Best of the Southern Africa

Best of Southern Africa

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Itinerary:

Day 1 Arrive in Cape Town

• Arrive at Cape Town International Airport where you will be met by our representative.
• Welcome and assistance with transfer to your luxurious hotel in bustling heart of the V&A Waterfront. Check in to the Table Bay Hotel for 4 nights.
• They say there's never a bad time to visit Cape Town! Widely known as one of the most interesting and vibrant cities in the world, it is a heady cocktail of modern culture, fascinating history and exceptional natural beauty. Situated between Robben Island and Table Mountain in the heart of Cape Town's working harbour, the ancient Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is South Africa's most visited tourist destination.
• Here Cape Dutch architecture and 21st century skyscrapers jostle for space with 450+ retail outlets that sell everything from high-street international fashion to indigenous local jewelry. And if shopping works up an appetite, over 80 eateries present culinary delights from rustic al fresco fish and chips to starched table-cloth fine dining in settings ranging from the water’s edge to feeling the sand under your feet. Add 22 heritage landmarks, indoor entertainment venues, live performances, and countless air, land and water activities; and we dare you to ever get bored at the nerve center of Cape Town.

Day 2 Golf at Westlake / Cape Peninsula Tour

• Enjoy your first breakfast in the Mother City, before transfer for your round of golf.
• Play 1x18 holes of golf at Westlake Golf Club (Includes Green Fee, Shared Cart and Halfway House).
• After your round, have a quick lunch at the clubhouse and depart for a half day guided tour of the Cape Peninsula. Travel along the Atlantic seaboard via the spectacular Chapman’s Peak drive, passing the Twelve Apostles Mountains and arrive at Cape Point at the very tip of the African peninsula. Soak in panoramic views from the iconic lighthouse and marvel at the indigenous flora and fauna at the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, which also has plenty of animals. The highlight will of course be meeting the incredibly friendly jackass penguins at Boulder’s Beach who will delight you with their comical antics.

Day 3 Golf at Steenberg

• After breakfast, you will be transferred for your next round of golf.
• Play 1x18 holes of golf at Steenberg Golf Club (Includes Green Fee, Shared Cart and Halfway House).
• Spend the rest of the day at leisure exploring the many sights and sounds of this picturesque region. The Constantia suburb is the oldest wine growing area in South Africa whose produce was even patronised by Napoleon during his confinement years in St. Helena. You could choose to spend some more time exploring the onsite Steenberg Wine Farm or any of the neighboring historic estates to sample some of their famous vintages (at your own cost) and pick up some souvenirs. Alternatively return to your base at the Waterfront and indulge in one of the many entertainment options on offer.

Day 4 Golf at Royal Cape / Table Mountain Cableway

• This morning after breakfast, depart for your third round of golf.
• Play 1x18 holes of golf at Royal Cape Golf Course (Includes Green Fee, Shared Cart and Halfway House).
• After your round, you will be transferred to the Table Mountain that rises up as a surreal backdrop to all of Cape Town and Few experiences are more thrilling than being whisked directly up the intricate rock-face via the state-of-the-art Cableway. It's a 5 minute ride that you won't want to end, as the rotating cabins present 360 degree panoramic views of the increasingly distant city. Table Mountain is one of the most popular attractions in the world, and it’s not until you soar to the top that you can truly appreciate its stature, and the incredible city of Cape Town that bustles far below with Robben Island in the distance.

Day 5 Transfer to Winelands / Golf at Erinvale

• Enjoy your final breakfast in Cape Town before checkout and transfer to the Cape Winelands.
• En route, play 1x18 holes at Erinvale Golf Course (Includes Green Fee, Shared Cart and Halfway House).
• After golf, transfer to your hotel. Check-in to the luxurious Lanzerac Wine Estate for 3 nights.
• It's hard to imagine that within a 15-minute drive of leaving the bustling Waterfront area, you could stumble upon a leafy valley of rolling hills and vineyards, meandering through historic wine estates and ancient brooks that seem untouched since the Cape's first settlers. Welcome to the Cape Winelands, South Africa's main wine-producing region, spread across the picturesque hamlets of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek.

