The 176 000 hectare Greater Addo Elephant National Park is the third largest National Park in Southern Africa. The variety of wildlife found in the Park is astounding, with 417 species of birds, 95 kinds of mammals, including the Big Five and of course the 600 elephants that roam there, it is an absolute treat for nature lovers.

Addo Elephant National Park has a unique place in the story of the struggle to conserve the African elephant. It is home to the densest population of elephant in the world. Apart from elephants, other mammals in Addo include lion, the endangered Cape buffalo and black rhino, as well as zebra, jackal, warthog, suricate and numerous species of antelope, such as kudu, red hartebeest and bushbuck. Over 150 different bird species have been recorded in Addo, ranging from the large ostrich to the tiny Cape white-eye. There are around 600 different plant species in the park, with five distinct vegetation types. The highly endangered flightless dung beetle can be seen throughout the Park rolling up balls of elephant dung.

You are collected from and dropped off at your hotel by a tour guide, who will drive you around the Addo Elephant National Park in an air-conditioned microbus.

We recommend you drive down the steep scenic pass to Storms River Mouth in the Tsitsikamma Section of the Garden Route National Park. Storms River Mouth is where the booming breakers of the Indian Ocean relentlessly pound against rocky shores, where temperate high forest and fynbos roll down to the sea in an unspoilt verdant carpet, and where ancient rivers carve their paths to the ocean down rocky ravines. Tsitsikamma means “the place of much water”. In addition to protecting the indigenous forest, the park stretches some 5 km to sea, protecting a wonderland of inter-tidal life, reef and deep-sea fish. Dolphins frolic in the breakers, surfing and playing for the sheer joy of life, and the gentle giant of the ocean, the southern right whale visits here, coming inshore to breed.

Activities available at Storms River Mouth include several short walking trails through the forest to the swing bridge or along the shore, bathing at the small beach, snorkeling, scuba-diving, kayaking and boat trips.

The Tsitsikamma Forest is a primeval, indigenous rain forest occurring along the southern Cape coastline of South Africa and is situated at the eastern end of the Garden Route, near Port Elizabeth. It is characterised by towering Outeniqua yellowwood trees, many as old as 600 years. Other common trees are ironwood, stinkwood, white pear, Cape plane and assegai tree. The understory of the forest is characterised by wild pomegranate, tree ferns and seven week fern. The forest is home to many small mammal species, five of which are on the Red Data list and are highly endangered. The forest also offers excellent birding and is home to the Knysna Tauraco and Narina Trogan.

On a Canopy Tour, you will experience the wonders of the forest, suspended 30 metres up in the forest canopy. The Tree Top Canopy tour involves traversing from one platform high up in a yellowwood tree to another along a steel cable. Guides at each platform inform guests about the forest flora and fauna. This tour is suitable for all ages from 7 to 70.

Cango Caves:
While in Oudtshoorn, we suggest you visit the Cango Caves, where you embark on a magical journey through massive caverns and fascinating limestone formations. The Cango Caves, about 29 km north of Oudtshoorn in the Swartberg Mountains, are filled with a wonderland of stalactites, stalagmites and helictites (dripstone formations that grow in unusual directions), which have been formed over millions of years. The countless dripstone formations in many instances imitate everyday objects and have been given names such as Cleopatra’s Needle, The Organ Pipes, the Bridal Couple, Cango Candle and the Hanging Shawl. The Cave system consists of five large cavern systems, but because of the extreme fragility of the formations, only Cango One is open to the public. The pure, crystalline beauty of the dripstone formations of the other caverns discovered so far – Cango Two, Three, Four and Five – is conserved for study and research purposes.

Ostrich Show Farm:
On arrival at Safari Ostrich Farm you will be met by a multi-lingual guide, who will take you on a tour of the farm, where you will learn more about these remarkable birds and their fascinating nature. Safari Ostrich Show Farm is an operating farm, where visitors will see large flocks of ostriches and in the breeding season see chicks hatching in the incubators. You will also see different types of ostrich feathers displayed. The processing of ostrich skins is explained, from tanning to dying to the manufacturing of products. A complete ostrich skin is on display showing the different parts of the skin used for shoes, bags and other products. In the breeding camp visitors get close to an ostrich breeding pair and have a photo opportunity by standing on an ostrich egg. At the plucking pen visitors get to sit on an ostrich – another great photo opportunities. The tour ends with the Ostrich Derby where ostrich jockeys show off their riding skills. The restaurant at Safari Ostrich Farm showcases dishes made with ostrich meat and ostrich egg. It is worth trying it!

