Grand South Africa Safari
The perfect trip for nature lovers who want to discover the magic of South Africa, from its most famous game reserves to the magnificent city of Cape Town.
SPECIAL OFFER
9.0*
ECO SCORE
2
PASSENGERS
9
DAYS
2/5
ACTIVITY LEVEL
South Africa: Drink It In
Embark on a grand tour of South Africa, from the City of Gold to its most famous game reserves and the magnificent city of Cape Town. Set out in search of the Big Five at the Ngala Private Game Reserve, which shares unfenced borders with the renowned Kruger National Park and benefits from the famous reserve’s wealth of wildlife. Track rarer wildlife like the elegant cheetah and endangered black rhino at the Phinda Private Game Reserve. Depending on the season, you may also have the opportunity to swim with whale sharks or watch massive sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. Your holiday in South Africa ends at the southern tip of the continent, in picturesque Cape Town, where two oceans meet. Discover the views from magnificent Table Mountain, uncover the city’s colorful history, and taste some of the world’s finest vintages in the scenic Winelands.
Travel Curator’s Insights:
- • You’ll be staying in a beautifully appointed lodge nestled right in the heart of a Private Game Reserve. With views of the wildlife from your breakfast table, you can’t get any closer to the action than that!
• Get a taste of all South Africa has to offer, from the plains to the ocean, with an ideal itinerary for travelers visiting Africa for the first time.
• Catch a glimpse of the "Big Five" wildlife on captivating game drives and bush walks.
Trip Sustainability Awards
CARBON
Fantastic advances in minimizing carbon footprints at locations.
ENERGY
On the East African Energy Renewal Board
EDUCATION
Runs local educational facilities for children.
Itinerary
Day 1: Johannesburg, South Africa
Upon arrival at OR Tambo International Airport, you will be met by a representative and assisted through customs and immigration. You will then be assisted into the arrivals hall, where you will be met by a member from our team who will drive you to The Peech Boutique Hotel. Delight in your 1 night stay at The Peech Boutique Hotel in a Classic Room with ensuite bathroom. Your stay includes breakfast.
Luxury accomodations: The Peech Hotel
Deluxe accomodations: Saxon Boutique Hotel
The Peech Hotel: Set in beautifully-manicured gardens, the Peech Hotel belies its idyllic location near the bustling hub of Johannesburg. Modern, afro-chic interiors create a calming setting in the heart of this vibrant city. Stylish rooms and suites include comfortable bedrooms, ensuite bathrooms, air-conditioning, satellite television, iPod docking stations, wifi, private balconies and lovely garden views. Guests can enjoy fantastic culinary fare at the bistro, which takes pride in preparing wholesome and delicious meals from only the best organic produce and herbs. A sparkling swimming pool provides guests with a cool escape from the heat, whilst a cozy reading nook is the perfect setting for curling up with a good book. Those in search of relaxing spots to unwind can head to the inviting sitting room or the elegant champagne bar for an indulgent bottle of fine bubbly. A walk-in wine cellar and well-stocked library add to guest delight.
Saxon Boutique Hotel: Cushioned around lush, landscaped gardens, the exclusive Saxon Boutique Hotel, Villas and Spa lies within the tree-lined suburb of Sandhurst. Magnificent suites feature deluxe linens atop mahogany lined four-poster beds and large bay windows, as well as views that look out over the gardens or the pool area. Each has an ensuite bathroom with marble and frosted glass accents and deep tubs, satellite television, and a surround-sound music system. World-class chefs serve up delectable fare such as African game and mouth-watering Mediterranean seafood delicacies in the hotel’s elegant restaurant, while the wine cellar and dining library offer novel locations for intimate dinners. Guests can relax at the Pool Terrace before retreating to the Olive Bar, while the more energetic few will be thrilled with the heated outdoor infinity pool that features music underwater and a well-equipped gym. Those in need of pampering can unwind with a treatment in the award-winning spa.
Days 2-3: Kruger National Park, South Africa
A member from our team will collect you after breakfast and drive you to the Federal Airlines Hangar at OR Tambo International Airport for your shuttle flight to Ngala Airstrip. Within the Kruger National Park lies the Ngala Private Game Reserve, the first private game reserve to be incorporated into this famous park. Thrill in the excitement of safari during your 2 night stay at the Ngala Safari Lodge in a cottage with ensuite bathroom and intimate veranda. Your stay includes three meals daily, soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers, teas and coffees, scheduled safari activities, refreshments on game drives, a 1 hour nature walk, emergency medical evacuation insurance and laundry.
