Kruger Safari and Cape Town Tour
Day 1 – Arrival in Johannesburg
You arrive in Johannesburg and are met at the airport by a tour guide who will transfer you to your hotel. Park-like gardens in the courtyard of the City Lodge, Katherine Street, contributes to a lovely ambience, accentuated by the swimming pool built as if joined to the lounge. For guests' convenience there is a mini-gym and restaurant on the property and the hotel is a few minutes' drive away from Sandton City, Sandton Square and Village Walk. All 158 rooms are tastefully decorated to meet 3 star standards. The Grace, situated in the tree-lined suburb of Rosebank, and which is close to Sandton, is private and secure. The Grace is a sophisticated city hotel, offering fine dining in its restaurant, The Dining Room. Sumptuous guest bedrooms reveal a blend of colours, rich textured fabrics, natural light and great views. There is a rooftop terrace with an English country-style garden and a heated outdoor lap pool. The Grace is linked by a skywalk to a wealth of exclusive, culture-rich shopping.
Accommodation:
Option 1: The Grace in Rosebank -more info
The Grace in Rosebank
The Grace is an elegant urban retreat in the heart of one of Johannesburg’s most stylish, cosmopolitan neighbourhoods. A skywalk links the hotel to a wealth of exclusive, culture rich shopping and entertainment choices. Voted one of the “top 10 hotels in Africa and the Middle East” by Conde Nast Traveller in 2002 and 2003, The Grace prides itself on discreet, personal hospitality and attention to detail.
Bedrooms and suites reveal a seductive blend of colours, rich textured fabrics, natural light, and wonderful views. Fine cuisine is served in The Dining Room, which adjoins a sun-drenched roof garden and pool terrace. Indulge yourself at The Spa, which offers a range of luxurious health and beauty treatments.
The Grace is graded 5-star.
Option 2: City Lodge, Katherine Street -
Park-like gardens in the courtyard of the hotel contributes to a lovely ambience, accentuated by the swimming pool built as if joined to the lounge. For guests’ convenience there is a mini-gym and restaurant on the property and the hotel is a few minutes’ drive away from Sandton City, Sandton Square and Village Walk. All 158 rooms are tastefully decorated and comfortable for both business and leisure travellers.
The City Lodge Katherine Street is graded 3-star.
Basis:
Bed & Breakfast
Day 2 – Johannesburg to Sabi Sands
This morning you are collected from the hotel by a tour guide and driven east of Johannesburg via the scenic Panorama Route. Stops will be made at the extraordinary example of river erosion found at Bourke's Luck Potholes and at the historical gold rush town of Pilgrim's Rest. You will also visit the Blyde River Canyon to view the 800 metre drop into the gorge at God's Window. Situated in the Sabie Sands, Elephant Plains Game Lodge offers comfortable style and affordable luxury. The lodge overlooks a waterhole on the banks of the Manyeleti River and the pool deck guarantees excellent viewing of animals moving from the plains to drink.
Tasty international cuisine and South African specialities are served buffet-style in the dining area, or dinner is served around a log fire in the outdoor boma. Sabi Sabi Game Reserve is set in the game rich Sabie River Valley, and has spectacular Big Five game viewing. There are various lodges all boasting their own unique décor, but all of the same standard as the other. Each suite has its own plunge pool, inside and outside shower and unhindered views of the open bushveld. In the late afternoon, you are taken on your first game drive in an open land rover by a specially-trained Game Ranger and Trackers. You return after dark for a safari cuisine supper under the African stars.
Accommodation:
Option 1: Sabi Sabi Game Reserve -Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge
Set in the game rich Sabie River Valley, Sabi Sabi combines spectacular Big 5 game viewing with uncompromisingly high levels of service and personalised attention, to ensure its guests have a memorable stay. Specially-trained game rangers and trackers will take you on morning and afternoon/evening game drives in open land rovers, as well as on guided walking trails, to learn about the 300 bird species and 200 animal species found in the area - a Nature Wonderland.
