Discover South Africa
Big Five game viewing in the Kruger National Park,
A cultural experience in the Kingdom of Swaziland
Relaxation in sub tropical St
Lucia, a unique area, not to be missed,
Durban,the Holiday City and the Garden Route, the Cape
Winelands and Cape Town.
Tour Summary
Highlights
- Kruger National Park
- Mpumalanga
- Swaziland, cultural experience
- St Lucia Estuary and Beaches
- Durban
- Port Elizabeth
- Knysna, place of Water and Wood
- Oudtshoorn
- Hermanus, with Whale Watching
- Cape Winelands
- Cape Town
Duration
Accommodation
- Select guesthouses
- en suite bathroom
- Attentive hosts
Route
- departs any day from Johannesburg / Pretoria
- ends in Cape Town
Meals
- breakfasts daily
- 6 dinners, as per itinerary
Itinerary
Day 1 : Kruger National Park, Big Five Game Viewing Starts Here !
Morning pickup at your hotel in Johannesburg or Pretoria and depart for
the Kruger National Park. Travel through the Highveld with its open grassy
plains and maize fields.Descend 1000 metres to the Lowveld and game viewing will start on
entering the world renowned game reserve.
Your guide is experienced in spotting the wildlife which have an
uncanny ability of camouflaging themselves. Dinner to be prepared for you
outside over an open campfire, while listening to the sounds of an African night. Hyena and lion may be
heard roaring in the distance !
Overnight: Chalet with en suite bathroom, Skukuza or similar
Meals: Dinner
Day 2 : Kruger National Park, Wildlife Safaris and a Night Drive
Start with coffee, tea and rusks before leaving for an early morning
game drive. You will be thrilled by the sights of the wildlife in their natural
environment. Your guide will continue to introduce you to many interesting
aspects of the environment. The ecosystem will come alive to you as you understand how the animals,
trees, plants and insect life all interact.
Midday relax or browse the curio shop. Later in the afternoon, once the
heat of the day has passed, enjoy an afternoon game drive.
Night drive in an open vehicle with a Park guide. Limited seats
available, so advance booking is essential.
Overnight: Chalet with en suite bathroom, Satara or similar
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Day 3 : Panorama Route, Mpumalanga
Last game drive ! This is your chance to spot any wildlife which may
have eluded you until now. Look out for lion, giraffe, elephant, hippo,
crocodile, zebra and many others.
A guided bush walk can be arranged for you on request.
Travel via the scenic Panorama Route of the Mpumalanga escarpment.
Visit sights such as the awe inspiring Blyde River Canyon, God's Window,
Bourke's Luck Potholes, Sabie, Mac Mac Falls and Graskop.
Arrive late afternoon at your Lowveld guesthouse, with its lush gardens
tranquil atmosphere.
Overnight: Mpumalanga Guesthouse
Meals: Brunch and Dinner
Day 4 : Swaziland, Culture and Crafts
Depart for Swaziland and enter the smallest country in the Southern
Hemisphere. Swaziland is a pretty country of rolling hills and friendly
people. Drive via Piggs Peak to Mbabane and Manzini and visit the Mantenga
Craft Market where you will be able to interact
with Swazi people and enjoy some of their culture.
Overnight: Swaziland Guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Day 5 : Kwa Zulu Natal
After a morning visit to the Swazi Candle Factory and Ngwenya Glass
Factory depart the Peaceful Kingdom of Swaziland for St Lucia.
Visit Dumazulu, a Zulu cultural village, where you will be introduced
to Zulu cultures and traditions. Enjoy their dancing and colourful
beadwork before continuing onto St Lucia, a beautiful seaside village
located amongst subtropical forests.
Overnight: St Lucia Guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Day 6 : St Lucia Wetlands
A guided boat trip on the estuary will probably take you close up to
hippos and crocodiles. Fish eagles, kingfishers and other bird species
abound in this area.
Time at leisure for relaxing, swimming in the warm waters of the Indian
Ocean, walking in an indigenous forest or watching a magnificent African
sunset from atop Mission Rocks.
Overnight: St Lucia Guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast
Day 7 : St Lucia and Durban
The morning can be spent relaxing on the beach or taking a leisurely
walk in an indigenous forest. Enjoy views only to be experienced in Africa
- wide open spaces, untouched and pristine. Midday your guide will leave you
at your hotel in Durban.