Included Activities: Game Drives
Optional activities: Photographic Safari (Additional Cost) & Specialist Walking Safari (Additional Cost)
Luxury accomodations: Ngala Safari Lodge
Deluxe accomodations: Ngala Tented Camp
Ngala Safari Lodge: Nestled under a canopy of mopane and tamboti trees, Ngala Safari Lodge at Ngala Private Game Reserve features 20 classic thatched cottages and the luxurious Safari Suite. Each ensuite cottage, with private veranda, exudes a romantic colonial ambience with nostalgic safari memorabilia throughout. The gracious Safari Suite offers guests a spacious sitting room and private swimming pool. The Lodge’s large sparkling swimming pool overlooks a natural riverine woodland. Hearty breakfasts and delicious lunches are served in the dappled shade of an enormous weeping boerbean tree. Upon their return from exhilarating evening game drives, guests are welcomed by Ngala’s warm, hospitable staff to a banquet in the elegant candlelit courtyard, or to an African feast around the blazing boma fire. The Lodge’s thatched dining, bar and sitting areas are open to the warm breezes of the inviting African bushveld.
Ngala Tented Camp: Chic and contemporary, Ngala Tented Camp comprises just nine intimate and luxurious tented suites, making it a perfect exclusive-use option for a small family or group of friends. The tents are set on raised platforms and cleverly designed to blend into the riverside trees, minimising the impact on the environment. Each tent has an ensuite bathroom, swirling overhead fan, air conditioning, outdoor bathtubs and showers, snug electric blankets for winter and private expansive wooden decks. The elegant guest areas overlook the seasonal Timbavati River and are the ideal tranquil location to enjoy a quiet book or a refreshing drink. Expansive al fresco decks with reticulated awnings provide ample choice for dining options as well as the perfect vantage point to spend some leisure time gazing out onto the shaded riverbed. Much loved by both guests and thirsty wildlife visitors, the camp’s large rim-flow swimming pool, as well as the surrounding deck, also boasts magnificent riverbed views. Or unwind in between your safari adventures in the expansive massage sala, featuring a relaxing outdoor treatment area. A well-equipped gym completes the holistic wellness offering.
Days 4-5: Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa
You will be transferred to the airstrip for your shuttle flights via Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport to Phinda Airstrip. Reawaken your soul during your 2 night stay at the Phinda Forest Lodge in a suite with ensuite bathroom. Your stay includes three meals daily, soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers, teas and coffees, scheduled safari activities, refreshments on game drives, a 1 hour nature walk, emergency medical evacuation insurance and laundry.
Included Activities: Game Drives
Optional activities: Zulu Village Tour (Additional Cost) & Rhino Conservation Experience (Additional Cost)
Luxury accomodations: Phinda Forest Lodge
Deluxe accomodations: Phinda Vlei Lodge
Phinda Forest Lodge: Set deep in the heart of a rare and beautiful dry sand forest, the spectacular Forest Lodge at Phinda Private Game Reserve fuses architectural design and conservation. The creation of this award-winning safari lodge was an exemplary exercise in building eco-sensitive structures with a light footprint (not one tree was felled during construction). Inventively designed in Zulu Zen style, each handcrafted, glassencased suite is a combination of glass, wood and minimalist design incorporating high-gloss wooden floors, richly tactile fabrics and crimson Zulu artefacts. These 16 private stilted suites each feature luxurious ensuite bathrooms and private viewing decks. Unwind in the lodge’s sparkling rim-flow swimming pool, or relax in the guest sitting areas with expansive viewing decks affording panoramic views of the game-filled plains. Visit the Safari Shop with its unique and colourful local Zulu artefacts. Dine in the traditional African boma, under a romantic canvas of stars, candles and lanterns.
Phinda Vlei Lodge: This unique location offers ever-changing game viewing from the comfort of your suite. Set on the edge of a sand forest, and overlooking a vast grassy meadow, each of the six thatched suites ensure exclusivity and incredible wildlife sightings. The air-conditioned suites each feature a beautiful, plantation-style bedroom, with a luxuriously spacious ensuite bathroom and dressing room that effortlessly blends a sense of old-world luxury with quirky, contemporary features. The suite’s interiors showcase a mix of curated antiques and collectables combined with bold fabrics. Take advantage of a private lap pool and game viewing deck that overlooks lush plains and observe antelope and other curious wildlife grazing nearby, as well as a variety of birdlife. Unwind in the beautiful surrounds of the main guest area, which also includes a handsome library, as well as a fire pit setting, ideal for pre-dinner drinks.
Day 6: Cape Town, South Africa
Your shuttle flight will take you from Phinda Airstrip to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, where you will connect onto a scheduled commercial flight to Cape Town International Airport. Upon arrival you will be met by a member from our team who will drive you to Queen Victoria Hotel. As you drive toward the city, your view from afar will be Table Mountain, one of the most spiritual places on earth, with its heart, two oceans and the beautiful city of Cape Town at its feet. Explore the sights during your 3 night stay at Queen Victoria Hotel in a Premium Room with ensuite bathroom. Your stay includes breakfast.
Begin your scenic tour of Cape Town at iconic Table Mountain or, if the weather is not favorable, at the flat-topped mound known as Signal Hill. Browse vibrant Greenmarket Square, one of the city's oldest markets, and take a walk through Company Gardens, established by Dutch settlers in 1652. Drive past the Houses of Parliament and the historical Castle of Good Hope, as well as the Slave Lodge, which used to house thousands of slaves belonging to the Dutch East India Company. Next you will visit the traditional Malay Quarter in the predominantly Muslim Bo-Kaap, with its brightly colored houses dating back as far as the 17th century. Pause to listen to the firing of the noonday gun from Signal Hill. Table Mountain Closed 22 July - 8 August annually (subject to change).