Bush Lodge is set in the heart of the Sabi Sabi bushveld overlooking a water-hole and an African plain. At each of the lodges, you will luxuriate in uncompromising high standards of service, efficiency and personalised attention - all in an informal atmosphere of warmth and hospitality. Each air-conditioned thatched suite features exquisite ethnic décor in keeping with the bushveld environment. The lodge features artistically designed open courtyards with spectacular wooden carvings by renowned South African sculptors, created from wood salvaged from the bushveld.
Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge is graded 5 star.
Option 2: Elephant Plains Game Lodge -Elephant Plains
Situated in the Sabie Sands Game Reserve, part of the 2.2 million hectare Greater Kruger National Park, Elephant Plains offers comfortable style and affordable luxury. The lodge overlooks a waterhole on the banks of the Manyeleti River and the pool deck guarantees excellent viewing of animals moving from the plains to drink. Tasty international cuisine and South African specialities are served buffet-style in the dining area, or dinner is served around a log fire in the outdoor boma. Accommodation is in thatched air-conditioned chalets with en-suite bathrooms. Adjacent to the swimming pool, the wooden deck offers spectacular views overlooking the waterhole and scenic plain.
Over many years strict conservation policies and successful habitat management have resulted in a rich diversity of fauna and flora. Here you will come face to face with Africa's Big Five and may be lucky enough to encounter other rarer species such as the endangered wild dogs and cheetah.
Elephant Plains is graded 4-star.
Basis:
Full board (all meals and game activities)
Days 3 & 4 – Sabi Sands
For the next two days your Game Ranger and Tracker will take you on safari - both by day and night - and on walking trails, learning about some 300 bird species and 200 animal species, including lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, elephant and cheetah, tracked and followed off-road, deep into the African bushveld. There will be two game drives each day, one leaving very early in the morning and one leaving in the late afternoon, returning after dark, as these are the best times for game viewing. Animals are at their most active then and some nocturnal animals are still about. Between game drives you can relax at your plunge pool or in the comfort of your room.
Accommodation:
Option 1: Sabi Sabi Game Reserve -
Set in the game rich Sabie River Valley, Sabi Sabi combines spectacular Big 5 game viewing with uncompromisingly high levels of service and personalised attention, to ensure its guests have a memorable stay. Specially-trained game rangers and trackers will take you on morning and afternoon/evening game drives in open land rovers, as well as on guided walking trails, to learn about the 300 bird species and 200 animal species found in the area - a Nature Wonderland.
Bush Lodge is set in the heart of the Sabi Sabi bushveld overlooking a water-hole and an African plain. At each of the lodges, you will luxuriate in uncompromising high standards of service, efficiency and personalised attention - all in an informal atmosphere of warmth and hospitality. Each air-conditioned thatched suite features exquisite ethnic décor in keeping with the bushveld environment. The lodge features artistically designed open courtyards with spectacular wooden carvings by renowned South African sculptors, created from wood salvaged from the bushveld.
Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge is graded 5 star.
Option 2: Elephant Plains Game Lodge -
Situated in the Sabie Sands Game Reserve, part of the 2.2 million hectare Greater Kruger National Park, Elephant Plains offers comfortable style and affordable luxury. The lodge overlooks a waterhole on the banks of the Manyeleti River and the pool deck guarantees excellent viewing of animals moving from the plains to drink. Tasty international cuisine and South African specialities are served buffet-style in the dining area, or dinner is served around a log fire in the outdoor boma. Accommodation is in thatched air-conditioned chalets with en-suite bathrooms. Adjacent to the swimming pool, the wooden deck offers spectacular views overlooking the waterhole and scenic plain.
Over many years strict conservation policies and successful habitat management have resulted in a rich diversity of fauna and flora. Here you will come face to face with Africa's Big Five and may be lucky enough to encounter other rarer species such as the endangered wild dogs and cheetah.
