OVERVIEW

Depart Johannesburg for the Blyde River Canyon in Mpumalanga. The canyon is the 3rd largest and largest green canyon (vegetated) on earth.

Follow the scenic Panorama Route and admire God’s Window, Three Rondawels, Blyde River Canyon, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, and a number of incredible waterfalls along the way. Pilgrim’s Rest is an authentic historical village dating from the first South African gold rush and now a National Monument. Time permitting, a swim in the beautiful MacMac pools to cool off.

Check in to your hotel, time to relax and enjoy dinner.

Main Destination:

Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve (Panorama Route, South Africa)

Accommodation:

Mogodi Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located in or near Graskop

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

You arrive in the late morning at the famous Kruger National Park and begin your safari into this bushveld wonderland. Enjoy a light lunch from a viewpoint on the banks of the mighty Sabie River. Continue your game drive and around 3 pm check-in at Lower Sabie resort.

At 4:30 pm you begin your exciting late afternoon/sunset game drive with a professional game ranger. The professional game ranger will enthrall you with stories of the African bush and point out the Big 5 and other rare and endangered species (included).

Please note these 3 safari activities can only be operated by the parks board, therefore making it a special experience.

Main Destination:

Kruger National Park (South Africa)

Accommodation:

Lower Sabie Rest Camp

• Mid-range bungalow located inside Southern Kruger

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

After breakfast and perhaps a nap, you drive into the African Savannah and wildlife in all its splendor, or/and relax in camp beside the pool or on the banks of the Sabie River.

The Kruger Park is home to almost a thousand bird species, amongst them many birds of prey. Much wildlife can be seen whilst driving along the banks of the Sabie river including predators like lions, leopards, and even the endangered wild dog/painted wolf.

Tonight you participate in a night game drive (included) which is guided by an experienced game ranger with unsurpassed knowledge of the African bush. Nocturnal game drives are where you shall encounter those elusive nocturnal animals who are mostly seen after dark. This includes African cats, both big and small.

Main Destination:

Greater Kruger (South Africa)

Accommodation:

Lower Sabie Rest Camp

• Mid-range bungalow located inside Southern Kruger

Meals & Drinks:

• Meals at own expense
• Drinks not included

Early morning safari walk with armed rangers (included). You experience the Kruger on foot, rangers will show you all sorts of amazing things, such as plants, insects, reptiles, tracks, Big 5 & provide superb information on them. You encounter large & small mammals on your walk and get close enough to experience these ultimate encounters.

You come to Hlane Royal National Park for the big stuff. Swatini’s largest protected area, this well-organized reserve is home to elephants, lions, leopards, white rhinos and many antelope species, and also offers impressive opportunities for birdwatching. Activities include overnight bush trails, a dedicated rhino drive, guided bird walks, mountain biking and cultural tours.

You can easily explore the park under your own steam in a standard car, but it’s a good idea to join at least one guided drive – and you’ll need to if you want to see the lion enclosure.

2 hr 57 min (157.9 km) ka R571 Kruger National Park to Swaziland – Hlane National Park.

Main Destination:

Hlane Royal National Park (Swaziland)

Accommodation:

Hlane National Park

• Mid-range cottage located inside Hlane Royal NP

Meals & Drinks:

• Meals at own expense
• Drinks not included

With its Mediterranean-style architecture, waterside setting and wide avenues lined with jacaranda and flame trees, Maputo is easily one of East Africa’s most attractive capitals. With a wide selection of hotels and restaurants, well-stocked supermarkets, shady sidewalk cafes and a lively cultural scene, getting to know the city is a highlight of visiting Mozambique and essential to understanding the country. Don’t miss spending time here before heading north.

The heart of the city is the bustling, low-lying baixa (old town), spreading out north and east from the port. A few kilometers away, the seaside Avenida Marginal is lined with new developments on its inland side, while life moves at a more leisurely pace next to the ocean.

2 hr. 39 min (138 km) Hlane National Park – Swaziland to Maputo – Mozambique (MR3).

Main Destination:

Maputo (City, Mozambique)

Accommodation:

Radisson Blu Hotel & Residence, Maputo

• Mid-range hotel located in or near Maputo

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

Ponta Do Ouro is the southernmost point on the Mozambican coast and 15 kilometers from the border of South Africa. This quaint holiday village is only a short distance away from the hustle and bustle but just far enough to enjoy a laid back beach vacation.

Whether you’re into scuba diving, snorkeling, deep-sea fishing, swimming in warm water, or tanning on white-sand beaches, Ponta Do Ouro will certainly be your ideal paradise for relaxation. It is surrounded by lush tropical forests & deserted crystal-clear beaches.