This morning is an early start! After an early morning wakeup call, you make your way to the meerkat burrows for your 2 to 3 hours tour of the Five Shy Meerkats. Arriving at the burrows, you enjoy coffee/tea and take a seat outside the burrows. Observe the meerkats as they come out of the burrow into the sunshine and start their daily routine.

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. Explore the De Hoop Vlei and enjoy bird, game, otter and even porcupine sightings with our new eco cruise experience. A walking trail exploring coastal rock pools and sandy beaches while a qualified guide points out interesting marine life forms. Also a great way to experience the Southern Right Whales in the bay between June and December.

De Hoop Nature Reserve have a Spa located on the Reserve, they have partnered up with Africology, a brand which believes in the healing powers of nature. There are a variety of different Spa treatments available.

Hermanus is best known for the Southern Right whales which travel up from the Antarctic during the winter months to give birth in the bays and inlets along the Southern Cape coast. Hermanus offers the best land-based whale watching in the world as the steep cliffs offer a grandstand view of the whales, who are often only metres off shore. The village even has a Whale Crier, who announces where the day’s best sightings are. Watch the whales from the clifftops or take a boat out into the bay with one of the licensed whale watching operators to get a closer view (for your own account).

We also visit the Harold Porter National Botanical Gardens, which has 200 hectares of the finely bushed plants endemic to this area, known as fynbos, 190 hectares growing naturally and the rest cultivated. These botanical gardens lie within the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, South Africa’s first UNESCO-proclaimed biosphere reserve. The vivid Disa uniflora is one of many rare plants featured in these gardens, and to experience it when it is in bloom, make sure you visit the gardens between December and January. You should also not miss South Africa’s national flower, the King protea, which blooms in spring. There are over 100 species of birds to be spotted in these botanical gardens, including colourful sunbirds.

The Stellenbosch Wine Route represents more than 200 wine and grape producers within the boundaries of the Stellenbosch Wine of Origin classification. The Stellenbosch Wine Route is the oldest of the wine routes and is divided into five sub-routes. A variety of soils and locations ideally suited to flourishing of a wide variety of grape cultivars, has seen Stellenbosch continue to dominate the South African wine scene in terms of quality. You can also visit Stellenbosch, the “town of oaks” and South Africa’s second oldest town.

Take a ride on a “hop-on-hop-off” topless tour bus today. The Bus Stop is located across the road of Winchester Mansions

The “red route” takes you from the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town Tourism centre in downtown Cape Town, to the Castle of Good Hope, the museums and galleries in the City Bowl area, up to the Cable Car station at Table Mountain, over Kloof Nek to Camps Bay and then back to the V&A Waterfront, travelling through Green Point and past the famous soccer stadium.

Dining at Gold Restaurant is a celebration of food, flavours, family and friend, accompanied by live entertainment. This establishment honours African culinary traditions, while combining it with modern flavours and techniques.

On offer is a 14-dish tasting menu that is served in generous individual and shared portions. When dishes are brought to your table, the servers explain the country of origin, cooking techniques and spices to the guests.

Today you can explore the Cape Peninsula. Enjoy a drive along the Atlantic seaboard via glamorous Clifton to the quaint seaside village of Hout Bay. Continue via the scenic the scenic Chapman’s Peak Drive to Cape Point.

Following the coastline northwards via Simonstown, where you can visit the penguin colony of Boulders Beach. A leisurely drive through the leafy southern suburbs will bring us to the Constantia Valley. After a day of exploring, you can end the day with some of the Cape’s finest wines in the Constantia Valley.

After an early-morning wake-up call, you set off on your morning game drive. Madikwe is one of South Africa’s largest sanctuaries and has a rich biodiversity of mammals, such as Africa’s Big Five, cheetah, wild dog, brown and spotted hyena, oryx, eland, springbok & ostrich. You return to the lodge for a mid-morning brunch. There is time between game drives to relax on the deck with a good book, do some bird-watching (Madikwe has more than 250 recorded species of bird) or, if you are feeling more energetic, do a game walk with your game ranger. High tea is served in the late afternoon, before you set off on an evening game drive through the untamed wilderness of the Kalahari Thornveld.

