Explore Our Experiences

DEHORNING

If you are looking to make a tangible contribution to ground-breaking conservation efforts, Honey guide invites you to join our rhino dehorning experience in Zululand, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, where your contribution supports real-time data collection, species protection, and local empowerment.

RHINO

Step Into the Mission

This trip brings together the best of Zululand through a curated mix of walking safaris, cultural insight, and time with conservation teams working on the ground. With luxury accommodation, private dining, and expert guiding, it offers a complete and meaningful look at the region — from its wildlife and landscapes to the people and processes that protect them.

  • Trips starting at $4,500 USD per person sharing. Please enquire about single-supplement fees (pricing may vary slightly depending on private lodge availability).

  • The base package includes 5–6 nights. Enquire for options on shorter or extended stays.

  • Available year-round, excluding December to February due to the rainy season — enquire directly for possibilities outside this window. Exact dates are subject to lodge availability.

  • Group size 6-8 pax. Enquire about smaller or larger bookings.

Field team member working with a sedated rhino during a safe, ethical dehorning procedure in South Africa.

ZULULAND AWAITS…

  • Track wildlife and explore the reserve on foot with specialist walking guides, offering an immersive, unique and intimate experience in the wild.

  • Join Zululand’s conservation teams for the rare opportunity to witness and actively take part in a rhino dehorning operation, a hands-on experience led by highly trained wildlife professionals.

  • Stay in a thoughtfully curated mix of intimate lodges exclusive to your group, set deep within one of South Africa’s most biodiverse landscapes.

  • Experience the stillness of the bush at night, with clear stargazing and calls of lion and hyena carrying far across the reserve.

  • Learn ancient ecological stories in the landscape, from subtle tracks and signs to the intricate relationships between species.

  • Enjoy the comfort of private, exclusive luxury accommodation with a private chef that caters to all your needs.

  • End each day with slow, meaningful connection: sundowners in the bush, exquisite meals, and the chance to truly disconnect, and reconnect with nature.

INTERESTED IN TRIP EXTRA’S?

Every group is different. If there’s a passion you want to follow — orchids, herpetology, soundscapes, or something entirely unique — share it with us.

Let’s create something extraordinary together.

Enquire Now

  • Arrive in Zululand and settle into your lodge before heading out on an afternoon game drive to get a feel for the landscape. End the evening with relaxed stargazing and drinks around the fire.

  • Experience Zululand on foot on our first walking safari, guided by an expert who will teach you to read the tracks, signs, and rhythms of the bush — a uniquely immersive experience few travellers get to do.

  • Join the conservation team for a guided rhino dehorning operation, where you’ll witness and assist in this essential field procedure under expert supervision.

  • Explore a different part of the reserve on a second walking safari, offering a fresh perspective on Zululand’s diverse habitats and wildlife.

  • Spend the day connecting with local culture through a guided visit that highlights the stories, traditions, and history of Zulul heritage.

  • Say goodbye to Africa with one last bumble through bushveld before your journey home.

  • Luxury lodge interior with warm natural lighting and contemporary safari décor.
  • Gourmet plated dish prepared by the lodge’s private chef.
  • Luxury lodge interior with modern African design and natural textures.
  • Champagne glasses served at the lodge during sunset drinks.
  • Eco-lodge bedroom featuring soft textiles and modern African design.
  • Bushveld boma surrounding the private lodge in Zululand.
  • Private eco-lodge bathroom.
  • Silhouette of a tree at sunset in the South African bush.
  • Eco-lodge bedroom with neutral tones and views of the surrounding bush.
  • Fresh seasonal meal served at the lodge using local ingredients.
  • Luxury lodge bathroom with an outdoor bathtub overlooking the surrounding bush.
  • Guests enjoying sundowner drinks at a private lodge during sunset.
  • Guest walking in the bush near the lodge during a guided outing.
  • Gourmet dish prepared by the lodge’s private chef.

What's Included?

  • Private accommodation in handpicked eco-lodges

  • Daily field excursions and guided game drives

  • All meals and select local beverages

  • Airport transfers and local transport

  • Expert conservation leaders and field specialists

What's NOT?

