Come with us as we explore the best of South Africa
including Cape Town, Pilgrim’s Rest, Panorama Route,
Elephant Plains Game Lodge and Kruger
National Park - one of the best Big Game 5
viewing in the country!
ITINERARY:
June 18:
Board our International Flight to Johannesburg via South African Airways
from LAX. Dulles from D.C. is optional gateway.
June 19: Arrival at Johannesburg
On arrival
late afternoon, you will be met by your coach and guide who will
accompany you to your hotel
June 20: Johannesburg to Pilgrim’s Rest
After
breakfast tour the town of Pretoria and a lunch stop will be made at
the small town of Dullstroom (lunch for own account).
Travel on to
Robbers Pass and to Pilgrim’s Rest. Pilgrim’s rest dates back to the
first gold rush in South Africa. You will enjoy this unique restored
Victorian village. Your lodging for the night is at The Royal Hotel ,
one of the main features of the historic town of Pilgrim's Rest. The
town was declared a gold field in 1873, soon after Alec 'Wheelbarrow'
Patterson had found gold deposits in the Pilgrim's Creek and a huge
gold-rush followed. Please keep in mind that although very comfortable
this hotel is not supposed to be a modern day western style five star
hotel - you are transformed back 200 years and experience life as the
more wealthy residents of Pilgrim's Rest lived it
[Overnight:
The Royal Hotel –
1 night – Dinner/Bed/Breakfast
June
21 to 24: Pilgrim’s Rest to Elephant Plains Game Lodge
After
breakfast depart for Elephant Plains Game Lodge. Travel via the
beautiful Panorama route with stops to enjoy the views over the Blyde
river Canyon.
Elephant Plains is
located in the remote northern section of the Sabi Game Reserve
- right against the northern boundary of the Reserve. The latter is a 65
000Ha game reserve that consists of various private reserves - all with
open borders to each other. The greater reserve is fenced but shares a
50km open border with the huge Kruger national Park (20 000
square kilometres). This makes it part of a huge ecosystem. The animals
you will see during game drives literally have the freedom to walk
hundreds of miles without interference. The Reserve is home to the
Big 5 (lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino & elephant). Of these rhino is
not often observed in the northern sections of Sabi Sand, but you have a
very good chance of seeing rhino at your next Lodge. Keep in mind that
while a myriad of species is found in Sabi Sand, their movements are not
restricted and controlled. Therefore, sighting a specific species can
never be guaranteed. However, we'll be very surprised if you don't see
at least four of the big five during your stay.
Elephant Plains Lodge
is owned by the Swart family. The lodge
consists of the original family rondavels (round thatched buildings),
that now house the five spacious standard rooms (each in its own
rondavel), as well a newer section that was added in 2003 and contains
the boma (traditional open-roofed enclosure with fire pit), dining room,
lounge & bar, wine cellar, curious shop, swimming pool and six luxury
rooms. The standard rooms are very comfortable, airy and well suited to
the Lowveld's hot and dry climate. The luxury rooms are also thatched,
as is the rest of the lodge, but built more to modern lodge trends, e.g.
access paths leads past the back for privacy, the rooms' location on the
riverbank provide views over the riverbed and floodplain beyond, each
chalet is glass-fronted to enhance views and bring nature inside, each
has its own private deck, a lounge, air-conditioning, etc.
Game drives
are normally done nine to a vehicle at this lodge, but we have made
arrangements to seat you six to a vehicle.
You also have
the option of going on guided game walks in-between game drives - which
you can arrange with your ranger.
Spend three
nights at the Game Lodge. Enjoy wonderful game viewing in an unspoilt
African environment
Overnight:
Elephant Plains Game Lodge – 3 nights – All meals except for soft drinks
and alcoholic bev.
June
24: Elephant Plains to Johannesburg
Enjoy your
last morning and game drive at Elephants Plains before departing by
plane from Elephant Plains for Johannesburg.
24 June 2009 /
Arrival in Cape Town
Upon
arrival in Cape Town, you will be met off your flight and transferred to
your hotel.
