From the Big 5 to Whales, Winelands and a Whole Lot More
There’s not much that South Africa doesn’t have to offer its visitors. The Kruger’s private reserves deliver Africa’s most reliable Big 5 game viewing, while Cape Town and its surrounding wine valleys provide an elegant, Mediterranean twist to a South Africa safari.
July to November sees South Africa’s Whale Coast hum with activity as migratory whales arrive from the icy Antarctic to mate and give birth in warmer waters. The town of Hermanus lies at the centre of the whale-watching experience and is known as the best land-based whale-watching destination in the world.
The gorgeous Garden Route is ideal for failproof family holidays and self-drive adventures – especially when combined with the malaria-free reserves of the Eastern Cape. You can always add KwaZulu-Natal’s big game and pristine beaches to the mix before visiting the continent’s favorite family holiday resort, Sun City. Home to championship golf courses, superb hotels and entertaining water theme parks, it’s the perfect end to your South Africa safari.
Overview
South Africa’s top three destinations are showcased on this itinerary and your accommodation has been chosen to put you at the heart of each. Opening with a waterside hotel at Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, the tour also introduces you to a different side of the Cape: its winelands, a rural region of gourmet food and wine set under sunshine and craggy mountains.
There is plenty to see and do within walking distance of both your accommodations in the Cape, and the well-paced itinerary allows time for you to explore, whether on your own or on an organised day tour.
Then it is a short domestic flight to a complete change of climate and environment. You arrive close to the Kruger National Park but your final destination is a private reserve lying on the park’s western border: the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, a conservation area whose reputation has been built on its stellar wildlife sightings. A landscape of thorned trees and long grass, this is where you are on the lookout for the famous Big 5 – lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino – as well as a wealth of other animals from hippos and giraffes to baboons and warthogs.
Delivering great value, this tour would be ideal for couples as well as solo travellers looking for affordability and a classic South African experience. Families will like it too: the Cape accommodation is family friendly and offer a great range of sharing experiences while your safari lodge, Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge, is one of the best family lodges in the reserve – offering supervised, fun and educational activities for toddlers to teens.
INCLUSIONS
- Flight from Cape Town International Airport to Skukuza Airport
- Road transfer from Cape Town International Airport to The Victoria and Alfred Hotel
- Road transfer from Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge to Skukuza Airport
- Road transfer from Skukuza Airport to Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge
- Road transfer from The Spier Hotel to Cape Town International Airport
EXCLUSIONS
- International flights
- Airport taxes
- All meals and drinks not specified
- Tips and gratuities
- Items of a personal nature
HIGHLIGHTS
Highlights
- South Africa’s best destinations on one itinerary
- Direct flight to Kruger from Cape Town and all airport transfers included
- Stay at the heart of the V&A Waterfront
- Beautiful Cape Winelands accommodation – stay on a grand wine estate
- Peerless wildlife viewing in a private Kruger reserve
- Virtually guaranteed Big 5 sightings
- Family-friendly, en suite accommodation throughout
Days 1-4: At the Heart of the Waterfront | 3 Nights
CAPE TOWN, V&A WATERFRONT, SOUTH AFRICA
A friendly greeting and a private transfer from Cape Town International Airport starts this tour and you could not ask for a more central location at Cape Town’s Waterfront than the Victoria and Alfred Hotel.
Lying next to the water with bobbing boats and sleeping Cape fur seals as a backdrop, the hotel is a few minutes away from the Robben Island ferry terminal, the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa and just about every shop and restaurant you could wish for. With two full days in store, there is time to explore the city as well as head further afield.
South of Cape Town lies Simon’s Town and its famous penguin colony as well as Cape Point at the end of the peninsula, lying in a nature reserve of great scenic beauty and wild animals. Ask us about day tours in Cape Town or speak to the hotel concierge when you are there.
Days 4-6: Stay on a Wine Estate | 2 Nights
CAPE WINELANDS, SOUTH AFRICA
A private transfer after breakfast takes you an hour or so out of Cape Town and into the Cape Winelands. You check into The Spier Hotel, set on a wine farm just outside Stellenbosch, and can look forward to discovering why this region has such a reputation for gourmet food and wine.
Having experienced something of a culinary revolution over the last decade, the ‘farm to table’ fare of the region is world-class and the wines among the best in the country.
The hotel has a charming village atmosphere and there is a wealth of activities and experiences on offer plus tastings for all ages – wine, cheese, and chocolate. Again, this is a place to explore on your own or book a day tour – ask us for more information on tours.
Days 6-9: A Private Big 5 Safari | 3 Nights
SABI SANDS GAME RESERVE, SOUTH AFRICA
After breakfast at Spier you are transferred back to Cape Town Airport for a direct flight to Hoedspruit Airport and look forward to an afternoon game drive with a bush sunset. Your destination is Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge, set in the private Sabi Sand Game Reserve and home to excellent wildlife viewing – including almost guaranteed sightings of the Big 5. A private setting also means you enjoy activities not permitted in the national park: your guide is allowed to drive off road for extra-special sightings as well as conduct night drives with a spotlight. Back at camp, accommodation comes in the form of a thatched chalet with en suite bathroom and if you are travelling with children, then no fewer than three dedicated clubs take care of their age-appropriate needs.
Day 9: The Journey Ends
A final breakfast at Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge starts the day after which you are transferred back to Hoedspruit Airport for your onward travel arrangements and an end to this tour.
