Tripology

An Exciting Interview with Arthur Frommer

Best of South Africa 15 Nights / 16 Days

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Detailed Trip Description

An excellent guided tour for a couple, friends, family or a group who would like to see as much as possible of South Africa in only sixteen days. The tour starts out at Johannesburg and includes the spectacular Panorama Route in Mpumalanga and the world famous Kruger National Park. Thereafter, a drive through the Kingdom of Swaziland to the World Heritage Site of St. Lucia Wetlands, a boat trip on the lake, infested with hippos and crocodiles, a Zulu cultural experience, singing and dancing at Shakaland and overnight in Durban. After a domestic flight to Port Elizabeth, visit the Addo Elephant Park and then the spectacular Garden Route, visiting the Cango Caves, a working ostrich farm and many, many more. One of our highlights is a visit to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point in Africa and the place where two oceans meet. In Cape Town, stay for three nights and explore the sights and sounds of the city as well as a day excursion to the wine-lands.

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Trip Itinerary

Day 1 - Johannesburg

 
Johannesburg – Mount Sheba Nature Reserve, Pilgrim’s Rest.
Airport Transfer

Arrive at Johannesburg International Airport where you will be met by your driver/guide, or you will be picked up at your hotel.

Sightseeing

Leave the city behind and head for the province of Mpumalanga via the coal mining towns of the Highveld all the way to village of Lydenburg. Destination... the luxurious Mount Sheba Nature Reserve Hotel! Mount Sheba Nature Reserve is unbelievably beautiful with a rain forest and several trails, worked out gold mines, waterfalls and spectacular scenery.

Hotel

Dinner and Overnight at the luxurious Mount Sheba Nature Reserve Hotel. (Dinner on this night is a set menu by the hotel’s award winning chefs.)


Day 2 - South Africa

 
Mount Sheba Nature Reserve, Pilgrim’s Rest - Blydepoort.
Sightseeing

After a sumptuous breakfast, a scenic mountain route, the first stop is the nearby mining town of Pilgrim’s Rest. This is a living museum as the entire town has been declared a national monument, taking the visitor back to the days of the gold rush in the 1870’s.

Optional
Wine

You may enjoy a beer in the old church, now a restored bar!

Sightseeing

Next stops... God’s Window, Pinnacle Rock, Blyde River Canyon and Bourke’s Luck Potholes for breathtaking scenery.

All-Inclusive Resort

Dinner and Overnight at the Aventura Blydepoort Resort.


Day 3 - South Africa

 
Blydepoort – Kruger National Park.
National Parks

Enter the Kruger National Park through the Orpen Gate and explore this world famous National Park, home to the Big Five and several other predators and antelope.

Safari

Enjoy a full day of game viewing!

Hotel

Overnight in the central section of the Park in bungalows where you will also enjoy dinner at the restaurant.


Day 4 - South Africa

 
Kruger National Park.
Safari

Another full day’s game drive to the southern section of the park.

Camping

Dinner and Overnight at the Berg-en-Dal Camp inside the Park,


Day 5 - Swaziland

 
Kruger National Park – Ezulwini Valley, Swaziland.
Private Car Service

On this day you exit the Park through the Malelane Gate and enter the small kingdom of Swaziland at Jeppe’s Reef border post. Destination stop is the lush Ezulwini Valley, holiday Mecca of Swaziland.

Gambling

Enjoy the casino at the nearby Royal Swazi Sun Hotel or spend hours at the huge craft market, adjoining the hotel.

Hotel

Dinner and Overnight at the hotel.


Day 6 - Swaziland

 
Swaziland – St. Lucia World Heritage Site.
Private Car Service

After breakfast, travel through interesting mountainous countryside and leave Swaziland at the Gelela border post.

National Parks

At Hluhluwe, you will take a quick turn off and enter the Hluhluwe – Umfolozi Park to look for black rhinos which are abundant in the Park.

Sailboat & Yacht Charter

After two hours drive you are back on track again and stop at the St. Lucia Estuary for a sundowner cruise on the St. Lucia Lake. Here, you are bound to see crocodiles and hippo as well as water birds.

Hotel

Dinner and Overnight at the Elephant Lake Hotel or similar.


Day 7 - Eshowe

 
St Lucia – Shakaland, Eshowe.
Sightseeing

On this day, you travel south through scenic and tranquil landscapes and turn off from the highway towards Eshowe. This will definitely be one of the highlights of our tour as we enter Shakaland, a village of the proud Zulu nation.

Sightseeing

Enjoy a cultural tour through the village; get involved in spear throwing, homebrewed beer drinking, meet the medicine man and much more.

Performing Arts

In the evening, experience song, tribal dances, drum beating and the traditional food of the Zulus.

Hotel

Overnight in one of the authentic Zulu huts, run by the Protea Hotel group.


Day 8 - Durban

 
Shakaland, Eshowe – Durban.
Sightseeing

The previous day’s experience will still linger on as you travel through green sugar cane fields towards Durban.

Hotel

Check-in at the Balmoral Hotel or similar on the beachfront.

