Welcome to South Africa!

After your arrival at OR Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg), take a shuttle to the hotel which is only a few minutes away from the airport. As flights typically arrive in the later afternoon/ early evening, there is nothing on the agenda today other than arriving and getting settled into your hotel for some much-need rest!

Meals: –
Hotel: Premier Hotel, OR Tambo

This morning we’re departing from Johannesburg to Hoedspruit Airport, your gateway to Kruger National Park.

Upon arrival, we will be picked up by the Lodge’s Transport from Hoedspruit Airport and transferred to Hollitp Simbavati Lodge, about a 1.5-hour drive. Enjoy a welcome drink and a light lunch then settle in and enjoy the views.

Our first Game Drive will start around 4 p.m. and our experienced guides will share all the sights and sounds of the bush with you. As the sun sets your drive will continue with the guides using searchlights to show you those elusive nocturnal animals.

The lodge we are staying in while here, Simbavati Hilltop Lodge, is really something special!

Simbavati Hilltop Lodge is situated in Timbavati Game Reserve on a beautiful small koppie, an ideal vantage point for stunning views of the Nhlaralumi River and the distant foothills of the Drakensberg Mountain Range. A pure authentic, tranquil safari experience in pavilion-style luxury tents. The Simbavati Hilltop Lodge boasts breathtaking views from eight individual luxurious tents, specifically arranged to create a unique village feel. Privacy is guaranteed thanks to the careful placement of the tented suites, ensuring an intimate and unforgettable stay. Being a Private Game Reserve, our rangers can take you off-road for close-up sightings.

Meals: B, L, D
Hotel: Simbavati Hilltop Lodge

Early in the morning when the sun is creeping over the horizon and a cacophony of bird calls herald a new day, enjoy a rusk & coffee before embarking on your first Game Drive of the Day.

After, come back and relax before our afternoon game drive that begins around 4 p.m. and into the evening. From the echoing call of the Monotonous Lark to the infectious greeting of a pack of Wild Dogs reuniting after a hunt, you will see and hear things that only a safari in the African bush can deliver.

Being a Private Game Reserve, our rangers can take you off-road for close-up sightings.

Meals: B, L, D
Hotel: Simbavati Hilltop Lodge

You never know what a safari will bring you! Today you’ll have a morning and afternoon drive to get out and see what animals are out and about. There’s nothing quite like an African bush safari and this experience will delight you!

Meals: B, L, D
Hotel: Simbavati Hilltop Lodge

Today we’re departing to Cape Town, the Mother City.

After your last early morning Game Drive and breakfast, you’ll be taken to Hoedspruit Airport for your flight to Cape Town. After arrival at Cape Town International Airport, you will be met by Nita Payne, your welcoming hostess.

Pick up at the airport with arranged transport and check into the Commodore Hotel in Cape Town.

With panoramic views of Table Bay and Table Mountain, The Commodore is decorated in a nautical theme. It features an outdoor swimming pool and sauna, fitness, and massage facilities.

Rooms are all air-conditioned, with free Wi-Fi, satellite TV, and a private bathroom. There is a 24-hour room service and a 24-hour reception, making sure you always have someone on hand to assist you.

Spend the afternoon meandering about the waterfront just outside your door, have a rest, or book a treatment/massage to curb the long flight.

Meet up with Nita at 18h00 for a Tour briefing.

Dinner on our first night will be at the Quarter Kitchen Restaurant, where we will have our introduction to true Cape Malay Cuisine. The restaurant is part of the Portswood Hotel which is located at the entrance of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. The lobby and restaurant are built around a 300-year-old well and cells, which for over a century held prisoners on their way to Robben Island prison.

Meals: B, D
Hotel: Commodore Hotel

Today you will spend the day in the Historic Cape Winelands!

After breakfast at 7:30 am, we will depart with our guide Kim Dickson for Winelands.

Stellenbosch

Our first stop will be at the historical Stellenbosch estate Vergenoegd, est: 1773, to taste their delicious wines, learn a little bit about viticulture as you wander through the vines, and watch the daily duck parade. Vergenoegd is one of the oldest estates established in 1773 and has evolved many a farm ritual over the centuries. Already much-loved for its friendly welcome and famous Duck Parade.

Drawing on the rural way of life that defines the rhythm of an old estate, Vergenoegd has slowly been transformed to give visitors a first-hand experience of the skills and time-held knowledge that inform farming and winemaking. Their aim is to create a journey of unique experiences for each and every visitor, along with memories that last a lifetime.

After Vergenoegd, we’ll drive through the beautiful university town of Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa, on our way to your second stop, Mitre’s Edge, a fabulous boutique winery with award-winning wines.

Wine tasting with female winemaker

Lola the owner/winemaker (one of the very few Female Cape Master Winemakers) will take us through the tasting. Lola’s love for French-styled red wines will become evident during the tasting. This Boutique Estate only produces a relatively small amount of wine but its reputation for quality makes it very sought after.

After this stop, you should be hungry and we’ll set off to visit the famous Fairview wine estate, for a cheese and wine pairing and a delicious lunch. Fairview is famous for its wine and cheese making and has beaten the French on many an occasion, at their own game, with its camembert and blue cheeses.

