South Africa

A 30 night tailor made itinerary

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Experiences:

  • Birdwatching
  • Game drives
  • Battlefields
  • Hiking
  • Garden Route
  • Wine tasting
  • Penguins
  • Motorbike sidecar excursion

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow on your overnight flight to Durban via Johannesburg.

Day 2 On arrival collect your rental car and drive to Umhlanga (approx. 25 minutes). Overnight Teremok Marine Boutique Hotel.

Day 3 Drive to St. Lucia Wetlands. Three nights St. Lucia Wetlands Guest House.

Days 4 and 5 At leisure. Within easy reach options include authentic Zulu village tours, birdwatching, hiking, kayaking, horse riding; seasonal whale and turtle watching, and tranquil cruises to see hippopotamuses and crocodiles. Hluhluwe Umfolozi is one of the oldest game reserves in Africa and here is where you are likely to have rhino sightings. The Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park – now known as the iSimangaliso Wetland Park – was declared South Africa’s first Natural World Heritage Site in 1999.

Day 6 Today drive to the Battlefields. Three nights at the historic Three Tree Hill Lodge in the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains next to Spioenkop Game Reserve.

Days 7 and 8 At leisure. The Battlefields is the collective name for an area of rolling cattle country in rural Zululand where many of the Anglo-Zulu and Anglo-Boer battles were fought. Recommended are sites such as Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift.

Day 9 Drive to the Drakensberg. Three nights Cathedral Peak Hotel – a charming family resort set against the backdrop of the majestic Drakensberg in tranquil surroundings.

Days 10 and 11 At leisure. Activities include daily guided walks, bird watching, nearby game viewing, swimming, gym, trout fishing, sauna and a challenging nine hole golf course. The Drakensberg offers walkers everything from serious hiking to gentle rambles. Other attractions are its ancient San rock paintings, the 4×4 ascent to the top of Sani Pass in Lesotho, and the arts and craft studios along the Champagne Valley.

Day 12 Today drive to Pietermaritzberg. Two nights Granny Mouse Country House. This picturesque country retreat is situated on the Midlands Meander on an outcrop overlooking natural bush and the rapids of the Lions River, and is ideally situated to explore both the Meander and the surrounding areas.

Day 13 At leisure. Set in the heart of the Natal Midlands in KwaZulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg is a charming city with numerous Victorian and Edwardian buildings and quaint pedestrian lanes.

Day 14 Drive to Durban and return your rental car. Check in for your flight to Port Elizabeth. On arrival pick up your second rental car and drive to Amakhala Game Reserve. Three nights Bush Lodge. Luxury tent. Afternoon game drive.

Days 15 and 16 Activities at Amakhala including two wildlife game drives per day

Day 17 Today drive to St. Francis. Two nights Dune Ridge.

Day 18 At leisure to play golf.

Day 19 Today drive to Knysna. Three nights Villa Afrikana.

Days 20 and 21 At leisure to enjoy the Knysna area and the Garden Route. Options include a boat cruise on the Knysna Lagoon, taking a guided walk in the Featherbed Nature Reserve, or just spending some relaxing time at the beach. The Garden Route offers a spectacular coastline of dramatic headlands giving way to sandy beaches.
Day 22 Drive to de Hoop Nature Reserve. Two nights De Hoop Opstal Manor House. De Hoop nature reserve is a popular destination for hikers, cyclists, bird watchers and whale watchers. The adjacent De Hoop Marine Protected Area is one of the largest marine protected areas in Africa and provides a sanctuary for a vast array of marine life.

Day 23 At leisure.

Day 24 Drive to Franschoek in the Winelands. Two nights Hawksmoor House.

Day 25 Pick up from your accommodation for full day Wine Country small group tour. Includes entrance fees and tastings. The Winelands is an area of exquisite beauty with rocky mountains overlooking green vineyards; oak avenues leading to elegant Cape Dutch wine estates and some of the most charming towns and villages in South Africa.

Day 26 Today drive to Cape Town. Four nights Victoria and Alfred Hotel: a landmark hotel in the heart of the Waterfront with spectacular views of the working harbour and Table Mountain. Your rental car will be picked up from the hotel.

Day 27 Half day private tour of Cape Town. This tour of the ‘mother city’ includes visits to the SA Museum, the Malay quarter, Table Mountain and the harbour. In the afternoon join a scheduled Robben Island Tour. This is an emotional tour to the notorious prison where Nelson Mandela and other freedom fighters were incarcerated during the apartheid era.

Day 28 Private full day Peninsula Tour.  Depart for the Cape of Good Hope along one of South Africa’s most scenic routes.  Highlights include a visit to Hout Bay with an optional boat trip to Seal Island, the historic naval base town of Simon’s Town, the penguin colony at Boulders Beach and Cape Point, and Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.

Day 29 This morning visit Signal Hill by sidecar with Cape Sidecars. In the afternoon enjoy afternoon tea at the lovely Mount Nelson Hotel.

Day 30 Day at leisure. Transfer to the airport for your overnight flight to London.

Day 31 UK arrival.