Family and Friends - Lodge Safari in South Africa

You land at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. A shuttle service picks you up and takes you to the lodge, which is in close proximity to Kruger National Park and Hazyview (the place is named after the "heat haze" that occurs during the summer heat). The lodge is run by Anja from Germany and Gideon Barnard from South Africa, making it an ideal starting point for safaris and tours with participants from the German-speaking world. In the restaurant or by the pool, you can recover from the rigors of travel. Numerous activities will keep boredom at bay. This safari is ideal for families with children who are keen on adventure, such as the Skyway Trail (high ropes course) and sliding along a zipline over the vegetation by the Sabi River. For water enthusiasts, a rafting tour on the Sabie River is recommended. The tour includes 20 rapids of grade two to three over 8 km and offers impressions that can only be experienced from the water side. Or you can take it easy and sway on the back of an elephant through the African bush. Thrill-seekers can explore the area instead by quad. A safari in an open safari vehicle in Kruger National Park is absolutely essential. With a bit of luck, the whole family will get to see the Big Five (elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo, lion, leopard) during the safari. Numerous waterfalls such as the Berlin Falls, Sabie Falls, or Lisbon Falls provide unforgettable impressions. The photos you take will make your friends back home green with envy. Other highlights include the Long Tom Cannon Monument, which marks the spot where the cannons were last used on September 11, 1900, by the Boer commandos against the British in the Boer War (1899-1902), triggered by the discovery of large diamond and gold deposits, or the Sudwala Caves, which were formed about 240 million years ago in the northern foothills of the Drakensberg and are thus one of the oldest cave systems in the world. On the last day, you have the opportunity to experience the Shangaan people, and children, as well as parents and grandparents, will experience the traditional way of life up close, as it once was. Anything from an hour to a whole day is possible. The father of the Shangaan is Soshangana, who was once sent by the Zulu king Shaka to modern-day Mozambique to conquer the Tsonga. However, when he found peaceful people living in isolated settlements with fertile land, he decided to stay. He taught them Zulu tactics and skills and defeated the angry king's dispatched troops. Many songs remember Soshangana and his heroic deeds. Today, this people predominantly live between the Kruger National Park and the Drakensberg.