It's our next big adventure!
And if we're lucky we'll see the Big Five! It's a first
for Singles in Paradise and we're confident you will love this
itinerary.
This trip will include
1-night in Johannesburg, 6-nights in Cape Town, a 3-night safari
in the Kruger National Park at an amazing private lodge where
we'll have the game drives all to ourselves plus all the tours
that you see here.
Itinerary:
May 17th
Arrival in Johannsburg
Welcome to South Africa!
The rest of the day is spent at leisure.
Blessed with blue skies a balmy climate a rich cultural heritage
and a magnificent backdrop of ocean and mountain, the Mother
City boasts a profusion of museums, art galleries, restaurants,
shops, theatres, night spots and landmarks. Fondly known to
the world as the Mother City, a word followed instantly by the
visual of Table Mountain – this gift from Mother Nature,
offers the most awesome view when ascended.
May
18th
Johannesburg
B,L
Begin with a tour of Soweto, this city developed as a township
for black people under the apartheid system. Soweto is inhabited
by 2 million people, a fascinating place to visit. Take in the
sights of Baragwaneth Hospital, Nelson Mandela's House, Freedom
Square and Vilikazi Street.
Lunch at a festive, local Sheebeen (township pub). Continue
to the Apartheid Museum, discover the true history of South
Africa, the first of its kind, illustrates the rise and fall
of apartheid.
Late afternoon
flight to Cape Town.
May
19th
Half Day Cape Town City & Table Mountain Tour B
This
morning we will fly to Cape Town. No visit to Cape Town is complete
without a half day tour of the mother city itself. After departing
the hotel
we head for Table
Mountain. Enjoy the crisp air and clear visibility as you reach
the summit (weather permitting). Our guide will point out the
highlights of one of the world's
most famous views. After the descent
we enjoy a scenic coastal drive through Clifton
and Sea Point to the city centre where we visit Green Market
Square. We stretch our legs with
a walk through the
Company Gardens. The tour continues with a drive past the Houses
of Parliament, the City Hall, The Castle and Slave Lodge, before
entering the "Bo Kaap", also known as the Malay quarter.
The architecture in this area is typical of what Cape Town
was like 200 years ago. We ascend Signal Hill to witness firing
of the noon gun (except Sundays and Public Holidays).
You will be dazzled by the diamond tour where we learn about
the history of these sparkling gems before returning you back
to your Hotel.
May
20th
Full
Day Cape Winelands Tour B
Our first stop this morning is at Anura Wine Estate for a cheese
and wine tasting. We make our way to Franschhoek with a photo
stop at the Groot Drakenstein Prison where Nelson Mandela was
released in Feb 1990. The village
of Franschhoek nestled amongst the mountains, can easily be
mistaken as being in Switzerland. After a short tour of the
lit
tle
town, a second wine tasting will take place in Franschhoek,
followed by a lunch stop (optional – own account), and
maybe a chance to try some of the fresh trout that Franschhoek
is known for. After lunch the tour continues over the
Hells
Hoogte Mountain Pass to Stellenbosch. It is easy to understand
why Simon van der Stel decided to settle a village amongst the
mountains. The backdrop of the Hottentots Holland Mountains,
the white gabled Cape
Dutch homesteads and the oak lined streets and lanes all blend
in to give this place a charm that will not be forgotten.
Time permitting; we will include a third wine tasting.
May
21st
Full Day Cape Point & Peninsula Tour B
Our journey to Cape Point takes us along the scenic Atlantic
seaboard coastal road. We pass the pristine beaches of
Clifton
and Camps Bay with their soft white sand and assure blue water.
The formidable 12 Apostles Peaks rise above the road on one
side, while sheer cliffs and incredible rock formations drop
into the icy Atlantic
Ocean on the other side. There is no
doubt the coast of the Cape peninsula offers magnificent
scenery with its great biodiversity. We arrive at the quaint
fishing village of Hout
Bay with its imposing Sentinel. Visit
Seal Island or shop for souvenirs at the craft market at the
harbour. Our tour continues 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 buck and birds, the Cape Mountain Zebra, and mischievous
baboons. These creatures entertain guests enjoying lunch at
the restaurant which has splendid views of
False Bay. Take the funicular to the lighthouse to see the meeting
of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans at the Cape Point. We visit
Boulders
Beach to see the African penguins before arriving at the naval
base of Simonstown, and then we venture inland and return to
the hotel.
May
22nd
Free
Day Cape Town B
Today
is a free day. There are a number of potential tours you will
be able to take. Check
out this document for an idea of how many ways you have to spend
your day. How
about a cage dive with great white sharks? Okay, maybe not for
everybody but at least one of our travelers will be doing it.
May
23rd
Free
Day Cape Town B
Today
is a another free day. We purposely did not want to include
every tour on this trip to give you a variety of choices. We
will have more information on our suggested options as we get
closer to the trip.
