Southern Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana Inc. Chobe National Park

An early morning departure for Sydney from Auckland. On arrival in Sydney, we transfer to our flight to Johannesburg, arriving late afternoon. After clearing Customs and Immigration formalities, we are met and transferred to our hotel, located in the exclusive Sandton area for a 2-night stay. The remainder of the day is at leisure to rest up after the journey from home.

Enjoy a day tour of Johannesburg city and the South-Western Townships, otherwise known as Soweto.  On this day tour, we are treated to various sights and sounds of Soweto including Nelson Mandela House, the Apartheid Museum, as well as enjoying lunch at local restaurant.

After breakfast, we are transferred by coach back to the airport in time to join the short flight to Victoria Falls.  We’re met on arrival and transferred to our hotel where we enjoy a 2-night stay.

This morning, we enjoy a guided tour of Victoria Falls. Our Zambian guide enlightens us on the facts and history along the way, as we are guided around the falls. It is a truly awe-inspiring experience – we are able to view the largest falling sheet of water in the world – the sight, the sound, the smell, the humbling feeling that here indeed is Nature’s supreme masterpiece. For those that wish, there is time for a helicopter flight over the falls at the conclusion of our guided tour (additional cost). In the afternoon, we enjoy a sundowner cruise on the great Zambezi River.

This morning we travel by road (100kms) to Botswana’s Chobe National Park, home to some of the largest herds of elephant in Africa, large numbers of crocodiles, hippos, as well as a large array of birdlife. After lunch at our lodge, we enjoy a game-viewing cruise on the Chobe River. This trip will definitely allow you to feel the pulse of Africa.  This afternoon we arrive at Cresta Mowana Resort, situated on the banks of the mighty Chobe River, where we will stay for two nights.

We rise early this morning to take part in another game drive – an excellent opportunity to start ticking off the Big 5! We’ll return to the hotel for lunch and relaxation before heading out again this afternoon to enjoy a river cruise.

We enjoy another full day in Chobe National Park.

An early wake-up call today as we have breakfast at the hotel, before travelling to Kasane Airport in time for the short flight to Johannesburg.  On arrival, we return to our Sandton hotel for an overnight stay.

This morning, we depart Sandton and travel by coach to the Mpumalanga Province. This is approximately a 6-hour drive through both interesting and scenic countryside. Highlights include a short visit to the Blyde River Canyon, Three Rondawels, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, God’s Window and waterfalls. We arrive at our accommodation located just 100m from the Paul Kruger Gate of the National Park. This is our base for the next three nights.

Today we depart our hotel early to enjoy a full day game drive within Kruger National Park. Established in 1898 to protect the wildlife of the South African Lowveld, the park is unrivalled in the diversity of its life forms and a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies. Kruger is home to an impressive number of species: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals. Later this evening, return to our accommodation.

We enjoy another full day in Kruger National Park.

Enjoy a morning at leisure before we check out of our hotel and transfer to Kruger Airport in time to catch our flight to Port Elizabeth, via Johannesburg. We arrive mid-afternoon and are transferred to our hotel for an overnight stay.

After breakfast, we join our coach and enter the Garden Route via the Tsitsikama Forest – dense indigenous forest renowned for a large number of giant yellowwood and stinkwood trees, forest ferns, clear streams, magnificent birds and fascinating walks.  We visit the Tsitsikama National Park, comprising a glorious 10km stretch of wild and rocky coastline, characterised by massive cliffs, narrow isolated beaches and shady indigenous forest along the river valleys.  We travel via Plettenberg Bay – an up-market resort with 3 beaches. We continue to the well-known seaside resort of Knysna, established by George Rex, reputedly the illegitimate son of George III.  The town lies on the Knysna lagoon, the mouth of which is guarded by two promontories known as The Heads. Our Knysna accommodation can be found on the banks of the Knysna lagoon and offers views of thousands of hectares of beautiful indigenous forest. We enjoy a 2-night stay in Knysna. Dinner tonight is at local restaurant.

Knysna is one of the southern Cape’s most popular holiday destinations, located between lush forests and the sheltered waters of the lagoon. This morning, after a leisurely breakfast, we are taken on a tour of the Featherbed Nature Reserve, including lunch. We start with a 25-minute ferry ride during which a local guide shares fascinating tales about the lagoon, the shipping industry and oyster cultivation. On arrival at the reserve, we join a unimog-drawn trailer and drive up to the top of the reserve. While stopping at a scenic lookout point, our specialist guides share with us some fascinating tales about Knysna and the surrounding area while we enjoy the panoramic views.  The remainder of the day is at leisure.

