Limited to 8 guests — only 2 spots remain for October 2026
Ultimate South Africa Safari
Cape Town & Greater Kruger Big 5 Experience
Starts/Ends
Cape Town, South Africa
Duration:
14 Days
Group Size:
8 persons
Date:
8 - 21 October 2026
Experience South Africa the way it was meant to be, from Cape Town’s coastal elegance to extraordinary, close-up big cat encounters in the world-renowned Sabi Sands — in comfort, exclusivity, and without the crowds.
This mid-luxury South Africa safari tour combines Cape Town’s iconic landscapes with an immersive Big Five safari in Makalali Private Game Reserve, Klaserie and the unmatched Sabi Sands. These are three of the most exclusive private reserves in the Greater Kruger National Park system.
Tour information:
This tour is open to ALL nature lovers and levels of experience.
Based on per person sharing
Date: 8 - 21 October 2026
Size of groups: 8 persons max
Cost:
CAD $10 975 pp plus 5% GST
US $7850 pp plus 5% GST
(based on average exchange rate at time of pricing)
Payment: 25% deposit to secure your spot. Remainder is due 60 days before the trip
The complete day-by-day itinerary, lodge details, what's included, and full pricing in the brochure below. Everything you need to make your decision.
The Experience:
This is more than a safari. It is the journey most people dream about for decades and only a few ever experience it properly.
Your adventure begins in breathtaking Cape Town, where dramatic coastlines meet world-class cuisine, fine wine, and the unmistakable presence of Table Mountain. Penguins waddle between granite boulders. Sunsets melt into the Atlantic. Every detail feels curated, refined, and effortless.
Then everything changes.
You leave the ocean behind and enter the vast Greater Kruger ecosystem. An immense, unfenced wilderness where wildlife moves freely between Kruger National Park and surrounding private reserves. While we do not stay inside Kruger itself, the private reserves we visit form part of this greater ecosystem. Private Reserves offer something even more exclusive: fewer vehicles, off-road access, and intimate, unhurried encounters.
Your safari culminates in the legendary Sabi Sands Game Reserve, internationally celebrated as one of the finest wildlife destinations on Earth. Known especially for extraordinary leopard sightings and exceptional big cat encounters, Sabi Sands offers a level of access and proximity that transforms a safari from something you observe… into something you feel.
Across three carefully selected private reserves, you will experience golden-hour game drives, expert tracking, luxury lodges overlooking riverbeds and waterholes, and quiet moments beneath vast African skies.
This is not mass tourism or big group experiences. It is small, intimate and a personal experience from start to finish.
This is South Africa done properly.
And once you’ve felt it, it will stay with you forever.
Why This South African Safari Is Different
Many safaris visit one lodge.
This journey moves through three distinct private reserves, each offering different terrain, ecosystems, and wildlife behaviour.
✔ Sabi Sands Safari Experience
Famous for close leopard encounters and off-road tracking privileges.
✔ Klaserie Nature Reserve
Unfenced access to Greater Kruger with diverse landscapes and fewer vehicles.
✔ Makalali Private Nature Reserve
Intimate sightings in true Big Five territory with stunning backdrops of the Drakensberg Mountains.
By combining these reserves, your wildlife experience becomes deeper, richer, and more dynamic.
About your guide - Wildlife Photographer & Naturalist
I've spent 16 years in the field photographing wildlife across Africa and North America. From tracking lions at dawn in the Sabi Sands to standing on a boat while hundreds of bald eagles dive for fish ten feet in front of me.
That time in the field has given me something you can't learn from a guidebook. I know how to read animal behaviour before it unfolds. I know where to position a small group for maximum access without disturbing what we came to see. And I know how to make sure every single person comes away with something they didn't expect. Whether that's a photograph they're genuinely proud of, or a moment that stays with them for the rest of their life.
I started Stephan Olivier Photography and Tours because I wanted to share these wild places with people who love them as much as I do. Not as a tour operator running groups through a checklist. As a certified naturalist and wildlife photographer who genuinely lives for these moments.
I keep this tour to a maximum of 8 guests for one reason. More than that and you stop experiencing the wilderness. You start watching it from a distance.
For extraordinary experiences like this, I partner with the best lodges in the industry and along side certified local guides and trackers who know that territory intimately and do this as their full time work. That means you get the best of both worlds. My eye for wildlife photography and positioning throughout the entire trip, and local expert knowledge where it matters most for your safety and access.
On every single day of this tour, I am with you. That is not something every operator can say.
Highlights
World-class wine tasting in South Africa’s finest vineyards
Iconic landscapes and rugged coastlines, white-sand beaches, and Table Mountain National Park
Rare wildlife encounters, including endangered African penguins
Exceptional birdlife and unique flora found nowhere else on Earth
Spectacular sunsets over ocean and savanna
Close, intimate Big Five encounters in private reserves
Unrushed game drives with outstanding day and night photographic opportunities
Optional guided bush walks for deeper immersion
Abundant wildlife, including seasonal newborns
Luxury air-conditioned rooms at hand selected lodges with exceptional cuisine and warm hospitality
What Wildlife Can You Expect on This Big Five Safari?
South Africa is one of the best destinations in the world for consistent wildlife sightings.
