
Plan Your Safari
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.
Step 01
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.
Step 02
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.
Step 03
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.
Step 04
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.
Step 05
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.
Step 06
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
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.