South Africa Odyssey

Transfer airport – hotel in Johannesburg (SIC)
On arrival in Johannesburg at OR Tambo International Airport, you’ll be met by your representative and transferred to your hotel. Johannesburg is the largest and most populous city in South Africa. It is also the source of a large-scale gold and diamond trade, due to its location on the mineral-rich Witwatersrand range of hills. The remainder of the day is at leisure & unescorted. Why not enjoy a sightseeing tour or simply relax at your hotel. At 19h00 you will meet up the guide at reception for a briefing on the tour and a chance to meet fellow travellers.

Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at hotel’s restaurant.

Transfer Johannesburg – Pretoria (SIC)
Depart Johannesburg after breakfast and head for Pretoria, South Africa’s capital city.

Orientation tour in Pretoria (SIC)
We will learn a lot about the fascinating history of South Africa during a Pretoria city experience. Pretoria is the capital of South Africa and therefore full of historic sites. We will see the Union Buildings, headquarters of the government. Another major attraction on this tour is the Voortrekker Monument. This monument is of great significance to many Afrikaans speaking South Africans, there it stands for Afrikaner Nationalism.

Transfer Pretoria – Hazyview (SIC)
We will continue to the Mpumalanga Province, known as “Paradise Country”. Dropping several hundred feet into the lush subtropical region of the Lowveld, we travel via the historic towns of Dullstroom and Lydenburg. After traversing the famous Long Tom Pass, we travel via Sabie and arrive late afternoon into Hazyview, the safari hub of the Kruger National Park.

Distance travelled today: 425 km

Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at hotel’s restaurant.

Transfer Hazyview – Kruger, via Panorama Route (SIC)
After an early morning breakfast, we’ll drive along the spectacular Panorama Route, offering views of amazing scenery including the 26 kilometre-long Blyde River Canyon (home to the Three Rondavels), Bourke’s Luck Potholes’ and historic God’s Window, a breathtaking view (weather permitting) of the edge of the escarpment taking in the Kruger National Park.
We arrive back in Hazyview in the late afternoon, where the remainder of the day is at leisure to relax.

Distance travelled today: 320 km

Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at hotel’s restaurant.

Game drive Kruger National Park (SIC)
The day begins with early morning coffee or tea, followed by a thrilling open vehicle safari (with English speaking game ranger) through Kruger National Park with pre-packed breakfast. Kruger is one of the world’s greatest national parks, home to a stunning array of wildlife. Search for the ‘Big Five’ (rhino, buffalo, lion, leopard, and elephant) as well as prolific birdlife. The afternoon is at leisure at your hotel.
Late afternoon open vehicle game drives are available (optional & for own account).

Distance travelled today: 120 km

Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at hotel’s restaurant.

Transfer Kruger – Eswatini, Swaziland (SIC)
This morning we travel to Eswatini (Swaziland), an independent Kingdom within the borders of South Africa, known for its lovely scenery, crafts and colourful indigenous culture.

Distance travelled today: 310 kms

Lunch
Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant.

Cultural experience
An interactive cultural experience introduces us to the charming people of Eswatini and their traditions. We travel via the capital city, Mbabane, to the beautiful Ezulwini Valley for overnight in Eswatini.

Dinner
Enjoy dinner at hotel’s restaurant.

Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at hotel’s restaurant.

Transfer Eswatini – Hluhluwe (SIC)
After breakfast we will continue south through Eswatini (Swaziland), before re-entering South Africa. Travel into Zululand, passing traditional round huts and endless vistas.
There is an option to enjoy an afternoon open vehicle safari (optional and for own account with an English-speaking game ranger) in the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve, which contains an immense diversity of fauna and flora and is particularly famous for its conservation of black and white rhino.

Distance travelled today: 360 km

Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at hotel’s restaurant.

Cruise on St. Lucia Estuary (SIC)
This morning we will join a cruise on St Lucia (depending on favourable weather conditions) before departing for Durban. The St Lucia Estuary is the largest estuarine system on the African continent and a magnificent place where one can find countless crocodiles and the largest hippo population in South Africa. During daylight hours the hippos are mostly seen in the estuary water where they wallow, play and occasionally argue, usually only emerging in the coolness of the night to graze on their favourite snack, grass. The estuary is also renowned for its abundant bird life that includes South African favourites such as the fish eagle, king fisher and herons.

Transfer Hluhluwe – Durban (SIC)
Our journey takes us past traditional Zulu Kraals, Eucalyptus plantations and sugar cane fields. We arrive early afternoon in Durban, South Africa’s largest port, and the remainder of the day is at leisure to enjoy the golden beaches of the Indian Ocean.