Southern Sun Cullinan
Situated at the entrance to the
exciting V&A Waterfront,
The Cullinan offers views of Table Mountain, the bustling harbor,
the Waterfront and the city. The hotel complements the rich, cultural
heritage of Cape Town with a timeless architectural tradition. Every
aspect of the hotel denotes the special care that it offers in providing
guests with efficient and discreet service. Elegance and style is
evident in the marbled foyer, with its majestic columns and lavish
decor, rich furnishings and intricate metalwork. The guest rooms are
spacious with luxury bathrooms, and offer views of either Table Mountain
or the Waterfront. This hotel provides a full range of services - from
the elegant breakfast room and a la carte restaurant, to the ladies'
cocktail bar. For the health conscious, the hotel has its own gym and
for those who prefer a fresh water dip to the cold Atlantic Ocean, the
outdoor pool is ideal. Guests who choose to stay at The Cullinan are
assured of exceptionally good value and individual recognition
Evening at leisure
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
(excl drinks)
25
June 2009 / Cape Town
Today enjoy a Cape Town City Tour,
exploring the famous Table Mountain, the history with a visit to the SA
Museum & Cape Castle, the culture with a visit through the Malay
Quarters and to the amazing Street Wires Workshop, then to the Diamond
Works and the scenic Kirstenbosch Gardens. Today experience a bit of
everything, which South Africa is about.
Table
Mountain - Since the first person laid
eyes on Table Mountain, it has exerted its powerful and charismatic
pull, enchanting and drawing any and all who fall under its spell. The
best views of Cape Town are seen from the top of Table Mountain. The
Cableway summit is under 10 minutes and the cable car’s rotating floor
ensures that all passengers have an aerial view of the city.
SA
Museum - The South African
Museum is a window on the world of natural history, showcasing the
bounty of nature, both present and past. Exhibitions and dioramas
display hundreds of different species – inhabitants of land, sea or air
– enabling visitors to view, under a single roof, creatures as diverse
as dinosaurs, mammals, coelacanths, bats or even the fossilized remains
of species from 250 million years ago. In the popular Discovery Room,
children can discover nature by touch, feel and interaction.
The
Cape Castle is the oldest
surviving building in South Africa. Built between 1666 and 1679, this
pentagonal fortification replaced a small clay and timber fort built by
Commander Jan van Riebeeck in 1652 upon establishing a maritime
replenishment station art the Cape of Good Hope for the Dutch East India
Company, better known as the VOC (Verenigde Oos-Indische Compagnie). The
Cape of Good Hope houses the regional headquarters of the South African
Army in the Western Cape, the famous William Fehr Collection of historic
artworks, the Castle Military Museum and ceremonial facilities for
traditional Cape Regiments.
Malay
Quarter - A look at the
picturesque "Malay Quarter", a living cultural museum and home to the
oldest mosque in the Southern Hemisphere. We discover the unique
culture, lifestyle and personality of the Cape Muslim community and
their contribution to South Africa's development. The Bo-Kaap, with its
small, but lovingly restored houses, is home to many of Cape Town's
Malay families. Here Islam is the dominant religion. Several old Mosques
serve the community, and the chanting of the muezzin from the mosque
tower calls the faithful to prayer five times a day.
Streetwires:
Started in 2000 with two artists and three founders,
Streetwires
is a business with a social mission that is tackling the problems of
unemployment and poverty in our country head on. Focusing on the unique
and dynamic genre of wire art, our Proudly South African project is
providing the skills training, support and raw materials necessary to
enable
over 100 formerly
unemployed men and women to channel their natural creative energies into
this vibrant art form. Using the core tenets of up-liftment,
sustainability and innovation as our guide, we are seeking in
Street wires
to create a microcosm of what we are striving for in South Africa -
individuals, taking responsibility for their destiny, bringing their
diverse skills together and working to build their future and the future
of the country we love.
Street wire art, unique
to Southern Africa and largely unavailable beyond our borders, is a
living testimony to the industriousness and creative spirit of our
people. Born in the shanty towns and dusty back roads and baptized on
the streets, today this genre is a thriving and legitimate art form in
its own right, with many 'wiremasters' making a living selling their
creations not only on street corners and at craft markets, but also in
up market shops and galleries around the world.
