Discovering Africa Safaris

Discovering Africa Safaris- Southern African Scuba Safaris

15 day 18 dive Safari

Itinerary June - November

Itinerary November - May Click here

Day 2 Sunday
Arrive Durban, South Africa around mid day depending on exact flight

Afternoon visit to uShaka Island, Here in an aquarium centre set in a 1920's style shipwrecked freighter we shall see much of the marine life that we shall be diving with in our African adventure. In particular we shall have the opportunity to study several shark species including adult Ragged Tooth and Zambezi sharks so that you can easily identify them on your first shark dive. Knowing that that shark five metres in front of your dive mask is a ' Raggie' and not a 'Zambie' does wonders for your confidence !!

From uShaka, we go direct to Ellingham Estate, where our luxury wooden chalets look out over the Indian Ocean. Ellingham boasts one of the finest restaurants in South Africa and our hosts, Debbie and Frank Anderson, will welcome you with a typical South African Braai Vleis (BBQ) with a' tasting' of our magnificent South African wines.

Day 3 Monday
Two dives at Aliwal Shoal.
From June to November, Aliwal has an influx of huge numbers of Ragged Tooth sharks plus huge Sand sharks. Many of our guests find the 'Raggies' even more impressive than Zambezis and Hammerheads due to the Raggies forbiding set of clearly visible teeth and it's impressive size (up to 3.5 metres).17h00 No heavy 'school work' but we request that you attend a lecture on 'Shark Diving'. Most people start out diving with Whitetips and beautiful, though difficult to approach, those creatures are. It does not really prepare you, though, for your first dive in which a group of sharks each twice your body length do not flit away but calmly ignore you and let you approach to within arm's length.

These are not 'harmless' sharks as proved by their fearsome reputation in our own Cape Province and Australia -where legislation had to be brought in to stop fearful divers exterminating them with rifle cartridge firing powerheads.

Raggie diving is as much a passion in Natal as anthem singing at Cardif Arms Park and our lecture will ensure that you can share our passion in complete safety- unlike Cardif Arms Park if the England beats Wales !!

Day 4 Tuesday
Two dives with Raggies (Carcharias Taurus) at Aliwal Shoal. From June - December there are huge numbers of Raggies at Aliwal. January to May, they are not so easy to find at all at Aliwal but at that period, we find them at Sodwana and Ponta do Ouro though not in the same numbers.

Option :-

'The dive of a lifetime' as many people call it in our Visitor's Book.A dive with Mark Addison's' TV Documentary team' with Tiger sharks, normally lots of Blacktip sharks and at certain times of the year, Zambezi or Bull sharks. Full details of this incredible dive can be seen at our Tiger shark page.

A Tiger shark with accompanying Blacktips.

Day 5 Wednesday
Two dives at Aliwal Shoal

14h00 We hit the road through Natal's sugarcane farms and Eucalyptus forests before, just past Mtubatuba, spotting our first Fever Trees. Not so many years ago, this was a warning that man travelled no further under threat of Malaria and Sleeping sickness. Government spraying programmes have removed that danger so we can continue to the Acacia Thornveldt and coastal Riverine Bush that typifies Bonamanzi Private Game Park, Hluhluwe. This magnificent 4,000 hectare reserve has Elephant, Rhino, Leopard, Giraffes, Kudu etc etc and in the river Croc and Hippo. The reserve also boasts 349 bird species, 29 on the 'red list', the rarest birds in the world.

Bonamanzi's outer limits are game fenced to protect the neighbours from the dangerous game but within the Park, there are no fences, not even around our luxury chalets at Lake Lalapanzi. Whilst we enjoy our after dinner South African brandy or Scottish nectar at he boma, a huge open air log fire, this is not a problem. When we have retired to our luxurious beds and the fire has died down, the situation changes. That raucous, insane laughter you hear is not your buddy remembering that he left his wetsuit at Aliwal, it is a large, hairy doglike animal that, contrary to popular belief outside Africa, does not always wait until something dies before eating it. You have been warned !!

Day 6 Thursday
Early breakfast because we want to catch the animals coming out to feed on our morning visit to Hluhluwe/Umfolozi National Park. 96,000 hectares (235,000 acres) of hills, rivers, Acacia Bush and Savannah with every species of animal that ever lived in this area (but is not extinct ! ) Lions, Elephants, Rhinos (Black and White), Hippos, Crocodiles, Leopards, Bufflalo,all the antelope, Hyena, Zebra- even 3 different species of Dung Beetle if that is your bag !!

In the early afternoon, we must remember that the international border post closes at 17h00 so we must tear ourselves away from Hluhluwe and head for Ponta do Ouro, Mozambique.

Ponta is tiny and a delightful refuge from the 'real world'. The only real argument we have ever heard here was between restauranteurs over who had the largest and freshest Tiger Prawns and shellfish..... paradise !!

Day 7 Friday
2 dives at Ponta do Ouro or Ponta Malongane. This area has only been dived since the mid 90s due to it having been a war zone from the early 70s until that time. New reefs are being found regularly and we are able to dive on pristine virgin coral reefs. This area of Mozambique is also famous for Mantas, Whales, and, on certain deeper reefs, sharks (Hammerheads, Tigers, Zambezi).

Day 8 Saturday
2 more dives at Ponta do Ouro

Day 9 Sunday
Our two last dives at Ponta do Ouro
After our last dive the 4x4s are waiting to take us back to the South African border. On the South African side, there is a 9 metre wide tar road with safety lanes each side. On the Mozambique side, well, there are no roads in the accepted sense, hence the 4x4s. After the brief border formalities, it is on to Sodwana Bay.

Day 10 Monday
2 dives at 'Sordies' . Morning 9 mile Reef . Afternoon '2 mile Reef or 'Quarter Mile' (December-May) when the Raggies are in town.

Day 11 Tuesday
2 more Sodwana dives-'7 Mile Reef. Afternoon ‘2 mile'

Day 12 Wednesday
2 dives Morning 5 Mile Reeffollowed by one of '2 Mile's' extensive reef system.

15h00 Depart for St Lucia Wetlands World Heritage Site.

Day 13 Thursday
A morning boat trip on Lake St Lucia . In this World Heritage site, we have the world's largest populations of Hippopotamus and Nile Crocodile plus a huge variety of birdlife including this regions emblem, the African Fish Eagle.

After lunch in a superb little restaurant in St Lucia village, we head for a traditional Zulu village. Here we will be introduced to the history and culture of this warrior nation who annhialated almost to the last man, the British army at Isandlwana in 1879 armed only with spears and knobkerries against the British Martini Henry rifles and field guns.

After dinner, the Chief invites us to his personal hut to appreciate his people's Zulu music and dancing. Now you will understand where Paul Simon and Johhny Clegg got the inspiration for their African music.

Day 14 Friday
We will be shown around the Zulu village, shown the skills of basket weaving and spearmaking and the brewing of sorgum beer. The local Zulu lads enjoy demonstarting their skill at spear throwing and it is not unknown for them to challenge visitors to try their skill.

Our stay at Shakaland at an end, we travel down to Durban for the start of your return journey and wish you 'Hlalakahle' in Zulu 'Go in peace and safety'.

Jour 15 Saturday
Arrive back in Europe.