Fresh bread, fruits & vegetables can be purchased at the market, but don’t expect any luxurious items as shopping is very limited in the area. There is one pharmacy, one bottle store, a hardware store & a few other small shops in town.

Activities: Swimming with Dolphins, surfing lessons, beach walks, diving, Turtles laying eggs on the beach, shopping & eating, visit Maputo Elephant Reserve safari, visit Kosi Mouth, Quad Biking, Rentals and Tours.

2 hr 25m (168 km) R22.

Main Destination:

Ponta Do Ouro (Beach, Mozambique)

Accommodation:

Devocean Eco Adventure Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located in or near Ponta do Ouro

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

The iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a Unesco World Heritage site, stretches for 220 glorious km from the Mozambique border to Maphelane, at the southern end of Lake St Lucia. With the Indian Ocean on one side & a series of lakes (including Lake St Lucia) on the other, the 2038-sq-mile park protects five distinct ecosystems, offering everything from offshore reefs & beaches to lakes, wetlands, woodlands & coastal forests. Loggerhead & leatherback turtles nest along the park’s shores; whales & dolphins appear offshore & the park is occupied by numerous animals, including antelopes, hippos & zebras. The ocean beaches pull big crowds during the holiday season for everything from diving to fishing.

iSimangaliso means ‘Miracle’ or ‘Wonder’ given its extraordinary beauty, it’s an appropriate title.

Upon arrival in St Lucia you take a 3 hour cruise on the St. Lucia wetlands (included), home to a multitude of the most diverse ecosystems in the world & a World Heritage Site.

2hr to St Lucia Park.

Main Destination:

Isimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa)

Accommodation:

St Lucia Wetlands Guest House

• Mid-range guest house located just outside iSimangaliso WP

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

Hluhluze-iMfolozi is one of South Africa’s best-known, most evocative parks. World renowned for having saved the white rhino from extinction. It is the 2nd oldest national park in the world, home to the Big Five and situated in the heart of Zululand.

You can spend the day exploring this 98000 hectares of wilderness accompanied by a professional ranger in an open sided safari vehicle (optional), or self – drive safari on your own.

Later in the afternoon return to St Lucia village. Time to soak up the last sun rays on the beautiful sub – tropical beaches, or walk through indigenous forests which surround the famous estuary.

Main Destination:

Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve (South Africa)

Accommodation:

St Lucia Wetlands Guest House

• Mid-range guest house located outside Hluhluwe-iMfolozi GR

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

This morning depart for Durban, on arrival, tour the historical city, waterfront and ocean promenade (We can organize a guided tour of Durban and surrounds if you prefer). Home to the largest concentration of people of Indian descent outside of India, Durban also boasts an unmistakably Asian feel, with the marketplaces and streets of the Indian area replete with the sights, sounds and scents of the subcontinent.

Umhlanga Rocks is a 10 minute drive from Durban city, where you shall be staying the night. It is an upmarket seaside resort on the warm sub tropical east coast of South Africa. Together Umhlanga and Umdloti form the Sugar Coast, formerly sugar cane plantations. It is one of the most popular holiday destinations.

Be part of the Sharks Board Maritime Centre of Excellence, and partake on an exciting morning Boat Tour, where you get to see the staff from Operations Department actually servicing the shark safety gear off Durban’s Golden Mile beaches.

2 hr 51 min (244 km) via N2.

Main Destination:

Umhlanga (Town, South Africa)

Accommodation:

Protea Hotel Fire & Ice Durban Umhlanga Ridge

• Mid-range hotel located in or near Umhlanga

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

This morning you depart for the Drakensberg mountain range, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
You can stop in Howick, the peaceful capital of the Natal Midlands, where the Umgeni River plunges 95 m forming a spectacular waterfall.
Then the Mandela Capture Site, where the late Nelson Mandela was arrested in 1962 before the famous Rivonia trial when he was sentenced to life imprisonment and sent to Robben Island. A monument commemorates this event that changed the course of history.
You then head to the Drakensberg a World Heritage site known to the Zulu people as uKhahlamba meaning “Barrier of Spears”, the Drakensberg forms a majestic semi-circular border between KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and the inland mountain kingdom of Lesotho.

Dinner will be waiting for you when you get to Carmichael Guest House.

2 hrs. 35 min (208 km) via N3 and R617. St Lucia to Underberg (Drakensberg).