Elephant Plains is graded 4-star.
Basis:
Full board (all meals and game activities)
Day 5 - Sabi Sands to Johannesburg and Cape Town
This morning you are taken on your last game drive in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve before you bid farewell to this African wonderland. You fly direct from the Sabi Sabi airstrip to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport to connect with your afternoon flight to Cape Town. At Cape Town Airport you are met and transferred to your hotel in or near the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Situated within walking distance of Cape Town's CBD and at the gateway to the world-famous V&A Waterfront, the V&A City Lodge maintains a tasteful décor throughout the hotel, and it is well known for its superb service and friendly environment.
Recently refurbished, the hotel offers guests a comfortable stay at a reasonable price. The V&A Hotel is situated in the heart of the trendy Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Built in 1904 as the North Quay Warehouse and converted in 1990 to a luxury hotel, this privately owned hotel is renowned for the highest international standards. All rooms have spectacular views over Table Mountain and the working harbour of the Piazza. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure to explore the Waterfront.
Accommodation:
Option 1: V&A Hotel -Victoria and Alfred Hotel
The Victoria & Alfred Hotel is situated in the heart of the trendy Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Built in 1904 as the North Quay Warehouse and converted in 1990 to a luxury hotel, this privately owned hotel is renowned for the highest international standards.
It's the detail that gives the V&A Hotel its elegance, intimacy, romance and reputation, the wooden staircase, the telescope, flowers and the service – friendly and efficient yet never intrusive. All the creatively-styled rooms have spectacular views over Table Mountain, the harbour’s Alfred Basin or the Piazza. Relax alfresco on the quayside terrace and enjoy the unique atmosphere, watching buskers and entertainers go by.
The V&A Hotel is graded 4-star superior.
Option 2: V&A City Lodge -City Lodge V&A Waterfront
Within walking distance of the centre of Cape Town and situated right at the gateway to the world-famous V&A Waterfront, this hotel maintains a tasteful décor throughout the hotel, and it is well known for its superb service and friendly environment.
A nautical theme runs through the hotel and there is an outdoor plunge pool. The rooms all have en-suite bathrooms with a separate shower and bath unit.
The City Lodge V&A Waterfront is graded 3-star.
Basis:
Bed & Breakfast
Day 6 – Cape Point
This morning you are collected from the hotel by your tour guide and taken on a drive 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. We can then follow the coastline northwards via Simonstown, where you can visit the penguin colony of Boulders Beach. We also visit Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, which is dedicated to the extraordinary variety of plants found in the Cape Floral Kingdom. A leisurely drive through the leafy southern suburbs will bring us back to the hotel in the late afternoon. You may like to finish up the day with a ride up the Table Mountain Cable Car to enjoy the spectacular views over the Mother City and across Table Bay to Robben Island. The tour guide will drop you back at the hotel after the tour.
Accommodation:
Option 1: V&A Hotel -
The Victoria & Alfred Hotel is situated in the heart of the trendy Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Built in 1904 as the North Quay Warehouse and converted in 1990 to a luxury hotel, this privately owned hotel is renowned for the highest international standards.
It's the detail that gives the V&A Hotel its elegance, intimacy, romance and reputation, the wooden staircase, the telescope, flowers and the service – friendly and efficient yet never intrusive. All the creatively-styled rooms have spectacular views over Table Mountain, the harbour’s Alfred Basin or the Piazza. Relax alfresco on the quayside terrace and enjoy the unique atmosphere, watching buskers and entertainers go by.
The V&A Hotel is graded 4-star superior.
Option 2: V&A City Lodge -
Within walking distance of the centre of Cape Town and situated right at the gateway to the world-famous V&A Waterfront, this hotel maintains a tasteful décor throughout the hotel, and it is well known for its superb service and friendly environment.
