On arrival at Cape Town International Airport, you will be met by your private driver in the arrivals hall and presented with your travel documents before being transferred* to Cloud Nine Boutique Hotel & Spa, where you will spend four nights in a Heritage Classic Room**.
Nestled at the foot of Table Mountain, the Cloud 9 Boutique Hotel & Spa is located within walking distance of the shops and restaurants on vibrant Kloof and Long Streets. Known for its rooftop bar with stunning 360-degree view of the city and Table Mountain, Cloud Nine also features an art gallery showcasing some of Cape Town's exciting contemporary artists. Just beyond lies the pulsating city, with stunning beaches and historic hotspots moments away..
If you arrive earlier in the day, stretch your legs with an optional game of tennis on the tennis courts next door, or brush up on your travel photography skills at an informal talk with award-winning travel photographer Julian Asher***.
This evening, we will gather for a brief orientation over welcome drinks at the nearby Cape Milner Hotel, followed by dinner at Kloof Street House, a buzzing neighbourhood favourite set within a magnificent restored Victorian house.
* There will be two transfers. While they will be timed to minimise waiting times, if your flight arrives outside the scheduled times or you do not wish to wait please let us know and we can arrange a separate transfer.
** Single rooms and room upgrades are available on request (subject to availability).
*** Photography equipment and safari binoculars are available for rental and can be delivered to the hotel. Please let us know if you would like to learn more about this option.
Begin this morning with an early-morning tennis clinic (0730-0930 hrs). Tennis clinics will consist of intensive drilling, match play situations (singles and doubles) & round robin tournaments. We'll also focus on tennis specific fitness, dynamic stretching, movement training, injury prevention and mental toughness.
Following the tennis clinic, you will meet your private guide for a full day exploring Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula. Begin your exploration of Cape Town with a short drive to the lower cableway station at Table Mountain, where you will be whisked to the top of the mountain in the state-of-the-art revolving cable car. Enjoy the sweeping vistas of Cape Town from the summit 1,067 metres above sea level, with the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Table Bay to the north, the City Bowl to the east and the Cape Peninsula to the south - on a clear day you can see all the way to Cape Point! Your guide will take you a scenic walk around the plateau, where you may see furry little rock dassies and colourful sunbirds.
From Table Mountain, head down the west side of the Peninsula along the Atlantic seaboard, past the coastal suburbs of Clifton, Camps Bay, Bakoven and Llandudno and on to the fishing village of Hout Bay. Navigate the 114 curves of Chapman’s Peak Drive - one of the world’s most spectacular marine passes - 600 metres above the Atlantic, passing the Cape's longest beach at Noordhoek and the coastal hamlets of Kommetjie and Scarborough.
After lunch at a top coastal restaurant, you'll continue down the west coast and enter the Cape of Good Hope section of the Table Mountain National Park with its unique Cape fynbos vegetation. The Cape is home to birds like African black oystercatchers and Cape sugarbirds as well as very special fauna including Cape mountain zebra, bontebok (both endemic) and the charismatic Cape baboon. Climb (or ride the world’s first environmentally friendly funicular) to the historic Cape Point Lighthouse where you can capture the magical vistas of False Bay, before stopping at the south-westernmost point of Africa: breathtaking Cape Point.
From Cape Point we will head north along the east coast of the Peninsula to Boulders Beach, where you will enjoy a close encounter with a colony of adorable African penguins before heading home through the naval village of Simonstown and over Boyes Drive, taking in the views of the harbour at Kalk Bay and the seaside hamlets of St. James and Muizenberg.
This evening, explore Cape Town's renowned food scene at your leisure.*
* NB Advance booking is recommended for many restaurants in Cape Town. Please let us know if you would like restaurant recommendations or assistance with reservations.
After an early breakfast, meet your guide for your transfer to the Robben Island Gateway at the V&A Waterfront to catch the ferry for Robben Island. Our private guide - a former political prisoner - will introduce you to the island's history, bringing a unique insight to your visit to this World Heritage Site.
On your return from Robben Island, we suggest getting a bite to eat at the Waterfront - perhaps at the V&A Food Market, where you can meander through the stalls and taste delicious treats from local chefs - before returning to Cloud Nine for this afternoon's tennis clinic.
This evening, join the group for dinner at Foxcroft. Sister restaurant to La Colombe and La Petite Colombe, Foxcroft blends the intensity and thoughtfulness of fine dining with a more relaxed approach. Working with the best local farmers and the finest international suppliers, every ingredient is selected for seasonality, quality and flavour. Chef Glen Foxcroft Williams and his team believe in treating simple ingredients with the same care, attention and respect as those of rarity.
Begin this morning with an early-morning tennis clinic (0730-0930 hrs).
The remainder of the day is yours to explore Cape Town at your leisure. Options include:
- Visiting the LEAP Schools - the local partners of San Francisco-based NGO Teach With Africa (founded by Margie and Larry Schlenoff)
- Discovering South African contemporary art at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa
- Meeting local designers and makers in the Watershed at the V&A Watershed
- Delving into the Mother City's history with a walking tour of the colourful historic neighbourhood of Bo-Kaap, followed by a Cape Malay cooking class
This evening, enjoy a final dinner in Cape Town at your leisure. We're happy to make recommendations!