Main Destination:

Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park (Mountain Range, South Africa)

Accommodation:

Carmichael Guest House

• Mid-range guest house located in or near uKhahlamba Drakensberg

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

Many offered and optional activities are available in this region, which may vary depending on where you are situated or would like to be situated in the Drakensberg UNESCO world heritage.
You can opt for an optional 4×4 excursion (highly recommended) and visit Lesotho for the day, via the Sani Pass, the highest in Africa, or similar if situated in the Northern Drakensberg.
Or
You can choose to go on a guided hike to the famous cave paintings left by the Bushmen of about 4000 years
Or
Trek to the Tugela Falls, the worlds highest. Note: This is only possible if you opt to stay in the Northern Berg.
Or
You visit the Golden Gate National Park, with it’s unique sandstone rock formations and wild life, browse around the pretty town of Clarence, with it’s many little restaurants. Note: This is only possible if you opt to stay in the Northern Berg.
Or
Visit the historic battle fields of the 18th century where the English, Afrikaans and Zulu armies, engaged in bloody battles.

Main Destination:

Sani Pass (Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa)

Accommodation:

Carmichael Guest House

• Mid-range guest house located in or near Sani Pass

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

Depart for Durban (King Shaka international airport), for your flight to Cape Town (leave your vehicle at the airport). Departure approximately 13:30

I will meet you on your arrival at Cape Town international airport, time to chat, make sure you having a great time and hand over maps and literature of the region.

We have included 2 hotels in 2 different places whilst in Cape Town. This is to offer you variety, Cape Town has so much to see that this experience should enhance your experience. Please if this doesn’t suit you it is not a problem.

2 hrs. 35 min (208 km) via R617 and N3. Underberg to King Shaka international airport – Durban.

Main Destination:

Cape Town (City, South Africa)

Accommodation:

Radisson RED V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

• Mid-range hotel located in or near Cape Town

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

Drive to Stellenbosch, a fertile area where oak trees, wheat and vines quickly replaced the giraffes, elephants, Hottentot & Khoisan people.
Today, Stellenbosch is known for its beautiful varied architecture, renowned wines and university where the language of instruction is still mainly Afrikaans.
You visit a museum, historical shop and partake in a cellar tour before travelling over the beautiful Hels Hoogte Pass on our way to Franschoek. A visit to the Huguenot Museum.
At an exceptional boutique wine farm taste local vintage including a pinotage which is South Africa’s own unique cultivar. Near Paarl stop in front of Mandela’s statue, it’s at the entrance to the prison from which he was liberated in 1990.
Paarl means “Pearl”, in Dutch, and refers to the imposing granite mountains surrounding the town. The Taal monument, dedicated to the Afrikaans language, the world’s only monument to a language

Please note it is possible to combine a half day Winelands with the Whale route tour.

Main Destination:

Cape Winelands (Winelands, South Africa)

Accommodation:

Radisson RED V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

• Mid-range hotel located in or near Cape Town

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

This Region is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its exceptional floral diversity. You follow the west coast via Clifton with a stop at Maiden’s Cove to enjoy a magnificent view of the Twelve Apostles and Camps Bay then to Hout Bay, a charming little town where you enjoy a boat cruise (included) to Duiker Island, home to the worlds largest fur seal colony.
The scenic Chapman’s Peak Pass offers breathtaking scenery.
The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve is where the cold Atlantic waters meet the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. This famous landmark was named by the early Portuguese mariners.
Journeying down to the False Bay coast. You then visit the well known Boulders beach, home to Africa’s largest land based jackass penguin colony.
You finish your day with a visit to Groot Constantia, South Africa’s oldest Cape Dutch manor house and wine farm built by the first Governor of the Cape.

Main Destination:

Cape Peninsula (Region, South Africa)

Accommodation:

Radisson RED V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

• Mid-range hotel located in or near Cape Town

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

This morning ascend Table Mountain via cable car (optional), the views over the city, Table Bay & Robben Island are stupendous. Table Mountain is a 7th Wonder of the world & UNESCO heritage site. Visit the inner city & places like the Dutch East Indian Garden, Cape Castle, Malay quarter & Green market Square. Explore the world’s botanical garden situated inside a world heritage site, the garden has more endemic plant species than any other in the world.

Experience Cape Towns oldest township with an excellent local guide.

In the late afternoon head up the west coast, enjoy an amazing “post card” sunset view of Table Mountain, Robben Island & Table Bay.

We are happy to offer you our discounted rates on activities like, helicopter flips, shark cage diving, ballooning, whale cruise, surfing lesson, seal snorkeling, paragliding, hiking..

Main Destination:

Table Mountain (Cape Town, South Africa)

Accommodation:

Radisson RED V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

• Mid-range hotel located in or near Cape Town

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

Depending on your departure time, various activities are available to you at great rates!

Or take a historical half day tour to Robben Island, which has been used as prison and a place where people were isolated, banished and exiled to for nearly 400 years. Or visit the Zeitz museum of Contemporary African art, and make time to see the Two Oceans Aquarian!

Depart for Cape Town international airport, drop off your vehicle off and proceed to check in.

Main Destination:

Cape Town (City, South Africa)

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included