Journeys · South Africa · Zimbabwe
The Highveld, the Lowveld & the Zambezi
Johannesburg's championship muscle, the Kruger's purest golf-safari, and the lip of the Zambezi — the efficient classic for golfers short on leave and long on ambition.
Highlights
- BlairAtholl Golf Estate — the longest course in South Africa
- Leopard Creek Country Club on the Kruger's riverbank
- Big Five game drives from a luxury Thornybush lodge
- Elephant Hills Golf Course above the Zambezi River
Best months
May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep
Driver off the first tee at altitude on BlairAtholl — and watching the ball simply refuse to come down.
What's on the card — and where you'll sleep
The golf on this journey
- BlairAtholl Golf Estate
- Second highveld round (e.g. Royal Johannesburg)
- Leopard Creek Country Club
- Elephant Hills Golf Course
Where you'll stay
- The Saxon Hotel, Johannesburg — Johannesburg, 2 nights
- Royal Malewane, Thornybush — The Greater Kruger, 4 nights
- The Victoria Falls Hotel — Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, 3 nights
Every property is hand-picked from our register of fifty-two — none paid for, none reciprocated. See the options for this region →
Where you go, and why
Johannesburg
Africa's powerhouse city sits a mile above sea level — which means your drives fly a full club further, and you will not stop grinning about it. Stay at the serene Saxon Hotel, take on BlairAtholl Golf Estate — Gary Player's South African Open host and the longest course in the country — and add a second highveld round while the thin air is still flattering you.
STAY The Saxon Hotel, Johannesburg
The Greater Kruger
Fly east and drop into the lowveld bush. From a luxury safari lodge in the Thornybush reserve, head out at dawn and dusk with a ranger and tracker after lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino — the Big Five, properly wild. Between drives comes the round every travelling golfer dreams about: Leopard Creek Country Club, on the Crocodile River boundary of the Kruger National Park, where hippos surface below the 16th and the closing green is an island.
STAY Royal Malewane, Thornybush
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Finish on the lip of the Zambezi. Walk the rainforest trail opposite the mile-wide curtain of Victoria Falls, getting gloriously soaked; cruise the river at sunset among elephants and hippo; and play your final round at Elephant Hills Golf Course, the Gary Player design where impala graze the fairways and the Falls' spray smokes on the horizon.
STAY The Victoria Falls Hotel
Every journey is a starting shape, not a fixed product — add nights, swap lodges, bring the Gallery. Guide price per person sharing, excluding international flights; confirmed precisely in writing before you commit.
Asked before you booked
How much does The Highveld, the Lowveld & the Zambezi cost?
Guide price is from US$8,900 per person sharing, excluding international flights. For an exact figure, use the Price a Private Version tool — adjust the nights, rounds and experiences and our quoting engine returns your private price, checked by a specialist, usually within one working day.
How many rounds of golf are on this journey?
4 rounds are built in — BlairAtholl Golf Estate, Second highveld round (e.g. Royal Johannesburg), Leopard Creek Country Club, Elephant Hills Golf Course. Every round can be kept, swapped or dropped when you price your private version.
Can my non-golfing partner come?
Absolutely — this is the heart of how we design. While the golfers play, the Gallery programme runs parallel experiences (game drives, spas, wine, walks, markets), and everyone reunites for lunch or sundowners. Non-golfers never sit out a day.
When is the best time to take this journey?
Best months are May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep. We will be honest about the trade-offs of any month you are considering — every season has its version of this trip.
Where will we stay?
Exact, named properties at every stop — on this journey: The Saxon Hotel, Johannesburg, Royal Malewane, Thornybush, The Victoria Falls Hotel. Every property is hand-picked from our register; none paid for, none reciprocated.
Do I need a visa for South Africa?
Most UK, US, EU, Canadian and Australian passport holders get a free visitor visa on arrival for stays up to 90 days. We confirm the current rules for your nationality when you book.
Is there malaria on this trip?
Cape Town, the Winelands and the Garden Route are completely malaria-free. The Kruger lowveld carries a low seasonal risk — we will advise on simple precautions — and if you prefer zero risk, we can route your safari to malaria-free reserves like Madikwe, Shamwari or Gondwana instead.
What is the weather like for golf?
The Cape plays best from October to April — long, dry summer days. The Kruger and the highveld are at their best for safari in the dry winter months, May to September. Most of our South African journeys work year-round; we will time yours to what matters most to you.
Tell us how you want to feel when you come home.
We'll build the wild, and the golf, around that — and nothing else.
Design your safari Speak to us