Cape Town, Botswana & Vic Falls

Cape Grace

Cape Town

The Cape Grace is situated on a private quay, nestled between the working harbour of Cape Town’s bustling Victoria & Alfred Waterfront and the serenity of an international yacht marina, with Table Mountain and Signal Hill as backdrop.

The wide range of beautifully appointed, ultra-luxurious guest rooms are elegant in style and generous in size, and includes balcony options as well rooftop luxury and penthouse suites. French windows offering magnificent views throughout.

The Cape Grace showcases the essence of the Cape. Its designs embrace local creativity, whilst staying true to the warm atmosphere and personalised levels of service that have defined the Hotel for years.

Children are welcomed as very special guests, with professional child minders in attendance to enable you to go out and enjoy the Mother City with absolute peace of mind.

Cape Town

With dramatic mountains, a long stretch of Atlantic coastline and a picturesque working harbour, there are few cities to rival “The Fairest Cape”, as British explorer Sir Francis Drake described it in 1580. Its Mediterranean climate, superb natural attractions, historic landmarks and fabulous restaurants offer all the ingredients for a top holiday destination.

Key attractions include: 

• Table Mountain National Park. A trip to the top of Table Mountain is an absolute must, either by cable car, or on foot via Platteklip Gorge if you are in a more energetic mood. (The trail to the top of Lion’s Head is another great alternative.)
• Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.
  
• The beaches of the Atlantic Seaboard (Camps Bay and Clifton).
• Cape Point with its rocky ledges and deserted beaches. If you are heading out that way, the drive along Chapman’s Peak is one of the most scenic drives in the country. Mariner’s Wharf in Hout Bay is situated on a working harbour at the foot of Chapman’s Peak Drive and is a fun place to visit.
• Groot Constantia is popular for its top class restaurants and wine estates.
• Simon’s Town (make sure you visit the penguins at Boulders Beach),  Kalk Bay and Muizenberg are great for a laid-back day of browsing.
• The V&A Waterfront is the epicentre of Cape Town and is great for a few hours of strolling even if you are not in the mood for shopping. Also departing from here is the ferry to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela and many others were incarcerated during the apartheid years.
• If history is your thing, there are numerous museums and attractions close to the city centre, including the Castle of Good Hope, the Bo-Kaap Museum, the District Six Museum, the Company’s Garden, City Hall and the Grand Parade.

Wilderness Safaris Vumbura Plains Camp

Okavango Delta

Vumbura Plains is an exceptionally luxurious eco-retreat of contemporary design, set on a forested island overlooking a vast floodplain in the northern Okavango Delta. Children 6 years and over are welcome at the North Camp, while South Camp is more couple-orientated. Connected by boardwalks, both camps at Vumbura Plains boast seven palatial open-plan suites each. Suites are set well apart and raised on wooden platforms. Each has its own open-sided sunken lounge, additional outdoor shower, private plunge pool and spacious viewing deck.

Vumbura Plains is located in the Kwedi, an unfenced private concession in the extreme north of the Okavango Delta and is renowned for varied and high densities of game. Predators include several resident prides of lion, as well as leopard, cheetah, African wildcat and African wild dog. There is good seasonal viewing of elephant, giraffe, impala, kudu, zebra, common waterbuck and reedbuck, tsessebe, wildebeest, and red lechwe, and the area produces some of the best sable antelope sightings in the whole of Botswana. 

The Okavango Delta

Life in the Okavango Delta is governed by the rise and fall of floodwater, and access to different parts of the Delta varies with the season. June through to August is considered the best time for a safari, much of which is done by boat or canoe, as the water is at its highest. At this time of year the extent of the floodwater is at its most dramatic, and the animals will all have arrived in their droves. Hot, dry September and October are also good. The waters will have begun to recede and animals will crowd the waterholes.

The water of the Okavango River never reach the sea. Some drains into the neighbouring Moremi National Park, to the east of the Delta, and into Lake Ngami to the south. But the majority of the water is there to nourish the grasses and trees of the Delta, and to support one of the greatest concentrations of game in Africa. It is a seasonal rhythm, and when the floodwaters begin to ebb, many of the huge herds disperse, following the rains to greener pastures, only to return in the winter months in an endless repetition of one of nature’s greatest cycles.

The largest island in the Delta is known as Chief’s Island. It was formed by a fault line that uplifted an area over 70km long and 15km wide. In days gone by, it was reserved as an exclusive hunting area for the chief of the area, but now it provides the core dry land mass for much of the resident wildlife when the Delta is in flood.

