South Africa - Kruger Safari & the Garden Route

Itinerary

• Day 1
  Begin your South African adventure with an overnight flight to Johannesburg.
• Day 2
  Touching down in the ‘City of Gold’, meet your fellow travellers and friendly local tour manager from the airport before heading out into the heart of Johannesburg. Your first day will then kick off with a panoramic tour of Johannesburg’s most famous sights, including the Carlton Centre, Nelson Mandela Bridge, and Hillbrow’s iconic Telkom Tower, Africa’s tallest telecommunications tower. You’ll also get the chance to view Constitution Hill, a former colonial fort complex which once imprisoned the likes of Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and Joe Slovo. This imposing building has since become the seat of South Africa’s constitutional court. Following a final stop at Johannesburg’s Gandhi Square, your tour group will continue to Soweto, a formerly segregated township which played a pivotal role in the struggle against apartheid. Spend the afternoon visiting the Hector Pietersen Memorial, which commemorates the lives of over 170 school children who were tragically killed during the 1976 Soweto Uprising. You’ll also see the Mandela House Museum, the former residence of South Africa’s first president, showcasing memorabilia of him and his family. After exploring the museum and Hector Pietersen memorial which serve as sobering reminders to South Africa’s apartheid past, you’ll head north to chic Sandton, a lively financial, commercial and residential area. Your first hotel can be found here, a stylish five-star property within walking distance of a number of upmarket restaurants and bars. Nelson Mandela Square, a renowned retail area, which rings a statue commemorating its famous namesake, is also nearby and offers the perfect setting to spend the evening.
• Day 3
  Rise early this morning before boarding your coach for a scenic drive to your first safari lodge, set on the boundaries of the world-renowned Kruger National Park. Over the course of the day, you’ll trace the spectacular Panorama Route through Mpumalanga’s most impressive landscapes. Pass the towns that ignited the Transvaal gold rush and take in the region’s rolling valleys, waterfalls, and native wildlife. Enjoy short stops at the Bourke’s Luck Potholes, a fascinating rock feature which has been shaped by rushing water over the centuries, and God’s Window, a clifftop overlook offering enchanting views of the vistas below. Continue to the mesmerising Blyde River Canyon, the third-largest canyon in the world, where you’ll have the chance to witness the ‘Three Rondavels’, a group of free-standing rock formations resembling their namesake traditional African huts. Take some time to admire the views and perhaps snap a few photographs, spending the final hour of your journey traversing the Blyde River Canyon. Settle into your exquisite lodge this afternoon, flanked by sweeping mountain vistas and stunning views of the open bushveld, and recharge ahead of an exciting few days on safari.
• Day 4
  Venture out as the sunrises today, equipped with a packed breakfast, for the tour’s first safari experience. The early morning is the best time to spot some of Kruger’s most elusive species so make sure you’re ready ahead of time to make the most of some memorable animal encounters. After a short drive aboard an open-air jeep, you’ll arrive at the acclaimed Kruger National Park, the dazzling crown jewel of South Africa’s nature reserves. As one of South Africa’s most biodiverse areas, spanning over 19,000 kilometres in its entirety, the national park offers a uniquely intimate and comprehensive glimpse of Africa’s thriving ecosystems. Upon arrival, you’ll travel by Jeep into the savannah, accompanied by an experienced tracker, for an unmissable morning of impala, giraffe and wildebeest sightings. Keep an eye out for the famous ‘Big Five’! While the park’s wildlife is an undeniable highlight, Kruger is rife with several other intriguing sights besides its native game with flourishing floral ecosystems, patchwork animal tracks and over 250 archaeological sites dating from Stone Age to the 19th century on full display throughout. Look out for some of these finer details as you glide through the bushveld to experience the delicate balance of the African wilderness in a truly immersive way. Around midday, you’ll call at a local camp where lunch will be available (on your account). Afterwards, head back out into the savannah for a final few hours of wildlife-spotting in the savannah before returning to the tented lodge for some well-earned leisure time and dinner with your fellow guests.