Day 6 Golf at Pearl Valley / Wine Tasting

• After breakfast transfer to the neighboring town of Paarl for your next round of golf.
• Play 1x18 holes of golf at Pearl Valley Golf Course (Includes Green Fee, Shared Cart and Halfway House).
• After golf, its time to make your taste buds dance as you return back to the Estate for a delectable winetasting session at Lanzerac. Enjoy a premium tasting of the estate’s wines that include Pinotage Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot, Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Day 7 On Your Own

• Today its time to take break from all your activities and simply relax. You could choose to stay at this sprawling luxurious estate and learn about its 327 year old history and explore it further. Alternatively, step out to discover the old university town of Stellenbosch filled with art galleries, bistros, cafes and ancient oaks.

Day 8 Transfer to Sabi Sands

• Have breakfast before checking out of Stellenbosch and transfer to the Cape Town Airport for your scheduled flight to Kruger International Mpumalanga Airport.
• On arrival you'll be met and transferred to your lodge. Check-in to the legendary Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge for 3nights on an all inclusive basis.
• Overlooking a waterhole and an open plain, lies a lodge that pulses to the rhythm of Africa’s heartbeat. This is the Bush Lodge, steeped in tradition, vibrant and warm, the Sabi Sabi of “Today”. With a history spanning over 35 years, the lodge has earned a reputation of a “luxury home in the bush”, service excellence and effortless personal attention. The conventional safari style showcases a vibrant and eclectic mix of furnishings and décor garnered from all corners of the African continent.
• Freshen up and time permitting, depart on an afternoon game drive in the private Sabi Sands reserve.
• Sabi Sands Wildtuin is a 65,000 hectare private Game Reserve that shares a 50 kilometre unfenced boundary with the southwestern part of the legendary Kruger National Park. Animals move freely across the border making it one of the best place in the world for a safari. Intersected by the Sabi and Sand Rivers, it is home to a spectacular cross-section of wildlife including the Big 5 - lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo and elephant - as well as cheetah, wild dog and amazing diversity of plains game. You can look forward to fantastic close-up experiences with Africa’s wildlife on every single safari.

Day 9 Full Day Private Safari

• Wake up early with coffee and rusks for a morning game drive on custom built 4x4 Land Rovers. These outings are coordinated, and you will be kept up to date about recent sightings by highly trained teams of experienced game rangers and local Shangaan trackers, who are considered as amongst the best in Kruger. This is often the best time of the day to spot predators before they duck into the shade to escape heat.
• Come back for a hearty breakfast, following which, you can spend time catching a nap, or take a dip in the pool with a refreshing cocktail.
• After lunch, and afternoon high-tea, a game drive takes you back into the bush for some more action and adventure. During the first hour of the game drive the day is still warm and the animals are still sheltering from the sun's rays in the shade of the trees. You stop of a while to watch a herd of Zebra and also spend some time parked alongside a flat savannah area watching Tssessebee, Wildebeest and Warthog.
• As the sky starts to change colors and the sun starts to creep towards the horizon the ranger stops at a scenic spot and everyone is allowed to climb out of the vehicle. A delicious array of snacks and local beverages is conjured from the cooler box at the back of the vehicle and everyone chats away while they enjoy a glass of delicious local wine or an ice cold beer. Standing out in the middle of the bush as the sun sets and the landscape displays hues of pink, purple, lilac and peach you take a moment to stop and absorb your surroundings. Not surprisingly, this sundowner is often touted as the high point of any safari experience.
• Later have a splendid dinner under a million African stars in the open air boma as lions roar and elephants trumpet in the distance and you exchange stories from the day’s sightings with the friendly staff.

Day 10 Golf at Leopard Creek

• After breakfast, its time for golf on one of South Africa’s top 2 golf courses. En route to the course, enjoy a game drive through the Kruger National Park.
• Play 1x18 holes of golf at Leopard Creek Golf Course (Includes Green Fee, Shared Cart and Halfway House).
• The return transfer to your lodge will also include another safari through Kruger, and you will also stop at a scenic spot for a splendid sundowner.