The late evening is when predators are more active and it is also an opportunity to see animals such as aardvark and caracal. You return to the lodge for a safari cuisine dinner in the open-air boma.

The principal islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue form the cultural and economic hub of Seychelles, as well as the centre of its tourism industry. Seychelles offers almost clichéd postcard-perfect beaches: exquisite ribbons of palm-fringed white sandy beaches lapped by turquoise waters and backed by lush tropical hills and big granite boulders. This is because they are some of the most photographed beaches in the world and regularly appear on lists of “Top Ten beaches in the World”. As Seychelles is near the equator, it is blessed with a warm tropical climate all year long. Activities in the Seychelles inlcude:

Diving:
Diving is astounding in the Seychelles. The reefs that encircle many of the islands contain upwards of 300 species of fish and more than 100 varieties of coral: suffice to say that this is a diving Valhalla, with visibility generally exceeding 30 metres and water temperatures reaching 28ºC.

Fishing:
Big game and fly fishing is very popular in the Seychelles. The top spot for big game is the edge of the Seychelles Bank, where the ocean floor plunges to 1,800 meters. The nearest islands are Bird and Denis, but charters also sail out from Mahé. Many record-breaking dog-tooth tuna have been snagged here, as well as huge marlin, sail fish and sharks without number. The outer island of Alphonse is universally acknowledged as the best place to indulge in fly fishing for bonefish, which generally weigh around six kilos and are doughty fighters once hooked. They swarm in such vast numbers that even beginners have been known to catch 20 in a single day. A strict catch-and-release policy is in force, and fly fishers may use only barbless hooks.

Golf:
On Praslin, the spectacular par-70, 18-hole championship Lémuria course has been attracting players in droves since in opened in October 2000. Designed by Rodney Wright and Marc Farry, it borders Kerlan Cove Beach. The first 12 holes are fringed by palm trees, after which the course extends into the thickly forested slopes of a steep hill. At the signature hole – the 15th – players have to tee off from a rocky ridge that overlooks Anse Gorgette, driving at least 150 metres to hit the green below.

Horse Riding:
Both accomplished and novice equestrians will enjoy horse riding in the Seychelles. On La Digue, there’s the opportunity to explore the grounds of the Union Estate, or to experience the sheer exhilaration of galloping along the sand at Anse Source d’Argent. At the Utegangar Riding Centre on Mahé the pure-bred Arabian steeds head out to the Barbarons and Grand Anse area on the west coast. For beginners, they stick to the beach and bush but advanced riders can get taken up into the mountains, where bathing beneath thunderous waterfalls is the highlight of the expedition.

Hiking:
Hikers will be in their element on Mahé, La Digue and Praslin, where a number of well-marked trails lead into the interior. The three-hour trek between Anse Royale and Anse à la Mouche, running across the southern hills of Mahé, with an optional detour to a small palm-lined valley, is one of the most popular. A number of guided walking tours are also available, with native Seychellois discoursing on the islands’ flora, fauna and local lore, granting a marvellous insight into the archipelago’s hidden delights.

Snorkeling:
Just about anywhere in the Seychelles provides plenty of underwater entertainment, but some sites come especially recommended. Anse Royale on Mahé is enclosed behind a reef, which keeps out the larger fish but there are plenty of smaller ones in the shallow waters; the corals in the Sainte Anne National Marine Park are truly amazing, from white to purple and an array of different sizes; manta rays and hammerhead sharks have been spotted off Sunset Beach on Mahé; strong currents run off Anse Kerlan on Praslin, which are perhaps what attract the veritable academies of fish; and the solitary hawksbill turtle that hangs out by the islet of St Pierre in Curieuse National Marine Park has become something of a tourist attraction.

Windsurfing, Water Skiing and Paragliding:
Other water-based sports, such as windsurfing, dinghy sailing, water skiing and paragliding, are popular at major resorts and beaches, where equipment can be hired by the hour. Some hotels levy no charge for use by guests. The combination of calm waters and steady winds makes for an idyllic time out on, or above, the ocean wave.