• Day 5
  You’ll be free to spend today doing as much or as little as you like, making the most of the lodge’s amenities. Based at the gateway to Kruger National Park, this luxury accommodation is perfectly placed to explore all corners of the great African outdoors. Complete with its very own wildlife estate, home to resident giraffes, lizards and over 500 different bird species, the tented lodge offers guests the chance to admire the region’s vibrant fauna from the comfort of its terraced sundecks or along one of the nearby walking trails. After time spent in the South African sun, the outdoor swimming pool and lounge areas provide an ideal escape from the heat, while its on-site spa offers the perfect way to unwind as the sun goes down. For those seeking a more adventurous experience, an optional game drive will see you venture back into the heart of Kruger National Park for another full day of exciting animal encounters and unforgettable sights. Enter the reserve from a different gate early this morning and discover another side to the magnificent South African wilderness. Delving deeper into the park, you’ll explore the undulating granite hills and dense wetland thickets typical of Kruger’s southern corners. With a further few hours tracing a path through the bushveld, you’ll also have another chance to spot any of the ‘Big Five’ you might have missed earlier in the week. However you choose to spend your day, reconvene with your fellow travellers at the lodge this evening for dinner beneath the stars.
• Day 6
  After breakfast, you’ll wave goodbye to your hosts at the lodge this morning before making the short journey to Mpumalanga airport for a short flight to glorious Cape Town. Arriving on South Africa’s west coast in the late afternoon, you'll be transferred to your hotel for the evening at leisure, and you can make the most of the city’s vibrant seafront. Based only a 15-minute walk from your hotel, the Victoria & Albert Waterfront offers lively shopping centres and boutiques, perfect for a bit of retail therapy. After exploring the city, settle into your waterfront hotel for the night and enjoy dinner at the hotel or in one of the many restaurants in the area.
• Day 7
  Get ready for a fascinating day’s exploration, with breakfast at the hotel, before heading out for an unmissable drive around breath-taking Chapman’s Peak (weather permitting). Famous for its idyllic picnic spots and glorious 180-degree views of the Cape’s rugged coastline, the legendary route encompasses nine kilometres of mountainous seafront and promises some of the region’s finest natural landscapes from Hout Bay to Noordhoek. After an extraordinary time on the road, you’ll visit the Cape of Good Hope, a stretch of flower-strewn headland leading onto the Atlantic Coast. Here, you’ll have time to admire the fields of native fynbos in the heart of the Cape Floral region, which is home to a fifth of Africa’s total floral species. Reconnect with the natural world, or perhaps search for the perfect photo spot, amongst the colourful wildflowers and imposing clifftops overlooking the open ocean. If you visit between early August and late September, you’ll experience the region’s flora at their most vivid as the Cape enters the height of its flowering season. Another wildlife encounter awaits on the return leg of the day’s journey as you make a stop at Boulders’ Beach, home to flocks of free-roaming native penguins. Though their species is endangered, this group of African penguins, numbering around 3000, often nest along the bay’s craggy rockfaces and make for a perfect picture stop. On the way back, there’ll be an opportunity to stop for lunch (on your account). After arriving back in Cape Town this evening, take part in a truly immersive dining experience at GOLD restaurant where you’ll enjoy a traditional African feast and drumming experience in the company of your fellow travellers. This self-styled ‘taste safari’ promises a captivating evening spent learning about the origins, cultural significance and spicing of Africa’s most renowned delicacies. As make your way through each course, you’ll enjoy live drumming performances, presentations from culinary experts and traditional Malian puppet shows. Please Note: The dining experience at GOLD Restaurant is subject to availability, but you will be taken to an alternative establishment, of equal quality, should the need arise.