Included activities: Private Tour - Half Day City & Table Mountain Tour
Luxury accomodations: Queen Victoria Hotel
Deluxe accomodations: The Silo Cape Town
Queen Victoria Hotel: A haven of calm, luxury and understated sophistication amongst the hustle and bustle of Cape Town’s popular V&A Waterfront, the Queen Victoria Hotel offers 35 individually designed luxury rooms. Guests are welcomed into a triple-volume foyer with a dramatic white spiral staircase, glass lift and crystal chandelier. Shades of grey and taupe, marble-clad walls and wooden parquet flooring all contribute to an atmosphere of peace and elegance. Splashes of deep purple add a touch of regal eccentricity as an ode to the historic figure after whom the hotel is named. Based on classical French cuisine, Dash bar and restaurant delivers international flair fused with local flavour and the freshest ingredients. Guests are invited to make use of the facilities at any of the nearby Newmark Hotels, from the Designer Spa to a state of the art gym, complete with personal trainers, and a sparkling swimming pool.
The Silo Cape Town: is built in the grain elevator portion of a historic grain silo overlooking the bustling Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. This luxurious eye-catching hotel occupies six floors above the celebrated new Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA). Bespoke furnishings, gleaming finishes, and unique homey comforts enhance the hotel’s modern blend of gritty industrial and polished refinement decor, while the views from the magnificent 18-foot windows present a stunning panorama of Robben Island, Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak, Lion’s Head, Signal Hill, and the glittering ocean beyond. Boasting 28 spacious rooms, including a spectacular penthouse, each room is individually designed and decorated with colorful and eclectic pieces juxtaposed by the modern, industrial architecture. The Silo Cafe, the Piano Bar, as well as the hotel’s rooftop restaurant and Champagne Bar, offer guests delicious snacks, light meals, refreshing beverages and fine dining meals.
Day 7: Cape Town, South Africa
This full-day tour takes in the scenic highlights of the Cape Peninsula, beginning at the spectacular coastal suburb of Hout Bay, a former fishing village with a long, sandy beach facing a bay framed by the mountains. Explore the restaurants, shops and markets of Mariner's Wharf, a harbor-front emporium with a distinct maritime ambiance. Depending on whether the road is open, the tour will continue along the breath-taking Chapman's Peak Drive before heading to the Cape of Good Hope to explore the nature reserve, see the Diaz Cross and perhaps even indulge in lunch at a local restaurant. From here you will travel to Simon's Town, famous for its naval military base, and then visit the charming penguin colony at Boulders Beach. The tour ends at the beautiful Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, set against the eastern slopes of spectacular Table Mountain.
Included activities: Private Tour - Full Day Cape Point Tour
Day 8: Cape Town, South Africa
Indulge in a full day in the spectacular Cape Winelands. The estates visited will vary according to your preferences, but the tour includes the regions major wine producing areas and visits some beautiful wine estates for tastings of high quality vintages. Nestled in a valley where the French Huguenots settled in 1688, Franschhoek is a delight for antique lovers and gastronomes (the town boasts some world-famous eateries). South Africa's second-oldest town, Stellenbosch provides another glimpse of classic 17th and 18th century Cape style, with a chance to browse quaint Dorp Street, visit the museum or explore the many galleries and shops of this university town. Wine tastings are tailored to the estates opening hours and the guests wine preferences.
*The lunch stop is in either Franschhoek or Stellenbosch.
Included activities: Private Tour - Full Day Winelands Tour
Day 9: Departure
You will be collected from Queen Victoria Hotel and driven to Cape Town International Airport, where a representative will assist you through customs and immigration and onto your international departure flight.
Please note: The rates listed for this trip reflect current exchange rates to USD and are subject to change.
Rates
Questions?
“Plan your South Africa adventure your way on this custom trip that includes substantial wildlife viewing time at a private reserve in Kruger National Park along with time at a dry sand forest lodge with a conservation focus. Then head to charming Cape Town and some spectacular wineries. If you like to combine food & wine adventures with your safari time, this itinerary is an excellent choice.”
Joy Martinello, Founder
Questions?
What’s Included & Cancellation Policy:
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
Accommodation as specified in the itinerary; Meals, drinks and laundry as specified; Scheduled flights as specified in the itinerary; Private/Scheduled transfers as specified in the itinerary; Private/Scheduled sightseeing and excursions as specified in the itinerary; Scheduled game-viewing activities as specified in the itinerary; National parks, concession and landing fees where applicable; Emergency medical evacuation insurance; Domestic/international departure tax, fuel and safety levies from airports and airstrips unless otherwise stipulated; Oceans Without Borders donation; Global Concierge Service; Personal Travel Wallet; Administration fee
NOT INCLUDED:
Travel Insurance - should you be interested we can introduce you to our recommended partners.
