Spend a few days in iconic, cosmopolitan Cape Town. Touch the stars on safari. Revel in the wildlife. Taste the spray of the thunderous Victoria Falls. Watch the sun set on another perfect day in Africa. If you have a month, we can show you more, but if you’re pressed for time, this is the trip we recommend.
This journey takes in three of Southern Africa's top attractions, all offering very different experiences: an iconic coastal city, a luxury wilderness experience and the imposing Victoria Falls. It travels along routes that are well developed, and efficient – a quick in-and-out.
You start off with a few days in Cape Town, one of the most attractive cities on the continent, if not the world. Spend a few days exploring its many riches, or ask about our guided tours. Either way, it's a glorious start to the safari.
The second leg of the safari traverses South Africa, and heads up to a private concession in the Kruger National Park. The Kruger is one of the largest wilderness conservancies in the world, and the infrastructure in and around it has been particularly well developed over the years. Although the private lodges in the Kruger ‘dropped’ their fences with the park years ago, they have retained exclusive traversing rights over their land, making for a private, top class safari experience. There are many game reserves in Southern Africa that offer equally great experiences, but the Kruger is most people’s “first". There must be a reason for that.
The safari concludes with a few days at Victoria Falls. This is the largest waterfall in the world by volume, awe inspiring when thundering sheets of water cascade down its cliffs at peak flow, and full of character when the river is running low and the cliffs stand out. In this watery wonderland, you can be as active as you like, or choose to drift along with any number of more sedate field trips on offer.
Cape Town almost always appears on lists of 'Top 10 Cities of the World', and with good reason. The natural beauty of its dramatic mountains and white beaches extends well beyond the city limits to the southern tip of the peninsula. It has hiking, climbing, mountain biking and water sports for outdoor enthusiasts, top restaurants and vineyards for foodies, and a variety of museums for more contemplative excursions. Its complex history has its dark side, with travesties like District Six and the incarceration of political prisoners on Robben Island during the apartheid years, but it has also contributed to making Cape Town one of the most culturally diverse cities on the continent - diversity that is evident in its people, its food, its creativity and much more. Stay for 4 nights on this trip, and we are certain you’ll want to come back for more.
If one jewel shines really bright in South Africa’s tourism crown, it is the Kruger National Park. And while the park may be well over a century old, it continues to expand: On the eastern and northern sides, plan are afoot to integrate the Kruger with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique, and a few smaller areas. This new multinational conservation collaboration will be called the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, and the ambition is for it to ultimately expand to almost 10 million hectares. On the South African side, many of the smaller, privately owned game reserves on the edge of the Kruger have ‘dropped their fences’ with the Park, and become fully integrated into its ecosystem. It is on these properties that many of the luxury lodges are situated. All these lodges have retained their exclusive traversing rights over their land, making for a private, top class safari experience.
Approaching the Victoria Falls by aeroplane is awe-inspiring. If you press your face against the window like an impatient child, you will catch a glimpse of the Zambezi River from above, twinkling silver and blue, calm and deliberate as it drifts towards the inexorable precipice. And then all hell breaks loose. You will feel the Victoria Falls before you see them. It’s like pressing your chest against a bass speaker: the thundering of 500 000 cubic metres of water per minute reverberates though you as it plummets 108 metres into the mists beneath. Victoria Falls is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, but it is the world's largest sheet of falling water. It is roughly twice the height of North America's iconic Niagara Falls and is rivalled only by Argentina and Brazil's Iguazu Falls. Apart from its natural splendour, Victoria Falls offers activities that range from the sedate (sunset cruises, steam train excursions, walks through the rain forest or canoeing above the Falls) to the extreme (bungee jumping and white water rafting below the Falls). Flights over the Falls by helicopter or microlight are mandatory.
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.
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:
The exclusive Royal Malewane African Safari Lodge is set on a private reserve and exudes the romance and beauty of a bygone age whilst offering every modern-day convenience. Linked to the main lodge by elevated walkways, the six palatial suites are the pinnacle of refinement and opulence, featuring private wooden decks, rim-flow pools, thatched gazebos, and additional outside baths and showers.
The Royal Suite and the Malewane Suite each sleep four guests and provide an even more secluded luxury African safari experience, featuring their own spacious lounge and dining areas, kitchen and chef, not to mention butler, guide, tracker and personal game drive vehicle.