Amusement Parks

In the afternoon a visit the new Ushaka Marine World is in order. Ushaka offers a world of ocean activities, rides, oceanarium, amusement parks, displays and beach activities.

Hotel

Dinner and Overnight at the Balmoral Hotel.


Day 9 - Port Elizabeth

 
Durban – Port Elizabeth – Addo Elephant Park.
Commercial Flight

After an early breakfast, you will be transferred to Durban Airport for a domestic flight to Port Elizabeth.

Safari

On arrival, you will immediately depart for the Addo Elephant Park. Check-in then go for a full afternoon game drive in the Elephant Park.

Hotel

Overnight in chalets on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis inside the Park.


Day 10 - South Africa

 
Addo – Knysna.
Sightseeing

The day starts the Garden Route Tour with a visit to the Storms River Bridge. Take the opportunity to stretch your legs at the Storms River Mouth for a walk to the swing bridge over the river.

Sightseeing

On this day, also get to visit the 800 year old Big Tree in the Tsitsikamma Forest, stop at the Bloukrans Bridge –highest bungee jumping site in the world. Then end the day at Knysna.

Hotel

Overnight at the Log-Inn Hotel, for dinner, bed and breakfast.


Day 11 - Mossel Bay

 
Knysna – Mossel Bay.
Sightseeing

Beautiful sceneries await as you travel from Knysna across the Outiniqua Mountains to Oudshoorn.

Sightseeing

First stop is the world famous Cango Caves. A specialist guide will show you the hidden wonders inside the caves. No crawling! From the caves, drive on to a working ostrich farm where you can try a ride on one of the large birds.

Sightseeing

Cross the mountains again via another mountain pass to end up in Mossel Bay and stop at the age old Post Office Tree where sailors in the old days left post for homebound ships.

Hotel

Dinner and Overnight at the Point Hotel.


Day 12 - Mossel Bay

 
Mossel Bay – Cape Agulhas.
Private Car Service

From Mossel Bay, travel to Swellendam to take a look at a masterpiece of Cape Dutch architecture, the Drosdy, built in 1747.

Sightseeing

Leave the highway and drive through countryside with wheat planted farms as far as the eye can see. Destination is Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa and also the place where the two oceans, the Indian and the Atlantic, meet. A marker and inscription shows the exact location.

Food and Dining

Overnight and dinner at the Agulhas Lodge.


Day 13 - Cape Town

 
Cape Agulhas – Cape Town.
Sightseeing

An off-the-beaten-track leads to Hermanus. During the whale season, July – November, be sure to see giant whales coming to this region to give birth.

Sightseeing

Venture into the most dramatic and scenic route to Cape Town that starts at Rooi Els and ends at Gordon’s Bay. There will be a stop along the way so that you can capture the sights with your camera.

Hotel

In Cape Town, check-in at the 3 star Cape Town Ritz Hotel for the next 3 nights.

Shopping

The rest of the day is spent at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront for shopping.

Hotel

Overnight at the Ritz Hotel on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.


Day 14 - Cape Town

 
Sightseeing

Experience a scenic drive through Sea Point, the beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay to Hout Bay where a trip to Seal Island can be arranged.

Sightseeing

The spectacular Chapman’s Peak drive is breathtaking and will lead to Cape Point – The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, undoubtedly one of the Cape’s biggest attractions. Situated at the most southern point of the Cape Peninsula, it is noted for its abundant floral diversity. The reserve has a spectacular coastline, with Cape Point boasting the highest sea cliffs in South Africa. A funicular takes visitors up to the highest vantage point – or you may decide to walk.

Sightseeing

A visit to the penguin colony at Boulders is to follow, then proceed to Simons Town, the Constantia wine valley to Table Mountain. Table Mountain has become over the centuries one of South Africa’s best known landmarks. The famous flat top is approximately 3 km wide and its highest point 1 086m above sea level. The summit can be reached by a cable car with a revolving floor for panoramic views.

Hotel

Overnight at the Ritz Hotel on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.


Day 15 - Cape Town

 
Cape Town Winelands.
Wine

Today you get to explore the Cape Winelands via the highway to Paarl – meaning ‘pearl’. The town was named after a massive granite rock that glows like a pearl in the sunlight.

Wine

A first stop at KWV wine emporium for a cellar tour with wine tasting. Paarl is renowned for its exquisite, world class red wines because of the granite content in the soil.

Sightseeing

On the way to Franschhoek, taste cheese and wine at Boschendal, visit the Franschhoek village and the Hugenot Memorial. This ‘French corner’ was so named after the French Hugenots who settled here in 1680.

Sightseeing

Next stop is the historical town of Stellenbosch via the Helshoogte mountain pass. A tour of Stellenbosch, free time to walk and an informal wine tasting in the area awaits you. Then return to your hotel.

Hotel

Overnight at the Ritz Hotel on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.


Day 16 - Cape Town

 
Cape Town (End Tour).
Airport Transfer

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Cape Town Airport for your flight home.


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