Southafrica From the Mother City to the Northern Parks

Day 1: Cape Town

Arrive at Cape Town International Airport, meet our assistant for a welcoming briefing on your itinerary and collect your pre-booked car, drive to the hotel. The remainder of the afternoon will be at leisure to the city centre and Table Mountain. Overlooking the city the Table Mountain is a big tourist attraction with many visitors using the cableway or hiking to the top. The view of the city and the bay from the top is stunning. Dining at the Waterfront is suggested, followed by a walk in one of the best attraction of the city. In this area you find shops, bar, cafès, bistrò and clubs where you can enjoy very good music.

Accommodation at The Clarendon Fresnaye Boutique Hotel or similar
Bed and breakfast

Day 2: Cape Town (Cape of Good Hope)

Breakfast at the hotel. Today’s journey will begin with a daily excursion to Cape of Good Hope: head to Hout Bay, an old port, center of Cape Town’s crayfishing industry with the Marine’s Wharf where you can find nice bars and restaurants. If weather permits, a cruise boat departs from the harbour to Seal island to view thousands of Cape Fur Seals close up in their natural habitat. The journey will continue to Boulders Beach, best known for its resident colony of African Penguin, you will have the privilege to walk among them in their beach home. The next destination is Cape Point, a dramatic knife’s edge of rock that slices into the Atlantic. Finally you will visit Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, where many species of plants are protected; this place, worth a visit in each season, showcases fabulous South African flora including fynbos (hardy, thin-leaf vegetation which gives to the Western Cape region its distinctive look), silver trees, king proteas, ericas; walking trails meander through the gardens offering visitors the chance to enjoy this stunning habitat. Back to Cape Town late in the afternoon.

Accommodation at The Clarendon Fresnaye Boutique Hotel or similar
Bed and breakfast

Day 3: Cape Town (Winelands)

After breakfast at the hotel, drive your way around the beautiful Winelands; on the road you can stop for a visit to Paarl, Franschoek and Stellenbosch towns. Those last two are characterized by a Dutch colonial architecture and have a perfect soils for grape vines; impossible not to stop for a wine tasting and a degustation of typical products. The region in fact boasts some of South African best wines, restaurants and hotels. After an enjoyable tour of famous wine cellars you can relax under an old oak with a pic-nic basket and dine in one of the excellent restaurants in the area. Those particularly interested in the Winelands could overnight here in one of the beautiful boutique hotels on day 3 or add an extra day to enjoy as much as possible Cape Town and the surrounding areas.

Accommodation at The Clarendon Fresnaye Boutique Hotel or similar
Bed and breakfast

Day 4: Cape Town – Durban – Hluhluwe National Park

Breakfast at the hotel and drop off the car at the airport. Departure to Durban with a scheduled flight. Arrival in Durban, collect the car and drive to your next destination, the Hluhluwe Umfolozi National Park. In an area of just 906 sq/km this park delivers the Big Five plus all the plains game. It is a mix of forest, woodland, savanna and grassland and the park is known for bringing back the white rhino from the brink of extinction.
Accommodation at the lodge for 2 nights on full board and 2 daily safaris.

Accommodation at Zululand Safari Lodge or similar
Half board and 2 safaris

Day 5: Hluhluwe National Park

Today you will incorporate action, romance and Big Five adventure during the morning and afternoon safari.

Accommodation at Zululand Safari Lodge or similar
Half board and 2 safaris

Day 6: Hluhluwe National Park – Maputaland

After breakfast at the lodge the journey will take you to the coastal area of Maputaland, characterized by bush veld, forests, plains, marshes, coastal forests and coral reef. Driving north from St. Lucia you will be enjoying many activities such as snorkeling, fishing and in some of the beaches you can see different species of turtles.
Accommodation at the beautiful lodge on the coast for 2 nights.

Accommodation at Kosi Forest Lodge or similar
Full board

Day 7: Maputaland

The entire day is dedicated to the visit of this region taking part in guided excursions organised by the lodge (canoeing on lake system, guided walk in Raffia forest, sundown experience).

Accommodation at Kosi Forest Lodge or similar
Full board

Day 8: Maputaland – Swaziland

After breakfast at the lodge today’s journey will take you up north in Swaziland: a small, landlocked kingdom which presents four separate geographical regions that run from North to South and are determined by altitude. Swaziland has a wide variety of landscapes, from the mountains along the Mozambican border to savanna in the east and rain forest in the northwest. Arrival at the cozy lodge and enjoy a nice dinner.

Accommodation at Forester Arm’s or similar
Half board

Day 9: Swaziland – Mpumalanga (White River)

After breakfast departure to White River, a quaint little town set amid tropical fruit plantations.

Accommodation at Casterbridge Hollow Boutique Hotel
Bed and Breakfast

Day 10: White River – Kruger National Park

After breakfast drive your way towards the Kruger National Park. Arrival at the private lodge for meet and greet.
Here, overnight accommodation on a full board basis; two safaris guided by expert rangers are included.
This is the biggest park of South Africa and covers an area of 21.000 square kilometres. The Kruger National Park spans across diverse terrains, ranging from rivers filled with crocodiles and hippos, to rocky outcrops. This is the best park for game viewing.

Accommodation at nDzuti Safari Lodge or similar
Full board and safari

Day 11: Kruger National Park

Game viewing from the lodge is great and includes frequent sightings of the ‘big five’ – lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino and elephant. The area also supports a rich diversity of bird life. During your stay you can join game drives in the company of experienced and very knowledgeable guides. These experiences take place in the cooler early morning and late afternoon when the animals are most active.

Accommodation at nDzuti Safari Lodge or similar
Full board and safari

Day 12: Kruger National Park – Mpumalanga

After breakfast drive to the Mpumalanga region, one of the most important touristic area of South Africa. To be able to enjoy this area is suggested to take the Panorama Route: this road goes from the top of a high veld, back down through the Drakensberg, a beautiful mountainous area full of trout streams and waterfalls, endless views and giant plantations of pine and eucalyptus. Mpumalanga means ‘where the sun rises’ and it is one of the attracting South Africa regions; here you will find the Blyde River Canyon, where the Drakensberg mountain range divides the high escarpment from the low subtropical lowveld where the main part of the Kruger National Park extends.
Today we suggest a visit to the Blyde River Canyon with its hiking trails, magnificent escarpment scenarios, waterfalls, driving along the stunning scenic Panorama Route which winds along the edge of the canyon.

Accommodation at Perry’s Bridge Hollow or similar
Overnight stay and breakfast

Day 13: Mpumalanga – Johannesburg – Departure

This morning the journey will end with your last safari before departing. After breakfast in fact you will drive to Nelspruit, Hoedspruit or all the way to Johannesburg Airport, drop off your hired car and board a flight to connect with your international flight home.

NOTES:

• The above itinerary can be planned in three different ways: on a self drive – with a private driver – with a private guide. Please enquiry for the solution which suits your needs.
• The above suggested hotels/ lodges are medium to 3*/4* to keep the price more affordable, please enquiry if you wish an alternative itinerary with 5* properties (where available).