The essentials of South Africa

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Cape Town Airport - Cape Town

  

  Welcome and assistance at Cape Town International Airport by our French-speaking representative. You collect your rental vehicle and drive to Cape Town and your hotel. Overnight at Antrim Villa guesthouse in a standard room.

• day 2

  Cape Town

  

  Discovery day of the cosmopolitan city of Cape Town. We suggest taking the cable car to the top of Table Mountain. From the top of the mountain, 1000 meters above sea level, a walk on flat terrain offers magnificent views of the city and the Atlantic Ocean. You can then discover, as you wish, the South African National Museum, the Company's Garden, the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, the colorful Bo-Kaap district, the African craft market at Green Market Square, or the Castle of Good Hope. Suggestions during your stay in Cape Town for visits to organize in advance with us for a tailor-made itinerary: - a guided tour of a township (half a day) - a culinary tour of the city (half a day) - a bike ride (between 3 hours and 1 day) - a cage dive with great white sharks (1 day) - an evening discovering the origins of Cape Town jazz - a helicopter flight over the city and peninsula (between 12 and 60 minutes) - a 112 m abseil down Table Mountain (2 hours) - a paragliding flight over the Atlantic coast - a sunset catamaran excursion in Cape Bay with sparkling wine. Overnight at Antrim Villa guesthouse in a standard room.

• day 3

  Cape Town

  

  Day dedicated to discovering the Cape Peninsula and its mythical Cape of Good Hope. Suggested itinerary: drive to the small fishing port of Hout Bay, nestled in a magnificent bay bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. Possibility to take a boat trip to Duiker Island, the island where a colony of seals has settled. Continue along the panoramic Chapman's Peak Drive, which winds along the mountain slopes by the Atlantic Ocean. You reach Simonstown, where Boulders Beach is home to a colony of African penguins. You can have a seafood lunch, then head to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point, the tip of the Cape Peninsula. Off the Cape of Good Hope, formerly called the Cape of Storms, many ships of the Dutch East India Company were wrecked in the 17th century, before a trading post was established on the peninsula that would become the city of Cape Town. From the Cape Point lighthouse, a beautiful 1.5-hour walk allows you to reach the tip of the peninsula. Return to Cape Town at the end of the afternoon. On the way, you can visit the Cape Point ostrich farm to learn more about the largest living bird species. Overnight at Antrim Villa guesthouse in a standard room.

• day 4

  Cape Town

  Day at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront port in Cape Town. Suggestions: - Visit Robben Island, the island in Cape Town's bay where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years. - Visit the Springbok Rugby Museum (open from 10am to 6pm). - Visit the Two Oceans Aquarium, home to around 3,000 aquatic animals (sharks, turtles, penguins, and a multitude of fish). - Visit the V&A Market on Wharf. Overnight at Antrim Villa guesthouse in a standard room.

• day 5

  Cape Town - Cape Town Airport - Durban Airport - St Lucia

  Departure for Cape Town airport where you return your rental vehicle. Domestic flight Cape Town - Durban, flight time: 2h. Pick up your rental vehicle and depart along the Indian Ocean coast to reach St Lucia, a quiet village located along the St Lucia estuary, home to many crocodiles and hippos. Estimated travel time: 2h30. Overnight at St Lucia Wetlands guesthouse.

• day 6

  Saint Lucia

  Day dedicated to discovering the iSimangaliso National Park, with such biodiversity that it is the first place in South Africa to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park is home to a population of 800 hippos and 1,200 crocodiles, as well as rhinos and many antelopes. Its wild and multifaceted nature will amaze you. Suggestions: - Boat trip on the St Lucia estuary to observe hippos and crocodiles. - Day visit to Cape Vidal and its magnificent beach along the Indian Ocean. Overnight at the St Lucia Wetlands guesthouse.

• day 7

  St Lucia - Hluhluwe

  

  Road to the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi National Park, a park renowned for its rhino conservation work. Estimated travel time: 1h. Entry through the Nyalazi gate, then safari with your own vehicle through the many hills of the reserve. The compound name of this 96,000 ha national park was born from the merger of two neighboring reserves, Hluhluwe and Umfolozi, with the aim of giving more space to the rhinos. This animal is, moreover, the reason for the creation of these two sanctuaries, established in 1895 to save the last specimens of white rhinos in the region. Today, although united, these 2 areas retain their specificities. There is a shrub savannah area crossed by the Black and White Umfolosi rivers, and a greener part where the Hluhluwe river flows. A great variety of wildlife is present, including the Big 5, but also giraffes, zebras, cheetahs, antelopes, and a multitude of birds, including Cape ibises. The Umfolosi part is renowned for its many hiking trails, while safaris with your own vehicle or guided 4x4 tours take place throughout the park. Guided night safaris in 4x4s allow you to observe nocturnal birds and other animals that are difficult to spot during the day, such as the leopard. Continue to the village of Hluhluwe at the end of the afternoon. Overnight in a furnished tent at Falaza Game Park and Spa.

