Southern Africa Escapades 3 to 5 Star (18 Days) SAE18D

Padel, an origin sport from Mexico, is typically played in pairs on a slightly smaller court than tennis doubles. Despite sharing the same scoring system as tennis, it features distinct rules, techniques, and strokes. The balls used are similar but with reduced pressure. Key distinctions include court walls for ball rebounds, akin to squash, and solid, stringless racquets. Additionally, when serving, the ball’s height must not exceed waist level.

Padel Courts Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Padel Courts Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Padel Courts Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Padel Courts Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Padel Courts Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Padel Courts Credit: Paul Karnstedt

You deserve to be pampered. Our luxurious treatments, massages and soothing therapy pools will do just that. Our award-winning Seasons Spa has a range of procedures and treatments to choose from, making it the perfect place for guests to relax and unwind after an eventful day.

Spa Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Spa Credit: Paul Karnstedt

A game of golf is right at your doorstep. Seasons Golf, Leisure and Spa has full access to the adjoining golf course and you can tee off as often as you’d like. It’s the closest bushveld golf course to Johannesburg, which means that golfers can enjoy an 18-hole 72-par golf course in the company of a wide variety of birdlife as well as the resident wildlife.

Golf Course Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Golf Course Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Golf Course Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Golf Course Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Golf Course Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Golf Course Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Golf Course Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Golf Course Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Golf Course Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Golf Course Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Golf Course Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Golf Course Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Golf Course Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Golf Course Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Golf Course Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Seasons has a waterpark that features swimming pools and slides, an outdoor gym, an adventure golf course and a playground area.

Adventure Golf & Waterpark Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Adventure Golf & Waterpark Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Adventure Golf & Waterpark Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Adventure Golf & Waterpark Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Adventure Golf & Waterpark Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Adventure Golf & Waterpark Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Adventure Golf & Waterpark Credit: Paul Karnstedt

Target Shooting - R150 (45 minutes)

Book directly on the Playtomic App

Shooting Range [150 Pellets] - R220 (30 minutes)

Additional Pellets [Per 50] - R95

Combat Game [2 People / 200 Balls] - R1500 (90 minutes)

Quad Trail - R280 (30 minutes) / R500 (60 minutes)
Passenger - R90

* minimum rider age is 16

Fishing & Casting Lessons - R220 (30 minutes) / R550 (90 minutes)

Rod Hire - R180 per day

Day Visitor Fishing Permit - R220 per day

Trophy Dam Access - R500 per day (1 fish bag limit)

Pony Walk - R220 (30 minutes)

Beginner Ride - R320 (60 minutes)

Intermediate Ride - R400 (60 minutes)

Advanced Ride - R500 (90 minutes)

Stable Ride - R100 (10 minutes)

Game Ride - R280 (30 minutes)

Farm Ride - R450 (75 minutes)

As one of the first private concessions in the Kruger National Park, Mluwati has worked tirelessly to ensure the sustainability of this pristine wilderness that for over 100 years has been a sanctuary for over 114 reptiles, 34 amphibians and 147 mammal species, including Africa’s Big Five. With some of Kruger’s most spectacular landscapes and an extraordinary variety of wildlife, bird life and plant life within the concession, each safari experience is unique.

Guests can enjoy a morning and afternoon safari in open 4 x 4 vehicles. The early morning safaris are very rewarding with light for photography. Lions are still lively and on the move at this time, antelope are more energetic and an abundance of birds may also be seen. The afternoon safaris provide an opportunity to see nocturnal animals and perhaps even the elusive Leopard.

During the winter months the morning safaris depart at 06h00 and the afternoon safaris depart at 16h00. In summer the times change to 05h00 for the morning and 17h00 for the afternoon safaris.

Tea and coffee is served before the morning safari departs and in the afternoon you will enjoy high tea before setting off.

The guided bush walks allows one to get close up and have an intimate experience of the local flora and fauna. Walks are available on request. The safety of guests is top priority so guided bush walks may be unavailable if the guide deems the conditions to be unsafe for walking.

Guests with their own vehicles can do a self drive during the day in the Kruger National Park. The Park is home to many different mammal, reptile amphibian species and many hours can be enjoyed watching these animals in their natural habitat.

A microlight flight over the Victoria Falls is a must for everyone. Flight options include a 15 minute

introductory flight over the Victoria Falls and Zambezi River - with genuine bird’s eye view of this

awesome spectacle. The 30 minute trip includes a flight over the Victoria Falls, then upstream over

Long Island, Palm Island, Kakunka and Kandahar Islands and finally onto the Mosi-oa-Tunya National

Park, where you’ll achieve a unique perspective of our famous park.

The most awesome perspective to see the Victoria Falls from the bottom of the gorge. Swimming in the rock pools below the Falls, surrounded by the massive black basaltic rock towering up above you and the water cascading down, seemingly out of the sky, is certainly one of the most breathtaking experiences you will ever have. This activity is a perfect combination with white water rafting: swim under the Victoria Falls before you hop in the raft and experience the thrill of ‘rafting at its best’.

The Zambezi River below the Victoria Falls is widely considered to be the very best rafting river in the world. A deep channelled, high volume river, the Zambezi has class 3-5 rapids interspersed with tranquil pools. This enables you to marvel at the magnificent beauty of the Batoka Gorge between some of the most exciting and challenging rapids rafted anywhere on the planet. Highly

professional guides ensure your safety and enjoyment of this amazing adventure.