Possible sightings include:
Lion
Leopard
Elephant
Rhino
Buffalo
African wild dogs
Cheetah
Hyena
Hippo
Giraffe
Zebra and numerous antelope species
500+ bird species
October is prime safari season with excellent light and comfortable weather, active predators, and return of abundant migratory bird species.
Who is this experience for?
This experience is designed for anyone who loves the natural world.
Whether you are a passionate birder, a wildlife enthusiast, a photographer of any level, a non-photographer, or a partner simply tagging along for the experience, you’ll feel completely at home here.
There is no pressure to perform, no expectation to photograph, and no need for expensive gear. Just curiosity, a hunger for adventure, respect for wildlife and beautiful scenery, and a desire to witness something truly rare and exceptional.
Quick Facts
Spring time!! Great weather
Small Group setting: 8 persons max
Easy to moderate, hiking at own pace
Always responsible and ethical wildlife viewing. No compromise!!
Open to ALL, no experience required. Photography guidance throughout.
Comfortable, open top safari vehicles
-
Day 1: Arrival Cape Town and checking in at Bed&breakfast
Day 2: Winery exploration.
Day 3: Cape Point, Penguins, and Chapman’s Peak.
Day 4: Table Mountain, Waterfront and sunset Cruise.
Day 5: Franshoek Wine and Food Experience.
Day 6: Fly to Hoedspruit and First Safari Experience in afternoon.
Day 7 & 8: Morning /Afternoon game drives in Klaserie Nature reserve or similar.
Day 9: Morning game drive and Transfer to Makalali Private Nature Reserve reserve with afternoon game drive.
Day 10: Morning and Afternoon game drives in Makalali Private Game Reserve or similar.
Day 11 Morning game drive and depart for Sabi Sands with afternoon game drive.
Days 12 - 13: Morning and Afternoon game drives in world renowned Sabi Sands.
Day 14: Final Safari drive and transfer to OR Thambo International Airport in Johhannesburg.
-
Breakfast every morning
Eight suppers
Eight lunches
5 Nights luxury accommodation in Cape Town
2 Nights luxury accommodation in Makalali Private Game reserve.
3 nights at luxurious Game lodge in Sabi Sands
3 Nights luxury accommodation in Klaserie Game reserve.
All activities mentioned in Itinerary.
Shuttle services between all activities.
Shuttle services to and from Airports.
All game drive activities.
All bush walks.
Domestic Flights (Cape Town to Hoedspruit and from Hoedspruit to Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport)
-
International Flights.
All Alcoholic drinks
Telephone calls
Gratuities and purchases of a personal nature.
Laundry
Canned and bottled beverages that are not stipulated above.
Extra excursions not stipulated.
Meals not stipulated above.
-
No skills required.
Some moderate hiking can be expected but majority of activities is at your own pace.
No camera or photography experience required but basic understanding of your camera will yield better photos. I will also be available to help you master some of your settings.
-
As a small business we incur many expenses in preparing for a workshop or tour. We appreciate your understanding that our trip dates and capacities are often limited, to ensure that our guests have the best possible experience.
When we accept your booking or reservation, we may be turning others away from booking a spot on a tour or a workshop. Therefor our terms and conditions and cancellation policy reflect this. If you are unable to join your tour or workshop, we need to receive the cancellation in writing. It is highly recommended to take out Travel insurance.
The cancellation fees are as follows:
Prior to 75 days before commencement of the Workshop = Full refund minus 25% nonrefundable deposit.
30 – 74 days before commencement of the Workshop = No refund, but you can use 75% as future trip credit (valid up to 3 years).
Less than 30 days prior to the commencement of the Workshop: No refund or credit to future trips.
For more details and full T&C’s please click here:
Not ready for the full itinerary yet? Download "How to Experience Wildlife Without Feeling Like a Tourist," our free guide to meaningful wildlife encounters, wherever you find them.
Get the Free GuideFrequently Asked Questions
-
Local knowledge of some of the best places, restaurants, wineries , tourist attractions etc to visit. I'm also proud to team up with some of the best shuttle services, guesthouses and game lodges to make your stay as memorable as possible.
-
Sabi Sands borders the Kruger but allows off-road driving and closer encounters, making it superior for intimate wildlife experiences. You are also not competing with crowds or hordes of other vehicles and can therefor be guaranteed of a great intimate way to experience the best wildlife sightings.
-
A complete packing list will be send out closer towards the departure date.
-
A total of 16 game drives across three private reserves.
-
We will be in a low risk malaria area and it is recommended to take pills 24 hours before we enter that region. Your local Doctor will be able to tell you what type of pills to get. Although the risk is low it is still better to prevent than to cure.
-
Absolutely. You just need to be smart about certain things. I will send out more information later regarding safety tips. We will only partake in activities if it is safe to do so. The majority of activities will be in high population tourist attraction areas where the necessary security will be in place.
-
Yes, the animals are not there to hurt anybody but sometimes they can be a little bit curious. Rest assured though that working with top level guides and rangers that understand animal behaviour is the key to safety. If animals approach the vehicle it is more often than not just out of curiosity and with no intention to harm or damage anything. We will not put you in dangerous situations just for the sake of a photo. After all the animal's welfare are top priority and there is no exception to this rule!
-
It is designed with photographers in mind for optimal positioning, golden-hour drives, time at sightings etc but non-photographers will love it equally as we always strive to have the best seat at any of the sightings.
-
Off course. This is for anyone that would love to experience nature and all the amazing wildlife of South Africa.