Wilderness Safaris Kings Pool Camp

Linyanati and Savute

Named for Scandinavian royalty, Kings Pool overlooks the Linyanti River and Kings Pool lagoon and is one of Botswana’s premier camps. It has 9 tented suites that are set under permanent thatch. Each room has individually raised lookout decks and a plunge pool overlooking the river and the marsh below, and the nearby waterhole has a sunken hide, where you can sit for hours secretly watching the animals as they come down to drink and cool off in the shallow water.

For the brave and daring, a raised sleep out deck is set in a secluded spot away from the main camp, and the grunting of hippos, the roaring of lions and the singing of frogs is the sound track to an exciting evening out, with the southern night sky wheeling brightly above.

The 125 000 hectare Linyanti concession is dominated by Mopani woodlands, meandering rivers, marshy plains and open grasslands. During the dry season, massive herds of buffalo, elephant and a variety of antelope emerge from the Mopani forests and move towards the Linyanti River and the surrounding marshlands. The predators inevitably follow in their wake, and this area is known for its interaction between predators and prey.

The Linyanati and Savute regions of the Chobe

Channels and lagoons in the bends of the Linyanti River are fringed with lush reed beds, and provide permanent water to the region, and sanctuary to thousands of elephants that gather here in the winter months. Here colossal leadwood trees stand tall and indestructible amongst the leafy ebony and spectacular sausage trees. Lion, leopard, wild dog, hippo, red lechwe, roan and sable gather here in fantastic numbers, complemented perfectly by an incredible variety of bird life.

Between the Linyanti and the Savuti marsh lies the hot and dry hinterland, an area dominated by grassland and mopane woodland, an excellent place to see enormous herds of eland.

Bisecting the Linyanti consession is the Savute channel, a mysterious river that seemed to fill and empty without rhyme or reason. As a result of its erratic flow, hauntingly beautiful dead trees line the banks of the Savute channel. It is currently flowing again, and in January 2010, the waters of the Savuti River reached the Savuti Marsh for the first time since 1982. The Savute is generously covered with pockets of savannah and rolling grasslands, which makes wildlife particularly exciting. It has long been synonymous with some of the best predator viewing in the country, and spine chilling stories of elephant-hunting lions and warring hyena clans have been told far and wide, around camp fires and dinner tables around the world.   

A trip to Botswana would not be complete without a visit to the famous Chobe National Park, and the Linyanti and Savuti areas are an absolute must within the park. Here you are able to get far away from the madding crowds, and experience the diversity that the reserve has to offer.

Wilderness Safaris Toka Leya

Victoria Falls Zambia

Toka Leya Camp is situated in the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, 12 kilometres upstream from Victoria Falls. It is perfect for those who prefer to avoid the hustle and bustle of Livingstone town, yet still enjoy the wide variety of activities it has to offer.

Toka Leya camp has 12 spacious, air-conditioned safari-style tents, including three family tents. Each tent has a private deck that overlooks the Zambezi River, and is an ideal place from which to observe the hippos, crocodiles, elephant and other animals that grace the riverbank. The tents are connected to the camp’s main areas by a series of raised wooden walkways. The generous relaxation areas are shaded by a huge leafy sausage tree, and are complemented by an infinity pool.

Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park is a relatively small reserve, with two main sections – the forest and cliff tops that surround the falls, and the wildlife park, which affords a wonderfully relaxing drive alongside the river for much of the way. 

Victoria Falls Zambia

The Zambezi River and the Victoria Falls pulse with an annual flood cycle of high and low water. Summer rains in the upper reaches of its catchment area, in Angola and Zambia, flood the river, causing significant rises in its levels. At high water, the spray plume can rise up to 500 metres and is visible from over 20km away. During the dry winter months, before the regional rains return in November, the river recedes to a ribbon of water, and the Falls runs dry for much of its length. It is during the dry season that the sheer magnitude of the Falls can be truly appreciated. Clear of the shroud of spray, one can marvel at the solid rock walls of the gorge, worn smooth by the abrasive power of the water. However, the best time to view the Falls is probably between May and August, when the river is running at mid volume. Apart from being the biggest waterfall in the world by volume, what makes Victoria Falls special is that nature has provided man with a front row seat, as it were, from which to view the whole 1.7km width of the Falls. Except at the point where the river exits through the narrow channel into the whirlpool known as the Boiling Pot, it is possible to walk the whole length of the Falls through the Rain Forest and gaze at every part of this awe-inspiring spectacle. 

Zimbabwe has the greater frontage of the Falls, and the deepest channels run along that side. This means that the Zimbabwean side of the Falls will still be running when the Zambian side has long dried up. 

The Zambian side, on the other hand, is more intimate, and offers the chance of a swim literally on the lip of the Falls. Whichever side you stay on, take a day pass through to the other side so that you can experience the Falls from both perspectives. 

Mannabay

Cape Town

MannaBay is located in a prime position on the foothills of Table Mountain. It even has a gate leads directly from its grounds onto the mountain. From this perch, MannaBay looks down across the Mother City and the Atlantic bay area beyond.