May
24th
Cape
Town to
Kruger - Kapama River Lodge B,L,D
This
morning we will fly to the Kruger National Park.
Flight: South
African 1241 (OPERATED BY SOUTH AFRICAN EXPRESS) Departure:Cape
Town 24MAY/910A Arrival:Hoedspruit 24MAY/1230P
Kapama
River Lodge:
Within the expansive Kapama Private Game
Reserve, River Lodge epitomises safari accommodation. The majestic
northern Drakensberg mountains form the backdrop to the 64-suite
River Lodge, which is positioned along a bend of the seasonal
Kapama River. It’s the largest luxury game lodge in the
Greater Kruger National Park area, and is stylishly furnished
to ensure an unforgettable African safari experience.
River Lodge’s 40 spacious air-conditioned suites have
uninterrupted views over the Big Five game reserve from private
patios, and all feature full, en-suite bathrooms with lavish
amenities replenished daily. The suites are decorated to reflect
old Africa in a luxury game lodge setting. Beverage stations
for early morning coffee in suite and minibars for sundowners
on your private patio are standard in all
May 25th
Kruger / Kapama B,L,D
Across all of Kapama’s
lodges, two daily game drives are offered and are
included in the tariff. Accompanied by a skilled ranger and
tracker, guests can expect to encounter a diverse range of animal
and bird species on game drives. Since this is a Big Five reserve,
seeing lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo is possible
over a two-day safari in Kapama Private Game Reserve.
The day starts with an early wake-up call between 5am and
5:30am. Tea, coffee and rusks are enjoyed
together before heading out at first light. While seeing big
game is always exhilarating, there are many other smaller species
that are also captivating, and birding enthusiasts will be delighted
at the approximately 350 species of birds recorded on the reserve.
Halfway through the game drive, there’s a stop for hot
drinks and snacks, before returning to the lodge at around
9am for a full breakfast. Throughout the day,
it’s likely you will see wildlife around the lodge –
nyala antelope and vervet monkeys are frequent visitors, though
seeing some of the Big Five is also not uncommon.
At around 3:30pm, everyone gathers for a decadent
high tea, before heading out with your ranger and tracker for
the afternoon game drive through the reserve. En route, you’ll
stop for a sundowner drink and will have a chance to stretch
your legs as you watch the sun set over the distant peaks of
the Drakensberg mountains.
As darkness falls, the nocturnal animals of the bush come out.
The skilled tracker will scan the landscape using a spotlight,
which illuminates animals’ eyes. A variety of completely
different species can be seen on the night drive back to the
lodge. Arrival is at the lodge is usually around 7pm, allowing
time to freshen up before enjoying a sumptuous dinner.
May 26th
Kruger / Kapama B,L,D
Spend
your day's game viewing in the heart of Africa. Enjoy morning
and afternoon game drives to spot Africa's "Big Five"
with highly qualified game rangers and trackers and round off
the days with dazzling star gazing. Your safari experience includes
all meals, morning and afternoon game drives, as well as a visit
to Hoedspruit Centre for Endangered Species, which concentrates
primarily on the rehabilitation of the endangered cheetah.
Overnight at Kapama Southern Camp
May
27th
Kapama
/ Johannesburg B
After your final morning game drive (time permitting) , you
transfer to Hoedspruit Airport and check in for your flight
to JNB.
Flight: South African 1228 (OPERATED BY SOUTH AFRICAN
EXPRESS) Departure:Hoedspruit 27MAY/155P Arrival:Johannesburg
27MAY/255P
SoWeTo
/ Home B
A
fond farewell…
We wish you a fond farewell as you are collected from your hotel
and transferred to Johanneburg International Airport for your
homeward flight…
So
there it is. A wonderful itinerary without any long layovers!
Plus there are no visa's required! I just know this
is going to be an amazing trip. I hope you are able to
join us.
GROUP
AIR:
We have secured 32 spots from LAX for the following itinerary.
Please let us know when you sign up if you will be using our
group air:
Flight:
South African 7417 Departure:Los Angeles 16MAY/755A Arrival:Washington
Dulles 16MAY/345P
Flight:South African 210 Departure: Washington Dulles 16MAY/540P
Arrival:Johannesburg 17MAY/505P
Flight: South African 357 Departure:Johannesburg 18MAY/505P
Arrival:Cape Town 18MAY/715P
Flight:South African
207 Departure: Johannesburg 27MAY/625P Arrival:Washington Dulles
28MAY/625A
Flight: South African 7416 Departure:Washington Dulles 28MAY/845A
Arrival:Los Angeles 28MAY/1109A
COST:
Base fare $1155.00 plus taxes $518.45 (subject to change) =
$1673.45
INCLUDED:
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