EcoTravel Routes & Travel Guides for South Africa

General Information on EcoTravel Routes

Guides > Routes

Routes information:

The Routes section of EcoTravel Africa is where you will find all our preplanned "Routes". Although most routes will be limited to the three regions of our initial focus, the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, the Kruger National Park and The Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, some routes will cover South Africa and Southern Africa. The routes will be planned according to the following rules:

Based on minimum impact and ecologicaly sound principles.
Cover general EcoTourism or specific interests such as birding, frogging, botany, geology etc.
All listed accommodation and services to be of the same high standard.
A reasonable distance between stopovers.
Be on safe and well signposted routes where the margin for error is minimal.
Be useful to Self-drive or organised tour group Eco Travellers.

Please note that in future all routes will be accommpanied by:

an interactive route map with links to most of the other features listed below
a choice of a few select establishments for each stopover
surround videos taken on the route
photo's taken on the route
what too see and what to do for each section
extensive information on wildlife found on the route and where to find it
a trip report from a previous trip
emergency, health and saftey tips, telephone numbers etc.

As an example, our first general interest route, still in planning phase, is listed below:

Day 1: Johannesburg / Cradle of Humankind
Day 2: Johannesburg / Cradle of Humankind
Day 3: Northern Limpopo Area
Day 4: Northern Kruger National Park
Day 5: Southern Kruger National Park
Day 6: Southern Kruger National Park / Sudwala Caves / Pilgrim's Rest
Day 7: Itala / Pongola Game Reserve
Day 8: Ndumu / Tembe / Kosi Bay
Day 9: Ndumu / Tembe / Kosi Bay
Day 10: The Greater St Lucia Wetland Park
Day 11: The Greater St Lucia Wetland Park
Day 12: Umfolozi-Hluhluwe Game Resverve
Day 13: Durban / Pietermaritzburg
Day 14: Northern Drakensberg (N Route) or Southern Drakensberg (Lesotho Route)
Day 15: Northern Drakensberg (N Route) or Southern Drakensberg (Lesotho Route)
Day 16: Eastern Freestate (N Route) or Lesotho (Lesotho Route)
Day 17: Gariep
Day 18: Addo Elephant Park / Mountain Zebra Park
Day 19: Addo Elephant Park / Mountain Zebra Park
Day 20: Tsitsikama / Knysna / Wilderness
Day 21: Cape Town
Day 22: West Coast National Park
Day 23: Cedarberg
Day 24: Namaqwa
Day 25: Augrabies
Day 26: Vryberg Area
Day 27: Madikwe Game Reserve / Pilanesberg National Park
Day 28: Madikwe Game Reserve / Pilanesberg National Park
Day 29: Waterberg / Marakele
Day 30: Johannesburg

For example: The Northern Kruger National Park, Day 4, would list establishments within the Northern Kruger National Park, Transfronteir Park and surrounding areas. This gives the Eco Traveller the choice of destination depending on their tastes and interests!

and another working example:

Day 2: Johannesburg / Cradle of Humankind
- The Cradle / Forest Camp (Category - Classic)
  - The Cradle is a 3000 hectare game reserve in the core area of the World Heritage Site and the Forest Camp consists of eight stilted A-frame thatch cottages set in a forest on the banks of a stream. Cornuti Restaurant is set within The Cradle in an innovative and unique building offering superb cuisine and spectacular panoramic views.
NB. If you click on the links you will be able to veiw information on the establishment, "The Craddle" and on the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site.

We hope that you will return and maybe one day enjoy the pleasures of using one of routes to plan your holiday!