Cuisine, Wine & Spa with Safari Tour
Day 1 – Durban to Shakaland
You are met at Durban airport and are transferred along the Kwazulu-Natal north coast to the heart of the Zulu nation. A warm welcome awaits you at the Protea Hotel Shakaland. On your arrival, you are met by Zulu dancers in full tribal dress, who escort you to your room, a traditional thatched beehive-shaped Zulu hut with all modern conveniences and en-suite bathroom. Whilst at Shakaland, you will enjoy presentations on typical Zulu traditions such as beer brewing, spear making, hut building, pottery, weaving and beadwork, and Zulu etiquette and social structure. A traditional Zulu dinner is served in Shakaland's restaurant.
Accommodation:
Protea Hotel Shakaland -more info
Protea Hotel Shakaland
Protea Hotel Shakaland is situated in Kwa-Zulu Natal, the heart of the Zulu nation. On your arrival, you are met by Zulu dancers in full tribal dress, who escort you to your room, a traditional thatched beehive-shaped Zulu hut with all modern conveniences and en-suite bathroom.
Whilst at Shakaland, you will enjoy presentations on typical Zulu traditions such as beer brewing, spear making, hut building, pottery, weaving and beadwork, and Zulu etiquette and social structure. A traditional Zulu dinner is served in Shakaland’s restaurant.
Protea Hotel Shakaland is graded 3 star.
Basis:
Dinner, Bed & Breakfast
Day 2 – Shakaland to Lalibela Game Reserve
You depart Shakaland and are transferred back to Durban airport for your flight to Port Elizabeth. You will be met by your driver and transferred to the Big Five game reserve, Lalibela. Upon check-in at 13h00, you are served lunch at reception. At 14h30 you are transferred by landrover to your Lodge. At each of Lalibela's 4-star lodges, secluded thatched chalets are placed where magnificent indigenous gardens merge into the surrounding bush. Each en-suite unit has a private observation deck to make the most of the views. The lodges also all boast a large lounge, viewing deck and a sunny swimming pool where you can spend a lazy afternoon. They also have an outdoor dining "boma" for fireside dinners and open-air brunches. At Lalibela, food is true safari cuisine with an emphasis on local specialities, ranging from centuries-old recipes to exciting contemporary African dishes. After high tea, you are taken on your first game drive at Lalibela. This late afternoon/evening game drive is an opportunity to search for nocturnal animals, such as the elusive bat-eared fox, aardvark, black-backed jackal, aardwolf and the curious spring hare. You return to the lodge in time for a sumptuous safari cuisine dinner.
Lalibela Game Reserve
Day 3 – Lalibela Game Reserve
This morning after a light breakfast you are taken on another game drive. Game drives at Lalibela bring you face to face with a multitude of game species, ranging from the mighty Big Five (lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard) to tiny blue duiker and rock Hyrax. Lalibela is also home to African wild dog, cheetah, hyena, hippo, giraffe, zebra, warthog and numerous species of antelope. You return to the lodge for a grand brunch. There is time to relax around the pool, do some bird-watching from the observation deck, or read a book in the privacy of your room's private deck. After tea you set off on another night drive, returning again in time for dinner.
Day 4 – Lalibela Game Reserve to Cape Town
This morning you are taken on your last game drive at Lalibela. After brunch you bid farewell to this African wonderland and are transferred by landrover to reception. You will be met by your driver and transferred to Port Elizabeth Airport for your flight to Cape Town. On arrival in Cape Town you will be met and transferred to the 4 star Winchester Mansions, situated on the Atlantic seaboard with uninterrupted sea views. It is five minutes' drive from the trendy Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. This charming and gracious hotel offers its guests understated elegance and service. The luxurious rooms have sea or mountain views. Sip sundowners whilst viewing the spectacular ocean sunsets and relax around the decked pool. There is an in-house spa offering health and beauty treatments. The Winchester Mansions' in-house restaurant, Harvey's, is fast becoming a culinary hot spot in Cape Town. Hard to find among Cape Town restaurants today, Harvey's offers discerning diners an appetising taste of traditional Cape cuisine. The Harvey's Bar, adjoining the restaurant, allows you to enjoy arguably Cape Town's best view - the sun slipping into the Atlantic - while sipping a long cocktail on the terrace. Tonight you might like to ride the cable car up Table Mountain to enjoy the view over Cape Town and across Table Bay to Robben Island.
Winchester Mansions
Day 5 – Cape Point
We suggest you take a tour along the coast around the Cape Peninsula to Cape Point. Your host will be able to arrange one for you. You travel along the Atlantic seaboard via glamorous Clifton to the quaint seaside village of Hout Bay. Here you can take a boat ride from the fishing harbour out to the seal colony on Seal Island. Continue via the scenic Chapman's Peak Drive to Cape Point. Looking at this dramatic promontory jutting into the sea gives one an idea why early sailors nicknamed it the Cape of Storms. You then follow the coastline northwards via Simonstown, where you can visit the penguin colony of Boulders Beach. A leisurely drive through the leafy southern suburbs will bring you back to the hotel in the late afternoon. You can go up Table Mountain in the evening if the weather was inclement the day before.
Day 6 – Cape Town
This morning you will be collected for your half-day Cape Malay food tour. Your day will begin in the Bo-Kaap, with its cobblestone streets, legends and secrets. Your walk through the historical quarter focuses on the extraordinary cuisine of the Cape Malay community. Once the shopping is completed, it's all-hands-on during the informal cooking workshop in a Bo-kaap family home. You will learn how to mix Masala, fold Samoosas and how to balance the flavours of a Cape Malay curry. Lunch is enjoyed with your hostess and cooking instructor and offers the opportunity for interesting discussion and interaction. This afternoon you could visit the Waterfront's Two Oceans Aquarium, which is highly recommended for the insight it gives into life in the two oceans off the southern tip of Africa – the cold Atlantic Ocean and the warm Indian Ocean. Alternatively, you may like to relax on one of the trendy beaches of Camps Bay or Clifton. Museum lovers can wander through the South African Museum and the National Art Gallery.
Day 7 – Cape Town to the Wineland
This morning you are collected by your driver and transferred to the Winelands, with its backdrop of majestic mountain ranges and lush valleys and vineyards. A scenic drive over the Helshoogte Pass (Hell's Heights) takes you from Stellenbosch to the Franschhoek Valley, where you check into Klein Genot Wine and Country Estate. Klein Genot is nestled in a peaceful corner of the Franschhoek Valley, where Feng Shui philosophy meets farmstyle hospitality. The breathtaking surroundings sooth the senses and the luxury of the individually decorated suites create a tranquil and welcoming sanctuary. Watch the swans glide on the lake or relax in a hammock viewing these spectacular surrounds.
Klein Genot Wine & Country Estate
Day 8 – Winelands
Today you are at leisure to explore the Cape Winelands. We suggest you spend the day following the Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek Wine Routes. Your host will be able to arrange a tour for you. You can stop for tastings at various wine estates and you will have the chance to purchase some of the wines you have tasted. Particularly recommended are Fairview Estate on the Paarl Wine Route, which offers cheese tastings alongside the wine tastings, and Boschendal Estate on the Franschhoek Wine Route, which offers very interesting cellar tours. In Franschhoek itself you can visit the memorial to the French Huguenots, who sought refuge from religious persecution in Europe and settled here in the late seventeenth century. Franschhoek is known as South Africa's gourmet capital, so we recommend experiencing a dinner at one of the award winning restaurants.
Day 9 – Departure
You are collected by your driver and transferred to Cape Town International for your flights home.