Like
our people, each handcrafted piece is special in its own way, and each
one has its own story to tell, while the scope for
training, development and upliftment is enormous. In
addition, most wire art lends itself readily to being branded, thereby
increasing the appeal of these products for promotional purposes and
corporate gifts, an area that Streetwires has pioneered.
Cape
Town Diamond Works:
Established in October 2001, our vision was to create a jewellery
destination at which tourists could discover the art of diamond cutting,
witness the creation of individual pieces and purchase the finished
product, all while in an inviting and relaxed environment. The Diamond
Works is an enlightening and exciting experience for tourists both young
and old. A young team of experienced, multi-lingual jewellery
consultants provide a friendly and relaxed environment for customers.
Kirstenbosch
National Botanical Garden is
world-renowned for the beauty and diversity of the Cape flora it
displays and for the magnificence of its setting against the eastern
slopes of Table Mountain. Kirstenbosch grows only indigenous South
African plants. The estate covers 528 hectares and supports a diverse
flora and natural forest. The cultivated garden (36 hectares) displays
collections of South African plants, particularly those from the winter
rainfall region of the country.
Lunch can be taken in en-route (for
own account)
Return to the hotel in the late
afternoon.
Welcome Dinner
This evening you will be collected from
your hotel and transferred to the Victoria & Alfred Hotel, to a local
but top class restaurant. Return to the hotel after dinner. Enjoy the
welcome dinner, where you will also have the opportunity for the guide
to take you through the itinerary or answer any questions you might
have.
Services Included /
Coach & guide services: Full day
touring, Entrance fees to Table Mountain, SA Museum, Cape Castle,
StreetWires donation, Kirstenbosch Meals
26
June 2009 / Cape Town
This morning after breakfast, you will
be collected from the hotel for an exciting full day tour to the Cape
Point and surrounding areas. First you will travel to the Cape Point
Nature Reserve, followed with a visit to the Cape Point Ostrich Farm
including a guided tour. Then you will continue to Simonstown for lunch
at an awesome seafood restaurant. Afterwards, enjoy a visit to the
penguins at Boulder Beach, where you can seem them in their natural
environment. Next is a scenic drive via Chapman's Peak Drive (subject to
road being open) to Hout Bay. Here you will enjoy a boat trip to Seal
Island. Then return to Cape Town.
Cape
Point:
Situated at the junction of two of earth's most contrasting water masses
- the cold Benguela current on the West Coast and the warm Agulhas
current on the East Coast, the Cape of Good Hope is popularly perceived
as the meeting point of the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans. Guests will
take the funicular to the vantage
point from
where they will be able to witness the “meeting of the two oceans”
(legendary). Extending along 40km of coastline, this "fynbos" plateau
accommodates a variety of antelope and abundant bird life.
The
"Cape Point Ostrich Farm" is a productive breeding farm. A
family-run business, which in it's existing form, was acknowledged in
1996.
Parts of the farm buildings have originated in the 19. Century. They
were built in the well-known "Cape Dutch" style.
Being a
breeding farm, everything is done to comfort and accommodate 40 Ostrich
pairs. They live in 40 camps and ensure that there are always plenty of
eggs to incubate.
Continue
to Simonstown. Here you will have lunch at Berthas Restaurant (or
Similar), which is a delicious seafood restaurant.
After
lunch a special attraction is the colony of Jackass Penguins at
Boulders
Beach.
For some years now, under the administration of Cape Nature Conservation
these cute birds are quite friendly with humans, but they don't want to
be touched. Jackass Penguins are the only species of penguin that
colonise on the African continent. 100 years ago there were still many
of them on the Cape West Coast with its cold waters. The over fishing of
the sea and the loss of breeding spots resulted in near extinction of
the species. The present stock is still threatened although the colony
in Simon's Town has grown, in a few years, from 1500 to 3500
individuals.
Chapman's
Peak Drive
is one of the most spectacular coastal roads in South Africa. It starts
at the picturesque fishing harbour of Hout Bay and then winds up to
Chapman's Point, revealing breathtaking views of the sandy bays down
below, until the road reaches sea level again at Noordhoek.
