Southern Africa Safari: Kruger & Mozambique (Self-Launched)
11 days · South Africa & Mozambique
Exodus Adventure Travels charges £4,000
No-markup version: ~£720 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Exodus's 11-day Kruger & Mozambique safari. You cover the same ground — the Dolphin Coast, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Lake St Lucia, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, Ponta do Ouro for dolphin swimming, two full days in Kruger, and Blyde River Canyon — but independently, booking your own lodges and tented camps, joining shared self-drive game drives and ranger-led walks, and using baz bus/shuttle links and a hired car instead of a private guided minibus. Expect roughly £50–£70 per person per day including accommodation, food and activities. Note: South Africa game reserves and Ponta do Ouro are best done by rented car or backpacker shuttle since public transport is thin in this region. Costs are approximate and depend on season.
Day-by-day
Arrive Dolphin Coast (Ballito / Salt Rock), KwaZulu-Natal
Dolphin Coast, South Africa
Fly into Durban's King Shaka International Airport, then take an airport shuttle or local bus north to the Dolphin Coast (Ballito/Salt Rock), about 30-40 minutes away. Check into a beachfront backpacker lodge or budget guesthouse and spend the afternoon on the sand. In the evening, gather with any fellow travellers you've linked up with via hostel noticeboards or Facebook travel groups for a braai or a casual seafood dinner at a local restaurant.
🚌King Shaka Airport to Ballito: shared shuttle or Baz Bus, approx £8-12
🛏Beachfront backpacker lodge or budget guesthouse (e.g. Salt Rock / Ballito area), dorm or private room
- →Arrive King Shaka Airport, shuttle to Dolphin Coast
- →Afternoon beach time at Ballito/Salt Rock
- →Group meet-up dinner at a local restaurant
iSimangaliso Wetland Park & Cape Vidal Beach
St Lucia, South Africa
Drive or take a shuttle north to St Lucia (about 1.5 hours). Enter iSimangaliso Wetland Park in a self-drive car or a shared game-viewing vehicle and picnic at Mission Rocks, with a good chance of spotting turtles. Explore the park looking for buffalo and rhino en route to Cape Vidal Beach. Spend the late afternoon back in St Lucia village, which is walkable and full of budget lodges and restaurants.
🚌Shuttle or hired car Ballito to St Lucia, approx £10-15; park entry and vehicle fee approx £10-15
🛏St Lucia budget lodge, cabin or tented camp (e.g. St Lucia area backpackers or self-catering chalet)
- →Self-drive or shared entry into iSimangaliso Wetland Park
- →Picnic at Mission Rocks, turtle spotting
- →Game viewing on the way to Cape Vidal Beach
- →Beach and snorkelling at Cape Vidal
Lake St Lucia boat cruise; transfer to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, South Africa
Join an early two-hour boat cruise on Lake St Lucia to see its large hippo population, crocodiles and fish eagles — bookable through local operators in St Lucia village for around £15-20. After breakfast, take the short drive inland to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, the oldest proclaimed reserve in Africa. Drive through the park to Mpila Camp (self-drive or shared vehicle), relax in the afternoon, then join an evening game drive with a park ranger. Finish with a braai at camp.
🚌Hired car or shuttle St Lucia to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, approx £8-12; park entry approx £8-12
🛏Mpila Camp (SANParks) self-catering chalet or tented camp
- →Two-hour Lake St Lucia hippo and croc boat cruise
- →Self-drive game viewing through Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park
- →Evening ranger-led game drive
- →Camp braai (South African barbecue)
Game walk and game drive in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, South Africa
Join an early-morning guided bush walk with a park ranger (capped at eight people, book in advance through SANParks). The walk gives you a chance to track rhino, elephant, buffalo and lion on foot. Return to camp for breakfast, then rest or take an additional self-drive game loop during the day. Head out again in a camp safari vehicle in the late afternoon in search of lions, both black and white rhinos, giraffes and leopards.
🚌In-park self-drive or camp safari vehicle, approx £5-10
🛏Mpila Camp (SANParks) self-catering chalet or tented camp
- →Guided morning bush walk with park ranger
- →Self-drive or camp-vehicle game drive
- →Late-afternoon safari vehicle game drive
Morning game drive; transfer to Ponta do Ouro, Mozambique
Ponta do Ouro, Mozambique
Do a final morning game drive or walk out of Hluhluwe-iMfolozi via Memorial Gate. Drive to the Mozambique border at Kosi Bay and complete border formalities, then continue the short distance to Ponta do Ouro, where golden sands meet the Indian Ocean. This area is renowned for diving and snorkelling. Arrive in the late afternoon and unwind before dinner at a beachside restaurant. Note: your car needs a cross-border permit, or use a backpacker shuttle that handles the border.
