9 days South African Tour

Breakfast – Travel to Kruger – Discover Sun City.

Deep in the rugged bushveld, in the heart of an ancient volcano, lies the world’s most unique resort, the internationally acclaimed Sun City. The Sun City resort has amazed the international community with its glamorous casinos, gourmet restaurants, extensive sports facilities, and star-studded spectaculars. The full variety of entertainment on offer ranges from slots to safaris; the theatre extravaganza to a games arcade for children; horse riding to golf; the Valley of Waves to The Lost City … whatever it is you’re looking for, you’ll find it at Sun City. 

Overnight at the Hotel: Hippo Hollow Country Estate (River Chalets – Bed and Breakfast)

Your scheduled departure will leave from Hippo Hollow hotel at dawn as you set out in an open 4×4 safari vehicle for a short drive to one of the park’s gates and into the Kruger National Park. It is one of the largest game reserves in Africa, stretching across a vast 18 989 square kilometers in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. With over 12 000 elephants, 27 000 African buffalo, and 1 000 leopards, the Big Five is well represented. White rhino sightings are frequent, while spotting a black rhino may require some patience and a bit of luck. Lions are plentiful with over 2 000 stalking the plains. Overall, the Kruger supports 147 free-roaming mammal species.

Of the 517 species of birds here, 253 are resident and the reserve supports six diverse ecosystems. Your morning safari concludes at one of the rest camps inside the reserve giving you the opportunity to stretch and refresh. The 4×4 vehicle will allow you to get very close to the surrounding vegetation while your experienced ranger follows fresh animal spoor. Your safari concludes in the late afternoon before returning to the Hippo Hollow hotel.

Overnight at the Hotel: Hippo Hollow Country Estate (River Chalets – Bed and Breakfast)

Walk along the suspension bridge of the Tsitsikamma forest, where lies one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the world, home to the Garden Route National Park. The Tsitsikamma National Park, part of the Garden Route National Park in South Africa, is a place where you can experience the outdoors, stunning marine life, and adventure-filled vacation. The suspension bridge that hangs over the red-brown waters of the Storms River Mouth spans 77 meters and remains one of the most popular tourist attractions of the Tsitsikamma region of the Eastern Cape. Situated within the Tsitsikamma National Park, it was originally built in 1969. It hangs just seven metres above the churning waters of the river as it enters the foamy Indian Ocean.

The pathway leading to the suspension bridge covers 900 metres of the Tsitsikamma forest. There are plenty of steps to negotiate, but it remains a fairly easy route, particularly if covered slowly. A steep decline takes visitors to the bridge and standing on this dramatic piece of engineering, visitors are able to take in the unspoilt beauty around them. The Mouth Trail is the most popular walk in the Tsitsikamma and starts at Sandy Bay and takes one along a winding boardwalk through indigenous forest to the mouth of the Storms River. – Discover the magnificent beaches of Plettenberg Bay, the Garden Route’s “fashionable” seaside resort. Originally christened Bahia Formosa (beautiful bay) by early Portuguese explorers, Plettenberg Bay offers visitors miles of sweeping, unspoilt golden beaches, a dramatic rocky peninsula, intriguing lagoons and estuaries, towering indigenous forests, and unpolluted rivers and sea. With its exceptional climate and beautiful view sites over the Indian Ocean, Plettenberg Bay is perfect for tourists interested in exploring, watching, or just lazing.

Overnight: The Bayview Hotel (Classic room – Bed and Breakfast)

Combine adventure and relaxation in Knysna. The picturesque town of Knysna along the Garden Route is surrounded by magnificent coastal forests and an extensive lagoon that boasts the town’s most famous landmark, the Knysna Heads. While the Heads provide a treacherous channel into the ocean, the lagoon itself is peaceful and ideal for boat cruises and water sports. The Featherbed Nature Reserve lies on the southern Head and the beautiful Garden Route National Park is only a short drive from the town.

Overnight: The Graywood Hotel (Standard Room – Bed and Breakfast)

Oudtshoorn • Cango Ostrich Farm • Heritage Tour

Spend some time exploring Oudtshoorn, the ‘ostrich capital of the world’. Residential suburbs are flanked by acres of ostrich farms where these large flightless birds are bred and raised. A tour of an ostrich farm is naturally one of Oudtshoorn’s main attractions, where visitors can view the birds and browse boutiques full of exotic ostrich leather, and the brave can try to ride an ostrich. Another famous landmark in Oudtshoorn is the Cango Caves, an almost fantasy limestone cave formation that stretches on for several kilometres.

A large variety of hiking and biking trails surround the town and there are also numerous rivers and waterfalls to be explored. Animal lovers can have close encounters with the world’s fastest land mammal at the cheetah breeding station or pop in to see prehistoric predators at the crocodile park.