Situated a short drive from the main Lodge, Africa House is a totally self-contained bush paradise where you can relax in the opulent style, making it the perfect option for families or groups of up to 12.
The Thornybush Private Game Reserve is 11 500 hectares of prime big game habitat consisting of open savannah woodland with patches of tangled thicket and thorny scrub. With an astounding variety of wildlife as well as more than 500 species of birds, game viewing in the reserve ranks as some of the best in Southern Africa and visitors to Thornybush are virtually guaranteed to see the Big 5 within a day or two. The incredible biodiversity of the area makes it a special destination for the serious nature-lover.
The Sabie and the Crocodile are the two main rivers of the southern section of the Kruger National Park. They support a fascinating ecology and a good percentage of the park’s animal life. In the south-east in particular, you have your best chance of sighting the big five. The grasslands surrounding Lower Sabie are good for viewing herds of zebra and buffalo, while giraffe and lion can be seen in the Crocodile Bridge area and white rhino graze on the Nhlowa Road. The south-west is antelope territory, and also the only place in the Kruger National Park for rare sightings of the grey rhebok. The area around Berg-en-Dal with its mixed grazing attracts herds of buffalo and zebra, and, of course, the lions that prey on them. The highest numbers of lion are found in the central section, especially around Satara. The largest concentrations of raptors are found here too.
For many aficionados of the Kruger National Park, it is the northern, more peaceful section of the that ranks highest in their minds. A little further from Gauteng’s big cities, the distances are greater but the rewards worth the effort. The Limpopo and Luvuvhu Rivers, the sandstone mountains and the baobab trees define the terrain of the far north. The area north of Letaba to Shingwedzi is largely mopaneveld, where elephant are dominant browsers and large herds of buffalo are found. Rare antelope found here are the tsessebe and the roan.
Animals aside, there are two late Iron Age sites in the north of the park. Masorini, 12 kilometres from the Phalaborwa Gate on the way to Letaba, dates back to the 1800s and shows evidence of a Sotho-speaking group who developed a sophisticated mining industry by trading iron products. The second site, Thulamela, is believed to be part of what has become known as the ‘Zimbabwe culture’. Beginning with Mapungubwe and continuing into Great Zimbabwe, it was later abandoned for smaller chiefdoms, such as Thulamela.
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.
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.
This safari commences in Cape Town, South Africa and ends in Johannesburg, South Africa
This journey takes in three of Southern Africa's top attractions, all offering very different experiences: an iconic coastal city, a luxury wilderness experience and the imposing Victoria Falls. It travels along routes that are well developed, and efficient – a quick in-and-out.
You start off with a few days in Cape Town, one of the most attractive cities on the continent, if not the world. Spend a few days exploring its many riches, or ask about our guided tours. Either way, it's a glorious start to the safari.
The second leg of the safari traverses South Africa, and heads up to a private concession in the Kruger National Park. The Kruger is one of the largest wilderness conservancies in the world, and the infrastructure in and around it has been particularly well developed over the years. Although the private lodges in the Kruger ‘dropped’ their fences with the park years ago, they have retained exclusive traversing rights over their land, making for a private, top class safari experience. There are many game reserves in Southern Africa that offer equally great experiences, but the Kruger is most people’s “first". There must be a reason for that.
The safari concludes with a few days at Victoria Falls. This is the largest waterfall in the world by volume, awe inspiring when thundering sheets of water cascade down its cliffs at peak flow, and full of character when the river is running low and the cliffs stand out. In this watery wonderland, you can be as active as you like, or choose to drift along with any number of more sedate field trips on offer.
Cape Town almost always appears on lists of 'Top 10 Cities of the World', and with good reason. The natural beauty of its dramatic mountains and white beaches extends well beyond the city limits to the southern tip of the peninsula. It has hiking, climbing, mountain biking and water sports for outdoor enthusiasts, top restaurants and vineyards for foodies, and a variety of museums for more contemplative excursions. Its complex history has its dark side, with travesties like District Six and the incarceration of political prisoners on Robben Island during the apartheid years, but it has also contributed to making Cape Town one of the most culturally diverse cities on the continent - diversity that is evident in its people, its food, its creativity and much more. Stay for 4 nights on this trip, and we are certain you’ll want to come back for more.
