Kruger Safari, Cape Town, Winelands and Garden Route

Begin your journey from Johannesburg with a scheduled flight from OR Tambo International Airport to Hoedspruit Airport (Eastgate) – (flight cost not included).
On arrival, you will be met by a representative of the Kapama Team for your transfer to the Lodge.
Spanning 15 000 hectares of pristine South African bushveld and riverine forests, Kapama Private Game Reserve offers the perfect sanctuary for a wide variety of wildlife. Here, over 40 different species of mammals including the Big 5 – elephant, lion, leopard, African buffalo and rhinoceros – as well as 350 bird species, thrive in their natural habitat.
Kapama is ideally situated for that perfect luxury safari experience as it is a mere 10 minutes away from the town of Hoedspruit and one of its entrance gates is just across the road from Eastgate Airport where complimentary transfers welcome guests and deliver them to any of the four luxury game lodges within the game reserve.
On arrival at Kapama River Lodge enjoy welcome drinks while completing check-in procedures. Settle in your spacious Suite with all the luxury that the Kapama portfolio of lodges is known for. Depending on your arrival time enjoy lunch or afternoon tea or take a dip in your refreshing lodge.

Around 15h30 gather for a decadent High tea during which you will be introduced to your ranger who will share great pointers on how to spot the wild animals in the bush. After your briefing, Board on the lodge 4 x 4 Open Landcruiser before setting off on your first wildlife safari drive. The absence of windows and the elevated vantage position allow for excellent photographic opportunities. You will have an amazing chance not only to view the game but also to listen to and smell the African bush and its denizens.

While on Game Drive, you will stop for Sundowners at a magnificent location and toast the splendour of Africa as you watch the sunset. As darkness falls, nocturnal animals of the bush get excited as they celebrate “their dawn “and come out. Your skilled tracker will scan the landscape using a spotlight, illuminating animals’ eyes. A variety of completely different species can be seen on the night drive back to the lodge. Arrival at the lodge is usually around 7 pm, allowing time to freshen up before enjoying dinner around a campfire with the sounds of the crackling fire and night noises discussing the afternoon highlights with your ranger and planning for tomorrow’s safari.

Room Type: Suite
Meal Basis: Ful Board, a selection of wines and premium drinks, two daily safari activities in open game drive vehicles, and guided bush walks.

During your stay, you will be treated to morning and afternoon game drives and bush walks.

Game Drives

Enjoy early morning and late afternoon game drives in open safari vehicles. Accompanied by a skilled ranger and tracker, you can expect to encounter diverse animal and bird species. Since this is a Big Five reserve, expect to encounter lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffalo. It is possible to see the Big Five over one or a two-day safari.
While seeing big game is always exhilarating, many other smaller species are also captivating, and birding enthusiasts will be delighted at the approximately 350 species of bird recorded on the reserve. Throughout the day, you will likely see wildlife such as nyala antelope, Vervet monkeys or even a few of the Big Five.

Bush Walks

Experience the African bush on foot under the guidance of a skilled ranger. Your guide will point out medicinal plants, insects and birdlife along the way, and share traditional tracking skills such as using animal footprints and scat to identify animals.
This is a truly memorable, authentic, intimate encounter with nature and wildlife.

Room Type: Suite
Meal Basis: Ful Board, a selection of wines and premium drinks, two daily safari activities in open game drive vehicles, and guided bush walks.

Wake up to the hissing of hundreds of crickets preparing for a warm bush day, enjoy tea or coffee together with muffins, and rusks …. before setting off on your last morning game drive, one last opportunity to experience the magic only the African Bush can offer!
After a hearty breakfast followed by check-out procedures, it is now time to bid Farwell to the bush before being transferred back to the Hoedspruit Airport for your scheduled 2 1/2-hour flight to Cape Town (flight cost not included) where you will be met for your transfer to the 5 Star Taj Hotel.

