,874 m) and cash for the border and village crafts. Back in Underberg for dinner.

🚌Included 4x4 vehicle up Sani Pass

🛏Underberg/Himeville budget guesthouse (~£20/night)

• →Sani Pass 4x4 ascent
• →Black Mountain & Thabana Ntlenyana viewpoints
• →Basotho village and shearing shed visit with traditional lunch

Drive or shuttle north via the KwaZulu-Natal Battlefields (4–5 hours). Stop at Rorke's Drift and Isandlwana — a local battlefield guide at Rorke's Drift museum charges around £10–15 for a 90-minute tour that's genuinely worth it. Push on to the Royal Natal area around Bergville/Phuthadijhaba and stay at a backpackers such as Amphitheatre Backpackers (£15–20 dorm). Self-cater or join the hostel's communal dinner.

🚌Shared shuttle or hired car Underberg–Bergville (~£25)

🛏Northern Drakensberg backpackers dorm (~£18/night)

• →Rorke's Drift & Isandlwana battlefield sites
• →Local battlefield guide (~£12)

A full day of hiking in Royal Natal National Park (entry ~£4): the Tugela Falls / Amphitheatre chain ladders route is a long day, or keep it easier with the Cascades and Tiger Falls trails. Free trails if you hike independently; a local guide costs ~£20–30 if you want one. This is one of the best-value hiking days of the whole trip — pack lunch and plenty of water.

🚌Local taxi or hostel shuttle to the park gate (~£6)

🛏Northern Drakensberg backpackers dorm (~£18/night)

• →Hiking Tugela Falls/Amphitheatre trails
• →Cascades and Tiger Falls walks
• →Royal Natal National Park viewpoints

A long travel day: shuttle or coach to Harrismith/Bethlehem, then a minibus to the Mafeteng/Maseru area and a taxi up to Malealea Lodge (8–9 hours, £25–32). Malealea is a legendary Lesotho backpacker base — dorm beds ~£15–20, and dinner is usually a set communal meal (~£8). Arrive in time for sunset over the Maloti mountains.

🚌Coach + minibus + local taxi (~£28)

🛏Malealea Lodge dorm (~£17/night)

• →Scenic mountain drive into Lesotho
• →Sunset over the Maloti highlands

Book a pony trek directly with Malealea Lodge: a half-day ride to a waterfall or rock-art site runs ~£25–35, full day ~£45. Alternatives include a guided village walk to meet local families and see a Basotho rondavel, mountain biking (~£15), or a hike down to the Botsoela Falls. Cash only in the village — bring rand (widely accepted alongside the loti).

🚌On foot / on horseback

🛏Malealea Lodge dorm (~£17/night)

• →Half-day Basotho pony trek (~£30)
• →Guided village visit
• →Optional mountain biking
• →Botsoela Falls hike

A big transit day: taxi/minibus back to Maseru or Mafeteng, cross into South Africa, then coach to Aliwal North/Queenstown and on to Cradock (9–10 hours, £30–38). Overnight in Cradock (£18–25 guesthouse) and self-cater. If you're on a tight budget, the Cradock backpackers and B&Bs are a better bet than the SANParks camp, though the park's rest camp chalets are good value if you're splitting a room.

🚌Minibus + coach via Maseru and Aliwal North (~£34)

🛏Cradock budget guesthouse or backpackers (~£20/night)

• →Karoo scenery on the road
• →Cradock town stroll

Early morning self-drive or a shared game drive in Mountain Zebra National Park (entry ~£10; the park is famous for Cape mountain zebra, cheetah and lion). Then drive or shuttle south to Addo Elephant National Park near Port Elizabeth (2.5–3 hours). Addo entry is ~£15, and a self-drive loop is the cheapest way to see the dense elephant herds — hundreds of them. Overnight in Port Elizabeth/Gqeberha hostel (£15–18 dorm).

🚌Hired car or shared shuttle Cradock–Addo–PE (~£25)

🛏Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) hostel dorm (~£17/night)

• →Mountain Zebra NP game drive
• →Addo Elephant NP self-drive game viewing

Take the Baz Bus or a coach down the Garden Route to Storms River/Tsitsikamma (£15–20, ~3 hours). Hike the first stretch of the Otter Trail or the free-ish Storms River Mouth boardwalks (park entry ~£10-12) — suspension bridges over the river mouth are spectacular. Continue to Plettenberg Bay for the night (£16–20 dorm or budget guesthouse). Optional thrill: bungee jump off Bloukrans Bridge (~£70) — the world's highest commercial bridge bungee.

🚌Baz Bus/coach PE–Plettenberg Bay (~£18)

🛏Plettenberg Bay backpackers dorm (~£18/night)

• →Tsitsikamma National Park & Storms River Mouth
• →Optional Bloukrans bungee (~£70)

Head inland over the Outeniqua Pass to Oudtshoorn by Baz Bus or shuttle (£12–15). Tour the Cango Caves — the standard Heritage Tour is ~£7–8, the Adventure Tour (crawling through narrow passages) ~£10. Optional ostrich farm visit (~£8–10) with a ride for the brave. Overnight in a Karoo-style budget guesthouse or backpackers (£17–22).

🚌Baz Bus/shuttle Plettenberg Bay–Oudtshoorn (~£14)

🛏Oudtshoorn budget guesthouse or backpackers (~£19/night)

• →Cango Caves Heritage or Adventure Tour (~£8)
• →Optional ostrich farm visit (~£9)

Drive or take a shuttle west via Swellendam to Cape Agulhas — Africa's southernmost tip, where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans officially meet (£4 entry to the lighthouse area). Continue to Hermanus (total driving 5–6 hours — a hired car for the last two days makes this far simpler than public transport, and can be split between 2–3 travellers). Overnight in Hermanus (£20–28 budget guesthouse). Late September–November is peak whale season, and the cliff path is free to walk.

🚌Hired car or shuttle Oudtshoorn–Agulhas–Hermanus (~£30, or ~£15 shared)

🛏Hermanus budget guesthouse or backpackers (~£22/night)

• →Cape Agulhas southernmost tip
• →Hermanus cliff path whale watching (free)
• →Optional whale-watching boat (~£45)

Drive or shuttle to Cape Town (~1.5 hours, £12–15), stopping for a wine tasting at a Stellenbosch or Hemel-en-Aarde winery en route (~£6–10 for a tasting flight). Arrive in Cape Town by mid-afternoon and finish the trip with a free sunset walk on Signal Hill or the Sea Point promenade — Table Mountain's cable car (~£22) is best saved for a clear morning if you're staying on. Hostel dorms in the city centre or Observatory run £15–22.

🚌Shuttle or hired car Hermanus–Cape Town (~£14)

🛏Cape Town hostel dorm (~£18/night, if staying on)

• →Wine tasting in Stellenbosch or Hemel-en-Aarde (~£8)
• →Signal Hill sunset walk
• →Optional Table Mountain cable car (~£22)