Test your ostrich riding skills at the Cango Ostrich Show Farm, located in Oudtshoorn, the ostrich capital of the world. These large flightless birds can run at speeds in excess of 70 kilometres an hour and can deliver a nasty kick to the unaware! Learn more interesting ostrich facts as you take a tour through the Cango Show Farm and move from the breeding incubators to the larger birds. Guests are permitted to hand feed the ostriches and even sit on them, while the more daring can try their skills at riding an ostrich. The enormous eggs, weighing over one kilogram each, have extremely hard shells and visitors are encouraged to stand on them to test their strength. Your tour will last 45 minutes as you walk through the farm accompanied by a professional guide.

Visit to the Cango Caves in Oudtshoorn, a top tourist destination in South Africa and one of the world’s greatest natural wonders, sculpted by nature over millions of years. The Cango Caves are located within the Swartberg Mountain range and form part of the Cape Floral Kingdom World Heritage site. These amazing caves are a must-see for locals and visitors alike, carved into the mountains, holding hidden treasures and astounding sights. They are the biggest show cave system in Africa and the oldest tourist attraction in the country. There are three main caves, connected by a series of chambers and tunnels and here you will find a collection of the oldest stalagmite formations on the planet, some dating back as far as 4 500 million years ago. Only the first cave is open to visitors; the other two are kept closed to preserve the pure, crystalline beauty of the dripstone formations. As you descend into the first chamber you will feel the warm humid air and be amazed at its enormity. Van Zyl’s Hall is 98m long and filled with illuminated stalagmites, stalactites and helictites. From there travel deeper into this ancient and mystical wonderland for more astoundingly beautiful subterranean sights. 

Overnight: Turnberry Boutique Hotel (Classic room Bed and Breakfast (CPT Daytours)) Iti_

Table Mountain Aerial Cableway (Afternoon)

Marvel at the views of Cape Town from the aerial cableway and plateau on Table Mountain. Mother City is synonymous with the striking mountain that is flanked by Devil’s Peak to the east and Lion’s Head to the west, providing a dramatic backdrop to the city. Table Mountain holds unusually rich biodiversity and forms part of the Cape Floral Region, a protected area. Rock hyrax, or dassie as they are locally known, are often seen scampering through the scrub, and the views from the summit over Table Bay, Robben Island, and the Atlantic seaboard are breathtaking.

The cable cars depart every 10 to 15 minutes and rotate 360 degrees as they travel up to 302 metres above sea level, giving passengers panoramic views over the city. Five minutes is all it takes to reach the summit and once there you can marvel at the views, have a bite to eat in the restaurant, or do a bit of shopping at the extensive curio shop. The cableway only operates when weather permits. 

Overnight at the Hotel: The Capetonian (Superior (Renovated Room) – Bed and Breakfast)

Depart from your hotel for a full day’s Best of the Cape tour and get a taste of the Winelands and Cape Peninsula. The tour sets off in the scenic Cape wine route with some wine tasting, a cellar tour, and an orientation tour of the historical town of Stellenbosch. From Stellenbosch, travel along the False Bay scenic coastal road to Muizenberg. After a stop at the naval village of Simon’s Town, continue to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and the most south-westerly tip of Africa, Cape Point. The return trip to Cape Town will take you via Chapman’s Peak Drive, Hout Bay, Camps Bay, and Sea Point. 

Overnight at the Hotel: The Capetonian (Superior (Renovated Room) – Bed and Breakfast)

Robben Island • Victoria and Alfred Waterfront • Transfer

Trace the footsteps of Mandela at the Robben Island Museum. Located just off the coast of Cape Town, Robben Island holds a significant place in South African history as it once housed the country’s most famous political prisoner and freedom fighter, Nelson Mandela. It is now a World Heritage Site and one of the most popular tourist attractions in South Africa. Your visit to the museum will be guided by a former political prisoner, offering a unique insight into the island’s history, and take you to Nelson Mandela’s former cell, standing exactly as it did when he was incarcerated there, as well as the lime quarry where he was forced into hard labor.

Your tour begins at the V – Explore the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, situated at South Africa’s oldest working harbor in the center of Cape Town. Offering over 450 retail outlets selling everything from high-end fashion and jewelry to food and crafts, the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is one of Cape Town’s most popular destinations, attracting in excess of 23 million visitors a year. Besides offering vibrant and chic indoor and outdoor shopping and restaurants, you can also watch fishing boats dock with fresh fish or see a container ship being towed into the harbor by a tug boat. Draw-bridges over the water open and close every so often to allow smaller sailing vessels access to the docks, while the Cape Wheel gives unsurpassed 360-degree views of the city, and the outdoor amphitheater plays host to music, dance, and theatrical performances throughout the year.