Hout
Bay is
one of the most beautiful and popular places on the Cape Peninsula and a
highlight of any visit to Cape Town. The access road that runs from
Camps Bay, offers a beautiful drive all along the sea. The town lays
picturesquely in a wind-protected bay, surrounded in the west by the
Karbonkel Mountain, the famous Mount Sentinel as the outpost in the sea
and in the east, by the Constantia Mountains and Chapman's Peak. Enjoy a
boat ride from the
harbour to Seal Island.
Return to the hotel in the late
afternoon. The evening is at your leisure.
Services Included /
Coach & guide services: Full day
touring, Entrance fees to Cape Point N.R, funicular, Ostrich Farm Tour,
Boulders Beach, Chapman's Peak Dr, Seal Island
Meals Included: Breakfast and lunch
(excl drinks)
27
June 2009 / Cape Town
Today enjoy a stunning scenic tour
into the Cape Winelands, which is also full of South African history,
beautiful scenery and most of all of superb world-class wines. Visit
the towns of Paarl, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch and enjoy lunch on a
wonderful wine estate, as well as 2 wine tasting along the way, on local
wine estates.
Paarl
-
with its now over
75.000 inhabitants, is today the biggest town in the Cape Winelands. It
is, like most of the towns in the region, a prosperous community with
many well maintained mansions, pretty Cape Dutch houses, beautiful
gardens and old oak trees. There are many wine estates situated in the
valleys, which are among the best in the country. Paarl is also known
for its culture and home
to the Afrikaans language. Visit the Taal Museum.
Franschhoek
-The Gourmet Capital, surrounded by majestic mountains culminating in an
awe-inspiring pass, provides added value to the food and wine
experience. Visit the
Huguenot monument, which is constructed from granite and was inaugurated
on the 250th anniversary of the Huguenots' arrival. The three arches
symbolise the Holy Trinity. The woman in front holds a bible in her hand
and the torn chain symbolises the liberation from religious oppression.
In the Huguenot Memorial Museum next to the monument the history of the
Huguenots is documented.
Stellenbosch –
the second oldest
town in South Africa, was developed from a settlement of Dutch
immigrants to whom arable land on the banks of the Eerste River (first
river) was given. Nowadays, Stellenbosch has some 50,000 inhabitants and
is the centre of the wealthy wine-growing area of the Cape. The town is
home to one of the most famous universities of South Africa and
consists of tree lined streets and historical architecture. Here visit
the Dorps Museum.
The Spier Tasting is a more
relaxed introduction to five wines from Spier’s Discover and Classic
ranges. And for the more inquisitive guest there’s the Winelands Select
Tasting, which takes place in our historic tasting room. This seated
experience provides an introduction to the specifics of wine tasting
technique and appreciation. Selections of first reserve and/or limited
release wines are tasted.
Spier has made land
available to a group of hand-raised cheetahs in the care of the Cheetah
Outreach Programme. Learn more about these incredible cats from a
distance, or get up close and personal and even step inside an
enclosure. Entrance donations help fund the Cheetah Outreach Programme.
Spier is also home to Eagle Encounters Raptor Rehabilitation Centre. The
long-term vision of the Eagle Encounters project is that the
organisations helps to preserve the eco-environment by protecting birds
of prey through the re-release of rehabilitated birds back into the
wild, and through creating community awareness of birds of prey. Watch
how ancient falconry techniques are used to train them to hunt. Flying
demonstrations are held daily. Conferencing, school and function
packages are available.
Services Included:
Coach & guide services: Full day
touring, Entrance fees to Taal Monument, Huguenot Memorial, Dorps
Museum, 2x wine tastings, Spier Cheetah tour.
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
(excl drinks)
28 June
2009 / Cape Town
Afternoon transfer to Cape Town
International for Domestic flight to Johannesburg. And then your
international flight home.
Price
includes:
-
·
Luxury air conditioned coach
with a driver and guide (Johannesburg to Elephants Plains)
-
·
Accommodation and meals as per
itinerary
-
·
Flight Elephant Plains to
private airstrip to Johannesburg
· Not
included:
Optional Extensions:
CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE OPTIONAL
EXTENSION TO VICTORIA FALLS
Deposit of $300 to sign up
Sign up for this
Trip!