• day 8

  Hluhluwe - Mlilwane Nature Reserve

  

  You leave the South African region of Kwazulu-Natal to discover a new country landlocked between South Africa and Mozambique: the Kingdom of Swaziland. Welcome to the smallest country in the southern hemisphere! Estimated travel time: 4h30. Drive to the Mlilwane reserve, the oldest wildlife conservation area in the country, where you can observe the local wildlife. Check-in and free time to enjoy this reserve where you can get around on foot, by bike, by car, on horseback... Overnight at Beehive Villages in a traditional Swazi hut within the Mlilwane nature reserve.

• day 9

  Mlilwane Nature Reserve - Ezulwini Valley - Mlilwane Nature Reserve

  

  Free day to discover the Ezulwini Valley, which stretches between the kingdom's capital, Mbabane, and the country's main economic center, Manzini. Visiting Ezulwini allows you to discover Swazi culture through its craft centers, markets, and cultural villages. We suggest visiting the Mantenga Cultural Village, where you will discover a typical village, then attend a show of traditional songs and dances. Don't miss the Mlilwane Reserve, a pioneer in wildlife conservation in Swaziland. You can explore the reserve on foot, by mountain bike, on horseback, or with your vehicle, following in the footsteps of zebras, impalas, wildebeests, hippos, rhinos... Overnight at Beehive Villages in a traditional Swazi hut, within the Mlilwane Nature Reserve, in the bush.

• day 10

  Mlilwane Nature Reserve - Kruger National Park

  Departure for one of the largest wildlife parks in Africa, Kruger Park! Estimated travel time: 5h (not including visits and border crossing). Crossing the border between Swaziland and South Africa at Jeppe's Reef, in the north of Swazi country. On the way to the border, we suggest you visit the Ngwenya glassblowing workshop as well as the Piggs Peak craft center. You will reach one of the southern entrance gates to the park and begin a safari with your own vehicle. Overnight in a bungalow at Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp in Kruger Park.

• day 11

  Kruger National Park

  Safari driving your car in Kruger Park to discover African flora and fauna. The best way to discover Kruger Park is undoubtedly by driving your own car. Such a safari gives you the freedom to explore the park according to your interests and to move at your own pace. The southern part of the park, along the Sabie and Crocodile rivers, is rich in water and offers many opportunities for wildlife viewing. Here, you can see the best of South Africa's flora and fauna, such as lions, leopards, elephants, rhinoceroses, and African buffaloes (often called the Big Five), but there are many other animals to discover as well. Driving along the Sabie River always allows for interesting wildlife sightings. The vegetation around the river is very dense, with forest and thickets, and becomes a bit more open as you drive south to the Crocodile River. Optional: guided 4x4 safaris in the morning, afternoon, evening, as well as guided walking safaris in the morning. Overnight in a bungalow at Satara Rest Camp in Kruger Park.

• day 12

  Kruger National Park - Klaserie Private Reserve

  

  Safari between the camp and the exit gate of Kruger Park, then you join the immense private game reserve of Klaserie. This private game reserve is one of the largest in the "Greater Kruger National Park," with nearly 60,000 hectares of preserved nature stretching along the banks of the Klaserie River. This river is a major asset of the reserve, as it is a prime spot for observing animals that come to drink there. The reserve, being open to neighboring reserves and to Kruger Park, is home to a very diverse fauna: it includes, in addition to the Big 5 (lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros, and buffalo), giraffes, hyenas, hippos, vervet monkeys, and many other animals. It also offers you the opportunity to spot the very rare white lion. As the reserve is private, your ranger will give you an intense experience up close to the animals, during safaris in an open vehicle or on foot. Committed to a rhino protection program, the reserve is also conducting a study for the long-term survival of elephants. Full board stay at the Africa On Foot camp. Two guided safaris are included per day: a first in an open 4x4 vehicle in the afternoon, and a second the next morning on foot in the reserve with your experienced ranger. This unfenced camp offers you an authentic experience up close to the animals. Every Friday evening, dinner takes place around a fire in the bush. With 5 chalets, Africa On Foot ensures you a stay in the heart of the savannah. Overnight in a chalet.

• day 13

  Klaserie Private Reserve

  Full board stay at the Africa On Foot camp. Two guided safaris are included per day: the first in an open 4x4 vehicle in the afternoon, and the second the next morning on foot in the reserve with your experienced ranger. Overnight in a chalet.

• day 14

  Klaserie Private Reserve - White River

  Day dedicated to discovering the Mpumalanga region and especially the Blyde River Canyon, along the panoramic R532 route. Suggestions: - God's Window, which offers a magnificent panorama over the entire Lowveld. - The Three Rondavels, which resemble three typically African huts. - Bourke's Luck Potholes and its pot-shaped rock formations created by erosion. - The Lisbon and Berlin waterfalls. - The mining village of Pilgrim's Rest, where gold prospecting was in full swing for a century, until the early 1970s. - The Echo Caves site, listed as a South African national heritage site and renowned for its caves discovered in 1923, where you can observe stalactites and stalagmites. Overnight at Stille Woning Guest House.

• day 15

  White River - Johannesburg Airport

  Route towards Johannesburg International Airport where you return your rental vehicle. Estimated travel time: 4h.