If one jewel shines really bright in South Africa’s tourism crown, it is the Kruger National Park. And while the park may be well over a century old, it continues to expand: On the eastern and northern sides, plan are afoot to integrate the Kruger with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique, and a few smaller areas. This new multinational conservation collaboration will be called the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, and the ambition is for it to ultimately expand to almost 10 million hectares. On the South African side, many of the smaller, privately owned game reserves on the edge of the Kruger have ‘dropped their fences’ with the Park, and become fully integrated into its ecosystem. It is on these properties that many of the luxury lodges are situated. All these lodges have retained their exclusive traversing rights over their land, making for a private, top class safari experience.
Approaching the Victoria Falls by aeroplane is awe-inspiring. If you press your face against the window like an impatient child, you will catch a glimpse of the Zambezi River from above, twinkling silver and blue, calm and deliberate as it drifts towards the inexorable precipice. And then all hell breaks loose. You will feel the Victoria Falls before you see them. It’s like pressing your chest against a bass speaker: the thundering of 500 000 cubic metres of water per minute reverberates though you as it plummets 108 metres into the mists beneath. Victoria Falls is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, but it is the world's largest sheet of falling water. It is roughly twice the height of North America's iconic Niagara Falls and is rivalled only by Argentina and Brazil's Iguazu Falls. Apart from its natural splendour, Victoria Falls offers activities that range from the sedate (sunset cruises, steam train excursions, walks through the rain forest or canoeing above the Falls) to the extreme (bungee jumping and white water rafting below the Falls). Flights over the Falls by helicopter or microlight are mandatory.
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.
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:
Notten’s Bush Camp is one of the original private game lodges in South Africa and offers an authentic African safari experience in a reserve known for its exceptionally high concentration of animal and bird life, including the Big 5. Each of its spacious private suites is elegantly styled, with a beautifully appointed open plan bedroom and an additional outdoor shower. Each unit has a private wooden deck with a beautiful view of the bush. A magical atmosphere is created with the purposeful absence of electric lighting, the ambient candlelight and lanterns capturing an enchanting spirit of romance. (Battery recharging facilities are available in the reception area). Notten’s Bush Camp is renowned for its excellent cuisine, impeccable standard of service and warm hospitality.
Children over 6 years old are welcome, unless the group takes over the entire camp of 8 private suites (minimum 14 people).
Notten’s forms part of the southern section of the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, the largest private conservation area in South Africa and is the oldest of all the private reserves. Notten’s shares traversing with neighbouring Sabi Sabi, and has over 6 000 hectares of pristine land for game viewing. Apart from the Big 5, you are likely to see a wide variety of animals, including among others, giraffe, wildebeest, cheetah, antelope and wild dog.
The Sabie and the Crocodile are the two main rivers of the southern section of the Kruger National Park. They support a fascinating ecology and a good percentage of the park’s animal life. In the south-east in particular, you have your best chance of sighting the big five. The grasslands surrounding Lower Sabie are good for viewing herds of zebra and buffalo, while giraffe and lion can be seen in the Crocodile Bridge area and white rhino graze on the Nhlowa Road. The south-west is antelope territory, and also the only place in the Kruger National Park for rare sightings of the grey rhebok. The area around Berg-en-Dal with its mixed grazing attracts herds of buffalo and zebra, and, of course, the lions that prey on them. The highest numbers of lion are found in the central section, especially around Satara. The largest concentrations of raptors are found here too.
For many aficionados of the Kruger National Park, it is the northern, more peaceful section of the that ranks highest in their minds. A little further from Gauteng’s big cities, the distances are greater but the rewards worth the effort. The Limpopo and Luvuvhu Rivers, the sandstone mountains and the baobab trees define the terrain of the far north. The area north of Letaba to Shingwedzi is largely mopaneveld, where elephant are dominant browsers and large herds of buffalo are found. Rare antelope found here are the tsessebe and the roan.
Animals aside, there are two late Iron Age sites in the north of the park. Masorini, 12 kilometres from the Phalaborwa Gate on the way to Letaba, dates back to the 1800s and shows evidence of a Sotho-speaking group who developed a sophisticated mining industry by trading iron products. The second site, Thulamela, is believed to be part of what has become known as the ‘Zimbabwe culture’. Beginning with Mapungubwe and continuing into Great Zimbabwe, it was later abandoned for smaller chiefdoms, such as Thulamela.
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.
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.
This safari commences in Cape Town, South Africa and ends in Johannesburg, South Africa
Take advantage of the lower South African exchange rate and get a luxury trip at an amazing price:
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