Cape Town, Eastern Cape Safari & Garden Route Tour - "Step into the southern land of safaris" 

Mzansi, derived from the Xhosa noun uMzantsi meaning "south", is a colloquial name for South Africa, while some Pan-Africanist political parties prefer the term "Azania".

Day One: Arrive Cape Town

Upon arrival off your international flight, the Guest Services team will meet you for a warm welcome to Cape Town.

Cape Town is addictive and inspires discovery and has been voted as the best place in the world to visit by the prestigious New York Times. This vibrant multicultural city is a healthy mix of urban and convenient living, vibey day and night spots, nature and relaxation as well as the ocean and white sand beaches at your fingertips. Ride the revolving cable car to the sky on Table Mountain; shop at  the V&A Waterfront, one of Africa’s premier shopping destinations; stand on the edge of the world at Cape Point or delve into South Africa’s past at Robben Island, the prison that once held one of the world’s greatest heroes, Nelson Mandela. The “Mother City”, the “Green City”, the “Tavern of the Seas"…whatever name you give it, it stays beautiful and beckons to be explored—the more, the better.

Overnight: Old Bank Hotel - Meals : None

Day Two: Cape Town

After breakfast you will be collected from your hotel for your Scheduled Guided Half Day Morning Table Mountain & City Tour.

Drive past famous landmarks such as the Castle of Good Hope built in 1666, City Hall, and the Grand Parade. Driving through famous Adderley Street, we will see St. George’s Cathedral: The Anglican Diocese of Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Pass the Company Gardens and the Malay Quarter which is situated on the slopes of Table Mountain where slaves were settled. Continue to join a sparkling tour, witness the art of diamond cutting and the careful craftsmanship of jewellery manufacturing by skilled experts.

You will be offered the option of continuing to Table Mountain, where you can ascend to the top (weather permitting) by the revolving cable car (for own account). Here you'll see phenomenal views, including Robben Island. Visit to the Castle of Good Hope (time permitting).

Table Mountain (weather permitting)

Guests will take a trip to the top of the world, high above the clouds on the famous Table Mountain. Table Mountain is an icon in Cape Town and is most likely the most photographed landmark in the country. Table Mountain has been named as on the seven wonders of nature and attracts millions over visitors from all across the globe, in fact, since the opening of the aerial cableway in 1929; more than 22 million people have taken the trip to the top.  At the upper cable station, guests will find a restaurant and a curio shop as well as some footpaths for exploration.

You will be returned to your hotel afterwards for the rest of the day to be spent at leisure, lunch and dinner for clients’ own account.

Overnight: Old Bank Hotel - Meals: Breakfast

Day Three: Cape Town

After breakfast you will be collected from your hotel for your Scheduled Guided Full Day Cape Highlights Tour.

This combination tour offers the highlights of Cape Point and the Cape Winelands. The tour includes a scenic drive along the Atlantic Coast and Cape Point Nature Reserve with its variety of fauna and flora. The reserve is one of the world's largest breeding grounds for tortoises and is nothing short of a spectacular sight with its stone cliffs, fynbos, beautiful bay and beaches. It is a natural wonderland. Following the coastline along False Bay, we'll continue to the Stellenbosch Winelands, the oldest and most distinguished of all the wine routes in the famous Cape Winelands, for a wine tasting before returning to Cape Town.

Tour might include a trip back to Cape Town to collect additional guest for the second half of the tour. Tour may be operated in reverse direction.

Overnight: Old Bank Hotel - Meals: Breakfast

Day Four: Cape Town

Today you have a leisure day to explore on your own, lunch and dinner at your own account.

Overnight: Old Bank Hotel - Meals: Breakfast

Day Five: Cape Town / Port Elizabeth /  Amakhala Hlosi Game Lodge

After breakfast and check out, and your driver will collect you from your Hotel to transfer you back to Cape Town International Airport, where you will check in for your flight to Port Elizabeth. (Airfare included)

Upon arrival at Port Elizabeth Airport, you will be met and assisted to your transfer vehicle. An English-speaking driver will then transfer you to Amakhala Hlosi Game Lodge, where you will overnight for 2 nights.

Hlosi Game Lodge is set on the Amakhala Game Reserve and is set on a hill overlooking a river. You can expect to indulge in wide-open spaces, beautiful surrounds and superb service. Game viewing is either on the daily guided safari trips or from the bar at the main lodge, which is set overlooking the water hole, or even from the luxury of the spa baths in the suites. You will dine in style in the elegantly appointed dining room or on the expansive decks of the main lodge. It is here that the bar is found as well as a well-stocked library and the nearby sparkling swimming pool. Views of the water hole are spectacular from either the main lodge or private suites. Children are welcome here and catered for with their own private lounge, games and books.

Today you enjoy your first Game drive in the Eastern Cape.

Overnight: Amakhala Hlosi Game Lodge - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day Six: Amakahal Game Reserve

Enjoy Morning and afternoon game drives are the order of the day.  Experienced game rangers will drive you in open 4 x 4 vehicles on safari every morning and afternoon/evening in open game-drive vehicles, traversing the valleys, grassy plains and African bushveld. During your game drives you may get to see the Big Five, lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo.  You may also get to see hyena, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, eland, kudu, waterbuck and a variety of other antelope, as well as a myriad of bird species. Nestled on the banks of the Bushman’s River, this Lodge is unique in that it connects a Big-5 game reserve to the sea. Our optional (extra cost) daily boat cruises ferry guests through the quaint village of Kenton-on-sea to its picturesque and user friendly beaches.

