14 day Private Kruger, Cape Town and Garden Route

Upon arrival at OR Tambo International Airport, you are transferred to your hotel for a good nights rest after the long haul flight.

Private transfer to OR Tambo International Airport for your short flight to Kruger's Skukuza or Nelspruit Airports depending up the lodge, you will be  transferred through the bush to your private game lodge.

Suggested commercial flights to Skukuza Airport:
SA 8861 departing 10:00am and landing 10:50am
SA 8865 departing 1:20pm and landing 2:10pm 

Check in, enjoy a lovely lunch, maybe time for an afternoon nap before your evening game drive in the African bushveld.

The general daily program offers time to really unwind and relax, while still offering the excitement of being deep in the bush surrounded by game.

The general activities run along the following lines:

An early morning wake up call before dawn, a quick cup of coffee followed by a 3 hour game drive where you have the chance to spot not only the Big 5, but also a wide variety of other game species.

You will then return to the lodge for breakfast and then have time to relax. Enjoy the sun at the pools edge, relax in the lounge area or have a sleep in comfort of your own room/chalet, with the surrounding sounds of the African bushveld

The order of the day is usually:
Early morning game drive followed by a leisurely breakfast.
Thereafter, guests can enjoy leisure time around the camp until lunch.
Afternoon game drives include sundowners and culminate in a night drive.
Dinner is served under the African sky or in the dining areas. 

Normal Day:
Wake up 05:30am
Tea/Coffee 06:00am
Morning Safari 06:30am
Breakfast 09:30am
Lunch 1:00pm
Tea/Coffee 3:30pm
Sundowner Safari 4:00pm
Dinner 7:30pm

Activities:
4x4 landrover safaris with private vehicle

After a last morning safari, we will leave the reserve and head back to either Skukuza or Nelspruit Airport in time for your departure flight to Cape Town.

Suggested commercial flight from Skukuza to Cape Town:
SA 8652 departing 11:20am and landing 1:55pm

Suggested commercial flight from Nelspruit to Cape Town:
SA 8664 departing 1:15pm and landing 3:45pm

Upon arrival into Cape Town International Airport, you are transferred to your Waterfront hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure and enjoy a casual dinner at one of the amazing venues on your doorstep.

On your first full day in Cape Town, we will explore the Mother City, head up Table Mountain (weather permitting) and board the ferry to Robben Island to enjoy a guided tour (included) of this World Heritage Site.

After the 25 minute ferry ride across Table Bay, you will board a bus for a tour around the island before being taken inside the actual prison and hosted by an ex-political prisoner who will regale you with personal stories from their days spent incarcerated on the island. One of the highlights is being able to view Nelson Mandela's actual cell and take a moment to imagine the greatness of "Madiba" who, once released was able to steer our country through its first ever democratic elections in 1994.

Return to the V&A Waterfront and spend the rest of the evening exploring the waterfront area and maybe enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants with great views of the Victoria & Alfred harbour, expansive Table Bay or majestic Table Mountain.

One can't come to Cape Town and not head down to the tip of Africa at Cape Point and visit cape of Good Hope  among other highlights!

Depart the city in your own time to explore the famous wine routes of Stellenbosch and Paarl before checking into your hotel on the amazing Babylonstoren Estate.

Check in and prepare for a real treat with dinner (own account) at the estate's renowned Babel restaurant.

After breakfast and a walk around the estates herb gardens, we head through to Franschhoek, also known as the food & wine capital of South Africa.

We can enjoy a few more wine tastings as there are many estates to explore, take a stroll around the village galleries and shops before heading out of this picturesque valley over the Franschhoek Pass (on the original elephant route out the valley). 

Travelling along Route 62, you will start to notice that the scenery changes dramatically. It’s often said that South Africa has one of the most varied landscapes of any country, and there’s nowhere better to see this than on the drive from green, lush Cape Town to the semi-arid desert like Klein Karoo. Enjoy a comfort stop in the small artists town of Barrydale at the foot of the Langeberg Mountains that rise out of the plains surrounding them.