This morning, we leave Knysna and travel to Oudtshoorn, via Mossel Bay.  Mossel Bay is the site of the first landfall made by the Portuguese explorer Bartholomeu Dias in 1488, and today is a popular holiday resort. We then visit the Cango Caves for a guided tour.  Regarded as one of South Africa’s foremost natural wonders, the fascinating calcite caves comprise an underground wonderland of stalactites and stalagmites. We stay overnight at Oudtshoorn.

After breakfast, we visit the nearby Ostrich farm for a guided tour before travelling along the R62 inland road to Cape Town, where we stay for 5 nights

Our tour today sees us first at the Table Mountain lower cable station.  Weather permitting, we board the cable car for a ride to the top of the mountain.  Table Mountain is probably the most famous landmark in Cape Town, and offers spectacular views that stretch from Table Bay to False Bay and around the mountain to Hout Bay.  On a clear day, one can see right across the Cape Flats to the Hottentots Holland Mountain range.  It also offers a restaurant, from where you can enjoy the view.  Return to central Cape Town for a tour of the mother city.  Further highlights include the South African Museum – a window on the world of natural history and the Castle of Good Hope, built by the Dutch in 1666 and the oldest surviving building in South Africa. We also visit the Malay Quarter, which is a living cultural museum and home to the oldest mosque in the Southern Hemisphere. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure.

This morning, our full day tour commences as we make our way down to Cape Point via rugged coastlines, beautiful gardens and quaint villages. The Atlantic Seaboard stretches along Sea Point, Bantry Bay, Clifton and Camps Bay where some of Cape Town’s best beaches are found. The road follows the coastline between the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. Continuing along the coast, we enter the Cape of Good Hope section of the Table Mountain National Park and visit the Nature Reserve with its natural beauty and abundance of indigenous flora and fauna. We then go to Cape Point, the extreme tip of the Cape Peninsula where you may take a funicular trip to the lighthouse look-out point at the top of the cliffs. Lunch is enjoyed in Simon’s town, at a local restaurant. On the journey back to the hotel we visit Boulders Beach, famous for its African penguins and also the world renowned Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain.

Following breakfast, we will set out by ferry to Robben Island. The island has a long and fascinating history and is best known as the site of a maximum security prison where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were incarcerated during apartheid. What survives on the island from its episodic history are 17th century quarries, the tomb of Hadije Kramat who died in 1755, 19th century ‘village’ administrative buildings including a chapel and parsonage, small lighthouse, the lepers’ church, the only remains of a leper colony, derelict World War II military structures around the harbour and the stark and functional maximum-security prison of the Apartheid period began in the 1960s. There is time to wander the museum, before returning by ferry this afternoon. Remainder of the day at leisure.

We have a full day tour of Cape Winelands today. Visit the city of Paarl, the largest town in the district with many well-maintained mansions and pretty Cape Dutch cottages. Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa, is famous for its university, tree lined streets and historical architecture, and is at the centre of the wealthy wine-growing area. Franschoek is the gourmet capital, surrounded by majestic mountains culminating in an awe-inspiring pass. Here, we visit the Huguenot Monument and Museum documenting their history. We finish the tour with dinner at a local wine estate.

Sadly, it is time to farewell Cape Town this morning as we are transferred by coach to the airport, in time to join our flight to Johannesburg.  On arrival, we are met and transferred to our accommodation at the airport for an overnight stay. We enjoy a final dinner together this evening.

Today is our final day in South Africa and this morning we travel to Pretoria to enjoy a half day tour of the nation’s administrative capital.  The city of Pretoria has many historical sites, including the State Theatre Arts Complex, The Union Buildings housing the administrative seat of government and venue for Nelson Mandela’s inauguration, Melrose House where the peace treaty marking the end of the Boer War was signed, Kruger House Museum – once the modest well maintained official residence of Paul Kruger, a former president of the South African Republic, and the Voortrekker Monument which dominates the Pretoria skyline and commemorates the Voortrekkers (Pioneers) who left the Eastern Cape in order to escape British rule. Lunch is included today, and later this afternoon we return to Johannesburg Airport in time to join our overnight flight to Sydney.

Our flight arrives in Sydney early afternoon, with time to connect with a late afternoon flight to Auckland.