Our Team 
Our Tour Experts 
Heroes and Heroines Where to Stay
Every captivating tailor-made itinerary needs a perfect base. Our team has handpicked this collection of properties to give you luxury options in styles to suit any adventure.
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![Amy Waters snow biking]()
Our Team Steppes Travel is made by the people who work here. Incredible holidays are made possible because of their vast travel experience and the great enthusiasm they bring to their work.
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![William Dalrymple]()
Our Tour Experts We carefully select our experts based on their knowledge, companionship and influence, ensuring that you can travel with the most knowledgeable leaders in the field.
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![Liz Bonnin]()
Heroes and Heroines The people who lead the way when it comes to those things which matter to us: exploration, the environment, women’s empowerment and education.
Madikwe and The Waterberg
One of South Africa’s largest game reserves, Madikwe Game Reserve is home to the Big Five and has a healthy African wild dog population.
Bordering Botswana, which lies to its north, the reserve is one of the best run in the country. Some 8,000 animals including lion, elephant, cheetah, rhino and buffalo were introduced to the reserve during one of the biggest wildlife translocation projects in the world, “Operation Noah” some 20 years ago and have flourished in this unique environment.
The Waterberg, identified as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is also home to plenty of wildlife and boasts so impressive birdlife. This vast area is dominated by the Waterberg Mountain Range has a rare and rugged beauty with plenty of wildlife and fascinating history. This was home to the San Bushmen for thousands of years, and evidence can be seen at rock art sites throughout the area.
Why visit Madikwe and The Waterberg
- Excellent malaria-free game reserves, perfect for family friendly safari holidays
- Rich diversity of vegetation and terrain from open plains to riverine bush ensures a wide variety of game
- Conveniently accessible and easily combined with other highlights in South Africa and beyond
- Madikwe is great for the Big Five and The Waterberg has some of the best horse-riding in the country
Experiences
Tell us what you love doing and we’ll curate a journey that’s perfect for you.
Meet our experts
A passion for travel runs right through every one of our experts - meaning they're always ready with first-hand insight about their specialist countries.
Illona Cross
Born in a small South African town, I have always followed my passion for nature and discovery. After studying Nature Conservation in Pretoria, I was one of the first women to complete a very tough cadetship in the Natal Parks Board. It was here where I cut my teeth in African wildlife management.
Talk with our experts
- 01285 880 980
Chris Johnston
25 years ago, my first trip to Africa took on a life of its own. I planned for three months, I stayed for two years. Whilst there, I was mistaken for a priest, attacked by sharks and arrested. Yet the countless, clattering journeys opened my eyes to the beauty of the landscapes and the grace of the people. My recent trips are undoubtedly more comfortable, but the welcome is as warm as ever and the best experiences are still those I never see coming.
Talk with our experts
- 01285 880 980
Idea
South Africa
Cape Town, Whales and Winelands Self Drive
Explore the sights and restaurants of vibrant Cape Town, before driving to the whale-watching mecca of Hermanus. Finish by escaping inland to the Cape Dutch architecture and quiet vineyards of Franschhoek, where you have the chance…
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Madagascar
Madagascan Islands and South African Safari
Explore the wildlife-packed landscape that surrounds Marataba Safari Lodge – a beautiful, intimate tented camp in South Africa‘s dramatic Waterberg region. Then fly directly from Johannesburg to Nosy Be for a week on the idyllic Madagascan…
Idea
South Africa
The Atlantic Coast, Cederberg and Winelands
Experience the diversity of South Africa’s Western Cape. Begin with the bustle and history of Cape Town, before continuing to the endless beaches of the windswept Atlantic seaboard and majestic beauty of the Cederberg Mountains. Finish…
Idea
Botswana
Romantic Safari through South Africa and Botswana
Set out on a romantic star-bed safari across southern Africa, staying at a handful of spectacular camps. Combining South Africa’s Madikwe Reserve with Botswana’s Chobe and the Okavango Delta, this journey incorporates a beautiful array of…
Highlights of South Africa
Cape Town
Lying immediately beneath Table Mountain, Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, a true melting pot of…
Garden Route
Spanning from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, the Garden Route is an incredibly scenic part of South Africa, so-called because of its…
Kruger National Park and Sabi Sands
The Mpumalanga province is dominated by the Kruger National Park and the adjacent private game reserves of Sabi Sands, Timbavati and Manyeleti…
Cape Winelands
The Cape Winelands is the largest wine-producing region in South Africa and is divided into six main wine regions, each offering their…
Eastern Cape Game Reserves
The game reserves of the Eastern Cape are a great choice for a family safari or the perfect end to a holiday…
West and Northern Cape
Defined by majestic mountains, long stretches of beach, farmland valleys and further inland, the semi-desert Karoo, this area is certainly varied in…
KwaZulu-Natal
From its subtropical palm-fringed shores, lapped by the Indian Ocean to the mountainous Drakensberg range, KwaZulu-Natal offers a wealth of scenic splendour.
Why Choose Steppes?
Our knowledge and expertise set us apart. So too our curiosity. A curiosity of the world and of you, and your passions. It is this that drives us to create a journey that is really bespoke to you, all the while ensuring we travel and operate sustainably.
Are you ready to discover extraordinary once again?
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