South Africa Luxury Escorted         ( WTS15GSAA )
15 days / 14 nights
Johannesburg to Cape Town (or Cape Town to Johannesburg)

See the best of South Africa a country that boasts the tourism mantra – ‘a world in one country’ and rightly so! Staying in 4 & 5 star hotels you group (of up to six) passengers will travel with an expert local guide.

SAFARI ITINERARY

1st Day – Johannesburg, luxury hotel, 1 night

On reaching Johannesburg, an expert driver / guide will privately transfer you to your luxury Northern Suburbs hotel. Enjoy a half-day ‘Rebirth of a Nation’ tour consisting of Johannesburg city sightseeing, Nelson Mandela Bridge, Newtown and Constitution Hill. Return to your hotel in the late afternoon.
No meals today

2nd Day  – Mpumalanga, Luxury Lodge, 1 night

leave Johannesburg and travel to the ‘Province of the Rising Sun’, Mpumalanga, via the historic towns of Witbank, Dullstroom and Lydenburg. Travel over the famous Long Tom Pass on to the small town of Sabie. Visit the Lone Creek Waterfalls before arriving at your elegant hideaway. Enjoy a delectable dinner that can only be described as a ‘culinary masterpiece’.
Breakfast and dinner

3rd Day  – Private Game Lodge, 1 night

Enjoy a full English breakfast on the verandah before departing via Pilgrim’s Rest to the breathtaking Panorama Route featuring the Blyde River Canyon, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, God’s Window and Lisbon Waterfalls. Proceed to an exclusive private game lodge, arriving in time for high tea and a late afternoon game-drive in an open safari vehicle with an experienced ranger and tracker. Endeavor to spoil you with sightings of the ‘Big Five’. Enjoy a safari style bush dinner under the stars (weather permitting).
Breakfast and dinner

4th Day  – Swaziland, luxury hotel, 1 night

An early morning bush walk or game drive and after brunch leave for the Kruger National Park. Established in 1898, this Park of over two million hectares is unrivalled in the diversity of its flora and fauna. Continue onward to the Kingdom of Swaziland, visiting the capital city of Mbabane. Visit the Ngwenya Glass Factory with a late afternoon arrival at the luxury hotel situated in the majestic Ezulwini Valley. Fine dining, an evening of entertainment and excitement awaits you.
Breakfast and dinner

5th Day  – Private game reserve, 2 nights

After breakfast, visit a typical Swazi Market and the Swazi candle factory. Travel through pineapple plantations and beautiful mountainous scenery. Leave Swaziland and proceed to your next exclusive private game lodge. After high tea, set out on an afternoon game drive in an open safari vehicle, accompanied by an experienced guide. Return to the Lodge for dinner served in an African Boma (weather permitting).
Breakfast and dinner

6th Day – A day in the bush but oh what choices!

take part in a morning game viewing activity and then you have the choice to enjoy a hard-earned lazy day relaxing around the pool or indulge in a rejuvenating spa treatment (not included), whilst admiring the majestic Maputaland bush. A nutritious lunch can be enjoyed on either the main deck or in the privacy of your villa. After high tea, set out for an evening game drive where you have the opportunity to mingle with the nocturnal animals inhabiting this unique biosphere. Enjoy a truly African cultural experience and bush dinner (weather permitting) before retiring to your luxurious villa.
Breakfast and dinner

7th Day – North Coast & Durban, luxury hotel, 1 night

An early morning game drive and after brunch, travel to St Lucia, a World Heritage Site. Enjoy a river cruise on the estuary known as ‘birder’s paradise’. Here pelicans, fish eagles, hippos and crocodiles may be seen. Drive through sugar cane plantations along the Indian Ocean seaboard towards the bustling city of Durban where the day concludes at a luxurious resort hotel on Durban’s pristine North Coast.
Breakfast

8th Day – North Coast & Durban, luxury hotel, 1 night

Morning at leisure, followed by a private transfer to Durban International Airport for the scheduled flight to Port Elizabeth (not included). You are met on arrival in Port Elizabeth and transferred to the hotel.
Breakfast

9th Day – Plettenberg Bay, luxury hotel for 2 nights

Leaving Port Elizabeth, enter the Garden Route via the high forests of the Tsitsikamma Mountains. Spectacular scenery awaits you as you cross the bridge over the Storms River where photographic opportunities abound. Attractions to be visited through the Tsitsikamma Forest area include the Big Tree and the suspension bridge over Storms River mouth where a meal stop will be taken (not included). Continue to Nature’s Valley and enjoy a short stroll on the beach. Travel to the ‘millionaires’ playground’ of Plettenberg Bay to the exclusive hotel with its spectacular views. Enjoy a superb dinner served in the dining room or terrace (weather permitting).
Breakfast and dinner

10th Day – Explore Knysna and Plettenberg Bay

After breakfast, depart on an ocean safari adventure where various whales, dolphins, penguins and seals can be seen in their natural habitat (weather and sea conditions permitting). Between noon and early afternoon, relax and enjoy a meal option of your choice (not included). After lunch, enjoy a hard earned lazy afternoon at the hotel, around the pool or soaking up the sun on the spectacular beach. For those interested in Knysna, your driver / guide will provide an afternoon excursion to the ‘oyster capital’ where you can stroll along the Knysna waterfront and observe the famous heads from the top of the Eastern Knysna Head. Here, spectacular panoramic views of the lagoon may also be enjoyed. In the early evening, freshen up for an elegantly presented and sumptuous dinner.
Breakfast and dinner

11th Day – Oudtshoorn & Mountain Passes, 1 night Country House

After breakfast, start the day with a scenic drive through Knysna, Wilderness, Dolphin Point and George. Continue over the Outeniqua Pass to Oudtshoorn. Time permitting; an optional extra tour of the Crocodile and Cheetah Park is available. The remainder of the afternoon is spent visiting the Cango Caves for a fully guided tour. After returning to the hotel, enjoy a hearty dinner served in the elegant dining room famous for its ostrich fare and fine wines.
Breakfast and dinner

12th Day  – Cape Town, luxury hotel, 3 nights

After an early breakfast, our journey to Cape Town begins. Leaving the Klein Karoo, visit the towns of Calitzdorp and Barrydale where the true diversity of landscapes is highlighted through the ever-changing semi-desert areas. Traverse the famous ‘Route 62′, passing through the towns of Robertson and on to Worcester via Montagu. The day ends with the first glimpse of Table Mountain, from the top of Du Toit’s Kloof Pass and drop off at your luxury hotel in a pristine location overlooking the famous Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.
Breakfast

13th Day – Cape Town

Whole-Day Cape Highlights tour – traveling via Camps Bay, Hout Bay, and Chapman’s Peak to the Cape of Good Hope Reserve. After enjoying beautiful views from the highest point and the lighthouse, continue towards Simonstown and Muizenberg. After lunch (not included) sample some South African wines at a local wine estate. Travel through the University town of Stellenbosch before returning to the hotel in the early evening. Please note: the drive along Chapman’s Peak is subject to the road being open.
Breakfast

14th Day – Cape Town

Today’s touring starts in the morning with a visit up Table Mountain where the varying flora and fauna will be explained. The cableway ticket is not included as the mountain visit is weather permitting. Continue with a City Tour incorporating the Malay Quarter, a walk through the Castle of Good Hope and on to Milnerton for a spectacular view of Table Mountain and the city. En route back to the hotel, visit the Cape Town Diamond Works. Enjoy the remainder of the afternoon at leisure.
Breakfast

15th Day – Safari ends

The morning is at leisure to enjoy last minute shopping at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Private transfer to Cape Town Airport in time for your onward flight is included.