South Africa - Featured Trips

This Classic Cape & Garden Route itinerary is ideal for the first time visitors to the Western Cape & South Africa, and includes all the major Cape Town and Garden Route highlights. It offer time for shopping and good food in Cape Town, wine tasting in some of South Africa's most famous vineyards and visiting Table Mountain. But also plenty of opportunity for sightseeing, enjoying the natural environment and South Africa's Rainbow Nation's culture, good food, beach, and lots of different activities like whale watching (land and water based - seasonal), penguins and Big 5 wildlife safari in the malaria free Eastern Cape Game Reserve of Amakhala.

The trip and accommodation will suit couples, but can easily be tailored to accommodate families with children of varying ages. Although this trip is on a self-drive basis providing maximum flexibility, guided options are also available on request. To suit a range of budgets, we can tailor this trip with more standard accommodation or a nice mixture of both.

Arrive at Cape Town International Airport, where you will be met and transferred to your City hotel. Your accommodation tonight will be at Four Rosmead, a spacious 4 star guesthouse situated on the slopes of Table Mountain.

Overnight Luxury Room at Four Rosmead on BB basis.

Explore the City and Cape Peninsula on two fully guided trips with Bonani Tours - a company owned and run by a previously disadvantaged lady from the Langa township. You will do a full day Cape Peninsula Tour, including Cape Point National Park, Simon's Town, Boulders penguin colony and scenic tour around the Peninsula, and a half day Cape Town City Tour and Table Mountain (weather dependent).

Overnight Luxury Room at Four Rosmead on BB basis.

After your rental car (Group B Toyota Yaris 1.4 Sedan or similar) is delivered to your guesthouse, drive at a leisurely pace to the Klein Karoo - steeped in nearly 3 Centuries of pastoral history. Many of the vineyards, currently undergoing a revival, produce some of South Africa's finest wines. Distinctive blends from all the noble cultivars and classic styles may be sampled and most farms readily welcome visitors for wine tasting. You are in the heart of the South West Cape with the Robertson Wine Route, Montagu with its hot mineral springs, the Breede River, Bontebok National Park and the delightful town of Swellendam itself. Swellendam is the third oldest town in South Africa and is well worth a visit.

Overnight standard room at Jan Harmsgat Country House on BB basis.

Travel inland to Oudtshoorn, situated in the Klein Karoo. The town is home to the world's largest ostrich population with a number of specialized ostrich breeding farms. Most farms offer tours to day visitors. The Cango Caves is another one of Oudtshoorn's must see attractions.

Continue to De Zeekoe Guest Farm just outside Oudtshoorn with the well known Meercat Magic Conservation Project. Overnight Luxury Room at De Zeekoe Guest Farm De Zeekoe Guest Farm on BB basis.

Drive via the breathtaking Four Passes route to Plettenberg Bay in the heart of the Garden Route, know for its beautiful coastline, stunning scenery and wealth of attractions. Included in the tour price is a whale watching tour (July-December) and a guided township tour, which will prove insight into the past and future of Plettenberg's African black population.

Here you will check into Hog Hollow Country Lodge, an excellent example of high quality accommodation being managed by the local black community. Overnight Suite at Hog Hollow Country Lodge on BB basis.

The St Francis Bay region in the Eastern Cape is mostly known for its world class surf reef and point break, however this area offer much more than just surfing. Beautiful beaches, horse riding, dune walks, guided nature drives, magical moonlit massages or a night time frog safari.

You will stay at The Dunes Country House, an exclusive 4 star retreat surrounded by 600 ha of a coastal nature reserve. Overnight Cottage at The Dunes Country House on BB basis.

Drive the short distance to the malaria free Amakhala Big 5 Game Reserve - a successful conservation project in the Eastern Cape, which has seen the reintroduction of various game species, including black & white rhino. A range of activities are on offer and included in the tour price, unlimited game drives, bird watching, boat cruises & canoeing, guided walks, white Rhino monitoring, visit to fossil sites, stargazing, & mountain biking on neighbouring non-Big Five reserve.

You will stay in the 4 star HillsNek built in the bush against a back drop of aloe's and indigenous fauna and flora. The luxury tented camp is booked on an exclusive-use basis with a focus on privacy and personalised attention. You will have exclusive use of a dedicated host, ranger, vehicle and chef, allowing you the ultimate privilege of being able to fully customize and personalise your safari, especially great for families with younger children. Overnight Tented Accommodation at HillsNek Safaris on FB basis with house beverages and all safari activities.

Drive back to PE and drop your rental car off at Port Elizabeth's airport before catching an internal flight back to Cape Town in time for your international flight home.

As with all our itineraries, this trip can be fully tailored to suit your own unique requirements and interests. We can add and/or change destinations and activities to include for example a couple of days in the picturesque & well known wine-producing valley of Stellenbosch.

However if you would like to get to know the real South Africa and enjoy some more off-the-beaten track experiences, please check out our Stay Another Day suggestions below. All of our Stay Another Day options create jobs & social upliftment and are as environmentally friendly as possible. They are also carefully chosen for their sustainability and many are FTTSA accredited.

Stay Another Day - Cape Town
Stay Another Day - Western Cape
Stay Another Day - Garden Route

£1,650 (£2,375*) per person sharing in Low Season (generally May-Sep)
£1,940 (£2,665*) per person sharing in High Season (generally Jan-Apr & Oct-Dec)

Prices based on min of 2 people travelling and Peak Season supplements may apply.
* Includes international flight on British Airways

Rates for the 2010 World Cup period may vary from the above prices - rates on request.

Terms and Conditions apply. Price is subject to availability and subject to change due to currency fluctuation.

12 nights accommodation mostly on B&B basis
10 days car hire Group B (Toyota Yaris 1.4 or similar) with Super Cover (nil excess)
Half day guided Cape Town City tour
Full day guided Cape Peninsula tour
Boat whale watching trip (Jul-Dec)
Township tour
2 days safari
internal flight (Port Elizabeth - Cape Town)
* International British Airways flight incl. airport taxes and fuel surcharges

Meals and activities not stated in itinerary
Items of a personal nature
Tips and gratuities
Travel insurance
Visa cost