Depart the United States for South Africa.

Arrive in Johannesburg today. Most participants' flights arrive in the evening. Temperatures range from the mid-50s to the high 80s in the summer months (December to March), with chances of afternoon thunderstorms. Elevation is 5,600 feet above sea level, with open Highveld grassland habitats. This evening, meet with your guide for a program orientation.

After an early breakfast, load up the vehicle for the drive to the unique Highveld town of Dullstroom. Dullstroom is the highest-elevation town in South Africa, and its temperate climate nurtures the only place in the country where beech and elm trees grow. Spend the afternoon at the Dullstroom Bird of Prey & Rehabilitation Centre for an up-close look at how raptors fly and hunt. Learn how this organization rescues, raises, rehabilitates, and releases native animals back into their natural habitats, playing a critical conservation role in the region.

After breakfast, depart Dullstroom and make your way to Mount Sheba Nature Reserve. Explore the nature reserve on one of the tranquil hiking trails through the rainforest, with opportunities to see many varieties of birds as well as the Samango monkey, a subspecies of the blue monkey. Finish the day relaxing before dinner at the Mount Sheba Rainforest Hotel and Resort, which is situated in a beautiful area of escarpment forest. Elevation is 5,300 feet, with Afromontane forest and grassland habitats

The journey today begins with a drive to the world-renowned Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, where you can actively participate in preserving nature. On this first day at the sanctuary, there will be a wildlife-viewing drive and a bush walk where you'll gain deep insights into the challenges facing South African wildlife and the measures that are being taken to address them. The accommodation offers unique wildlife encounters with a variety of animal species including vervet monkeys, baboons, Samango monkeys, honey badgers, leopards, lions, hyenas, wild dogs, caracals, vultures, and owls.

This morning after breakfast, start your day with a visit to the rehabilitation center. A half-day veterinary and educational group visit has been arranged, allowing you to learn about conservation practices and fostering harmony between humans and wildlife. There will also be time for another wildlife-viewing drive and bush walk for a comprehensive African wildlife experience.

Begin the journey to the majestic Kruger National Park, arriving at the entrance gate of Kruger National Park in time for lunch around mid-day. Spend most of the afternoon driving through to Satara Rest Camp, about 30 miles away from the entrance. Kruger is world-renowned for its unparalleled biodiversity and for being home to the "Big Five" as well as species like impalas, common wildebeests, greater kudus, and southern giraffes. Satara is especially regarded for having an ideal location within Kruger due to its prolific bird life.

Your guides will take you out for early morning wildlife drives for the best viewing opportunities, before going to breakfast. Spend a full day exploring the area around Satara, which is regarded as one of the best areas in the park for observing wildlife and is particularly noted for its big cats, with lions, leopards, and cheetahs regularly seen.

Today, the morning starts with a short wildlife drive in the region. In addition to big predators, also watch for some of the area’s interesting bird species, such as African Green-Pigeon, African Harrier-Hawk, Gray Tit-Flycatcher, Southern Red-billed Hornbill, and Southern Ground-Hornbill. Then, head back to the camp for breakfast and to pack up all the gear for the drive to the next camp, right in the heart of Big Five territory. Spend the next two nights in the capital of Kruger National Park, Skukuza Rest Camp, known for its particular abundance of wildlife due to its location on the banks of Sabie River. The 57-mile drive to Skukuza from Satara takes up the rest of the day, so there are great opportunities for birding and wildlife-viewing along the way. Be ready to spot plenty of other species, as this drive affords magnificent views of Kruger. Around mid-day, stop at Tshokwane Picnic Site for lunch and a chance to stretch before continuing on to Skukuza. Arrive in the late afternoon and enjoy some time to relax in the camp before dinner.

Your guides will take you out for early morning wildlife drives where you might be lucky enough to spot the predators after a night of activity close to the camp. After breakfast, meet up with veterinary technician Guy Hausler and some of Kruger’s Veterinary Wildlife Services colleagues at the Skukuza research facility to talk about what they are doing and some of the wildlife capture operations that they are involved with. Afterwards go to the restaurant at Skukuza for lunch. Explore the area around Skukuza, and then enjoy some relaxing time back at the camp around midday, when activity slows down during the warmer hours of the day. Start by exploring the Sabie River area. Return to the camp just before gates close and in time for a lovely dinner, possibly even spotting a greater galago along the way.

Wake up early today for a drive to a nearby bird hide, where the hopes are to spot some species like African Darter, Malachite Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Water Thick-knee, and African Jacana. Make the most of the excellent photography opportunities at this location, as hippos often come fairly close to the front of the hide. Spend some time here before returning to the camp for breakfast. Next, embark on the journey to visit Chimp Eden - Jane Goodall Institute South Africa, the first and only chimpanzee sanctuary in South Africa. Your final accommodation will be another retreat in nature at the Utopia in Africa Guest Villa, which is home to an exceptional variety of native and migratory birds, as well as small mammals such as genets, galagos, and porcupines. Enjoy a farewell dinner and share your favorite memories from this great adventure.

Spend the final morning of this journey on an early birding and wildlife drive in the region. Search for any species you may have missed so far and, perhaps, find one of the local meerkat mobs before heading back to the lodge for breakfast and departure for Johannesburg. All morning activities on this day depend on departure flight times, as it is a 4-hour drive to the airport.

Spend overnight in flight and arrive home today.