Upon arrival at Cape Town International Airport from your international flight you are met by our representative who will hand over your travel documents and transfer you by road to your airport hotel for your one night stay. Once you have checked in, you settle in for your night stay and the evening is at leisure.

Road Transfer – Cape Town International to Hotel Verde: approx. 5 minutes

After an early start, you are met by your driver and transferred by road to Cape Town international airport. Upon arrival at the airport, you make your way to the domestic departures terminal for your direct flight to Hoedspruit airport. Upon arrival in Hoedspruit you are met by your driver and transferred by road to your lodge in the Timbavati Game Reserve.

Upon arrival at your lodge, you are welcomed with a lovely refreshment and taken to your suite to settle in before you depart on your first afternoon game drive in the Timbavati Game Reserve.

Flight time – Cape Town to Hoedspruit: approx. 2 ½ hours Transfer time – Hoedspruit Airport to Motswari Private Game Reserve: approx. 2 ½ hours

The Timbavati forms part of the two million hectare Greater Kruger National Park. It was the first private game reserve to be incorporated into the Kruger National Park and is part of one of Africa’s most innovative conservation partnership agreements. The Timbavati is 14 700 hectares (36 300 acres) and shares an unfenced boundary with Kruger National Park.

Track the Big Five, as well as a rich variety of other game such as antelope, zebra, warthog, giraffe and hippo, in the company of an armed ranger and local Shangaan tracker. Bird viewing is spectacular, with over 360 recorded species including various eagles, vultures, kingfishers, woodpeckers, buzzards, herons, egrets, owls, weavers.

This morning you are taken on your last morning game drive in the Timbavati Game Reserve before you enjoy brunch. After brunch, you are met by your driver and transferred by road to your new lodge in the Northern Sabi Sands Game Reserve.

Arriving at your new lodge at mid-day, you are taken to your luxury suite to settle in for the next two nights. In the late afternoon, you depart on your first afternoon game drive in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve.

Dinner is served upon your return to the lodge.

Transfer time – Motswari Private Game Reserve to Arathusa Safari Lodge: approx. 3 hours

Forming part of the Greater Kruger National Park, the Sabi Sand Reserve has no fences and the wildlife is able to cross freely between the Sabi Sands and the rest of the Greater Kruger National Park. The safari experience in the Sabi Sand is highly personalised because game drive vehicles have exclusive traversing rights in their area. The Sabi Sand Reserve is a remarkable natural sanctuary known for its exceptionally high concentration of animal and bird life.

Close contact encounters are guaranteed as the animals are not threatened by the presence of vehicles thanks to sound conservation management policies. Safaris are led by experienced rangers coupled with local Shangaan trackers.

With exceptional sightings of leopard (usually the most elusive of cats), lion, rhino, elephant and buffalo during game drives – visitors are never lacking in exciting photographic content.

This morning you enjoy your last game drive in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve. After brunch, you are collected from your lodge and transferred by road to Hoedspruit Airport for your direct flight to Cape Town. Upon arrival in Cape Town you are met by our representative and transferred by road to your hotel along the Seapoint Promenade for your four night stay. The rest of the afternoon and evening is at leisure.

Transfer time – Arathusa Safari Lodge to Hoedspruit Airport: approx. 2 hours

Flight time – Hoedspruit Airport to Cape Town: approx. 2 ½ hours

Transfer time – Cape Town International Airport to Winchester Mansions: approx. 35 minutes

Welcome to Cape Town, Mother City of Africa, and the Western Cape, an area which is regarded as one of the most beautiful regions in the world. The City is a rare cultural gem, resulting from the amalgamation of Indonesian, French, Dutch, British and German settlers, the local Bushman and Hottentot tribes and the Bantu tribes from the north.

The impressive presence of Table Mountain, flanked by the legendary Devil’s Peak and historical Signal Hill, stands proudly above the city. Beautiful white sandy beaches along a peaceful coastline frame the Cape Peninsula, which is famed for its unique floral kingdom, bountiful rivers, vleis and dams and magnificent countryside. The surrounding area extends far into the winelands, green in summer and red-gold in autumn.