Distance travelled today: 275 km

Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at hotel’s restaurant.

Transfer hotel – airport in Durban (SIC)
After breakfast, transfer to Durban airport for the short southward flight to Port Elizabeth.

Flights Durban – Port Elisabeth

Transfer Port Elisabeth – Knysna, with Tsitsikamma National Park visit on route (SIC)
At the arrival we will be met by our representative and once everyone has arrived, we set off to explore the magnificent beauty of the indigenous Tsitsikamma Forest. Visit the spectacularly beautiful Tsitsikamma National Park and Storms River Mouth (weather permitting). We’ll arrive at our hotel in Knysna, known as the oyster box of South Africa, nestling on the banks of a beautiful lagoon in the heart of the Garden Route.

Distance travelled today: 360 km

Dinner
Enjoy dinner at hotel’s restaurant.

Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at hotel’s restaurant.

Lagoon cruise in Featherbed Nature Reserve (SIC)
After a leisurely breakfast we’ll enjoy a lagoon cruise to the Featherbed Nature Reserve (weather permitting), where we can take a trailer ride to the top of the Western Head to enjoy panoramic views of the town and lagoon, returning for lunch. The afternoon is at leisure to further explore this charming town set around a natural harbour lagoon.

Distance travelled today: 15 km

Lunch
Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant.

Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at hotel’s restaurant.

Transfer Knysna – Oudtshoorn (SIC)
Travel through the Outeniqua Pass to Oudtshoorn, known as the “ostrich capital” and the centre of the world’s Ostrich farming industry.

Distance travelled today: 210 kms

Visit Ostrich Farm
We’ll visit an Ostrich Farm for a guided tour.

Lunch
Enjoy a light lunch at the farm’s restaurant.

Visit Cango Caves
We will take a tour of the spectacular limestone caverns of the Cango Caves, one of the world’s great natural wonders, sculpted by nature through the ages. We will arrive at our hotel in the late afternoon.

Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at hotel’s restaurant.

Transfer Oudtshoorn – Franschhoek (SIC)
There is an option (for own account and subject to availability) to enjoy an early morning Meerkat Safari. Witness these incredible wild habituated creatures emerging out of their burrows, in time to soak up the sun before they head about their daily activities (weather permitting). After this thrilling experience, head back for a delicious breakfast. After breakfast, the journey continues to Franschhoek, a picturesque village surrounded by spectacular vineyards, where French Huguenots settled more than 300 years ago, bringing with them their age-old French wine and food culture.

Distance travelled today: 375 km

Visit a local farm school
In Barrydale you will have the opportunity to visit a local farm school, interact with the children and teachers, spending time with them in the classroom learning more about the local farming community, before travelling to Montagu, a picturesque and historic spa town. (The school visit is subject to the school being open)

Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at hotel’s restaurant.

Franschhoek walking tour & wine tasting
After a leisurely breakfast, your story telling guide will take you through Franschhoek village, sharing with you the fascinating history of the French Huguenots. Enjoy a wine tasting in a local winery.

Transfer Franschhoek – Cape Town (SIC)
Later we will continue to Cape Town. Be captivated by the multiethnic character and historical wealth of the Mother City. Cape Town is a rare cultural gem, resulting from the amalgamation of different nationalities and indigenous tribes. Although a small city, Cape Town is packed with sightseeing attractions, excellent bars, cafes and restaurants as well as colourful craft markets.

Distance travelled today: 85 km

Dinner
Enjoy a fun filled evening with interactive entertainment and delectable food at a local restaurant.

Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at hotel’s restaurant.

Cape Peninsula full day tour (SIC)
Enjoy a full day tour of the Cape Peninsula, offering some of the most spectacular coastal scenery in the world. Drive through Sea Point, the seaside village of Hout Bay (where you can enjoy an optional and for own account seal island boat cruise) and then on to Cape Point where (by tradition) it is said that the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. We’ll return to Cape Town by way of Simon’s Town, where we visit the Penguin colony at Boulders Beach (entrance fee for own account), Fish Hoek fishing village and Muizenberg.

Distance travelled today: 200 km

Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at hotel’s restaurant.

Transfer hotel – airport in Cape Town (SIC)
Enjoy some last-minute shopping or sightseeing (own account). The Robben Island Tour (for own account & time permitting), which departs from the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, offers a fascinating excursion or perhaps just wander through the variety of shops and boutiques catering for all tastes and budgets. Later you will be transferred to the airport for your onward journey.