From MannaBay, you can experience the Mother City in comfort and privacy, with a team of friendly staff dedicated to making every guest’s experience as special as possible. Enhanced by floor to ceiling glass windows throughout, the views are simply dazzling.

MannaBay’s premier suite and seven luxury en-suite bedrooms are each individually themed and artistically decorated. Most have a private terrace or balcony with ocean or mountain views, and each has its own highlights, from a private garden and plunge pool to eagle-eye top-floor views over the city and harbour. The ultra luxurious Versailles Suite features a splendid four-poster day bed on its spacious private balcony, an inside four-poster mirror bed, private sitting room, dressing room, and huge bathroom with opulent bathtub and walk-in shower.

MannaBay is a work of art that inspires, enlivens and delights. Children older than 12 years are welcome.

Cape Town

With dramatic mountains, a long stretch of Atlantic coastline and a picturesque working harbour, there are few cities to rival “The Fairest Cape”, as British explorer Sir Francis Drake described it in 1580. Its Mediterranean climate, superb natural attractions, historic landmarks and fabulous restaurants offer all the ingredients for a top holiday destination.

Key attractions include: 

• Table Mountain National Park. A trip to the top of Table Mountain is an absolute must, either by cable car, or on foot via Platteklip Gorge if you are in a more energetic mood. (The trail to the top of Lion’s Head is another great alternative.)
• Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.
  
• The beaches of the Atlantic Seaboard (Camps Bay and Clifton).
• Cape Point with its rocky ledges and deserted beaches. If you are heading out that way, the drive along Chapman’s Peak is one of the most scenic drives in the country. Mariner’s Wharf in Hout Bay is situated on a working harbour at the foot of Chapman’s Peak Drive and is a fun place to visit.
• Groot Constantia is popular for its top class restaurants and wine estates.
• Simon’s Town (make sure you visit the penguins at Boulders Beach),  Kalk Bay and Muizenberg are great for a laid-back day of browsing.
• The V&A Waterfront is the epicentre of Cape Town and is great for a few hours of strolling even if you are not in the mood for shopping. Also departing from here is the ferry to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela and many others were incarcerated during the apartheid years.
• If history is your thing, there are numerous museums and attractions close to the city centre, including the Castle of Good Hope, the Bo-Kaap Museum, the District Six Museum, the Company’s Garden, City Hall and the Grand Parade.

Wilderness Safaris Little Vumbura

Okavango Delta

Little Vumbura is an intimate camp on the north-eastern edge of the Okavango Delta and lies in the shade of an ancient forest of ebony and African mangosteen. It is surrounded by water, giving it the feel of a luxurious private island.  With access to large rivers from the floating jetty, all the water-based activities are excellent. Boat cruises have an extensive reach into the waterways of the delta, and makoro rides afford a more intimate interaction. 

Each of the 6 tented suites has been designed to blend in with the landscape, and there is a beautiful view from each of the spacious en-suite tents. The main area of the camp is friendly and charming and has extensive leisure areas from which to enjoy the sights and sounds of the delta. 

The vast open plains around Little Vumbura, and the mosaic of tree islands and meandering water-ways attract enormous herds of buffalo, inevitably followed by prides of lion – lots of them. The area is well known for some of the best interaction between these two perpetual nemeses, creating some of the most exciting game viewing on offer. The mixed habitat draws almost every species of animal that occurs in the delta, including the rare sable antelope. 

The Okavango Delta

Life in the Okavango Delta is governed by the rise and fall of floodwater, and access to different parts of the Delta varies with the season. June through to August is considered the best time for a safari, much of which is done by boat or canoe, as the water is at its highest. At this time of year the extent of the floodwater is at its most dramatic, and the animals will all have arrived in their droves. Hot, dry September and October are also good. The waters will have begun to recede and animals will crowd the waterholes.

The water of the Okavango River never reach the sea. Some drains into the neighbouring Moremi National Park, to the east of the Delta, and into Lake Ngami to the south. But the majority of the water is there to nourish the grasses and trees of the Delta, and to support one of the greatest concentrations of game in Africa. It is a seasonal rhythm, and when the floodwaters begin to ebb, many of the huge herds disperse, following the rains to greener pastures, only to return in the winter months in an endless repetition of one of nature’s greatest cycles.

The largest island in the Delta is known as Chief’s Island. It was formed by a fault line that uplifted an area over 70km long and 15km wide. In days gone by, it was reserved as an exclusive hunting area for the chief of the area, but now it provides the core dry land mass for much of the resident wildlife when the Delta is in flood.

