Activities

DAY 1 : CAPE TOWN

Guests will be met on arrival at Cape Town International Airport or any location of their choice in Cape Town for the first leg of their Cape Town, Kruger and Victoria Falls Tour. Thereafter the day is spent exploring one of the world's most beautiful cities. A cable car ride up Table Mountain is first on the agenda, affording some of the finest scenic views to be found anywhere. We also visit the world famous Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, which originated when the mining magnate and philanthropist Cecil Rhodes donated the land to the people of South Africa. The garden is home to 4 000 of the 18 000 species of flora found in South Africa, all of which create a most remarkable display. The tour then makes its way to the hotel situated on Cape Town's famous Victoria and Alfred Waterfront.

DAY 2 : CAPE TOWN

The spectacular Chapman's Peak Drive, cut into the 650m high Chapman's Peak, leads the tour through the town of Noordhoek to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. A botanical and scenic delight , the reserve is home to several antelope species as well as a great diversity of flowering plants and birds. A highlight is sure to be the walk to the edge of Cape Point, where it is said the stormy waters of the Atlantic are met by the calming influence of the Indian Ocean.

The tour traces False Bay on the way back to Cape Town and includes a visit to Boulders Beach, an attractive secluded haven which comprises a tumble of huge round rocks on a sandy shore. The boulders are ideal vantage points for observing the antics of the colony of mainland-based African penguins.

DAY 3 : CAPE TOWN

A short ferry ride from the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront brings guests to Robben Island. This infamous island, only 574 Ha in extent and measuring 3,5km by 2km, played an important role in South Africa's turbulent history. Views which can be enjoyed of the Cape Peninsula and the South African 'mother city' make the ferry ride quite an enjoyable experience. 'Home' to President Nelson Mandela for a large part of his 27-year incarceration, the prison has since been turned into a museum and the tour is conducted by an ex-political prisoner, who has first-hand experience of the conditions on the island. Visits are made to the prison building as well as to the limestone quarry where the prisoners were forced to work. Some wildlife has been reintroduced to the island and a glimpse of these animals may be enjoyed. The duration of the Robben Island excursion, including the return ferry ride, is about four hours, which then bring guests back to the V&A Waterfront around lunch time. The rest of the afternoon is spent at leisure.

DAY 4 : CAPE TOWN

After breakfast, a 40 minute drive leads the tour into the heart of South Africa's wine producing region, where the stark contrast between vineyards and harsh mountains create the perfect backdrop for a tour of the historical town of Stellenbosch. The town is the oldest in South Africa after Cape Town and is undoubtedly among the most scenic and historically-preserved town in Southern Africa. Oak-lined streets along water furrows complement the many fine examples of elegant Cape Dutch, Victorian and Georgian architecture - all part of this unique "Town of Oaks".

The town, ideally situated in a magnificent mountain valley, boasts a mild Mediterranean climate. The Stellenbosch Wine Route is the oldest, largest and probably the most visited of the southwest Cape's wine routes. Many of the estates are very old. Their gabled, whitewashed Cape Dutch homesteads, rolling vineyards and shade-dappled grounds are lovely beyond measure. You visit two of these fine estates where the art of wine making in South Africa is experienced first-hand. A large variety of cultivars can be sampled and a specific cultivar which might appeal to your palate is sure to be found. The tour returns to Cape Town during the late afternoon.

DAY 5 : SABI SAND PRIVATE GAME RESERVE

Guests will be transferred to Cape Town International Airport for a flight to Kruger Mpumalanga Airport where they will be met and transferred to the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve. The reserve is named after the two principal rivers which flow through it, namely the Sabie and the Sand, and covers an area of approximately 65 000 hectares of pristine African wilderness. The reserve is part of the Greater Kruger National Park and is home to most of South Africa's finest safari lodges. The late afternoon is devoted to a first game drive in search of Africa's legendary Big Five in an area where many other mammal and bird species grace the savanna and give meaning to the words "Spirit of Africa".

DAY 6 : SABI SAND PRIVATE GAME RESERVE

A sky colored gloriously by the rising sun greets guests on an early morning game drive, admiring the antelope of Africa as they ready themselves for a day of grazing or browsing after the nervousness of night, when they are at their most vulnerable to the many predators in the area. Highlights of the day are sure to include sightings of one or more of the Big Five. The rhino, lion, leopard, buffalo and elephant received this well-known collective name in times past, when the first European hunters in Africa regarded them to be the most dangerous animals on the continent. Game drives conducted during the late afternoon and early evening may afford the opportunity of spotting one of the big cats, readying themselves for the hunt. Both the leopard and lion are nocturnal and would most likely be more active during this period of the day.

DAY 7 : PRETORIA

Guests will enjoy a final early morning game drive in the incomparable wilderness of the Sabi Sand before jetting off to Johannesburg’s O R Tambo International Airport. A short trip north will bring guests to South Africa’s capital, Pretoria. In springtime, the city’s streets explode into a proliferation of purple as the Jacaranda trees burst into blossom. This phenomenon has earned Pretoria the affectionate nickname of the ‘Jacaranda City’. Highlights of the city tour include a call to the Union Buildings, home to the presidential offices and government headquarters. Designed by celebrated British architect Sir Herbert Baker, the buildings enjoy arresting views of the capital.

DAY 8 : VICTORIA FALLS

Guests will be transferred to O R Tambo International in Johannesburg for a flight to the town of Victoria Falls, named after the majestic falls near which it is located. The Victoria Falls is without a doubt one of the most spectacular natural sights in the entire world. The falls occur where the mighty Zambezi River stretches to approximately 1688m wide and, from its highest point, plummets 108m meters in a thundering roar of white waters and spiraling mists. This occurrence has earned it the local name of "Mosi-oa-Tunya" - the smoke that thunders. Time devoted to a Victoria Falls tour is followed by a visit to the Victoria Falls Craft Market, where some of Africa's finest artwork is on display. Guests will then be assisted with check-in at the elegant Victoria Falls hotel.

DAY 9 : VICTORIA FALLS

The morning is devoted to an elephant-back safari in a wilderness area not far from Victoria Falls. An experienced elephant minder accompanies each elephant and visitor. Upon mounting the elephants, the safari begins. View game whilst riding game and savor the experience of crashing through the African bush atop a gigantic pachyderm. Your safari ends with a short training session and interaction with the elephants, followed by a late breakfast or early lunch. Guests then return to the hotel, where they are met during the late afternoon for a sunset cruise on the mighty Zambezi River. View game coming to the water's edge for a late afternoon drink, whilst the setting sun creates a splendid display of color over one of Africa's finest wilderness areas.

DAY 10 : DEPARTURE

Guests spend the morning at leisure after which they will be transferred to Victoria Falls Airport for a flight back to their country of origin after a memorable tour of Cape Town, Kruger and the Victoria Falls.