TRIP QUEST TRAVEL - SAFARI, SIPS & SHORES (9N/10D)

Meeting and pickup point on arrival off your international flight from the USA to Cape Town International Airport [CPT], South Africa:

• International Arrivals:  As you exit into the International Arrivals Hall from Customs, your tour representative will meet you carrying a calling board with Trip Quest Travel, Touch Down DMC and/or your names. If your representative is not immediately visible, please stand in front of the information desk.

FLIGHT ARRIVAL INFORMATION
Guests to advise

Arrivals at Cape Town International Airport, you’ll be met by your tour representative who will transfer you to your hotel. There will be a welcome gathering with drinks and canapé platters. Remainder of the evening is at leisure so you can rest up after your long-haul flight.
Overnight:  Le Franschhoek Hotel and Spa 4* or similar 

After breakfast, you start with a beautiful drive through the winelands to Stellenbosch where you can shop while enjoying a guided exploration of oak-lined Dorp Street, its heritage buildings, museums and coffee shops. The old Lutheran Church and art gallery provides a fitting backdrop to this historical lane. Lunch will be enjoyed at Oude Werf, where the dining history began with the hearty 19th Century country dishes of the legendary hotel owner, Tant Betje Wium. Today, the chef serves classic dishes at a splendid restaurant with in-situ kitchen, large fireplace and vine-covered courtyard. After lunch, return to Franschhoek passing the Huguenot Monument Memorial which commemorates the 1938 event that celebrated the 250th anniversary of the settlement of the Huguenots at the Cape. Back at your hotel, relax and get ready for your classic seasonal food specialties menu and wine pairing event at Grand Provence Wine Estate.
Overnight: Le Franschhoek Hotel & Spa 4* or similar 

After breakfast, check-out and depart for Franschhoek's main street to explore this quant village. After some retail therapy, visit an iconic South African vineyard, Haute Cabrière. Founded on the values of family, community, and sharing, the von Arnim family has been artfully cultivating the unique terroir (sun, soil, and vine conditions) of the Franschhoek Valley since acquiring the property in 1982. After savoring Haute Cabrière’s exceptional wines, continue on to Villiersdorp with a stop at the welcoming Stettyn Family Vineyards. Enjoy time in their elegant tasting room which is cool during the warm summer months. Surrounded by rolling hills, vineyards, and breath-taking mountain views, this beautiful Cape Winelands setting creates an unforgettable atmosphere. Enjoy a tasting of four different sparkling wines, accompanied by lunch. In the afternoon, continue to Hermanus to check-in at The Marine Hermanus. The Marine is one of South Africa’s most spectacular seaside hotels, located on Hermanus’ famous cliff path, overlooking the breath-taking Walker Bay of the Cape’s Overberg region. This is the ultimate location for whale watching during the whale season. Tonight you dine in comfort and style at the Pavilion at The Marine - an unforgettable day at the edge of Africa.   
Overnight:  The Marine 5* or similar 

Hermanus is renowned globally as one of the best land-based whale-watching destinations, attracting visitors for its marine life, natural scenery, and vibrant arts scene. After breakfast, experience an exciting boat-based whale watching excursion, which will bring you up close to Southern Right Whales in their natural ocean environment. Thereafter, continue to Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate for lunch and wine tasting. Benguela Cove is a prestigious wine estate located on the coastline of Hermanus, known for its award-winning wines and commitment to sustainability. The estate is the realization of an entrepreneurial vision, built on a deep respect for winemaking traditions and innovation. The remainder of the afternoon and evening are at leisure, with dinner being for your own account.  
Overnight:  The Marine 5* or similar 

After breakfast, check out and embark on today’s Cape Peninsula Tour. Journey through scenic countryside en-route to the southern tip of the peninsula, where three dramatic promontories—Cape of Good Hope, Cape Maclear, and Cape Point—rise more than 200 metres above the ocean. Discover pristine landscapes blanketed in fynbos, encounter native wildlife such as baboons, ostriches, and antelope, and pose for a photo at the iconic Cape of Good Hope sign, a landmark that has stirred the imagination of explorers for centuries. Take in sweeping panoramas where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans collide in a spectacular meeting of currents. Pause for lunch at the renowned Two Oceans Restaurant before heading to Boulders Beach, home to a thriving colony of endangered African Penguins. Watch them waddle, swim, and nest in their natural habitat. In the afternoon, continue along the breath-taking Chapman’s Peak Drive, stopping for photos at a viewpoint, before continuing to your hotel for check-in and an evening at leisure (dinner for your own account).
Overnight:  Commodore Hotel 4* or similar 