Located in Cape Town City Centre with a breathtaking fusion of rich Indian heritage, signature Taj service and generous local traditions and contemporary design, Taj Cape Town resides at the heart of the Mother City’s dynamic business and leisure hub on Wale Street, Cape Town. Set in the centre of the old city, it boasts a strong sense of place and is within walking distance of some of South Africa’s foremost landmarks and attractions and an eclectic array of shops, galleries, and restaurants. Spread across two heritage buildings, all rooms at our 5-star hotel in Cape Town have spectacular city views or overlook the iconic Table Mountain. Taj Cape Town is a perfect destination for both discerning business travellers and relaxed leisure tourists.
The award-winning hotel boasts 176 luxury rooms and suites, elegantly decorated with elements of great Indian artistry, and each appointed with spacious bedroom space, an enlarged walk-in shower, a bathtub, and a dedicated wardrobe area.

Guests of Taj Cape Town can unwind with various relaxation amenities at Jiva Grande Spa, which features a sauna. A gym is available to guests wishing to keep up their exercise regimes while away.

During their stay at the hotel, guests can dine at Mint, which offers international dishes. Guests can enjoy a varied drinks selection at The Twankey Bar or Lobby Lounge. A selection of dining options can also be found nearby.
The rest of the Day is at leisure to relax from the early rise from the lodge for the game drives.

Room Type: Luxury Tower Room with Mountain view
Meal Basis: Bed & Breakfast

After breakfast at the hotel this morning, you will be picked up for your scheduled half-day city and Table Mountain tour. To get a feel of the thriving centre of Mother City, sheltered by Table Mountain, the Cape Town city tour is not to be missed.
Enjoy the incredible views from atop Table Mountain, and after descending, we take a scenic coastal drive through Camps Bay, Clifton and Sea Point. We drive past the Cape Town Stadium and through the V&A Waterfront to the city centre where we visit Green Market Square. We’ll stretch our legs with a walk through the Company Gardens.

The tour continues by driving past the Houses of Parliament, the City Hall, The Castle and Slave Lodge, before entering the “Bo Kaap”, also known as the Malay quarter. Learn about the history of this area of brightly painted houses and quaint cobbled streets. We finish with a dazzling diamond tour before returning to your hotel.
The rest of the afternoon is at leisure. In the Afternoon you may embark on a Robben Island Tour to see the cell where the South African prisoner icon, Nelson Mandela spent 27 Years incarcerated.

The following day you will head out on a scheduled full-day Cape peninsula tour, which takes you to Cape Point along the scenic Atlantic seaboard coastal road. You will pass the pristine beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay and the formidable 12 Apostles Peaks. You will make your way to Hout Bay, over Chapman’s Peak, which offers amazing photo opportunities, and onto the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. This area is home to magnificent ‘fynbos’, many different species of antelope and birds, the Cape Mountain Zebra, and mischievous baboons.
You will then visit Boulders Beach to see the African penguins, before arriving at the naval base of Simonstown, and then to your last stop of the day at the simply stunning Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Take the time to browse this spectacular Garden, showcasing a treasure of indigenous South African plants.

Room Type: Luxury Tower Room with Mountain view
Meal Basis: Bed & Breakfast

After 5 days of Cape Town Bliss, your rental vehicle will be dropped off at your hotel this morning. After breakfast, embark on a delightful one-way self-drive along the Garden Route, with time to stop and explore as you go. On your way there, spend 3 days sampling the country’s finest vintages among its lush and rolling wine estates.
The Devon Valley Hotel in Stellenbosch is your base for the next 2 nights days. Your stay is in a Vineyard Luxury Room with an ensuite bathroom and includes breakfast.
The Devon Valley Hotel is tucked away in a tranquil green corner of Stellenbosch, allowing guests to escape the busy town and find peace in breathtakingly beautiful surroundings and luxurious comfort.

