Example of University and College Itinerary

Please note that the following itinerary is a ROUGH guide as to what can be expected during your time at Tuli Wilderness. Most mornings begin at sunrise, so although timings have been included in this itinerary, these need to be flexible as we can never be completely sure what the wilderness will provide for us in terms of game-viewing.

We need to exploit opportunities presented to us. A number of external influences can also be unpredictable such as weather, stamina of the group as a whole and general group interest in certain educational topics. Dedicated game-viewers are available for each group, but we endeavour to spend a suitable amount of time on foot so as to really be a part of the natural environment.

College/University Staff Members – 1 per group
Students – 6 to 10 per group (max of 6 groups per trip)

Day 1

Camp: Serolo Safari Camp

12:00 – Pick up from border
13:00 – Arrival at reception
13:15 – Lunch
13:30 – Introduction to the week and safety talk
14:00 – Communicating with radios
14:15 – Photography
14:30 – Settle in
15:00 – River drive to explain riverine systems
17:30 – Arrive at camp, shower
19:00 – Dinner
20:00 – Presentation in the lapa on wildlife research

Day 2

Camp: Serolo Safari Camp

06:00 – Breakfast
06:30 – Depart on drive to find and learn about birds, arrive at Pel’s Pools and undertake a short walk to the top of hill to explore the geology and archeological sites
10:00 – Juice break back at camp
10:30 – Keying and identifying trees
11:00 – Lunch
14:00 – Telemetry systems, camera traps, map-reading and research
18:30 – Dinner
19:00 – Presentation on archeology and geology
20:00 – Night drive to find nocturnal creatures

Day 3

Camp: Trails Camp

06:00 – Breakfast
06:30 – Depart on drive to search for collared predators, learning about their behaviour on the way
11:30 – Lunch
12:00 – Skulls and dentition
13:00 – Leave for Trails Camp
14:00 – Arrive at Trails Camp and settle in
15:30 – Walk to learn about mammal camouflage and defence mechanisms
18:30 – Showers
19:00 – Dinner
Relaxation around the campfire

Day 4

Camp: Trails Camp

06:00 – Breakfast
06:30 – Bird identification and behaviour
10:00 – Juice back at camp
10:30 – Hunting and hunting debate
11:30 – Lunch
12:00 – Volleyball
14:00 – Animal behaviour / Elephant Case Study
18:30 – Showers back at camp
19:00 – Dinner
20:00 – Night drive to find and learn about nocturnal creatures, stopping to learn about the stars and astronomy

Day 5

Camp: Mohave Bush Camp

06:00 – Breakfast
06:30 – Animal behaviour / Elephant Case Study – continued
10:00 – Depart for Mothlabaneng Village
11:00 – Traditional meal with some of the local families
12:00 – Cultural tour in traditional donkey carts: school / clinic / weavers / subsistence farmers
16:00 – Depart from village to Mohave Camp
17:30 – Friction fire
19:00 – Dinner

Day 6

Camp: Mohave Bush Camp

06:00 – Breakfast and Sunrise
06:30 – Depart on a walk to the hyaena dens to learn about Brown Hyaenas, before going up to Eagle Rock to look at the Verreaux’s (Black) eagles and views
11:00 – Lunch
15:30 – Track and sign identification and techniques
19:00 – Dinner

Day 7

Camp: Molema Bush Camp

06:00 – Breakfast
06:30 – Determining animal behaviour from tracks
11:00 – Lunch
12:00 – Depart for Molema Bush Camp
15:00 – Walk to learn about termites and smaller creatures
19:00 – Dinner
Relaxation around the campfire and discussions about career opportunities

Day 8

Camp: Molema Bush Camp

06:00 – Breakfast
06:30 – Dangerous game trailing exercise
10:30 – Collect camera traps
11:30 – Lunch
14:00 – Analyse camera trap photographs
15:00 – Presentation on human-wildlife conflict
16:00 – Excursion to find and identify scorpions and arthropods in the field
19:00 – Dinner
Relaxation around the campfire

Day 9

Camp: Serolo Safari Camp

07:00 – Breakfast
07:30 – Wilderness survival techniques
11:00 – Lunch
12:00 – Depart for Serolo Safari Camp
15:30 – Bush-awareness lane
16:30 – Impala dissection
18:30 – Depart for bush dinner
19:00 – Bush dinner and celebration

Day 10

08:45 – Breakfast
10:45 – Depart from reception to meet the transfer service at the border