Lunch

Once we are finished lunch, we’ll head on over to Villiera Estate, famous for its MCC (South African Champagne) for a cellar tour and a bubbly & handcrafted chocolate pairing.

Then we’ll sing our way back to the hotel to be there between 17h30 and 18h00

The evening and dinner are at your leisure.

Meals: B, L
Hotel: Commodore Hotel

Today is your day to get into whatever your heart desires!

Cape Town is magical, and this trip has been pretty packed, so today is your day to chill.

Set at the confluence of the Indian and Atlantic oceans and backed by the iconic Table Mountain, the bustling city of Cape Town presents an alluring combination of drawcards. Incredible powdery white beaches, highly acclaimed wine routes, and astonishingly beautiful mountain trails surround a cosmopolitan hub. This diverse metropolis is filled with superb shops and restaurants, extraordinary heritage monuments, a multitude of entertainment venues, and a spectacular, chic waterfront harbor.

Highlights include the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art; Table Mountain’s jaw-dropping views; Boulders Beach, where penguins might swim right up to you in the warm Indian ocean waters; the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, where you can walk along a treetop canopy among incredible native flora or watch an open-air concert at the base of the mountain; Robben Island, where visitors can see the cell where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years; and many more.

Optional Activities You Might Enjoy

Robben Island

Meals: B
Hotel: Commodore Hotel

Today you will be immersed in the History of not only Cape Town but South Africa itself.  Stories of Trial & Tribulation, Glory, and Oppression. However, what will prevail is the never-ending pride, hope, and positive mental attitude of the Rainbow Nation.

Start the day with a hearty breakfast. Collection by our driver and guide, Sam Ntimba.

Sam will be our guide for the day, taking us through the itinerary, but will hand us over to a local female guide in Langa Township. This creates a source of income and a sense of pride in the local community.

Today our itinerary may be shifted around to accommodate the weather (Conditions must be good to make use of the cable car).

Table Mountain

Our first stop is Table Mountain where we will hop on the rotating state-of-the-art cable car. The ride is gentle, taking visitors from the lower station to the top in around 5 minutes. The view is absolutely magnificent!

You will be 3,500ft above the city where you will find rock hyrax, lizards, butterflies, and the odd porcupine. There is also a wide array of birdlife from eagles to sunbirds flying above great patches of fynbos, the Cape’s indigenous flora.

District Six Museum

Our next stop is the District Six Museum via the famous Bokaap with its colorful painted houses.

The District Six Museum pays tribute to this once colorful hub of musicians, artists, and the good and the bad gangsters. Engage with photographs, recordings, and testimonials, which offer further insight into the turbulence of apartheid. In between exhibitions, share the stories of District Six with engaging and friendly staff members, the majority of whom were displaced residents themselves, and have intimate and personal stories to share.

Lunch at the Lelapa Restaurant in Langa

Lelapa, which means ‘the home’ was established in October 1999, when Sheila and Monica Mahloane (mother and daughter) converted their home into a restaurant, serving traditional township cuisine to passing tourists.

Our Langa tour includes visits to the Shebeen, Hostels, a Pre-School, Traditional Healer, and the Robert Sobukwe Monument.

We will end our day driving through Bonteuhewel to Gugulethu before heading back to the Hotel.

Meals: B, L
Hotel: Commodore Hotel

Situated along the southern border of Zambia, Victoria Falls is a spectacular sight of awe-inspiring beauty and grandeur on the Zambezi River. It forms the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe and stretches across almost two kilometers into a gorge over one hundred meters below – making it one of the world’s widest waterfalls. Dubbed ‘The Smoke that Thunders’ by locals, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a popular tourist destination for those visiting Zambia. It is world-renowned for its sheer beauty and offers visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in spectacular landscapes inhabited by abundant wildlife.

After breakfast this morning we will fly to Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport [LVI]. Upon arrival we will transfer from Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport [LVI] to The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Zambia Hotel by Anantara.

This property is the first in its class in this area and simply cannot be beaten.

Downtime this afternoon to shop or relax before dinner.

Meals: B, D
Hotel: Royal Livingstone by Anantara

After breakfast today we will depart for Victoria Falls, one of the most famous natural landmarks in all of Africa (aside from Mount Kilimanjaro).

This incredible natural wonder is formed by the Zambezi River as it crashes into a 345-feet deep precipice on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border.

Victoria Falls is a stunning spectacle however you view it. But when it comes to a breathtakingly immersive experience, nothing is quite as thrilling as a dip in Devil’s Pool. This 10-foot-deep natural pool stands right on the edge of the abyss, separated from the raging white water by the narrowest of rock lips. Don’t worry though, it’s very safe. During times of big rains the pool is closed to swimming tourists and to our knowledge, no one has ever fallen over the edge 😉

After a day of exploring we will return to the hotel in time to get ready for our final dinner together.

Meals: B, D
Hotel: Royal Livingstone by Anantara

This morning we will board a flight returning us to Johannesburg, and this tour officially concludes at the Johannesburg airport. We’re always bummed on departure day, but we saw and did so much! Please ensure your international flight leaves after 12 noon today. 

After our trip, we will set up a group chat to keep in touch, share photos, and continue to grow these awesome friendships we formed.

Meals: B