Essence of South Africa Summer 2022

South Africa’s ‘Mother City’ and her iconic Table Mountain extend a warm welcome as you embark on a small group journey that will reveal the highlights of South Africa. Spend the day delving into Cape Town’s cosmopolitan surrounds before joining your fellow travelers and Travel Director for a Welcome Reception.

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Welcome Reception

HOTEL
Southern Sun Waterfront

This morning, we encounter Table Mountain first-hand, ascending via aerial cableway to its vast flat top – a rocky wonderland of rich Cape fynbos and curious dassies (hyraxes). Peer over the bustling City Bowl and Atlantic Seaboard keeping a keen eye out for the landmarks your Travel Director will show you during this morning’s city tour, including Company Gardens, Bo-Kaap, and the Castle of Good Hope. The rest of the day is yours to explore Cape Town at leisure. Ramble up Bree Street to sample the city’s vibrant coffee culture or take a stroll along the Sea Point promenade with fellow outdoor enthusiasts. Consider joining our Optional Experience to explore the infamous Robben Island, with your guide revealing its turbulent past and the cell where Nelson Mandela spent the majority of his prison term.

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Breakfast

OPTIONAL EXPERIENCES

Cape Town Helicopter Flight – 12 Minutes

Spectacular views and a different perspective of the city await you on this 12-minute helicopter flight that showcases Cape Town’s iconic sights. Keep your eyes peeled for sightings of whales and dolphins below you in the Atlantic ocean, as you take off and return to the V & A Waterfront. Fly over the city’s famous Green Point stadium, built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Then your route tracks the Atlantic coastline, showing you a birds-eye view of Robben Island on your right and Table Mountain and the Cape Town City Bowl on your left. Admire the beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay and the Twelve Apostles mountain range before your pilot turns around and follows the same route back to the launchpad. Note: this activity is subject to weather conditions on the day being suitable for the helicopters to operate.

Adult Price: ZAR1615.0*
* The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change.

Cape Town Sunset Champagne Cruise

Board a vessel at the V & A Waterfront and sail across Table Bay to take in city views of Cape Town and Table Mountain that are even more spectacular from the water. Your captain will navigate to the best sunset spot, usually in Granger Bay in the shelter of Table Mountain where, with a glass of bubbly in hand, you’ll watch the sun gently sink and toast to the perfect way to end a day in the Mother City. This 90 minute cruise will be on board either a catamaran sailing boat or motor vessel. The sailing route may vary according to the season and vessel.

Adult Price: ZAR905.0*
* The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change.

Mount Nelson Afternoon Tea

Step inside one of Cape Town’s most famous and iconic hotels for a luxurious afternoon tea in surroundings steeped in history and tradition. The world-renowned afternoon tea is set in the elegant lounge overlooking the manicured garden. Enjoy the sumptuous selection of chocolate éclairs and petit-fours, mini cakes and classic carrot, chocolate and cheesecakes, savory sandwiches and empanadas, scones, and succulent fresh fruits. With over thirty loose leaf teas to try, from Rooibos and Lapsang Souchong to Earl Grey and Darjeeling, you are bound to discover your favorite one.

Adult Price: ZAR1020.0*
* The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change.

Robben Island Tour

Journey to the famous Victoria and Alfred Waterfront to board a ferry to Robben Island (weather permitting), a home of our icon Nelson Mandela for more than a quarter of a century. It’s a highly charged and emotional moment when you visit the site of this suffering and realize how far South Africa has come from those days. During the apartheid years, Robben Island was used to isolate opponents of apartheid and to crush their morale. Freedom fighters, like Nelson Mandela, spent many years in this prison for their beliefs. Take the ferry to this historic site, pass buildings, and a high wall built by prisoners during the 1960s before meeting your guide, a former political prisoner from the Island, fully conversant and knowledgeable about the Island’s multi-layered 500-year-old history. Your route, aboard a bus, includes the graveyard of people who died from leprosy, the Lime Quarry, Robert Sobukwe’s house, the Bluestone quarry, the army and navy bunkers, and the Maximum Security Prison where thousands of South Africa’s freedom fighters were incarcerated for years culminating with a viewing of Nelson Mandela’s cell. The round trip is approximately 3.5 hours long, including the two half-hour ferry rides, and is subject to weather conditions.

Adult Price: ZAR1300.0*
* The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change.

Circumnavigate the Cape Peninsula, from trendy Camps Bay to Cape Point and back. The crashing waves of the Atlantic to your right, the rocky 12 Apostles to your left, wind your way along with one of the world’s most magnificent coastal roads towards the outcrop that is Africa’s most extreme southwestern tip. Say a quiet hello to the shy penguins of Boulders Beach, see the Cape of Good Hope, and travel through charming coastal towns along the way.

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Breakfast

Venture to the town of Franschhoek and see during your orientation why it is proclaimed as one of the most beautiful wine valleys in the world. Take the scenic Franschhoek Pass to the coastal town of Hermanus for your ‘Be My Guest’ experience. ‘Connect With Locals’ when you meet local business owner Stefan, who will treat you to a delicious traditional braai (barbecue) featuring delicacies such as boerewors, pap, and melktert. Over a glass of his homemade wine, he’ll share stories of his life in South Africa’s whale-watching capital. Return to Cape Town via a scenic driving route, arriving in the late afternoon. Enjoy your evening at leisure.

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Be My Guest

This morning you’ll bid farewell to the ‘Mother City’ and fly to Hoedspruit where a private game reserve near South Africa’s great Kruger National Park beckons. Kick back, relax and settle in to Becks Safari Lodge, your home in the bush for the next three nights.

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Lunch
Dinner

HOTEL
Becks Safari Lodge

The action begins as we embark on an early morning game drive through Karongwe Private Reserve with a ‘Local Specialist’ game ranger and Shangaan tracker guide. The rising sun awakens the birds and insects that share your journey into the bush, as you scour the dense brush for signs of the Big 5. After lunch, and time for a siesta and a swim, return to the bush for an afternoon safari drive.

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Today enjoy another full day of game drives through Karongwe Private Reserve. Continue to scour the dense brush with your Local Specialist for incredible encounters with Africa’s iconic wildlife. End the day with a traditional sundowner drink overlooking the Game Reserve, keeping your eyes peeled for signs of wildlife that emerge from their cover of darkness.

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Our time in the South African bushveld comes to a close with a ‘Dive Into Culture’ visit to a local Shangaan village. Learn about the traditions and customs of the Shangaan people and how the Eco Academy there provides eco and wildlife education. The visit includes a simple meal of grilled chicken, pap, Shangaan style cabbage, and for the brave, the opportunity to try mopani worms! Fly to Johannesburg (flight purchased separately, not included in the trip price) and check into your hotel in the heart of Sandton that’s well located for exploring the nearby restaurants and shopping during your free evening.

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Lunch

HOTEL
DaVinci

Unlock the secrets of the ‘city of gold’ on a full-day tour to view several iconic sites including the Regina Mundi Church and Mandela’s house in Soweto. ‘Dive Into Culture’ during a visit to the Hector Pieterson Museum and the Apartheid Museum, which chronicles South Africa’s tumultuous Apartheid years.

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Farewell Dinner

Our epic encounter with South Africa’s iconic sites comes to an end today. Transfer to Johannesburg International Airport for your onward flight.

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Breakfast