Overnight: Durban Marine Parade Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Day 8 : Durban
Morning pick up for a city tour of Durban, an
intriguing cultural blend of East, West and Africa. With its endless
summer climate, effervescent and luke warm ocean lined with golden
beaches,
Durban offers a subtropical
carnival atmosphere all year round. Your tour
of this bustling metropolis, often called the cultural ‘melting
pot’ of South Africa, includes
the Marine
Parade (Golden Mile), the rickshaw pullers, Durban
Harbour, Botanical
Gardens and a glimpse into the Indian culture at
the Indian market.
Overnight: Durban Marine Parade Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Day 9 : Port Elizabeth, the Friendly City
Transfer to the airport for your morning flight to the Friendly City. Collect
your vehicle and make your way to your guesthouse. Familiarize yourself
with the points of interest in Port Elizabeth.
Overnight: Port Elizabeth Guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast
Day 10 : Tsitsikama Forest
Visit the impressive Storms River Bridge, the highest cantilever
bridge of its kind, and the Tsitsikama Forest with its giant yellowwood
trees and varied bird life.
Continue onto Knysna, the hub of the
Garden Route.
Overnight: Knysna Guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast
Days 11 and 12 : Knysna, place of Wood and Water
Enjoy the quaint village of Knysna with its attractive lagoon.
Knysna named by the Hottentots, their word for "Wood and Water"
The Knysna Five
- ferry with Rivercats out to the Featherbed Nature Reserve
- drive to the top of Knysna Heads and enjoy a bird's eye view of
the lagoon
- walk in the indigenous forests of Knysna
- steam train from Knysna to Wilderness or George
- browse wooden furniture and shops and carvings for which the area is famous
Overnight: Knysna Guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast
Day 13 : Oudtshoorn, Ostriches Galore !
Travel onto Oudtshoorn, the Ostrich Capital of South Africa. Visit an
Ostrich Farm, the Cheetah Farm and the Cango Caves. Your Oudtshoorn
Guesthouse is renowned for their superb Ostrich dinners. Unrivalled in
South Africa !
Overnight: Oudtshoorn Guesthouse.
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Day 14 : Whale Watching in Hermanus
Depart the Karoo via a beautiful mountain pass and drive to Hermanus,
an old whaling station. Whale watching season is from July to December.
Hermanus offers the best land based whale watching in the world ! From
the shores watch the antics of these magnificent creatures. Browse the
delightful village of Hermanus.
During whale watching season you may wish to spend two nights here.
Overnight: Hermanus Guesthouse.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 15 : Cape Winelands
Drive through the Cape Winelands tasting wine produced in some of
South Africa's best cellars. Lunch stop in Stellenbosch or Franschoek.
Purchase wine directly from the vineyards.
If you are a wine connoisseur, then an extra night in the Winelands
will be happily spent exploring the various wine estates.
Overnight: Cape Winelands Guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast
Day 16 to 20 : Cape Town
Highlights to visit :
- The V&A Waterfront, where you can enjoy a leisurely
drink while watching the habour activity.
- From the Waterfront join the ferry out to Robben Island.
Your guide, himself a former prisoner, will tell you his story of
many years spent on this barren island.
- Ride the cable way to the top of Table Mountain from where
you can savour views of The Mother City.
- Drive around the Cape Peninsula, including Cape Point where
the two oceans meet, Simonstown, with its comical penguin colony and
over the dramatic Chapmans Peak.
- On request, a guided tour of Cape Town can be arranged for
you, where you will be taken into the Castle and learn more about
the history of this colourful colony.
Overnight: Cape Guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast
Day 21 : Fond Farewells !
Drive to the Cape Town airport, where you can leave your vehicle
before boarding your plane back home.
Meals: Breakfast
Note on the accommodation:
Guesthouse accommodation offers an intimate experience where you will
meet South Africans, get to know the people and their culture and enjoy
some local cuisine. Every guesthouse which we recommend has been personally vetted by
ourselves. They all offer high quality rooms, with en suite bathrooms, a
South African breakfast and plenty of comfort.
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