Today you have an introduction to the Mother City. After enjoying breakfast, you ascend Table Mountain (weather permitting) by revolving cable car. Look for wildflowers and the famous silver tree, before getting a bird’s-eye view of the city and its beaches. On clear days it’s possible to see Cape Point on one side and Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, on the other. Next, experience the city's vibrant culture and rich history like never before on the Footprints of Cape Town Interactive Tour. This isn’t your typical walking tour; it’s a fully immersive, hands-on journey where you’ll drum, dance, and sing your way through the heart of the city. Continue to Bo-Kaap which is in the foothills of Table Mountain - the historic district of the Cape Malays, descendants of slaves brought to Cape Town from Java, Ceylon and other regions of the Far East in the early 18th century. Lunch is at Bo-Kaap Kombuis where you will be introduced to the wonderful world of Cape Malay cuisine. Your guide will see you to your hotel and ensure you have time to freshen up, before departing to GOLD Restaurant for this evening's dinner-theatre-experience. The 14-dish tasting menu arrives at your table labelled by country of origin, cooking techniques and spicing - complete with a djembe drum performance. Each dish honors African story-telling and culinary traditions, combined with modern sophistication. 
Overnight:  Commodore Hotel 4* or similar 

Your tour representative will be with you at Cape Town International Airport [CPT] to see you on your domestic flight to Hoedspruit.
Meeting and pickup point on arrival off your local flight from Cape Town to Hoedspruit–Eastgate Airport [HDS], Hoedspruit, South Africa:

• Domestic Arrivals: Hoedspruit airport is tiny – there are only two check-in desks. On entering the airport from the plane, it is 50m to the baggage claim area which is next to the parking area. Your tour representative's calling board will display TPI, Touch Down DMC and/or your names. If the representative is not immediately visible, please stay at the baggage claim area.

This morning you transfer to Cape Town International Airport for your flight to Hoedspruit. Your welcome to the Kapama Private Game Reserve awaits. Nestled between the Blyde River Valley and the Kruger National Park, this reserve in the Greater Kruger National Park (GKNP) is home to some of the most endangered wildlife in Africa - lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard. Other, but equally fascinating wildlife, such as the shy, spiral-horned nyala, and the not-so-shy vervet monkeys are only two of the myriad of species that live in the environs. It’s a paradise for wildlife enthusiasts, not to mention twitchers. Apart from the four-legged creatures, there are 477 species of birds, from Little Grebes to Goliath Herons, Pink-backed Pelicans to Lappet Faced Vultures, as well Sparrowhawks, falcons and quail. There is a delicious High Tea before your first sunset game drive is the perfect introduction to life, sophisticated and wild, at Kapama. You will have plenty of time once you return to the lodge to freshen up before dinner.
Overnight: Kapama River Lodge 5* or similar

Dawn in the African bush is special. There’s something magical even about the air and the scent of the wild places. It holds a promise of something unexpected and memorable just around the corner. If you want to see African animals at their best, then early morning game drives are essential. Wildlife is most active in the cool early mornings when the dew is still on the ground. They also stir, and hunt when the hot sun is setting behind the Jackleberry trees in the late afternoons, another excellent time for a game drive. At Kapama, the day has both a sunrise and a sunset game drive. In between, you are free to spend the day at leisure. Relax on a deck, watching elephants wandering past to the waterhole. Or indulge yourself with a lazy float in rim-flow pool or some spa treatments. A 2-hr tour at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre will give you an up-close experience of the rehabilitation and conservation of endangered animals. An evening spent here, where the wild things are, somehow makes an already delicious dinner that much more memorable.
Overnight: Kapama River Lodge 5* or similar

Begin your day with an early wake-up call, complete with tea, coffee, and traditional rusks delivered to your suite. Set out on a thrilling sunrise game drive through Kapama Private Game Reserve, where expert rangers guide you in search of the Big Five and other wildlife awakening in the golden morning light. Return to the lodge for a hearty breakfast featuring a variety of fresh, hot, and cold options. Spend the morning and early afternoon at leisure, relaxing by the pool, on your private patio, or indulging in a spa treatment. Weather permitting, you may elect to experience Africa underfoot on an optional guided bush walk with a highly trained game ranger (subject to ranger availability). The experience offers an intimate encounter with nature and wildlife, and medicinal and other plants are identified en route. Rangers also teach guests to track wildlife in the traditional way, using animal footprints and scat. Expert trackers are able to tell the gender of many animals just from their footprints. Large and dangerous animals are avoided on walks, but many other species can be viewed from a safe distance at ground level. Enjoy a relaxed lunch at the lodge with fresh, seasonal dishes. In the afternoon, savor high tea with an assortment of sweet and savory treats, before heading out on a sunset game drive, pausing for sundowners amid the transforming landscape. Conclude the day with dinner back at the lodge – either an elegant restaurant meal or a traditional boma braai under the stars, depending on weather and other factors.
Overnight: Kapama River Lodge 5* or similar

Your tour representative will be with you at Hoedspruit-Eastgate Airport [HDS] to see you on your flight to Johannesburg.
You are not met in Johannesburg because you remain in the international terminal at OR Tambo International Airport [JNB], Johannesburg to connect to your international flight home to the USA.

• You will arrive at Terminal B, which is the terminal that handles domestic traffic. You will need to make your way to Terminal A and check in again for your international flight to the USA.

FLIGHT DEPARTURE INFORMATION
Guests to advise

After a memorable final sunrise game drive, return to the lodge for breakfast and time to pack and relax in the bushveld. Check out of the lodge, followed by road transfer to Hoedspruit-Eastgate Airport. Board your scheduled flight from Hoedspruit to OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, marking the end of your South African adventure. Upon arrival in Johannesburg, you will connect to your international flight home.