  • All flights

  • Travel insurance

  • Visas and vaccination requirements

  • Personal purchases and gratuities

Take a PERSONALISED APpROACH TO YOUR EXPeRIeNCE

Enquire Now

YOUR JOURNEY

We curate our experiences entirely around your group’s interests and the experiences you want. preferences. You can be as involved as you want in the planning of your trip, or leave it to us to surprise you. We can bring in specialist guides, trackers, photographers, or researchers depending on your interests. The pace is relaxed and unhurried – we do things when conditions are right and when the experience will be most meaningful.

Learn more

Exclusive Lodging

We work exclusively with private homesteads and boutique lodges — no shared spaces or tourist crowds. Together, we’ll choose a property that suits your preferences and group size, ensuring your stay feels personal and intentional. Each lodge is fully staffed, offering complete privacy, comfort, and a seamless experience from start to finish.

We take our food seriously. Expect a modernised take on South African classics, prepared by private chefs, and tailored to your dietary needs and preferences. Enjoy a curated wine list from exceptional South African estates, craft cocktails, and slow, fireside evenings.

WHY WE SUPPORT RHINO DEHORNING

Dehorning is one of the most powerful anti-poaching tools we have, but only when all rhino in a reserve are dehorned. A single horned animal increases the incentive for poachers, putting the entire population at risk. Since horns regrow every 18–24 months, each procedure protect rhinos while allowing vets to perform vital health checks & research. By taking part, you directly fund these operations—making your visit a meaningful act of conservation.

Learn more

leave your mark.

At Honey Guide, we believe conservation should be felt, not just observed. Our hands-on experiences place you alongside the experts protecting black and white rhinos, giving you a life-changing encounter while helping these iconic species rebuild and return from the brink.

A rhinoceros walking through grassy plains with trees and bushes in the background.

MEET Our Partners

  • Conservation team member supporting a sedated rhino during an ethical dehorning operation in Zululand.

    Zululand Conservation Trust

    The Zululand Conservation Trust (ZCT), our conservation partner, plays a key role in making our dehorning operations possible. Their team supports on-the-ground logistics, security coordination, and conservation planning to ensure each operation runs safely, ethically, and efficiently. Their commitment helps protect endangered species and strengthen long-term conservation impact in the region.

  • Wildlife veterinarian from Manyoni Private Game Reserve speaking during a wildlife conservation briefing.

    Manyoni Private Game Reserve

    Manyoni Private Game Reserve provides essential field support for our experiences — from wildlife monitoring and reserve access to veterinary coordination and operational readiness. Their conservation-driven approach ensures every rhino dehorning and research activity is carried out with care, professionalism, and the highest ethical standards.

  • Honey Guide trails guide walking through the Zululand bush during a wildlife tracking operation.

    FP Aucamp

    FP, our specialist trails guide and field expert, is instrumental in leading guests through the Zululand bushveld and tracking wildlife by reading the land. With years of experience, a remarkable depth of knowledge, and an infectious passion for conservation, he ensures safety throughout every operation and helps guests understand the real work behind protecting Africa’s wildlife. 

Beach scene with wooden lounge chairs under a canopy, white sand, and ocean waves under a clear blue sky.

EXTEND YOUR TRIP

Thonga Beach Lodge

A popular way to extend your Rhino Dehorning experience is by adding a pre- or post-trip stay at Tonga Beach Lodge, one of South Africa’s most peaceful, untouched coastal escapes. Nestled within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, this remote beach lodge offers warm Indian Ocean waters, pristine beaches, and total seclusion — the perfect contrast to the intensity of conservation work in the field.

Guests can enjoy barefoot luxury, guided beach walks, ocean swims, world-class scuba diving on pristine coral reefs, exceptional birding, and slow, restorative days on the coast. In the summer months, guided evening walks offer the chance to witness nesting turtles along these protected shores — a rare and unforgettable sight. It’s the ideal way to balance adventure with relaxation and experience another side of South Africa’s natural beauty.

Make it count.

Because meaningful travel doesn’t just admire the world, it helps sustain it.

Enquire Now