-Big 5 Kruger Park Safari Tour-

4 days ; 3 nights

Experience the authentic flagship Safari of the Kruger Park and / or the adjacent unfenced private game reserves where the big game, including the Big 5 (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino) roam across the African bush and savannah, experience the thrill of wildlife encounters, the echo of the fish eagle’s haunting cry, blazing African sunsets, and options of lantern-lit dinners, camp fires, bush walks, viewing from decks over watering holes, beautiful ethnic-decorated game lodges and safari tents. “Welcome to the real Africa”. Discover scenic splendor along the Mpumalanga Panoramic Route. Fall in love with Cosmopolitan Cape Town the “Mother City”, cradled in the amphitheatre of the Table Mountain, Lion’s Head and Devil’s Peak mountain ranges. Explore Cape Point and Peninsula and the Cape Winelands.

Day 1 : JOHANNESBURG TO MPUMALANGA ESCARPMENT

• Travel along the Drakensberg escarpment
• Arrive in Mpumalanga (‘Place Where The Sun Rises’)
• Explore the nostalgic village of Pilgrim’s Rest, where gold was discovered in the 1870’s
• Optional guided night-time game drive to experience your first taste of an African Safari

Overnight Venue : Guest House / Hotel in Hazyview, outside Kruger or at a Private Game Reserve
(Classic Modest or Elegant Luxury 3 and 4-star Value for Money Options or
Exquisite Premium 4 and 5-star Ultimate-in-Luxury Options at a Private Game Reserve)

Day 2 : MPUMALANGA ESCARPMENT : PANORAMIC ROUTE

• Blyde River Canyon is one of South Africa’s scenic wonders and is the only true canyon in South Africa. The scenery is unsurpassed, its vegetation both varied and lush and the rich selection of birdlife includes a breeding colony of the rare bald ibis. From many well-positioned vantage points one has a view of the 33 km long gorge.
• The Three Rondavels, across the Blyde Canyon and at the end of the Panorama Route in Mpumalanga, are huge triplet rock spirals rising out of the far wall of the canyon. The three well known gigantic peaks of quartzite and shale with their sheer rock walls tower more than 700 m above the surrounding landscape.
• Wonder View is the highest viewpoint on the Panorama Route escarpment in Mpumalanga accessible to the motorist. At an altitude of 1,730 m this is the highest viewpoint in the area.
• God’s Window  – So called for the panoramic view of the Lowveld (and in the distance the Kruger National Park and Mozambique almost 100km away) more than 900m down into indigenous forest clad ravine.
• Bourke’s Luck Potholes was dubbed nature’s wishing well and is at the confluence of the Blyde and Treur rivers. Over millions of years, waterborne sand and rock scoured huge cylindrical potholes into the bedrock of the river. The ravine in which these potholes lie reach a depth of 30m, though the actual potholes are generally about 6m deep.
• At 92m the Lisbon Falls are the highest waterfall in the area as the Lisbon river cascades over the sheer cliff in a double stream and over a semi-circular rock face.

Overnight Venue : Guest House / Hotel in Hazyview, outside Kruger or at a Private Game Reserve
(Classic Modest or Elegant Luxury 3 and 4-star Value for Money Options or
Exquisite Premium 4 and 5-star Ultimate-in-Luxury Options at a Private Game Reserve)

Day 3 & 4: SAFARI IN KRUGER NATIONAL PARK OR ADJACENT PRIVATE GAME RESERVES

• An authentic African Safari experience. Various options are available for your authentic African Safari experience. Kruger National Park and the adjacent private Game Reserves have no fences between them to allow wildlife to roam freely enabling exceptional game viewing. Together, these unique combination of public and private lands are called “The Greater Kruger Pa” and form part of a conservation gene pool that covers 5.5 million acres of land in the heart of the South African Lowveld.
• The 3 days are spent in a combination of leisure, day and evening game activities under African skies.

Day 5 : KRUGER TO JOHANNESBURG

• Early Morning Game Drive
• Various Travel options to Johannesburg :
  • Travel via Road to Johannesburg
  • Travel to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA) or Mpumalanga Airport (MQP) ; Flight to Johannesburg
  • Travel to Nelspruit ; Flight to Johannesburg

• Fight to Cape Town
• Arrive In Cape Town

Overnight Venue : Guest House / Hotel in Cape Town
(Classic Modest or Elegant Luxury 3 and 4-star Value for Money Options or
Exquisite Premium 4 and 5-star Ultimate-in-Luxury Options)

Day 6 : CAPE TOWN CITY, TABLE MOUNTAIN AND OPTIONAL ROBBEN ISLAND

Experience interesting conversations and stories, iconic Cape Town landmarks and discover how Cape Town developed from the original “tavern of the seas”, half-way refreshment post en route to the Spice Islands, to the sophisticated city of today including:

• Table Mountain, the iconic mountain of the Southern Hemisphere.
• Cable car trip to the top of Table Mountain for a perfect 360º view of “the fairest Cape in the world”
• Famous streets and their stories e.g. bustling Long Street with its shops, african markets, restaurants and street-walk cafés
• The colorful Malay Quarter (“Bo-Kaap”) with its interesting homes, occupied by descendants of slaves originally from faraway places
• The imposing Castle of Good Hope, fortress built to protect the early Dutch Settlers
•  “Picture postcard” view of Table Mountain from Bloubergstrand (beach)
• The tranquil Dutch East India Company Gardens
• Trendy Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town’s lively and colorful link with the sea
• Green Market Square, a vibrant African Market
• City Hall, where Nelson Mandela made his first speech as a free man

Overnight Venue : Guest House / Hotel in Cape Town
(Classic Modest or Elegant Luxury 3 and 4-star Value for Money Options or
Exquisite Premium 4 and 5-star Ultimate-in-Luxury Options)

Day7: CAPE POINT AND PENINSULA

Experience interesting conversations and stories, abundant scenic beauty and sea faring history including:

• Magical Cape Point –meeting place of the cold and warm ocean currents
• Impressive views over the vast South Atlantic Ocean from the lighthouse on the edge of the most South Western tip of the African Continent
• Historical Cape of Good Hope, dangerous passage for the early sea explorers
• Shipwrecks along the Peninsula coastline
• The Atlantic Seaboard, the curvy stretch of coastline also known as Millionaire’s Mile
• Imposing 12 Apostles Mountain range – up close and personal
• Beautiful white beaches of Clifton, Camps Bay, Llandudno, Noordhoek
• Trendy Sidewalk Café’s and Promenades along the beach
• The charming Penguin Colony at Boulders Beach
• Picturesque Hout Bay and Mariner’s Wharf (the original Cape Town waterfront)
• Optional from Hout Bay harbour : Boat Trip to Duiker Island (home to a large Cape Fur Seal colony)
• Dramatic Chapmans Peak with its steep cliffs into the ocean and views beyond compare
• Illustrious naval heritage of Simonstown
• The quaint holiday and residential villages of Kommetjie and Scarborough
• Magnificent views from Boyes drive over Muizenberg and False Bay, largest bay in South Africa
• Exquisite Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, oldest indigenous botanical garden in the world

Overnight Venue : Guest House / Hotel in Cape Town or in the Winelands
(Classic Modest or Elegant Luxury 3 and 4-star Value for Money Options or
Exquisite Premium 4 and 5-star Ultimate-in-Luxury Options)

Day 8 : STELLENBOSCH, FRANSCHHOEK AND PAARL WINELANDS

Experience interesting conversations and stories, enjoy a feast of culinary delights, savor the flavours of the wines and discover the abundant scenic beauty of the Cape’s three most celebrated Wine Routes:

• We travel along the Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl Wine Routes which have become legendary for both the excellent wine they produce as well as the scenic feast of valleys and vineyards surrounded by majestic mountains
• The Winelands offer a vast selection of diverse wine estates ; whether you are interested in red wine, white wine, cheese tasting, chocolate & wine tasting, magnificent homesteads, contemporary wineries, exquisite gardens – our guides will recommend the best wine estates to visit that matches your personal interests
• Wine Tasting at a minimum of three leading wine estates
• We have carefully selected a wide range of possible lunch venues to tempt and tantalise your tastebuds. Leading chefs create everything from world-class cuisine to light meals to gourmet picnics to mouth-watering lamb on the spit in restaurants chosen for their exceptional food and scenic delight.
• Stellenbosch, known world-wide for its quality wines and the spectacular beauty of the surroundings, is home to one of the most prestigious Wine Regions in the world. Founded in 1679, Stellenbosh is the oldest town in South Africa next to Cape Town and boasts beautiful historical buildings, Cape Dutch Architecture and a magnificent university campus
• Savour the hospitality and ambience of picturesque Franschhoek, Gourmet Capital of South Africa, which lies nestled in a valley surrounded by spectacular mountains. Franschhoek is a quaint little village rich in history and influenced by the Huguenots who brought with them their age-old wine and food culture.

Overnight Venue : Guest House / Hotel in Cape Town or in the Winelands
(Classic Modest or Elegant Luxury 3 and 4-star Value for Money Options or
Exquisite Premium 4 and 5-star Ultimate-in-Luxury Options)

Some of the alternative or additional Options to personalize your tour and enhance your Garden Route experience :

• Extend your tour by including the Garden Route Tour