Route Overview & Location Map

  Full Day-by-Day Itinerary - 5 Day Kruger Fly-In

Day 1: Departure from O.R. Tambo to Skukuza Airstrip
Morning: Arrive at O.R. Tambo International Airport for your direct Airlink flight heading east toward the Lowveld bushveld of Kruger to Skukuza Airstrip, Road transfer with a professional ranger in open game vehicle to your Lodge
Lunch : Lodge

Settle in and unwind before departing on your welcome sunset game drive, tracking the Big Five as golden hour sets over the savanna.
Experience:
Meals: Welcome dinner served under the stars around an open-fire boma.

Day 2: Deep-Reserve Big Five Tracking & Waterhole Safari
Morning: Rise early with coffee and rusks before heading out on an intensive open-vehicle morning safari. Early morning is prime time for predator activity, offering exceptional chances to spot lions, leopards, and wild dogs on the hunt.
Afternoon: Return to the lodge for a hearty gourmet brunch, followed by a relaxed afternoon at the infinity pool or viewing deck observing visiting elephants and giraffes.
Experience: Late afternoon game drive focusing on tracking herbivorous herds, river ecosystems, and nocturnal creatures as dusk descends.
Meals: Full board—breakfast, lunch, and a multi-course dinner at the lodge.

Day 3: Typical day in the Bush

Kick-start your day before the sun rises, dunking a homemade rusk into a steamy cup of coffee before setting off on your morning safari with your assigned ranger.

Watch as the bush awakens around you; the dew glistens on the webs of the Golden Orb spider and Lilac Breasted Rollers flash their startling sky-blue bellies as they flit past your game vehicle.

See wild dogs laze under the Acacia trees and elephants leave their distinct trail as they chomp through the bush at a leisurely pace. Steal a glance at the leopard eating its prey high up in an old Tamboti tree, zebra foraging alongside large herds of wildebeest and impala flashing their characteristic ‘M’ as they disappear into the thick brush.

Enjoy an extensive cold and hot buffet breakfast in Imbali Safari Lodge’s comfortable dining room; an impressive Jackalberry rising right through the deck of the dining room and the Tsonga-styled thatched roof. Then retire to your room and relax, laze at the crystal-clear infinity pool or request a bush walk for an up-close encounter with the Kruger.
Lunch is a relaxed, informal affair. Served on the deck with beautiful views of the surrounding bushveld and the Nwaswitsontso River, guests are treated to light salads and tasty desserts before retiring to their rooms for an afternoon siesta.

Afternoon tea served on the deck, heralds the imminent departure of your special evening safari through the Imbali Concession. Spot a pride of lazy lions lounging casually in the tall grass and the associated warning call of nature’s tattletales, the Grey Loerie, as they inform the surrounding species of impending danger.

Sip a sundowner G&T as you watch the sky turn from the brilliance of an African sunset to a bright band of stars; the persistent call of frogs, owls and nightjars accompanying you back to Imbali Safari Lodge for a romantic dinner on the deck, a canopy of stars watching over you.

Experience: Animals, Sightseeing and photography
Meals: At the Lodge

Day 4: Bush Walk, Spa Time & Nocturnal Night Safari
Morning: Embark on an armed ranger-led walking safari to experience the bush from a ground-level perspective. Learn about tracking footprints, indigenous flora, insects, and smaller ecosystem dynamics.
Afternoon: Spend the afternoon at leisure—indulge in optional spa treatments at the lodge wellness center or relax on your private viewing deck.
Experience: An exciting nocturnal night safari using specialized spotlights to track elusive night-dwellers like leopards, genets, civets, and bushbabies.
Meals: Traditional bush braai (barbecue) dinner hosted around the campfire.

Day 5: Final Sunrise Game Drive & Return Charter to Johannesburg
Morning: Final sunrise game drive to capture any last-minute wildlife photography and memorable predator sightings.
Afternoon: Hearty farmhouse breakfast at the lodge, followed by check-out and transfer back to the private airstrip for your return charter flight to O.R. Tambo International Airport for your onward connections.
Meals: Breakfast.