Wilderness Safaris Savuti Camp

Linyanati and Savute

Savuti Camp is situated in a remote part of the Linyanti Concession along the Savute channel. This intimate camp is raised off the ground and faces directly onto the channel, providing a wonderful view of the deep, clear waterway that abounds with hippo and other aquatic life. 

The 7  luxurious tented suites are scattered along raised wooden walkways and are positioned for maximum privacy. The expansive communal area is perfect for relaxing during the heat of the day, and has a refreshing pool in which to escape the midday heat. The small library is also great for curling up in and getting stuck into a good book.

The Linyanti concession of the Chobe National Park is dominated by mopane woodlands, meandering rivers, marshy plains and open grasslands. Two-thirds of the Savute Channel lies within the concession, giving guests exclusive access to its abundant game and natural marvels. The game viewing here is fantastic all year round, peaking in the dry season with the arrival of thousands of elephants and other big herbivores, with predators following in their wake.

The Linyanati and Savute regions of the Chobe

Channels and lagoons in the bends of the Linyanti River are fringed with lush reed beds, and provide permanent water to the region, and sanctuary to thousands of elephants that gather here in the winter months. Here colossal leadwood trees stand tall and indestructible amongst the leafy ebony and spectacular sausage trees. Lion, leopard, wild dog, hippo, red lechwe, roan and sable gather here in fantastic numbers, complemented perfectly by an incredible variety of bird life.

Between the Linyanti and the Savuti marsh lies the hot and dry hinterland, an area dominated by grassland and mopane woodland, an excellent place to see enormous herds of eland.

Bisecting the Linyanti consession is the Savute channel, a mysterious river that seemed to fill and empty without rhyme or reason. As a result of its erratic flow, hauntingly beautiful dead trees line the banks of the Savute channel. It is currently flowing again, and in January 2010, the waters of the Savuti River reached the Savuti Marsh for the first time since 1982. The Savute is generously covered with pockets of savannah and rolling grasslands, which makes wildlife particularly exciting. It has long been synonymous with some of the best predator viewing in the country, and spine chilling stories of elephant-hunting lions and warring hyena clans have been told far and wide, around camp fires and dinner tables around the world.   

A trip to Botswana would not be complete without a visit to the famous Chobe National Park, and the Linyanti and Savuti areas are an absolute must within the park. Here you are able to get far away from the madding crowds, and experience the diversity that the reserve has to offer.

The River Club

Victoria Falls Zambia

Situated 18km upstream from Victoria Falls, The River Club has a distinctly Edwardian flavour, and guests here can enjoy the sights and sounds of the Zambezi River in a tranquil setting away from the crowds. Its elegant thatched chalets overlooking the Zambezi River are mostly split-level, with rooms that are completely open at the front to provide premium views of the river and the magnificent sunsets.

Pervading the elegant splendour of The River Club is a sense of stepping back into a bygone era in the heart of Africa. Long, languid afternoons, perhaps a game of croquet, an excursion to the awe-inspiring ‘Smoke that Thunders’ 18km downstream, or a 4x4 safari, are rounded off with sundowners and a top class dining experience. Thrilling adventure activities in the area offer a contemporary touch.

The River Club is situated amongst lush, riverine vegetation on the banks of the Zambezi River. Hippo and elephants can often be seen on its banks, while crocodile and impala are regularly sighted along the river's edge. A small park nearby hosts white rhino, giraffe and other animals, but no big cats.

Victoria Falls Zambia

The Zambezi River and the Victoria Falls pulse with an annual flood cycle of high and low water. Summer rains in the upper reaches of its catchment area, in Angola and Zambia, flood the river, causing significant rises in its levels. At high water, the spray plume can rise up to 500 metres and is visible from over 20km away. During the dry winter months, before the regional rains return in November, the river recedes to a ribbon of water, and the Falls runs dry for much of its length. It is during the dry season that the sheer magnitude of the Falls can be truly appreciated. Clear of the shroud of spray, one can marvel at the solid rock walls of the gorge, worn smooth by the abrasive power of the water. However, the best time to view the Falls is probably between May and August, when the river is running at mid volume. Apart from being the biggest waterfall in the world by volume, what makes Victoria Falls special is that nature has provided man with a front row seat, as it were, from which to view the whole 1.7km width of the Falls. Except at the point where the river exits through the narrow channel into the whirlpool known as the Boiling Pot, it is possible to walk the whole length of the Falls through the Rain Forest and gaze at every part of this awe-inspiring spectacle. 

Zimbabwe has the greater frontage of the Falls, and the deepest channels run along that side. This means that the Zimbabwean side of the Falls will still be running when the Zambian side has long dried up. 

The Zambian side, on the other hand, is more intimate, and offers the chance of a swim literally on the lip of the Falls. Whichever side you stay on, take a day pass through to the other side so that you can experience the Falls from both perspectives.