Most of the fifty stylishly furnished rooms offer spectacular views across vineyards and olive groves towards the Helderberg in the distance. This charming Stellenbosch hotel is well-known for its authentic ‘handmade hospitality, with a proud history dating back to 1947 when the main building was constructed from Canadian Cedarwood. The Devon Valley Hotel offers guests four superb and unique dining options. The Flavours Restaurant is the hotel’s signature restaurant and serves authentic Cape cuisine, while the Cedarwood Lounge and Bar is a more informal setting featuring comfortable leather couches. The Vineyard Terrace offers outdoor dining, ideal for light and lazy lunches, and the Seasons restaurant has a contemporary feel and is open for breakfasts and lunches.

While the area in which the hotel is located offers many activities, guests can also keep busy on the hotel grounds. There are two swimming pools, a Jacuzzi, and a pentaquin court on the property. Guests can also participate in wine tasting at the Cedarwood Lounge and Bar. Vineyard walks are also available and allow guests to experience the breathtaking views of the Helderberg Mountains and beautiful plant and bird life.
Enjoy magnificent mountain landscapes and rolling vineyards as well as Cape Dutch architecture. Spend days visiting world-famous vineyards, sampling them, and learning about the intricate processes used to produce them.

Room Type: Vineyard Luxury Room
Meal Basis: Bed & Breakfast

Your exploration of the Garden Route will take full swing this morning with your first stop being Swellendam set at the base of the Langekloof mountain range. South Africa’s third oldest town is located halfway between Cape Town and Mossel Bay. This town is steeped in history with its historic buildings. In addition to ancient beautiful architecture, Swellendam is a hidden gem surrounded by Three nature reserves: the Bontebok National Park, Marloth Nature Reserve and the expansive De Hoop Nature Reserve – all these are for you to explore, and they are just a taste of what to expect ahead in your journey in the Garden route. During the following 3 days, you can join an interpretive marine walk; Meet the Cape vulture; Go to the beach, go eco-boating on the vlei, go whale watching, go horse riding, take a hike, ride a mountain bike trail, eat at the Fig Tree Restaurant, go birding, gaze at the stars, discover the plants. This is an opportunity to spend days away from the crowds.

Your night accommodation is at the 5-star The Hideaway, a chic, welcoming, retreat – with an eco-pool, a spa, yoga sessions, and the most amazing fresh healthy breakfasts, served in their ‘boma’ overlooking the pool. British owners, Stephen and Jackie are always in attendance to make sure everything runs smoothly and professionally.

Room Type: Luxury Room
Meal Basis: Bed & Breakfast

Back on the road this morning for our final leg on this trip taking us to Knysna, called the “jewel of the Garden Route.” The town is famous for its oysters and its wooden furniture.
There is so much to see and do in Knysna and the surrounding areas. To complement your exploration of the Garden route, you will spend the following 2 nights at Head Over Hills, a 5-star luxury Boutique hotel situated on the beautiful edge of the iconic Knysna Heads. This Award winner of The Prime Location Hotel in South Africa offers the perfect views and is considered the ultimate location for relaxation by the prestigious Haute Grandeur.
Head over Hills is a small and exclusive retreat with eight en-suites, open planned bedrooms and various communal facilities, ensuring the luxurious comfort of every guest.

Visiting The Garden Route is ideal for those looking to explore and enjoy the variety of activities for which the area is renowned. Amongst the activities you can enjoy are ocean safaris, hikes in the Robberg Nature Reserve, walks on Keeurbooms Beach, kayaking, horse-riding, walks in the Tsitsikamma Forest and bungee jumping. You can also visit Knysna for a cruise across the lagoon to the Featherbed Nature Reserve and spend an afternoon visiting the many craft shops for which the town is renowned.
Don’t miss visiting the beautiful valley of the Klein Karoo which has a wide range of attractions including the mystical Cango Caves, Cango Wildlife Ranch and the famous ostrich farms of Oudtshoorn.
Oudtshoorn is known as the “ostrich capital of the world”.

Room Type: Suite
Meal Basis: Bed & Breakfast

Today, your epic journey exploring South Africa comes to an end. Enjoy a leisurely breakfast, and get one last view of the Garden Route’s breath-taking landscape one more time, before driving to George Airport where you will drop off your car rental before boarding your scheduled flight to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg (flight cost not included). When you get there, board your International flight back home.