Back onto Route 62 we head towards the heart of the Klein Karoo. In a secluded valley, which was once a lake, we’ll discover Calitzdorp, South Africa’s port wine capital where we will enjoy lunch (own account). Port can be a bit of an acquired taste due to its strength and sweetness, but that’s a journey we are happy to help you start on. In the late afternoon we arrive at our country lodge just outside Oudtshoorn, which boasts the highest number of sunny days compared to any other place in South Africa

Relax and enjoy the friendly Klein Karoo hospitality, with dinner (included) at the lodge.

After breakfast we make our way to a 20 million year old natural treasure at the foothills of the Swartberg Mountains, the Cango Caves. Descend the 200 steps of Jacob’s Ladder into the Great Hall and continue into King Solomon’s Mine. Leaving this subterranean wonderland, we head over the Outeniqua Pass and through George down to the coastline.  Surrounded by mountains, ocean, lakes and lagoons Wilderness makes for a tranquil and splendid destination. Enjoy the stunning and unspoilt scenery at Dolphin Point and Map of Africa look out points (weather permitting).

In the late afternoon we arrive into Knysna, our home for the next 2 nights overlooking the lagoon.

Dinner tonight can be enjoyed at the Heads or in the Knysna Waterfront.

Today is a full day of adventure in Knysna & Plettenberg Bay where we can enjoy ...

> Ocean Safari to view dolphins and whales in Plettenberg Bay
> Hike along the Robberg Peninsula in Plett
> Featherbed Eco Experience
> Knysna Elephant Park
> Hog Hollow Horse Trails
> Enjoy a 10km beach walk from Brenton on Sea to Buffalo Bay.

We also explore the Tsitsikamma region where you will have the chance to do the worlds highest commercial bungy jump at Bloukrans Bridge, enjoy a gentle hike to the suspension bridge over Storms River Mouth (included) and then tuck into lunch (own account) in the Tsitsikamma National Park.

The list of optional activities seem endless in this adventure region:
> Treetop Canopy tour through the forest canopy.
> Monkeyland
> Birds of Eden
> Tenikwa Wildlife Centre
> Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary

Dinner (excluded) can be enjoyed at one of the great restaurants on Thesen Island.

Spend the morning covering anything we missed the day before and then head through the lake district again to the historical harbour town of Mossel Bay which was the first place that Europeans landed on South African soil.  Visit the Dias Museum Complex which is made up of several different museums, among them the Shell and Maritime Museums. The Maritime Museum sports a life-sized replica of the ship that Dias sailed in 1488. At the centre of the museum complex is the Post Office Tree. An ancient Milkwood tree that has served as a post office since 1500. As was done 500 years ago, you can leave a message for a loved one to read under a bottle or a horse shoe.

Lunch will be enjoyed (own account) in Swellendam, after which we turn due south for the coastline again, eventually arriving into the seaside village of Arniston where you can either enjoy dinner (own account) at the hotel overlooking the Indian Ocean or maybe take a short stroll into the historic fishing village of Kassiesbaai where you are invited to take part in a traditional evening meal by candlelight in one of the fishermen’s houses. The meals are prepared by the fishermen’s wives, a rather authentic experience.

After a leisurely breakfast, we visit the rugged, windswept beauty of the southernmost tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas. A place where the warm Indian Ocean meets the cool Atlantic, the Cape of Storms has caused many an ancient mariners to brave its waters and wreck their ships in the name of exploration and adventure. 

Driving through the rolling hills of the overberg farming region, with its bright yellow canola fields, to the seaside town of Hermanus where you can enjoy some whale watching (seasonal from June to November) from the cliff paths surrounding the village and overlooking Walker Bay.

Spend the afternoon walking the cliff paths viewing whales, maybe joining a boat based whale watching trip in Walker Bay (your guide can arrange) and there is also the Hemel-en-Aarde valley behind the town for some great wine tasting and picturesque lunch venues.

We will return to Cape Town through Bettys Bay and along the scenic Clarens Drive which hugs the False Bay coastline where you can view Table Mountain and Cape of Good Hope across the bay.

Free day to spent at leisure for some shopping or just exploring the V&A Waterfront areas.

Today can kept as a back up tour day in case the weather was unfavourable earlier in your visit.

Enjoy the last morning at leisure before transfer to Cape Town International Airport to start on your homebound flights.

Here we’ll say hamba kahle, good bye.