16 Day South Africa 4x4 Mountain Photo Safari

Crossing over 40 mountain passes, many of them off-road.

Tour Description

This is a road trip through the largest mountain ranges in South Africa namely the Drakensberg Mountain range, Maluti Mountains, Winterberg and Swartberg ranges with some smaller ranges in between. The route crosses over many mountain passes which offer breath taking views and beautiful photo opportunities. Most of the mountain passes are off-road and some that can only be done by a 4x4! None of the 4x4 routes are technical and can be done by the average skilled driver but they are off the beaten track and take you to places that the big crowds never get to.

Accommodation:

The accommodation is on a bed & breakfast basis with a mixture of 3 and 4-star lodges and hotels. There are 2 nights where dinner is included in the price which is reflected in the day program.

Photography Training

The photography training will take place on an informal basis with most of it happening in the field and at night during photo reviews and discussions. There will be some Photoshop sessions where we will cover the editing tricks of landscape photography.

4x4 Experience Level

You do not need to have 4x4 driving experience. You will receive the necessary training guidance from our guide while on route.

Day Program

Day 1: Pick up the 4x4 vehicles from the airport and travel via Villiers and Warden to the Golden Gate National Park that is known for its gold coloured sandstone mountains. 2 Passes. (DB&B)

Day 2: Enter into the Maluti mountains in Lesotho that is known as “The Roof of Africa”. Cross over 3100m to Katse Dam which has the 2^nd highest dam wall in Africa. 3 Passes. (B&B)

Day 3: Today we travel over the highest off-road pass in Southern Africa (3292m) and travel the most iconic pass in South Africa, the Sani Pass. The Sani is strictly a 4x4 only route with some gradients up to 1:4. It is a tough pass to cross but well worth the experience. 4 Passes. (B&B)

Day 4: Down to sea level via Kokstad and Lusikisiki to Mbotyi net to the warm Indian Ocean. The beauty sub-tropical region also known as “The Wild Coast” is out home for the next 2 nights. 3 Passes. (B&B)

Day 5: Morning photo session on the beach followed by an afternoon drive over the hills located on the coast line. (B&B)

Day 6: Back to the mountains via Mlengana Pass to Mthata, then via Ugie and McLear to the 2^nd highest off-road pas in South Africa. Today the mountains lead us into driving 5 passes in total. Night time Photo workshop after dinner.  5 Passes. (B&B)

Day 7: Travel via Winterberg Mountains to the Addo Elephant Park where we will spend the next 2 nights. The route takes us via Queenstown and Cradock to Addo. 5 Passes. (B&B)

Day 8: Addo’s main camp has an underground hide from which we will have the opportunity to take some wildlife photos. We will do a short workshop on how to take wildlife photos. The rest of the day is free to explore the Addo Elephant Park. (B&B)

Day 9: We enter into the Baviaanskloof that is also only accessible by 4 wheel drive. The kloof is a mountainous nature reserve  that is a must do 4x4 route because of the breath-taking scenery  that includes sights of deep gorges, twisting streams and rivers and towering mountain cliffs. 3 Passes. (DB&B)

Day 10: It is back to sea level once again with the route winding through the Kouga Mountains and the well-known Prince Alfreds Pass to Knysna. 5 Passes. (B&B)

Day 11: The morning is spent taking photos at Knysan’s lagoon after which we head inland over the Outeniqua Mountains in to the Small Karroo and onto the Ostridge Capital of South Africa, Oudtshoorn. In the afternoon we visit one of the Ostridge breeding farms. 2 Passes. (B&B)

Day 12: We drive along 2 of the most famous passes in the Western Cape, the Swartberg Pass and the road through Meiringspoort. The drive is a circular route that takes us back to Oudtshoorn, with a stop for lunch in the little town of Prince Albert. 3 Passes

Day 13: The next 2 nights is spent at Sutherland doing night and star trails photography. Not just because the climate in Southerland is conducive to good night photography but because it is also home to the biggest telescopes in the Southern Hemisphere.  Travel via Calitzdorp and Laingsburg over the Nuweveld Mountains. 4 Passes. (B&B)

Day 14: Morning Photoshop workshop on how to edit night and star trail photography. Afternoon visit to the SALT (South African Large Telescope) site. After dinner we do a presentation on making an audio visual slideshow of the photographs you have taken up to this point. (B&B)

Day 15: The route takes us into the Great Karoo via Victoria West and Hope Town to the historical diamond mining town of Kimberly. We visit the “Big Hole” left behind after the big diamond rush in the 1870’s. 1 Pass. (B&B)

Day 16: We have reached the end of our road trip and need to drive via Wolmaransstad and Potchefstroom back to the airport at Johannesburg for departure.

Included in package:

• Accommodation on a B&B basis
• 4x4 Vehicle Rental
• All entrance fees into parks
• Daily route maps
• 2 Way radio with other vehicles
• Tour and photography guide
• 4x4 Training

Not included:

• Lunch, dinner and drinks
• Fuel and toll fees
• Travel insurance
• Top-up car rental excess