A nautical theme runs through the hotel and there is an outdoor plunge pool. The rooms all have en-suite bathrooms with a separate shower and bath unit.
The City Lodge V&A Waterfront is graded 3-star.
Basis:
Bed & Breakfast
Day 7 – Winelands
Today you are driven to the Cape Winelands with its backdrop of majestic mountain ranges and lush valleys. We stop for a cellar tour and tour of the vineyards at Boschendal and will also enjoy tastings at a minimum of two wineries. You have the chance to purchase some of the wines you have tasted. We visit Stellenbosch, the “town of oaks” for a short guided tour of South Africa's second oldest town. A scenic drive over the Helshoogte Pass (Hell's Heights) takes us to the Franschhoek Valley where we visit the memorial to the French Huguenots, who sought refuge from religious persecution in Europe and settled here in the late seventeenth century. We return to Cape Town via Paarl, with its three imposing granite domes, and you are dropped off at the hotel.
Accommodation:
Option 1: V&A Hotel -
The Victoria & Alfred Hotel is situated in the heart of the trendy Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Built in 1904 as the North Quay Warehouse and converted in 1990 to a luxury hotel, this privately owned hotel is renowned for the highest international standards.
It's the detail that gives the V&A Hotel its elegance, intimacy, romance and reputation, the wooden staircase, the telescope, flowers and the service – friendly and efficient yet never intrusive. All the creatively-styled rooms have spectacular views over Table Mountain, the harbour’s Alfred Basin or the Piazza. Relax alfresco on the quayside terrace and enjoy the unique atmosphere, watching buskers and entertainers go by.
The V&A Hotel is graded 4-star superior.
Option 2: V&A City Lodge -
Within walking distance of the centre of Cape Town and situated right at the gateway to the world-famous V&A Waterfront, this hotel maintains a tasteful décor throughout the hotel, and it is well known for its superb service and friendly environment.
A nautical theme runs through the hotel and there is an outdoor plunge pool. The rooms all have en-suite bathrooms with a separate shower and bath unit.
The City Lodge V&A Waterfront is graded 3-star.
Basis:
Bed & Breakfast
Day 8 – At leisure
Today is at leisure to explore the V&A Waterfront. You might want to take a ferry from the Waterfront across Table Bay to Robben Island. An ex-prisoner takes you on an extensive tour of the prison, which includes a visit to Nelson Mandela's cell, the limestone quarry and the old leper colony. 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. Shopaholics can explore the shops at the Waterfront while museum lovers can wander through the South African Museum and the National Art Gallery.
Accommodation:
Option 1: V&A Hotel -
The Victoria & Alfred Hotel is situated in the heart of the trendy Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Built in 1904 as the North Quay Warehouse and converted in 1990 to a luxury hotel, this privately owned hotel is renowned for the highest international standards.
It's the detail that gives the V&A Hotel its elegance, intimacy, romance and reputation, the wooden staircase, the telescope, flowers and the service – friendly and efficient yet never intrusive. All the creatively-styled rooms have spectacular views over Table Mountain, the harbour’s Alfred Basin or the Piazza. Relax alfresco on the quayside terrace and enjoy the unique atmosphere, watching buskers and entertainers go by.
The V&A Hotel is graded 4-star superior.
Option 2: V&A City Lodge -
Within walking distance of the centre of Cape Town and situated right at the gateway to the world-famous V&A Waterfront, this hotel maintains a tasteful décor throughout the hotel, and it is well known for its superb service and friendly environment.
A nautical theme runs through the hotel and there is an outdoor plunge pool. The rooms all have en-suite bathrooms with a separate shower and bath unit.
The City Lodge V&A Waterfront is graded 3-star.
Basis:
Bed & Breakfast
Day 9 – At leisure and departure
This is your last day in South Africa and you may wish to spend this day relaxing on one of the pristine beaches of Camps Bay or Clifton. In the afternoon you are collected from the hotel and taken to Cape Town airport for your flights home.