Day 11 Transfer to Victoria Falls

• Bid farewell to Sabi Sabi this morning, as you are transferred after breakfast to Kruger International Airport for your flight to the Livingstone Airport in northern Zambia, from where you will be transferred by road to the other side of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.
• Check in to the grand Victoria Falls Hotel, set right on the edge of the falls for 3 nights.
• In the local language, the Falls is known as Mosi-Oa-Tunya, translating as ' the smoke that thunders'. Few natural wonders can match the spectacle as the mighty Zambezi river takes a sharp plunge into the abyss some 400 meters below. So abundant is the display of nature's raw power at Victoria Falls, that it prompted David Livingstone to exclaim in 1855, “scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight”. Not surprisingly, the largest curtain of falling water on earth is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Falls can also be accessed via private path from the hotel.

Day 12 Golf at Elephant Hills / Sunset Cruise

• After breakfast, you will be transferred for your next round of golf.
• Play 1x18 holes of golf at Elephant Hills Golf Club (Includes Green Fee, Shared Cart and Halfway House).
• Following golf, and a light lunch you will be transferred for a scenic sunset cruise on the Zambezi river. It's a great photo opportunity against spectacular African sunsets and the possibility of spotting wild game like crocodiles, hippos and elephants are plenty, apart from the many different bird species.

Day 13 Full day Chobe Safari

• After breakfast, you will be transferred for a full day safari at the famous Chobe National Park, which is home to the largest herd of free roaming elephants, apart from the big cats, innumerable plains game, large pods of hippos and some of the biggest crocodiles in Africa. The first part will take you on a cruise along the Chobe river and after lunch, you will embark on a classic afternoon game drive in the park itself with expert guides.

Day 14 Walking Tour of the Falls/ Aboard Rovos Rail

• Your final morning at Victoria Falls gives you an up, close and personal encounter with this legendary phenomena on foot. With your knowledgeable guide, experience epic views of one of the world’s largest waterfall and explore the vast gorge where the roaring Zambezi River plunges into. Visit 'The Big Tree,' the rainforest trails and the incredible flora as well as sites like the Devil’s Cataract at the end of the Chain Walk.
• Return to your hotel for check out after which you will be transferred to the Victoria Falls Railway Station for the last leg of your journey aboard the most luxurious train in the world for almost a 1,000 miles. Board your all inclusive accommodation on the Rovos Rail for 3 nights.
• Freshen up in your suite before meeting up with your travel companions in the midway Lounge Car or the open Observation Deck at the rear of the train. The latter is also a firm favorite of keen photographers and you may have to politely request for a slot at this coveted place. As night descends, get ready to be blown away by the lavish multi-course dinner paired with many fine South African wines.

Day 15 Safari at Hwange NP

• Enjoy an early breakfast, after which you will disembark for a game drive at the Hwange National Park.
• Situated in the northwest corner of Zimbabwe, Hwange National Park (named after a local Nhanzwa chief) covers 1,462,000 hectares making it the nation’s largest wildlife area. It contains a variety of animals and bird species but is well-known for its prolific lion population. It became the royal hunting grounds to the Ndebele warrior-king Mzilikazi in the early 19th Century and was set aside as a National Park in 1929.
• Return for lunch, as the train travels between Dete and Gwaai along one of the world’s longest stretches of straight railway line – 114 kilometres – and passes Bulawayo: the second city of Zimbabwe and the industrial capital of the country. Later, enjoy dinner en route to the border at Beitbridge.

Day 16 Leisure on Board

• Take a break from your golf and safari adventure and spend an indulgent day, idling in the very lap of luxury as the train crosses the Tropic of Capricorn around noon before arriving in Pyramid late in evening. You'll be spoilt with choices to spend the day. Light up a Monte Cristo cigar in the Lounge Car, play a game of chess or catch up with friends. All yours, as you like it. Of course there is the never ending parade of gourmet cuisine and free flowing spirits to keep you company apart from fascinating stories told by the on board staff.

Day 17 Disembark at Pretoria / See you soon

• Like all good things that must come to an end, bid farewell to your new found mates and the wonderful staff who have made it a sheer dream vacation. After breakfast, disembark at the Pretoria from where you will be transferred to the airport for your flight home. Have a safe trip and see you soon!