DAY 1: JOHANNESBURG
You will be met at the airport in Johannesburg and transferred to Africa Sky Guest House. Should your flight arrive early morning, you will have the day at leisure in Johannesburg, or choose one of the following: Lesedi Cultural Village visit, Soweto Half Day tour, Lion Interaction, Johannesburg Historical tour.
OVERNIGHT: Africa Sky Guest House
MEALS: Dinner
EXCLUDED: Flight to Johannesburg, Optional Day Tours
DAY 2: PANORAMA ROUTE
Set off for the Panorama Route, known for its cultural heritage and dramatic landscapes. Visit viewpoints along the escarpment, including God’s Window, Lisbon Falls and the Pinnacle. Afternoon at leisure in Graskop, with time to stroll through some of the unique shops – including one specializing in silk from the African Mopane worm!
OVERNIGHT: Graskop Hotel
MEALS: Breakfast
INCLUDED: Entry fees to viewpoints
DAY 3: KRUGER NATIONAL PARK
First stop is Bourke’s Luck Potholes, an erosion process that started thousands of years ago. Also view Blyde River Canyon, the third deepest and only green canyon in the world.
Enter world-renowned Kruger National Park. This park offers a wildlife experience that ranks with the best in Africa and the world and is unrivalled in the diversity of its life forms.
OVERNIGHT: Kruger NP
MEALS: Breakfast
INCLUDED: Entry fee to Bourkes Luck Potholes, Kruger NP Daily conservation fee
DAY 4: KRUGER NATIONAL PARK
Continue exploring the vastness and diversity of Kruger Park with a morning and afternoon game drive.
OVERNIGHT: Kruger NP
INCLUDED: Kruger NP Daily conservation fee
DAY 5: SWAZILAND
Cross into Swaziland, with a visit to Swazi Candles a highlight. Watch crafters in action moulding paraffin wax. The market also features a number of other arts, crafts, curio and gift shops.
Book into Reilly's Rock Hilltop Lodge at Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary. Swaziland's pioneer conservation area situated in the 'Valley of Heavens' and surrounded by the Royal Botanical Gardens, featuring aloes, threatened and endangered antelope and abundant birdlife. In the evening, keep an eye open for resident Bushbabies!
OVERNIGHT: Reilly’s Rock Hilltop Lodge
MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner
INCLUDED: Mlilwane daily conservation fee
EXCLUDED: Visa if required (Swaziland)
DAY 6: PONGOLA
Enter South Africa again and arrive at Pongola Private Game Reserve, surrounded by bushveld savannah and the Lebombo Mountains. In the afternoon enjoy a game cruise on Pongola dam (great to see animals as they come drink).
OVERNIGHT: Mvubu Lodge
MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner
INCLUDED: Afternoon Game Cruise
DAY 7: PONGOLA
Choice of either an early morning game drive, or going Rhino tracking (join your ranger on a game walk and track these prehistoric beasts on foot). The rest of the day is at leisure. Pongola Game Reserve has a Spa where you can pamper yourself, or you may want to try your hand at Tiger Fishing!
OVERNIGHT: Mvubu Lodge
MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner
INCLUDED: Morning Game Drive OR Rhino Tracking
EXCLUDED: SPA treatments, Tiger fishing (subject to availability)
DAY 8: ST LUCIA
Enter The Greater St Lucia Wetland Park World Heritage Site and embark on a Hippo & Crocodile Estuary Cruise. This is a leisurely boat trip down the St Lucia Estuary to watch fish eagles, hippos, crocodiles and goliath herons against a backdrop of mangrove swamps.
OVERNIGHT: Avalone Guest House
MEALS: Breakfast
INCLUDED: Estuary cruise
DAY 9: ST LUCIA
St Lucia lies on The Elephant Coast of KwaZulu-Natal. Elephants, Rhino and Lion, Whales, Turtles and Marlin, Warm Indian Ocean, Pristine Beaches, Sub-Tropical Climate are some of the terms associated with this area… Today you have the option to book some of the following activities: Whale Watching, Ocean Adventure, Deep Sea Fishing, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve, Cape Vidal Snorkel Safari, Night Drive, Turtle Tour, Khula Cultural Tour, Horse Riding, Bird Watching Trail.
