RETURN Africa offers a collection of unique experiences in South Africa’s two most iconic destinations: Cape Town and Kruger. RETURN Africa’s origins lie at Pafuri in the far north of the Kruger National Park. It is here, on the ancestral land of the Makuleke people, that we have built a unique partnership and a collection of superb safari experiences. Our operation is rooted in more than two decades of friendship with the Makulekes, who lost their home under apartheid but who have now returned as our landlords, our business partners and our guides. Our concession lies in a vast triangle between the Limpopo and Luvuvhu rivers along South Africa’s northeastern frontier. Between them, the two great valleys embrace one of Africa’s most spectacular landscapes with mountains and gorges in the west giving way to plains, pans, baobabs and fever tree forests in the east. The land, particularly the low-lying floodplains near the confluence at Crooks’ Corner where our camps are located, harbours an abundance of life.

Pafuri in the wild north of the Kruger National Park is unrivalled walking country. Our trails, open from April to October every year, are renowned for offering true bush lovers an opportunity to experience one of Kruger’s remotest corners on foot. Led by experienced field guides, you will explore a place that is as vast as it is varied and wild. The trail offers you a chance to focus on the little things but you will also experience the rush of adrenaline when you happen upon members of the Big Five. Home base is a seasonal bush camp near the banks of the Luvuvhu in the wildest part of the Kruger National Park (also known as the Makuleke Contractual Park) where we serve hearty food and drink in a setting that allows you a close-up experience of untamed Africa. And, for the truly adventurous, we occasionally offer minimalist trails when we camp under the stars or foray across the border into the transfrontier park. You’ll notice how the landscape changes from woodland to riverine forests, mountains, floodplains and pans where animals roam freely. It is here that you will find forests of fever trees, groves of baobabs and vast herds of wildlife.

Set in the heart of the Makuleke Contractual Park at the northern tip of the Kruger National Park, RETURN Africa’s Pafuri Collection offers guests a rare glimpse into one of South Africa’s most biodiverse and culturally rich regions. This remote corner, where the Limpopo and Luvuvhu Rivers meet, is home to fever tree forests, ancient baobabs, and an extraordinary array of birdlife and wildlife. The surrounding area is steeped in history, with nearby archaeological sites and ancestral paths that tell stories of centuries past. It’s a destination for the curious and the adventurous – wild, untouched, and utterly unforgettable.