• Day 8
  Enjoy a laid-back morning today with time to explore South Africa’s ‘Mother City’ at your own pace, or simply unwind by the poolside in the comfort of the hotel. You can also take a short trip across the coast to Robben Island, home to its infamous former prison, for a glimpse into the treatment of South Africa’s political prisoners throughout apartheid. Having previously housed the likes of Nelson Mandela, the prison complex has since been repurposed as a museum which commemorates the lives and sacrifices of some of its most famous former inmates. If you have time, you can also visit the Cape Town Diamond Museum, which charts the history of the South African mining industry, or explore the harbour’s trendy modern art galleries Alternatively, join an optional excursion to the spectacular Table Mountain, an integral piece of Cape Town’s skyline (weather permitting). Board a car for a journey up the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway for birds-eye views of the lively city below and the untamed natural wonders beyond the city limits. As you approach the iconic flat top of this natural wonder, marvel at the panoramic views of the surrounding landscapes and seemingly endless ocean, with a drink in hand, from the comfort of a mountaintop bar. Later this morning, step aboard your coach for the journey along the Garden Route to quirky Oudtshoorn, the secluded Ostrich capital of South Africa. Across the next five hours, you’ll be treated to rewarding views of the region’s expansive mountain-studded vistas. Upon arrival in Oudtshoorn, you’ll be free to settle into your new hotel and enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure.
• Day 9
  Swap the views of Cape Town’s coast for the rolling vineyards and steep mountains of the Little Karoo region as you wake up in Oudtshoorn. For the animal lovers among you, an optional meerkat burrow tour will be available as the sunrises over Oudtshoorn. Wake yourself up with a complimentary hot drink and visit a number of secluded hides which offer the perfect observation area within touching distance of the burrows. From here, you’ll be free to sit back and watch as these energetic creatures forage and frolic through the bushveld. Back at the hotel, have breakfast before heading into the idyllic Cango Valley for a trip to the region’s renowned cave system. Cango Caves, Africa’s largest subterranean system open to the public, offer dramatic passageways of carved limestone with cascades of hanging stalactites and jagged stalagmites that jut out of the ground. Spend the morning exploring this cave system, measuring around 29 kilometres in length, through its first six halls where you’ll discover the stories of its earliest explorers. You’ll then continue through to the majestic African Drum Room, which showcases the cultural and historical significance of the caves, before returning to the surface. This afternoon, visit one of Oudtshoorn’s lively ostrich farms for a guided tour of the grounds and a few hours spent learning about these incredible birds. Tuck into a light lunch on the farm before bidding Oudtshoorn farewell as you continue your Garden Route journey. Along your drive, take in the country’s diverse scenery as the mountainous valleys give way to the rocky outcrops and coastal lagoons of Knysna. When you arrive in the city, check into your hotel, set in the leafy suburbs across the water from Thesen Island and the Steenbok Nature Reserve, and enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.
• Day 10
  This morning, an opportunity to take in more of South Africa’s spectacular flora and fauna awaits with an optional tour of Knysna’s acclaimed Featherbed Nature Reserve. Widely recognised as the premier ecological experience along the Garden Route, this vibrant beachside woodland is home to a wide array of floral, birdlife and insects as well as some of South Africa’s most elusive mammal species like the spritely blue duiker. Having crossed the Knysna Lagoon via ferry, you’ll board an open-top Jeep as you peer through the bush for the island’s native creatures. You'll then have the choice to join a guided walk through the foliage and fynbos, bringing you even closer to South Africa’s spectacular natural world, or return to base camp aboard your Jeep. After reconvening at the reserve’s visitor centre, tuck into a hearty buffet lunch under the local milkwood trees ahead of an afternoon visit to Tsitsikamma National Park. Encompassing dense forest and a stretch of untouched marine belt which spans over five kilometres in length, Tsitsikamma offers some of the country’s wildest, and most beautiful, locations. One of the day’s highlights will be a stroll along the Storms River, with expansive views out over the surrounding landscapes. Trace a path through the coastal woodland, savouring idyllic viewpoints along the way, before crossing the river’s 77-metre suspension bridge. Take in the sights and sounds of Tsitsikamma’s majestic coastline and keep an eye out for pods of migratory whales and dolphins beneath the waves. Later in the day, return to your Knysna hotel for an evening at leisure.