OVERNIGHT: Avalone Guest House
MEALS: Breakfast
EXCLUDED: Activities
DAY 10: SHAKALAND
Head down the coast to visit a Zulu Cultural village - ShakaLand. Come to understand customs of the Zulu people, see how they made their weapons and taste traditional beer. After supper join the villagers for a bit of Zulu Dancing.
OVERNIGHT: ShakaLand
MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner
INCLUDED: Zulu cultural experience
DAY 11: DURBAN
After breakfast and a morning cultural program, bid the Zulu’s farewell and continue down the coast to Durban. Book into Fairlight Beach House in Umdloti. Umdloti’s beach is regarded as one of South Africa’s best kept secrets and Fairlight holds an absolutely premium spot that overlooks the beach. Durban has one of the largest Indian populations outside of India, so dinner tonight is the perfect opportunity to sample a true Indian curry!
OVERNIGHT: Fairlight Beach House
MEALS: Breakfast
DAY 12: HIMEVILLE
Take a scenic drive to the Southern Drakensberg, visiting some of the attractions along the way.
OVERNIGHT: Valemount Country Lodge
MEALS: Breakfast
DAY 13: SANI PASS
Conquer Sani Pass. The awe-inspiring Sani Pass climbs the face of the escarpment into the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. It is the getaway to the "Roof of Africa". It is used for the most part by 4x4 vehicles and is the highlight of the Southern Drakensberg. The tour reveals the history of the pass, geology, flora & fauna, and a unique experience with the Basotho people.
OVERNIGHT: Valemount Country Lodge
MEALS: Breakfast
INCLUDED: Guided tour in 4x4 up Sani Pass
EXCLUDED: Visa if required (Lesotho)
DAY 14: EAST LONDON
Travel into the Eastern Cape and book into Inkwenkwezi, a world-class Big 5 game reserve on the breathtaking Wild Coast. Inkwenkwezi's prime location offers unique opportunities, as it encompasses five different regional ecosystems (biomes) and a tidal estuary.
OVERNIGHT: Inkwenkwezi Bush Camp
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 15: EAST LONDON
Start the morning with an optional birding walk with your ranger. After breakfast, enjoy a game drive, followed by elephant and cheetah interaction opportunities. Early evening there is an optional Beach Walk, followed by complimentary sundowners before dinner.
OVERNIGHT: Inkwenkwezi Bush Camp
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
INCLUDED: Scheduled lodge activities
EXCLUDED: Optional Elephant Back Ride
DAY 16: ADDO
Visit Addo Elephant National Park. The original Elephant section of the park was proclaimed in 1931, when only eleven elephants remained in the area – today it is sanctuary to over 450 elephants.
OVERNIGHT: Addo Main Camp
MEALS: Breakfast
INCLUDED: Addo Elephant NP Daily conservation fee
DAY 17: ADDO
Enjoy game drives as we continue exploring this finely tuned ecosystem. Other species to be on the lookout for are Cape buffalo, black rhino, a variety of antelope species, as well as the unique flightless dung beetle, found almost exclusively in Addo.
OVERNIGHT: Addo Main Camp
INCLUDED: Addo Elephant NP Daily conservation fee
EXCLUDED: All optional activities in the park
DAY 18: WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS
Continue to Plettenberg Bay and select one of the following included activities: Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre, Birds of Eden, Monkeyland, Elephant Sanctuary.
OVERNIGHT: Shining Waters Guest House
INCLUDED: One of the animal interaction activities in Plettenberg Bay
DAY 19: KNYSNA
Take a ferry out to the Featherbed, a pristine paradise situated on the Western Head of Knysna and is accessible by ferry only. Four-hour eco-experience includes a return ferry trip, nature drive in a 4x4 unimog and guided walk, ending with a sumptuous buffet lunch at the Food Forest Restaurant...... OR...... An outing into the forest. Start with a gentle 3km walk along the river. Beautiful indigenous forest, ancient trees, huge tree ferns, arum lilies, mushrooms and fungi. Explore old shafts dug by the miners en route. Following a visit to Mother Holly's Mining museum follow another very short trail and visit the old mining area and creep into one or two old shafts to have a peek at the old machinery. Light refreshments served. Afternoon at leisure to explore Knysna, the capital of the Garden Route.