The Mother City boasts a multitude of entertainment, ranging from outdoor activities and adventures in the sun to a roaring night life under neon signs. The vast range of shopping opportunities includes haggling with shop holders at Greenmarket Square Flea Market, as well as breezing through sophisticated and stylish shopping malls. The huge variety of restaurants reflects the multicultural history of the Cape and caters for everyone’s taste, from fast-food outlets and casual to the chic to the very elegant.

This morning, you make your way to the Cape Winelands, with its backdrop of majestic mountain ranges, lush valleys and verdant vineyards. After a full day of exploring the various Wine Routes and enjoying wine tastings along the way, you make your way to your accommodation in Franschhoek for your two night stay. The evening is at leisure,

Driving Time – Winchester Mansions to Lavender Farm Guest House: approx. 1 ½ hours

South African wine has a proud history dating back to 1659, when the first wine recorded in South Africa was produced by the founder of the Cape, Jan van Riebeeck. French Huguenots settled in the Franschhoek Valley in the late seventeenth century, seeking refuge from religious persecution in Europe and bringing with them precious root-stock to establish the wine-growing industry in South Africa. By the time of Napoleon, wine produced by Constantia, a vineyard near Cape Town, was considered by Europeans to be one of the greatest wines in the world. Anti-apartheid sanctions hit the wine industry hard, but since independence in 1994, access to international markets has unleashed a burst of new energy and new investment, and South African wines are once again winning awards across the world.

Each wine route has a wide range of wine estates and wineries: ranging from historical to avant garde and from garagiste to large scale producers. Many of the wine estates offer informative guided wine-tastings to the public as well as cellar tours or tours of the vineyards. Some of them also make cheese, chocolate and olive oil and offer tastings of these products alongside their wines. Many of them have on-site restaurants offering food that ranges from gastronomical delights to picnic hampers to enjoy under the oak trees.

This morning, you leave the Winelands behind and drive through the rolling wheatfields of the Overberg region, where pairs of South Africa’s national bird, the Blue Crane, can be spotted standing in the fields. You continue your journey via Swellendam, a pretty town nestled at the foot of the Langeberg Mountains. Swellendam is South Africa’s 3rd oldest town and has many beautifully restored historical buildings.

Just before you reach Swellendam, you turn off and travel through to the Village of De Hoop Nature Reserve for your two night stay. Once you have arrived and settled into your suite, you have the afternoon at leisure.

Driving time – Lavender Farm Guest House to De Hoop Nature Reserve: approx. 2 ½ hours

The 36 000 hectares of De Hoop conservation area is a World Heritage Site comprising rich biodiversity and by over 70 kilometres of pristine coastline. A 19 km vlei (wetland) stretches across the reserve, which is on the Ramsar list of Wetlands of International Importance. The De Hoop Reserve is situated in the Overberg region near the southern tip of Africa.

The Overberg area is characterised by quaint towns, a blossoming wine industry and delicious local dishes. There are a number of activities on offer here and you can enjoy whale watching, star gazing, interpretive marine walk, mountain biking and a guided bird and Fynbos walk.

This morning is at leisure, you can enjoy a leisurely breakfast or make an early start and depart the De Hoop Nature Reserve, making your way to the seaside town of Plettenberg Bay. You depart the De Hoop Nature Reserve and make your way along the N2, through the scenic Lakes District, through Wilderness and Sedgefield, bypassing the seaside town of Knysna.

You continue to Plettenberg Bay, a lovely seaside town along the Garden Route. Here, you check into your guesthouse overlooking the Indian Ocean for your two night stay. The afternoon and evening is at leisure,

Driving time: De Hoop Nature Reserve to The Robberg Beach Lodge – approx. 4 hours

Plettenberg Bay is a seaside town in the heart of the scenic Garden Route. Known to the locals as “Plett”, Plettenberg Bay is recognised as South Africa’s Riviera and is full of trendy shops and cafés. There are miles of sweeping, un-spoilt golden beaches, a dramatic rocky peninsula and intriguing lagoons and estuaries. Plettenberg Bay has three beautiful beaches stretching over 15 kilometres from Keurboomstrand to Robberg. Central Beach is the most accessible for visitors and is the launch site for most boat operators. Popular for shore-based dolphin and whale watching, striking views of Robberg Peninsula as well as lengthy strolls, Robberg Beach stretches for kilometres between the Robberg Peninsula and Beacon Island.

