South Africa

Specials / Self-drive / Family / Walking / Romance / General Tours
Horse Safaris / Camping Tours / Victoria Falls extension

Captivating Cape Town & Elegant Safari -
9 days/6 nights

Day 1 – Depart New York on South African Airways flight to Cape Town via Johannesburg.

Day 2 – Upon arrival at Cape Town International Airport you will be met and transferred to the beautiful Twelve Apostles Hotel by private vehicle. Accommodations in a mountain-view room for four nights inclusive of breakfast daily.

Day 3 – Breakfast at the hotel. 09:00 am Today you will be met by a representative for a Half Day Tour by private vehicle.
Options:

Cape Town City Tour (Please note this tour excludes Table Mountain and lunch)
No visit to Cape Town is complete without a tour of the "Mother City". You will be taken to see the House of Parliament, the Castle, the District Six Museum, and other historical sights. A highlight is a visit to the bustling Greenmarket Square flea market. We will visit the picturesque Malay Quarter with its spicy babotie and curry aromas that fill the air. The V&A Waterfront is our last stop, where you will be able to explore this exciting development, or be dropped off at your hotel. All entrance fees are included on this tour. Refreshments are not included.

Or

New Rest Tour (Lunch not included)
Depart the hotel and travel along the N2 highway to the New Rest informal settlement opposite Cape Town International Airport in Gugulethu. We meet the residents and people of the community who are involved in THE NEW REST/KANANA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TRUST. There are approximately 1200 families living in New Rest itself, and we gain insight into this project to promote the development of the community of New Rest & Kanana with specific emphasis on Housing Development , Adult Basic Education and Training , Health , Economic Development , Infrastructure Development.
Walk through New Rest and visit the new creche built with funds from overseas visitors and bricks made by the community. Stop at the brick-making project where bricks are being made by the locals to eventually build their own homes. This is a project that the local community is running with advice and input from the tour company and the University of Cape Town.

Or

Robben Island and Slave Walking Tour (Lunch not included)
Guests are collected from their hotel and driven to the Robben Island ferry departure point at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. The guide accompanies guests on the ferry, which takes approximately 25 minutes to reach the island located in Table Bay. This is an opportunity to visit the most symbolically significant sight in South Africa, which is now a World Heritage site. Visitors are met by the guides on the island, most of whom are ex-political prisoners. The tour includes a visit to the prison block, the limestone quarry where many of the prisoners worked for a number of years and a drive around the island with breathtaking views of the city across the bay. There is an African Penguin colony on the island as well as some antelope species. The duration of the tour is 3½ hours.The tour is fully guided and the entrance fee is included.

Day 4 – Breakfast at the hotel. 9:00 am Today you will be met by a representative for a Full Day Tour by private vehicle.
Options:

Winelands Tour (Lunch Included)
Escape to the tranquility and 'olde' worlde' charm of the Paarl, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch wine areas. Our first stop is the famous Afrikaans Language Monument. Situated on Paarl Rock, it also offers spectacular views of the surrounding area. Travel to a prize-winning wine estate, for a wine tasting and tour. A second wine tasting is enjoyed at another of South Africa's prize winning wine estates, after which we visit the Hugenout Monument and Museum in Franschhoek or Stellenbosch. After lunch we continue to Dorp Street in Stellenbosch or visit the world famous 19th Century Shop, 'Oom Sanies se Winkel' before returning to your hotel in Cape Town.

Peninsula Tour (Lunch Included)
This comprehensive tour shows you the best of the spectacular Cape Peninsula. Find out firsthand why it's called the "Fairest Cape". Dependant on the weather, enjoy a leisurely walk in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in the morning or afternoon. Travel pass Sea Point and Camps Bay, past the famous beaches of Clifton and Llandudno towards Hout Bay. (Optional Seal Island cruise - time permitting). Later we stop for lunch. Then onto the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and its scenic viewing point. From here we drive along the Indian Ocean coastline, where we visit the beautiful Boulders Beach, where you have the option to sit among the famous colony of Jackass Penguins. Afterwards enjoy a short stop at the naval port of Simon's Town.

Or

Table Mountain & Kirstenbosch Private Tour (Lunch included)
Depart from the hotel and drive up Kloof Nek between Table Mountain and Signal Hill to Tafelberg Road and the lower cable station to board the new rotair cable car. This cable car takes under 5 minutes to reach the summit of Table Mountain, 1036 metres above sea level (weather dependent), where views of the city and surrounds are spectacular. Walk around the top of the table to view various parts of the city.

Then drive to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens situated on the slopes of Table Mountain, one of the world's great botanical gardens, and have lunch at the Silvertree Restaurant in the gardens. Cecil John Rhodes bought Kirstenbosch in 1895 and, when he died seven years later, he left it to the people of South Africa. It contains a unique collection of southern African plants, and the garden is one of the few in the world devoted to indigenous plants. The Cape "Fynbos", a Dutch word meaning 'fine bush', is a shrubland with an unusual mixture of plant types of different shapes and sizes, including proteas, erica's (heaths) and restio's or reeds. The Cape Floral Kingdom of some 90 000 square kilometres hosts some 8600 fynbos plant species, 5800 of which are endemic. In springtime, between July and September, large areas of the gardens are ablaze with colour. Time is spent in this magnificent garden before returning to the city in the late afternoon.

