Day 1
Meet and Greet at OR Tambo Airport Johannesburg, on arrival and transfer to your accommodation at Emperors Palace, where you can watch a show, play in the casino or just relax in one of the many shops and restaurants. Welcome dinner, tour briefing and formalities for the motorcycle rentals.
Overnight: Johannesburg, Dinner, Emperors Palace Resort
Day 2
Our first day is the longest ride as we head north towards the Limpopo, nearly 3 hours ride. After a pub lunch in Machadodorp, we continue to our overnight location in the picturesque town of Dullstroom where you can spend the afternoon exploring the Wild About Whisky store or the Anvile Ale Brewery, The Rock Shop full of semi-precious stones, the Dimitrov Art Gallery, the Beans about Coffee speciality café, or any number of the pancake, waffle and tea rooms in Dullstroom. There is also the birds of prey rehabilitation centre, along the R540.
We will refuel our bikes ready for an early start.
Overnight: Dullstroom Dinner, bed & Breakfast Distance travelled approximately 238km
Day 3
Today we get an early start for the spectacular scenery towards Graskop; stopping at God’s Window, World View, Sabie Falls and a dramatic view point of the Blyde River Canyon and, the geological formations known as The Three Rondavels, South Africans know the rondavel as a traditional beehive-shaped hut built and used over centuries by indigenous people as their homes. Although we will be standing at 1 380m above sea level ,with the Blyde River Canyon below, we will be looking up at the three distinctive peaks which tower 700m above the surrounding countryside. Said to be 'The Chief and his Three Wives', the flat-topped peak was named Mapjaneng ('the chief') after a legendary Bapedi chief, the three peaks are named after his three wives (from left to right) – Magabolie, Mogoladikwe and Maseroto.
Waving children and cattle and goats will assure you that we are in Africa, as after lunch in Graskop, we continue north to our five star lodge in Hoedspruit where we will enjoy a night game drive .followed by. Dinner at the lodge.
Overnight: Hoedspruit, Dinner, bed & breakfast Distance travelled approximately (via Ohigstad) 195km
Day 4
At the luxury safaris, 5-star accommodation, we will enjoy an early morning guided walk in the reserve, where the birdlife is quite amazing, before breakfast. Then delight in the wildlife rehabilitation centre with professional guides for an opportunity to see the work done to assist some of the more unfortunate wildlife. This one of many such centres in the Limpopo and later we have to chance to see similar work being done with rhinos and cheetahs.
After lunch in Raptors View, Hoedspruit, we continue north towards the cultural heritage centre of Louis Trichardt for a spot of anthropology, music and history. This is the centre of outstanding contemporary local art with the opportunity to meet some of the artists in their own studios. There is a Textile & Design studio as well as a Craft Art shop stocked with unique local products of the region.
After dropping in on The Baobab bar, a pub in an enormous hollow baobab tree on Sunland Farm near Modjadjikloof, we resume our ride to Letaba, a forested, lush, mountainous area, marking the first dramatic rise of the Drakensberg Escarpment. The Sunland ‘Big Baobab’ is famous for being the widest of its species in the world. When baobabs become a thousand years old, they begin to hollow inside.
Dinner at the Lodge
Overnight: Louis Trichardt, Dinner, bed & breakfast Distance travelled approximately (via Madjadjiskloof) 246km
Day 5
We begin the day after a leisurely breakfast, riding towards the sub-tropical town of Tzaneen. We ride past subtropical crops such as macadamia nuts and avocados sold at roadside farm-stalls, surrounded by glorious green mountains to South Africa’s only matrilineal – and most mysterious – empire: the royal kraal of Modjadji, the Rain Queen of the Balobedu people in Modjadjiskloof. The Modjadji Cycad Reserve (declared a national monument in 1936) is the largest concentration of a single cycad species in the world.
Crossing the Tropic of Capricorn, which has a monument in the village of Botlokwa where we stop for a photo opportunity, we end our days ride in our luxury accommodation in Tzaneen Country Lodge for dinner
Overnight: Tzaneen, Dinner, bed & breakfast Distance travelled approximately (via Bandeierkop) 132km.
Day 6
Today we take a leisurely ride to the Polokwane Protea Ranch Hotel, where we will rise early to walk with lions. This afternoon we relax by the pool, enjoy the spa, work out in the fitness centre or hire some golf clubs for the afternoon.
Overnight: Polokwane Dinner, bed & breakfast Distance travelled approximately (via Magoebaskloof) 95km
Day 7
After breakfast we returning south via the blue-hued Waterberg mountain. This weathered area is the first region in the north of South Africa identified as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the astounding rock formations being shaped over hundreds of millions of years. Lunch is at the unique L’Abri farm shop and brewery and later we will stop at the conservation centre of Lapalala Rhino Sanctuary at Naboonspruit.
After an exciting day we get a well-deserved rest at the Protea Zebula Hotel in Bela Bela.
Overnight: Bela Bela, Dinner, bed & breakfast Distance travelled approximately 185km
Day 8
De Wildt Cheetah centre will transfer us from the hotel to see the ‘cheetah run’ at 8am followed by breakfast served on the patio and then the feeding tour at 10am. These activities will take us through to about 12pm with experienced guides assuring our safety and their expert knowledge of the area.
After this glorious morning we will continue our journey to Johannesburg for our overnight stay at Montecasino. The rental bike formalities will take place here. We will enjoy our final dinner together whilst we discuss the highs of the trip and exchange contact details for future tours.
Overnight Johannesburg Dinner, bed & breakfast. Distance travelled approximately 165km.
Day 9
Montecasino will indulge you in a sumptuous breakfast whilst they arrange for your airport transfers back to OR Tambo International Airport for a safe journey home.
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