The ultimate safari experience is a day-trip to Chobe National Park in Botswana, which boasts the world’s largest elephant population. The game cruise on the Chobe River brings you close to brilliant bird life, pods of watering hippos, primeval crocodiles and elephants, breathtaking in their sheer number. The afternoon’s land-based safari heads deeper into the Park to spot the elusive big cats that make Chobe their home.

A daring highlight of visiting Zambia is swimming in Devil’s Pool. This uniquely located plunge pool resides right on the edge of Victoria Falls, where the waterfall’s thundering cascade plummets 350-feet down, providing a pulse-racing dip. The pool is also special in that it can only be visited between mid-August and mid-January, before the summer rains swell the Zambezi River. Afterwards, the pool remains hidden under the river’s pounding flow.

The Zambezi - river of dreams and romance, evoking images of the

great era of adventure and exploration. Wild and captivating, the Zambezi beats to a rhythm and a time that is fast disappearing. The clear waters of the river and the game reserves that surround

it, attract herds of elephant, buffalo, several species of antelope,

giraffe, zebra, lion and leopard. You will negotiate small but exciting rapids, canoe through narrow channels and drift down open stretches. No previous canoeing experience necessary.

The African Queen and the African Princess are berthed just upstream of The Victoria Falls. Fully inclusive morning, lunch and sunset cruises are offered daily, treating passengers to sophisticated

views of the Zambezi River and the surrounding game reserves.

The Royal Livingstone Express ‘time travels’ back in history using beautiful steam locomotives and carriages lovingly restored by Bushtracks Africa and Rovos Rail. In this magnificent, romantic, steam-powered train we offer ‘The Dinner Excursion’ which includes a run along the “Cape to Cairo” mainline, which will then go on to the Victoria Falls Bridge in time for sunset. Don’t miss this unique chance of experiencing the sights and sounds of Zambia

Enjoy a once in a lifetime helicopter ride and watch from above as the mighty Zambezi River carves its way through the steep cliffs of the Batoka Gorge and transforms from a gentle and serene river into the rampant Victoria Falls that descend 120metres to the floor of the valley.

At Le Franschhoek Hotel and Spa, we know the value of enjoying some downtime and we fully encourage it at our Camelot Spa, which offers a comprehensive range of traditional and contemporary treatments, from the Grecian liquid-sound flotation room and Moulin Rouge colour therapy adventure to the fragrant herbal sauna and steamy Swiss shower. The outdoor massage area sets the scene for the ultimate in relaxation.

Numerous wine tours and food and wine pairings to experience at estates in and around the Franschhoek area.

Being the unofficial culinary capital of South Africa, Franschhoek offers many award-winning fine dining options.

A 212-hectare estate incorporates both a tranquil and secure country residential estate and an award-winning Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course.

There’s no better way to get around the area’s most popular and distinguished wine farms than hopping on the fabulous Franschhoek Wine Tram Tour. This hop-on, hop-off wine tram tour weaves its way through rolling vineyards with the promise of wine tastings and cellar tours around every turn. Enjoy delicious pairings, subline surrounds and a variety of award-winning vintages along several pre-arranged routes conducted by the tram operator.

Indulge in a chocolate extravaganza at Franschhoek’s Huguenot Fine Chocolates, a boutique chocolaterie that offers a range of delectable fine hand-crafted Belgian chocolate. Run by two qualified Belgian chocolatiers, this is a definite must-visit for anyone with a sweet tooth. Sample the delicious chocolate infused with local flavours of Amarula, Pinotage or Rooibos and honey, or participate in The Chocolate Experience, a half-hour programme of chocolate tastings, demonstrations and chocolate history guaranteed to tempt you to buy every chocolate in-store.

Located at the end of Franschhoek’s main street is the Huguenot Monument, which dates from the 1940s and commemorates the Huguenot immigrants who fled France in the 1600s, essentially making Franschhoek their new home. Adjacent to the monument is a museum that explores the settlers’ fascinating history with exhibits featuring tools they used to make wine, the clothes they wore and the story of how they came to seek a better life in the southern hemisphere.

Franschhoek – South Africa’s ‘French Corner’ – boasts a rich historical and cultural heritage, which dates as far back as the late 1600s and is commemorated in a multitude of ways throughout the small town. With impressive memorials, an assortment of history museums and charming Cape Dutch architecture, a trip to Franschhoek offers more than just a scenic vista. Meander through the vineyards, or along the broad avenues, and feel the history of the place around every corner.

In 1685, Protestantism was outlawed in France, thus forcing hundreds of people to flee from their homes. Almost 300 of these so-called Huguenots arrived at the Cape of Good Hope by ship and were soon given land by the then-Dutch government in a valley called Oliphantshoek (Elephant’s Corner), where they would come to settle. With the influx of French occupants, this valley, which once derived its name from the vast herds of elephants that made their way into the area to calve, soon became known as le Coin Français (French Corner, in French), and later Franschhoek (French Corner, in Dutch).

This interesting and resilient Franschhoek history is still honoured in the modern-day town, and several attractions both celebrate and elaborate on the town’s origins. In much the same way, various aspects of the town are dedicated to the arts and are worth a visit on your trip to Franschhoek. Choose from an exciting selection of Arts & Culture activities in Franschhoek:

Visit the Huguenot Museum
Admire the Huguenot Memorial
Take a trip to the Franschhoek Motor Museum
Board the Franschhoek Wine Tram
Appreciate the unspoilt Cape Dutch architecture
Pay a visit to the Museum van de Caab
Celebrate with the Bastille Festival