🚌Hired car or backpacker shuttle Hluhluwe to Ponta do Ouro, approx £20-30 (cross-border permit needed)
🛏Ponta do Ouro dive lodge or backpackers (e.g. beachfront lodge), dorm or private room
- →Morning game drive out of the park
- →Cross the South Africa–Mozambique border at Kosi Bay
- →Arrive Ponta do Ouro, evening on the beach
Swim with dolphins from Ponta do Ouro
Ponta do Ouro, Mozambique
Book a morning dolphin-swim ocean launch with one of the local dive operators in Ponta do Ouro — around £45-60 for a boat trip with snorkel gear. Wild bottlenose and spinner dolphins are resident here and the operators use responsible interaction guidelines. Optional second launch in the afternoon increases your chances. From July to November migrating humpback whales pass through; from December to May whale sharks and manta rays may be seen. Spend the rest of the day on the beach or diving.
🚌Walking in town; no additional transport cost
🛏Ponta do Ouro dive lodge or backpackers (e.g. beachfront lodge), dorm or private room
- →Dolphin-swim boat launch with local dive operator
- →Optional second boat launch
- →Beach time, swimming and optional scuba diving
Drive to Kruger National Park via Maputo
Kruger National Park (southern), South Africa
Drive back to South Africa, passing through Maputo, the Mozambican capital, if you take the coastal route. Cross the border at Ressano Garcia and enter Kruger via Crocodile Bridge Gate. Inside the park, the wildlife is abundant — lions, leopards, elephants, rhino, buffalo, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, zebras and antelope. Reach your camp on the Sabie River by late afternoon and settle in for a night in a Kruger rest camp.
🚌Hired car or shuttle Ponta do Ouro to Kruger, approx £25-35; Kruger conservation fee approx £20-25 per day
🛏SANParks Kruger rest camp chalet (e.g. Lower Sabie / Skukuza area)
- →Scenic drive via Maputo
- →Cross border at Ressano Garcia
- →Enter Kruger at Crocodile Bridge Gate
- →Self-drive game viewing en route to camp
Full-day game drive in southern Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park (southern/central), South Africa
This is the first of two full days in Kruger. Join a SANParks morning game drive (sunrise is prime wildlife-viewing time) or self-drive the southern loop, then return to camp for breakfast. Spend the rest of the day exploring the park's southern section en route toward a central camp. Book sunset drives or night drives directly with SANParks reception for the best sightings.
🚌Self-drive or SANParks game-drive vehicle, approx £10-15 per activity
🛏SANParks Kruger rest camp chalet (central Kruger)
- →Sunrise SANParks guided game drive
- →Self-drive southern Kruger loop
- →Optional sunset / night game drive
Full-day game drive in central Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park (central), South Africa
Your second full day focuses on the central area of Kruger. Prioritise species you haven't yet ticked off your list. Self-drive the waterhole and river loops, or book another guided drive. Take a packed breakfast or braai lunch at a picnic site. End the day with a classic South African braai at camp under the stars.
🚌Self-drive park roads, fuel and conservation fee approx £12-18
🛏SANParks Kruger rest camp chalet (central Kruger)
- →Self-drive central Kruger game loops
- →Optional guided game drive
- →Picnic lunch at a Kruger picnic site
- →Evening braai at camp
Kruger to Graskop Gorge via Blyde River Canyon
Graskop, South Africa
Do a final morning game drive out of Kruger via Orpen Gate, then drive onto the Panorama Route. Stop at a viewpoint for Blyde River Canyon, one of the largest canyons in the world, and explore Bourke's Luck Potholes and the God's Window viewpoint en route. Arrive at your accommodation on the edge of Graskop Gorge in the late afternoon.
🚌Self-drive Kruger to Graskop, approx £20-28 fuel; Panorama Route viewpoint fees approx £5-10
🛏Graskop budget lodge or guesthouse (e.g. Mogodi Lodge area)
- →Final morning game drive to Orpen Gate
- →Blyde River Canyon viewpoint stop
- →Bourke's Luck Potholes visit
- →God's Window viewpoint
Graskop Gorge Lift; drive to Johannesburg
Johannesburg, South Africa
Ride the glass Graskop Gorge Lift for a sky-high view over the gorge and walk through the indigenous Afromontane forest below. From here it's a four to five-hour drive to Johannesburg (or take an intercity bus such as Intercape/Greyhound). The adventure ends at Johannesburg — allow buffer time before any onward flights.
🚌Self-drive Graskop to Johannesburg, approx £30-40 fuel; or intercity bus approx £15-22
🛏None included (onward travel or post-trip night in Johannesburg at own arrangement)
- →Graskop Gorge Lift ride and forest walk
- →Scenic drive to Johannesburg
- →Trip ends (buffer time before flights recommended)
Self-launched vs. Exodus Adventure Travels
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Exodus Adventure Travels | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£720 | £4,000 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £3,280 per person (82%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Exodus Adventure Travels-style trips? Check them out here.~£720
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Southern Africa Safari: Kruger & Mozambique (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £720 per person for 11 days in South Africa & Mozambique. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Exodus Adventure Travels?+
Yes — Exodus Adventure Travels charges around £4,000 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £720 — a saving of roughly £3,280 (82%) per person.
How long is the South Africa & Mozambique trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 day-by-day stops through South Africa & Mozambique.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a wildlife, adventure, beaches trip through South Africa & Mozambique, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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