Highlights of South Africa

After arrival at Johannesburg airport you take the transfer to Safari Club SA for an overnight stay. You stay here based on bed and breakfast.

Via the R12 and the R4 you drive to Hazyview. From Hazyview you can explore the Panorama route! The route is so called because of the beautiful views. Take plenty of time for the route in the coming days so that you won’t miss the breathtaking views along the way. Pinnacle Rock, Jock’s View and God’s Window are some of the high-lying rock points from which you can look out over the vast Lowveld. Further north you have the Blyde River through the mountains, a beautiful gorge, the Blyde River Canyon, worn out, with the Three Rondavels and Mariepskop as literally and figuratively high points! Don’t forget to go to Bourke’s Luck Potholes en route.Here you reach viewpoints via paths and bridges with a view of a rock bed shaped by river erosion where the rivers Blyde and Treur meet.

The next two nights you will stay at Rissington Inn on a bed and breakfast basis.

A short drive today! It is time for your first safari experience of your trip. Your accommodation is located in the beautiful private game reserve Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve. Many consider this reserve to be one of the best in South Africa for spotting wildlife. The reserve borders the world famous Kruger National Park and there are no gates. Animals can walk back and forth freely here!

The next two nights you will stay at the Umkumbe Safari Lodge, on a full board basis and including game drives. This lodge has a fantastic location on the seasonal Sands River. From the lodge you have a good view of the river (bed) and you can view the wildlife at your leisure. With a little patience and good luck, you can even spot the entire Big Five here without going for it!

You end the day Foresters Arms, where you will stay one night based on bed, breakfast and dinner.

Hluhluwe was founded in 1895 to protect the last rhinos in Natal and was declared a game reserve in 1897. This makes the park the second oldest game reserve in Africa. In the coming days you will make a number of guided game drives.

Your next destination is Umhlanga. This rich coastal town is a short distance from Durban and is popular for its beautiful beaches, the beautiful pedestrian boulevard and the huge Gateway shopping center.

We recommend that you only start driving after rush hour (during the week), as today’s route passes Durban. Once you have passed Durban, a beautiful route along the coast is waiting for you!

Port Edward is a small coastal town on the border of the Eastern Cape and Kwazulu Natal (officially Kwazulu Natal). The Red Desert is nice to visit, because this small desert is so contrasted with the tropical vegetation around Port Edward.

You stay in the Wild Coast Sun, based on bed and breakfast.

The next two nights you will stay in the cozy Swell Eco Lodge based on accommodation. This lodge is located “off the beaten track” and you drive on a dirt road to get there. You do not need a 4 × 4 car, but please drive slowly / slowly to avoid problems. We also recommend that you arrive before sunset, so that you do not have to drive on this road in the dark (there is no lighting).

You can of course relax and recover from your trip here, but what about these activities: fishing, horse riding, kayaking, hiking, surfing (also lessons) and picnics? Or enjoy a wonderful massage. But you can also make nice trips! The famous Hole in the Wall, for example, is only a 1.5-hour drive from the lodge.

Today you drive to the town of Cintsa (or Chintsa), where the Crawfords Beach Lodge is located. You will stay here for two nights based on bed, breakfast and dinner.

Port Alfred is a coastal town with the charm and charisma of an English fishing village and is best known for the beautiful marina, the canals and the Alfred Waterfront where you can shop. But you will also find vast beaches here, very suitable for practicing various water sports or for relaxing and watching how others practice these sports.

You stay here one night at the Royal St. Andrews Hotel, based on bed and breakfast.

Again you are on your way to a safari destination!  Addo Elephant National Park is the third largest park in South Africa. and offers great differences in biodiversity, varied landscapes and flora and fauna. The park was established in 1931 to protect the then 16 elephants who lived here against poachers. And with success! Today, around 600 elephants live in this park!

Your destination for today is the Tsitsikamma National Park.

The Tsitsikamma National Park is beautifully situated on the coast of the Indian Ocean. The name comes from the Khoi tribe and means “place with lots of water”. The park was founded in 1964 and has an 80 km long beautiful wild coastline that is interrupted here and there by a beach. At the mouth of the Storms River a suspension bridge is stretched over the swirling waves of which you can take beautiful pictures. Due to the high number of rainy days per year, the park is densely covered with trees. The steep rock walls give it a rugged character. A number of short and longer walks can be made from the visitor center such as the 1 km long Lourie route, the 3 km long Otter route and the 3.7 km long waterfall route. A shorter walk leads via the suspension bridge over the gorge of Storms River. You walk through rugged mountain landscapes, primeval forest, fynbos, along wild rivers and everywhere you have a beautiful view. In this area you can go canoeing, snorkeling, scuba diving, black-water tubing and even bungee jumping.

You stay one night at Tsitsikamma Village Inn or similar based on bed and breakfast

Today you drive to the “ostrich capital” Oudtshoorn. If you are in Oudtshoorn early on, you may already be able to visit an ostrich farm. For the following day we recommend a visit to the beautiful stalactite formations of the Cango Caves. The magnificent stalactite cave system of these caves is in the top ten most visited places in South Africa. In the caves you can admire stalagmites, stalactites and corridors. You are only allowed to enter the caves under the supervision of an accredited local guide. A tour through the caves takes around an hour. You can choose from the regular tour or the adventure tour where you struggle through narrow corridors and come to places where the normal tour passes. Please note, this adventurous tour is not suitable for people with claustrophobia and pregnant women.

Until 500 years ago, the caves were inhabited by the San population, also known as the Bushmen. They only inhabited the first 500 meters of the cave. The caves have a length of 5 kilometers. A fourth part of the cave is open to tourists to view all the natural beauty. Although the San were hidden in the upper chambers of the caves, the Caves did not really become famous until the farmer Jacobus van Zijl first penetrated the lower chambers in 1780. If you want to see this you can book the adventure tour of an hour and a half. Keep in mind, however, that there are narrow passages with names such as Devil’s Chimney and The Letterbox. Another beautiful trip is through the Swartberg mountains. You can do this under supervision.

You stay two nights in De Zeekoe, or similar on a bed and breakfast basis.

The wine countries also belong to Cape Town and a visit to Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek should not be missing in this trip. Along the way you can stop at one of the wine farms for a wine tasting and afterwards you may enjoy a delicious lunch at a wine farm.

Stellenbosch is a historic student city and offers everything: nature, culture, shops and many restaurants. In Paarl you can, among other things, visit the Language Monument and in Franschhoek you can perhaps take a ride on the Wine tram. Franschhoek is known as the “Wine and Food Capital of the Cape”. There are various excellent lunch and dinner options. Ask us for advice, we will make your reservations free of charge if passed on in time. This prevents disappointment on the spot.

You will stay two nights in Cultivar Guesthouse, or similar based on bed and breakfast.

You drive to Cape Town and spend the next two nights at The Walden House on a bed and breakfast basis.

In the coming days you can explore Cape Town on your own. The versatility of the city makes it a perfect destination for everyone! Nature, culture, beach and a vibrant nightlife can be found here. And a short distance from the city, you drive through the wine countries. You can eat everywhere, enjoy good wines, nice shops and beautiful beaches. Cape Town has something to offer for both young and old!

You should not miss the lively V&A Waterfront. Here are cozy terraces, streets, bars and meeting places for the local population as well as tourists. You can also make boat trips from here. The boat to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for a long time, also departs from Q&A. If you want to make this excursion, we advise you to book it in advance to avoid disappointment on the spot. Or how about a trip by cable car to the top of Table Mountain or the colorful Bo-Kaap district?