* NB Advance booking is recommended for many restaurants in Cape Town. Please let us know if you would like restaurant recommendations or assistance with reservations.
Following a final early morning tennis clinic and breakfast in Cape Town, meet your private specialist wine guide for a full-day wine and food tasting transfer en-route to Le Quartier Francais in Franschhoek, where you will spend one night in an Auberge Room*.
Begin your exploration of South Africa's Cape Winelands with a visit to the Constantia Valley, where South African winemaking was born in the 1600s. Continue on to Stellenbosch, Africa's second oldest European settlement.
Enjoy lunch at one of the finest restaurants in the Winelands before continuing towards Franschhoek, savouring additional tastings at estates such as Babylonstoren. End the day with a tasting of the stunning Mullineux Family wines at Leeu Estates before being dropped off at Le Quartier Francais, where you can enjoy a pre-dinner stroll through the streets of the historic village.
Situated in private perfumed gardens with mountain views in the heart of the historic village of Franschhoek, Le Quartier Français is a romantic boutique hotel. Explore the surrounding winelands, or simply walk into the village to discover its quaint charms. The extraordinary staff, luxuriously comfortable rooms and attention to detail ensure that this auberge is the ultimate destination.
This evening, enjoy dinner in South Africa's gourmet capital. Explore on your own, or join the group for an optional dinner at La Petite Colombe** in Franschhoek - the latest culinary venture from award-winning chef Scot Kirton.
* Single rooms and room upgrades available on request (subject to availability).
** Reservations are essential for many restaurants in Franschhoek. Places for the group dinner at La Petite Colombe must be pre-booked and confirmed.
After an early breakfast, meet your driver for your transfer to Cape Town International Airport for your scheduled flight to Skukuza Airport, where you will connect to your light air transfer to Ulusaba. On arrival at the Ulusaba Airstrip, you will be met by your guide and transferred to Ulusaba Safari Lodge, where you will spend three nights in a safari cottage*.
Owned by Sir Richard Branson since 1994, Ulusaba is an exclusive private game reserve in the western sector of the renowned Sabi Sand. Ulusaba Safari Lodge is located beneath a canopy of ancient trees on the edge of a dry riverbed. All rooms feature magnificent views of the surrounding landscape and animals strolling past on their way to the nearby watering hole.
Ulusaba's facilities include tennis courts - complete with a thatched courtside viewing pavilion and bar - where you will enjoy a round robin tournament in the bush!
This afternoon, following a safari photography briefing**, embark on your first game drive and begin your exploration of the Sabi Sand, one of the world's premier wildlife regions. Ulusaba Safari Lodge traverses an exclusive 33,000-acre region adjoining the renowned Kruger National Park. The Sabi Sand is renowned for intimate encounters with leopards, with the opportunity to observe these normally elusive cats at close range.
* Single rooms and upgrades are available on request (subject to availability).
** Photography equipment and safari binoculars are available for rental and can be delivered to the lodge if you would like to have them solely for the safari portion of the trip. Please let us know if you would like to learn more about this option.
Following your final morning in the bush, your guide will transfer you back to to the airstrip for your light air transfer to Skukuza Airport, where you will connect to your scheduled flight to Johannesburg. On arrival at OR Tambo International Airport you will make your way to City Lodge OR Tambo, where you will spend one night in a standard room.
This morning you will make your way back to the airport where you will check-in for your scheduled flight to Livingstone. On arrival at Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport you will proceed through customs and immigration. In the arrivals hall you will be met by your driver and transferred to the Royal Livingstone Hotel, where you can relax on the deck overlooking the Zambezi before boarding the speedboat for your journey to Livingstone Island*.
Your island guide will take you on a walking tour of the verdant island where Dr David Livingstone first glimpsed the Victoria Falls. Take a swim in the Devil's Pool on the lip of the Falls - the ultimate infinity pool! Enjoy refreshments in the tea tent before heading back to the Royal Livingstone, where you will be met by your driver and transferred across the historic Victoria Falls Bridge to Elephant Hills, where you will spend two nights in a standard room.
Situated on a small hill overlooking the Zambezi River 4km upstream from the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Elephant Hills is set in expansive grounds populated by grazing antelope, snuffling warthogs, and traveling troupes of baboons. All rooms feature balconies offering fantastic views of the mighty Zambezi River - some offer a glimpse of the 'Smoke That Thunders' rising from the Falls.
* NB This activity is dependent on water levels.
This morning, enjoy a morning tennis clinic on one of the world's more exotically located tennis courts!
This afternoon, you will be met by your guide and taken on a private tour of the Zimbabwean side of Victoria Falls. At this time of year, the views are best from Zimbabwe. Enjoy an up-close exploration of the Falls - also known as Mosi-oa-Tunya, 'the Smoke that Thunders' . The sheer power of the waterfall is stunning - be prepared to get wet!
After seeing the Falls up-close, you can take to skies for an optional helicopter 'Flight of Angels'. This scenic flight will give you an entirely different perspective on this natural wonder of the world, taking you over the Falls themselves, the river upstream, and the dramatic gorges below.
This evening, enjoy a sunset cruise on the mighty Zambezi aboard the 1920s vintage-style Ra-Ikane before a final dinner in Africa.
After a final morning in Africa, you will be met by your driver and transferred to Victoria Falls International Airport for your scheduled flight to Johannesburg, where you will connect to your flight home.