Overnight: Amakhala Hlosi Game Lodge - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day Seven: Amakahal Game Reserve - Port Elizabeth

After your last morning game drive and breakfast, an English-speaking driver will collect you from Kariega River Lodge to transfer you to The Beach Hotel Port Elizabeth, where you will overnight for 1 night.

Port Elizabeth is situated in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, and is regarded as the gateway to the renowned Garden Route as well as enthralling wildlife destinations such as the famous Addo National Park. The Addo National Park is home to over 450 elephants and is the perfect place to get acquainted with these giant creatures in their natural environment. The “Friendly City” acts as a pseudonym for Port Elizabeth, and guest are often pleasantly surprised to learn that the city has over 40 kilometres of Indian Ocean coastline, with many of its beached declared as blue flag beaches. Port Elizabeth also has the rare status of being a 5- Biome City.

The rest of the day to be spent at leisure, lunch and dinner for clients’ own account.

Overnight: The Beach Hotel Port Elizabeth - Meals: Breakfast

Day Eight: Port Elizabeth - Knysna

After breakfast and check out, you will be collected from your hotel for your Scheduled Guided Garden Route.

Meet your representative and fellow travellers and head westwards along the Garden Route, which follows the Indian Ocean coastline, and is bordered inland by soaring mountain ranges and indigenous forests. Visit the spectacular Tsitsikamma National Park and Storms River Mouth (weather permitting). You’ll arrive at your 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.

The afternoon is at leisure to relax or explore the town. Tonight enjoy dinner at Drydock Restaurant, renowned for dishes with glorious aromas and flavours, using the finest local ingredients and freshly picked herbs from the region.

Overnight: The Rex Hotel - Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day Nine: Knysna - Tsitsikamma - Knysna

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 a sumptuous lunch. The afternoon is at leisure to further explore this charming town set around a natural harbour lagoon, alternatively enjoy a leisurely walk or swim along the pristine Buffalo Bay Beach in the Goukamma Nature Reserve.

Overnight: The Rex Hotel - Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Day Ten: Knysna - Oudtshoorn

Travel through the Outeniqua Pass to Oudtshoorn, known as the “ostrich capital” and the centre of the world’s Ostrich farming industry. Along the way, visit the ‘Map of Africa’, an extraordinary viewpoint in Wilderness. In Oudtshoorn, we’ll visit an Ostrich Farm for a fun filled interactive tour and light lunch that includes local specialities such as Ostrich Steak, before taking 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, in time to check in and relax before dinner (for own account).

Overnight: Hlangana Lodge - Meals: Breakfast & lunch

 

Today 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 through the ‘Little Karoo’ to Barrydale, where 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).

Continue to Cape Town, spectacularly set at the foot of Table Mountain, where the tour ends on arrival.

After the tour you will be transferred back to Cape Town International Airport, where you will check in for your onward flights.

Meals: Breakfast

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South Africa Registration

 

     Your tour includes:

• Meet and Greet: Company Specific - Cape Town - Platinum V-VIP - Welcome
• Transfer from Cape Town International Airport (CPT) to Old Bank Hotel
• 4 night(s) Accommodation at Old Bank Hotel in a Superior Room on a Bed and Breakfast basis.
• Half Day Scheduled Morning Table Mountain & City Tour (Excl. Cost of Cableway Ticket)
• Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Co Ltd: Cable Way Fee (Morning Ticket) - Weather Permitting
• Cape Highlights Tour - Full Day Scheduled
• Transfer from Old Bank Hotel to Cape Town International Airport (CPT)
• Transfer from Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) to Amakhala Hlosi Game Lodge
• 2 night(s) Accommodation at Amakhala Hlosi Game Lodge in a Luxury Safari Tent on a Fully Inclusive basis.
• Transfer from Amakhala Hlosi Game Lodge to Beach Hotel
• 1 night(s) Accommodation at Beach Hotel in a Front Sea Facing Family Room on a Bed and Breakfast basis.
• 4 Day Garden Route Uncovered ex Beach Hotel
• Transportation as per itinerary above
• Guide and Driver meals & accommodation where applicable
• Local English-speaking driver on all transfers and sightseeing excursions
• Local English-speaking guide on all transfers and sightseeing excursions

      Excludes:

• All airfares, air reservations and airport taxes
• All other accommodation
• All other meals
• All other transport
• All other sightseeing
• Gratuities for meals, tourist guides, drivers, game rangers and trackers
• Personal expenses such as alcoholic and other beverages, telephone calls and laundry
• Any other services not mentioned above

Important information:

          ·          Canadian Citizens do not require a visa to enter South Africa

          ·          All passports must be valid for at least 6 months after your return AND must have two blank pages side by side for South African immigration.

          ·          Contact your local health clinic to determine if any other inoculations are required.

          ·          Comprehensive travel insurance is highly recommended

 

**Times may vary according to traffic and weather

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