OVERNIGHT: Shining Waters Guest House
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch (with Featherbed Excursion only)
INCLUDED: Featherbed excursion OR Millwood Goldmine Tour
DAY 20: OUDSTHOORN
Visit the Klein Karoo and Oudsthoorn, ostrich capital of the world. No trip to Oudsthoorn would be complete without a visit to an ostrich farm with the opportunity to feed and touch the ostriches, stand on an ostrich egg, sit on an ostrich and even attempt to ride an ostrich! Finish off with a light lunch of grilled ostrich fillet. In the afternoon visit the Cango Caves, one of the world's natural wonders sculptured by nature through ages - fascinating limestone formations in a wide variety of colours.
OVERNIGHT: De Zeekoe Guest House
MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch
INCLUDED: Visit and guided tour of ostrich farm, Visit and guided tour of Cango Caves
DAY 21: CAPE TOWN - Winelands
Early morning start to visit a wild habituated meerkat colony. Tour commences at sunrise and upon arrival at the meerkat burrows, you are treated to a hot cup of coffee and issued with a lightweight aluminium chair to sit in while observing the meerkats as they come out of the burrow into the sunshine and go about their daily routine of foraging and frolicking. These habituated wild animals are never fed or handled by humans. It is a fantastic experience & unique privilege to get this close to these little creatures in the wild. After breakfast, bid the Garden Route farewell and head off to Cape Town via Route 62 - an area of magnificent landscapes along the longest wine route in the Western Cape and most likely the whole world. Perfect setting to get a “taste” of South Africa's wine industry. Overnight on a working wine farm in Robertson.
OVERNIGHT: Excelsior Manor Guest House
MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner
INCLUDED: Meerkat encounter
DAY 22: CAPE TOWN - Robben Island
A leisurely morning as we continue on the scenic drive to Cape Town. In the afternoon board the ferry to Robben Island, a penal colony for most of its 400 year history. Nelson Mandela spent 18 years on Robben Island and leading members of South African political parties were incarcerated alongside him. In 1997 Robben Island was turned into a museum and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Return to the V&A Waterfront. Situated in the heart of Cape Town's working harbour, the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront has become South Africa's most visited destination. Set against a backdrop of sea and mountain views, exciting shopping and entertainment venues are intermingled. An experience of how the Capetonians live, work, shop and play!
OVERNIGHT: Blackheath Lodge
MEALS: Breakfast
INCLUDED: Robben Island Ferry return ticket and guided tour
DAY 23: CAPE TOWN – Table Mountain
Visit Table Mountain, the world famous landmark. Join the ranks of millions of visitors who have reached the summit and marvelled at the views from such lofty heights. The rest of the day at leisure.
OVERNIGHT: Blackheath Lodge
MEALS: Breakfast
INCLUDED: Table Mountain Cableway return ticket
DAY 24: CAPE TOWN - Cape of Good Hope
One of the tour's highlights comes in the form of The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, home to Cape Point, the most south-westerly point of Africa. It is one of the highest sea cliffs in the world and home to plant speciesc which occur nowhere else on earth . Also visit other attractions like Chapman’s Peak (sited as the most scenic marine drive in the world), Boulders Beach (home to a colony of vulnearble African Penguins) and the historical naval village of Simon’s Town. Last stop for the day is Hout Bay.
OVERNIGHT: Blackheath Lodge
MEALS: Breakfast
INCLUDED: Entry fee to Cape of Good Hope, Return transfer on the Flying Dutchman Funicular
DAY 25: END
We bid you farewell and drop you off at Cape Town airport.
PRICE
Private tours:
2 People – $8 500 pp sharing
4 People - $6 100 pp sharing
6 People - $5 450 pp sharing
SSup - $2 800 pp sharing
INCLUDED:
The price will include all transport, accommodation, meals, entrance fees, activities and guides during the safaris, as indicated in the itinerary. Unless indicated otherwise, the tour will be done in an air-conditioned vehicle to ensure your every comfort.
EXCLUDED:
Accommodation, flights and meals not specified in the itinerary. Drinks, curious, laundry, gratuities and other items of a personal nature. Travel insurance, required inoculations and malaria medications, visas (if required).
