Plan Your Safari

From your front door to the Matlabas.

A simple, honest guide for international guests.

A safari at Marula is meant to feel effortless from the moment you arrive in Johannesburg. Here's exactly what to expect — and what we'll handle for you — at every step.

  1. Step 01

    Reserve your dates

    Email Chris directly or submit an enquiry through the Stay page. We hold dates provisionally for 7 days while you finalise travel. A 30% deposit confirms your booking; the balance is settled before departure.

  2. Step 02

    Book your flights

    Fly into OR Tambo International (JNB) in Johannesburg. Most international guests arrive on overnight flights and clear immigration in the early morning — perfect for a same-day transfer to the reserve.

  3. Step 03

    Sort firearms & paperwork

    Bringing your own rifle? You'll need an SAPS 520 temporary firearm import permit, issued on arrival at OR Tambo. We send a complete rifle-import pack with your confirmation and can arrange a meet-and-assist agent at the airport. Rifles are also available to hire at the lodge.

  4. Step 04

    Travel to the reserve

    It's a 3.5-hour drive (≈350 km) from OR Tambo via Thabazimbi to Steenbokpan. We can arrange a private transfer, or guests with their own vehicles receive a live pin and turn-by-turn route. A nearby airstrip is available for charter arrivals.

  5. Step 05

    A day on Marula

    Early coffee on the stoep, then out with your professional hunter or guide before sunrise. Brunch back at the lodge mid-morning. Quiet hours, a swim or a bush walk through the heat of the day. Sundowner drive, then dinner around a long table under the stars.

  6. Step 06

    Trophies & departure

    Trophies are dipped, packed and documented by an accredited taxidermist — we handle the introductions and the handover. From there your chosen freight agent ships them home. You leave with the memories; the trophies follow.

Speak to Chris

Every safari is built around you.

No two trips are the same. Tell Chris what you're hoping for — a first Cape buffalo, a quiet family week, a leopard hunt, a photographic safari — and he'll shape an itinerary around it.