DAY 1 - DEPARTURE Overnight direct flight to Johannesburg.
DAY 2 - ARRIVAL IN JOHANNESBURG Transfer to the four-star Indaba Hotel in the prosperous suburbs north of the city. On the way, we visit the Apartheid Museum, a truly fascinating exhibition charting the apartheid years that culminated in the first democratic elections. It’s superbly presented as a walk through contemporary history, using original material, riveting eyewitness accounts, photographs and film. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure.
DAY 3 - KRUGER NATIONAL PARK After breakfast, you depart on one of the most scenic drives in South Africa, the Panorama Route to the Kruger National Park. You follow the spectacular rim of Blyde River Canyon, an amazing 20-mile- long and 2,300-foot-deep gorge, with some of the most breathtaking views in Africa. Your hotel for three nights is the three-star superior Hippo Hollow Country Estate, beautifully-located on the banks of the Sabie River on the edge of the National Park. It has lovely gardens, two pools, a cosy bar and an excellent restaurant overlooking the river. Dinner is included tonight.
DAY 4 - KRUGER GAME DRIVE A full day’s game drive in specially adapted 10-seater 4x4 vehicles. There is simply nothing to beat that rising feeling of anticipation and excitement as you enter the nearby park in the half-light of the spectacular African dawn, surrounded by the unique ‘dawn chorus’. It is exactly how you imagine the African bush to be: areas of sweeping savannah bisected by rivers full of hippos, muddy waterholes and the bush itself.
DAY 5 - KRUGER FREE DAY A day at leisure, so take it easy by one of the hotel pools, or do some hippo-spotting from the lawn overlooking the river. Alternatively, you could try elephant-back safaris, as well as bush walks or night safaris. In the evening there’s the option to attend a night of traditional songs, dances and intriguing insights into the local tribal culture.
DAY 6 - SWAZILAND & KWAZULA NATAL We leave Kruger for the battlefields of Zululand. Passing through scenic Swaziland and into Kwazulu Natal we stay at the simple three-star Battlefields Lodge for two nights with breakfast.
DAY 7 - ISANDLWANA & RORKE’S DRIFT You visit the battlefields of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift, brilliantly dramatised in the films Zulu and Zulu Dawn. These battles were a defining moment for the British Empire: at Isandlwana, a force of 1,300 was out-manoeuvered by a 20,000-strong Zulu army, with only a handful surviving. The same evening, just 140 British soldiers, some wounded, held off 4,000 Zulus at Rorke’s Drift, an action earning 11 Victoria Crosses, the largest number awarded in single engagement. Your specialist Zulu guide will make those desperate encounters come alive. Lunch is included today.
DAY 8 - KNYSNA We return to Johannesburg airport, flying to George in the Western Cape and at the heart of the gorgeous Garden Route. It’s a short drive to the coastal town of Knysna and your hotel, the charming three-star superior Knysna Hollow Country Estate with breakfast. The comfortable rooms are all whitewashed and thatched and many overlook the two pools. There is an excellent restaurant and dinner is included tonight.
DAY 9 - FEATHERBED NATURE RESERVE Knysna has been called South Africa’s favourite small town, with its stunning lagoon location, numerous art galleries, restaurants and craft shops. The Garden Route is a magnificent stretch of coastline encompassing mountains, lagoons, pristine beaches, indigenous forests, wetlands teeming with birds, all blended together in a feast of sheer natural beauty. This morning, you take a ferry across the lagoon to the Featherbed Nature Reserve, a South African Natural Heritage Site. There, you stop at some magnificent viewpoints while your guide describes the area’s fauna, flora and history, followed by an easy downhill walk and lunch under the canopy of the milkwood trees.
DAY 10 - HERMANUS This morning, you drive to Hermanus, the world’s best spot for on-shore whale–watching (usually Jul-Nov). These gentle giants are a truly amazing sight as they cavort in the water. You arrive in the Winelands by late afternoon, staying two nights with breakfast at the excellent four-star Devon Valley Hotel. This little property is set on the valley slopes offering breathtaking views, lush gardens, a relaxing shady terrace, a comfortable bar with fireplace and a wide selection of single malt whiskies.
DAY 11 - WINELANDS Today, you tour the awesomely beautiful Winelands. Set in a valley backed by majestic mountains, rows of manicured vines stretch into a distance studded by lime-washed, often thatched, 300-year old wineries built in the unique Cape Dutch style. You visit Franschoek and then elegant Stellenbosch, home to South Africa’s most prestigious university. You have time to explore this delightful town full of period buildings and historic streets before a fascinating cellar tour and tasting at the Boschendal Wine Estate. Tonight, you will enjoy a barbecue dinner or Cape Malay buffet at your hotel.
DAY 12 - CAPE TOWN This morning, you visit the amazing Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Located just below Table Mountain, they are considered the best in the country. You soon arrive in Cape Town and your hotel, the four-star Southern Sun Waterfront, staying three nights with breakfast. The afternoon is at leisure in this stunning city.
DAY 13 - CAPE OF GOOD HOPE This morning, you visit Cape Point and the legendary Cape of Good Hope, passing the fishing harbour of Hout Bay and continuing along the breathtakingly scenic Atlantic seaboard, to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, and then on to Cape Point itself. At the Cape you see the confluence of the Indian and Atlantic Ocean currents and the promontory of rocks, the scourge of mariners for centuries. Finally, you visit Boulders Beach and its penguin colony.
DAY 14 - FREE DAY A day at leisure: try some bargain shopping at the Waterfront, followed by a sumptuous seafood lunch, or take the cable car to the top of iconic Table Mountain. You should also visit Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated. Alternatively, perhaps simply wander where your feet take you, or relax a little, taking afternoon tea in the colonial splendour of the Mount Nelson Hotel.
DAY 15 - RETURN FLIGHT Your final morning is at leisure, before your return flight via Johannesburg to the UK.
DAY 16 - ARRIVAL BACK HOME Arrive in the UK.
71
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148