Positioned on the eastern side of the Keurbooms River mouth, Keurbooms Beach is a gorgeous stretch of sand that is very popular during the holiday seasons, especially because of its lagoon, which offers safe paddling for little children. The lagoon, bay and beaches are much used by fishing and boating enthusiasts.

The hillsides around Plettenberg Bay are covered with indigenous fynbos and the towering trees of the Tsitsikamma and Knysna Forests. Plettenberg Bay is visited by Southern Right Whales in winter and offers one of the best opportunities for whale watching along the South African coasts. There are also many pods of dolphins resident in the area.

This morning, after a leisurely breakfast, you depart the seaside town of Plettenberg Bay and make your way to Port Elizabeth Airport. En-route to Port Elizabeth, you may decide to stop at the Tsitsikamma National Park or the Village of Storms River. Enjoy a scenic drive over spectacular single-span bridges to the Tsitsikamma forest, an indigenous primeval forest with towering ancient yellowwood trees, lush vegetation and deep gorges. Tsitsikamma National Park has a variety of nature walks to enjoy, while the Village of Storms River offer guests a beer tasting experience at the Micro-Brewery.

Arriving at Port Elizabeth Airport, you hand in your rental vehicle and make your way to the Domestic Departures terminal where you check in for your direct flight to Johannesburg. Upon arrival at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, you are met by our representative who will transfer and assist you to your airport hotel for your one night stay. The rest of the evening is at leisure.

Driving time: The Robberg Beach Lodge to Port Elizabeth Airport – approx. 2 hours

Flight time: Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg – approx. 2 hours

This morning is an early start. You enjoy breakfast at your hotel before you are met at the reception area of you hotel by our representative who will transfer and assist you to the International Departures Terminal for your direct flight to Victoria Falls.

Upon arrival at Victoria Falls International Airport, you are met and transferred by road to your Homestead located just minutes from the town of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. You settle into your chalet for your three night stay. In the late afternoon, you are collected from your hotel and taken on a sunset cruise on the Ra-Ikane. Our representative will transfer you back to your homestead in the early evening.

Flight time – Johannesburg to Victoria Falls: approx. 1½ hours

Transfer time – Victoria Falls Airport to Ursula’s Homestead: approx. 50 minutes

Besides being one of the seven natural wonders of the world and a World Heritage Site, Victoria Falls is the unchallenged adventure capital of Africa with more than 50 activities available. At 1708 metres wide, Victoria Falls is the most expansive curtain of water in the world and drops more than 100 metres into the sheer Zambezi Gorge. Straddling the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, these Falls and the Zambezi River are the central points in an area of spectacular scenic beauty: from the Falls themselves to the broad, picturesque course of the Zambezi River upstream, the rainforest adjacent and the stark jagged gorge downstream, the power and timelessness of nature’s forces are evident throughout.

The Falls’ local name, Mosi-Oa-Tunya – “the Smoke that Thunders” – more accurately defines the essence of the place: the rising, shining spray that can be seen 30km away. This vapour has the effect of adding moisture in the form of humidity to the air in the “splash zone”, so that a unique, small rainforest ecosystem clings to the edge of the Falls, providing a toehold for no less than 70 shrub and 150 herbaceous species, as well as trees such as pod and Natal mahogany, ebony, Cape and strangler fig and Transvaal red milkwood.

There are two National Parks in the vicinity: the Zambezi National Park in Zimbabwe and the Mosi-oa-Tunya Zoological Park in Zambia, which means that herds of big game such as elephant and buffalo, as well as smaller species and even predators such as lion persist in the area.

This morning is at leisure to catch a last glimpse of the Falls or enjoy some leisurely time, until you are collected from your Homestead. You are transferred by road to Victoria Falls International Airport for your direct fight to Johannesburg. Upon arrival at OR Tambo International Airport, you make your way to the International Departures Terminal for your direct flight to Amsterdam.

Transfer time – Ursula’s Homestead to Victoria Falls Airport: approx. 50 minutes

Flight time – Victoria Falls to Johannesburg: approx. 1½ hours