Or

West Coast Tour (Lunch included)
Leave the city and drive to Bloubergstrand to enjoy the spectacular views of Cape Town and Table Mountain from across the bay. Continue north along the west coast through the farmlands of the Cape to the West Coast National Park. This park is situated around the Langebaan Lagoon where time may be spent at the bird hides on the lagoon. The wetland is a RAMSAR International Wetland listed site, as thousands of waders come from the northern hemisphere to breed during the summer months. Over 250 bird species have been recorded, including the lesser and greater flamingos. Visit the information centre and tearoom at Geelbek, a historic farm and national monument restored by the National Parks Board. In the spring only, drive through the Postberg section of the park - this part of the reserve is privately owned and closed to the public for the rest of the year. Here Bontebok, Eland and Zebra may be seen grazing in an area carpeted with a vast profusion of spring blooms. After lunch, begin the return journey, pausing to view the Moravian mission station at Mamre or possibly stopping off at the West Coast Ostrich farm en route to the city.

Or

Hermanus Tour (Lunch included)
Leave the city and drive towards the mountains of the wine country before continuing towards the coast. Drive through the seaside towns of the Strand with its beautiful beaches, and Gordon's Bay nestled below the slopes of the Hottentot Hollands Mountains. This is a charming fishing village with magnificent views across False Bay, and on a clear day Cape Point can be seen in the distance. Continue along the spectacular Marine Drive, which cuts along the mountain slopes and overlooks a precipitous and rocky coast. During the whale season, between July and November, Southern Right Whales are often seen along this drive.

Drive further along the coastline passing the white sandy beaches of Koeelbaai and the villages of Rooiels, Pringle Bay and Betty's Bay. This area has a wealth of flowering plants and one can visit the Harold Porter Botanical Gardens, famous for the beautiful Red Disa and the flowering fynbos of the area. Take a walk through the reserve and up the slopes of the mountains to the waterfall in Disa Kloof where some of the indigenous trees of the Cape can be seen. Continue on, over the Bot River and into the Walker Bay area and the charming village of Hermanus. For wine enthusiasts a stop is made en route at the picturesque Hemel-en-Arde valley where the cool maritime climate creates ideal conditions for the growing of Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay grapes. Here, wine farms such as Bouchard Finlayson, Hamilton Russel and Whalehaven Wines produce acclaimed wines.

Because of its shallow, sandy beaches this area is where many of the Southern Right Whales come to mate and calve. Whales often come very close to the shore in Hermanus, and there are some excellent vantage points from the cliff paths that run from one end of town to the other. After lunch at one of the seafood restaurants in the village, there will be time to browse at the many stores and craft markets in the town. Return to the city over the Hottentot Hollands Mountains, driving through the apple growing regions of Grabouw and Elgin, and stopping on the spectacular Sir Lowry's Mountain Pass for beautiful views of the Cape Peninsula.

Day 5 – Breakfast at the hotel followed by a full day at leisure to explore the scenic beauty and historic sights of Cape Town.

Day 6 – Breakfast at the hotel. Private transfer to Cape Town Airport for your flight to Hoedspruit via Johannesburg. Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to Thornybush Main Lodge. Accommodations in a Suite for two nights inclusive of all meals and daily activities. Thornybush Main Lodge is situated along the banks of the seasonal Monwana River adjacent to Kruger National Park. Rangers and trackers conduct morning and evening safaris in open Landrovers. Thornybush Main Lodge boasts Five Star accommodation, sheer Comfort and Style amongst the Big Five. Thornybush Main Lodge houses full spa facilities perfect for the bride and groom to enjoy the attentions of the Guerlain trained therapists, or simply pamper yourself with a deep exfoliating massage.

Day 7 – Enjoy all the activities that Thornybush has to offer.

Day 8 – After one final game drive and a hearty breakfast at the lodge, you will be transferred to Hoedspruit Airport for your flight to Johannesburg and onward connection back to the USA aboard South African Airways.

Day 9 – Arrive home

Price per person double occupancy:
January 1 - April 30, 2005- $3,989. single supp = $1,784.
May 1 - May 31, 2005 - $3,662. single supp = $1,611.
June 1 - July 31, 2005 - $3,951. single supp = $1,611.
August 1 - August 31, 2005 - $4,192. single supp = $1,696.
September 1 - September 30, 2005 - $3,981. single supp = $1,696.
October 1 - October 31, 2005 - $3,998. single supp = $1,784.
Note: Travel must start and end between the dates shown.

Includes use of VIP lounge in Capetown and Johannesburg airports.

* Terms and conditions apply. Please inquire for full details.
* International & domestic air taxes of approximately $110 not included