Upon arrival at Cape Town airport, you are met by our representative who will be waiting in the arrivals hall and transfer you to your hotel for a four night stay. The afternoon is at leisure to relax and settle into your apartment.

Transfer time – Cape Town airport to Cape Town hotel: approx. 35 minutes

Explore the Mother City and the Fairest Cape – from the oldest buildings in South Africa to trendy waterfront shopping; from majestic Table Mountain to sun drenched beaches; and from dramatic seascapes to verdant vineyards. Cape Town regularly tops many lists of world must-visit destinations and Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain has recently been voted one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Cosmopolitan and fashionable, the relaxed atmosphere and pavement café culture give Cape Town a Southern European feel – but with a distinctive African twist.

This morning, you are collected from your hotel and transferred to Cape Town airport where you check in for your flight to Port Elizabeth. On arrival at Port Elizabeth airport, you are met by our representative and transferred by road to your safari lodge for your three night stay.

Transfer time – Cape Town hotel to Cape Town airport: approx. 35 minutes

Flight time – Cape Town to Port Elizabeth: approx. 1 hour and 10 minutes

Transfer time – Port Elizabeth airport to safari lodge: approx. 1 hour and 30 minutes

Game viewing in the malaria-free Eastern Cape is excellent. The Eastern Cape straddles the meeting point of 5 distinct biomes (valley bushveld, savannah grassland, fynbos, riverine forest and acacia woodland), resulting in a breath-taking variety in animal and bird species. In addition, the carrying capacity of the vegetation in Eastern Cape game reserves is much higher than that of the Kruger area, so you will find a much higher concentration of animals. The region has some of the most luxurious safari lodges in the country, all seeking to offer discerning travellers the ultimate African adventure that harks back to the golden age of safaris.

This morning after your early morning game drive and brunch, you are collected and transferred to Port Elizabeth airport for your flight to Cape Town. On arrival at Cape Town airport, you collect your hire car and make your way to Hermanus for your two night stay. Take the coastal route via Betty’s Bay for some fantastic views.

Transfer time – Safari Lodge to Port Elizabeth airport: approx. 1 hour and 30 minutes

Flight time – Port Elizabeth to Cape Town: approx. 1 hour and 10 min

Driving time – Cape Town airport to Hermanus: approx. 2 hours

Hermanus is a quaint and scenic seaside town about 1½ hours from Cape Town and the Winelands, with many beautiful beaches. Grotto Beach literally stretches for 20 km, making it ideal for those wanting to take a long walk. Voëlklip Beach has great lawns, white sands and good facilities, complementing the beauty of this setting. This is also a good spot for watching surfers who can always be found in the breakers. Langbaai (Long Bay) is a favourite beach for those seeking a bit of peace and privacy. Formed between two rocky outcrops this beach is tiny in comparison to the other beaches. It offers good swimming and white sand. Onrus Beach is flanked by a beautiful lagoon. For those wanting to get out to sea, there are many operators offering boat trips. Dolphins are spotted year-round and whales can be seen in the winter months. Sea kayaking is also very popular, and no experience is necessary. Very stable kayaks are used with highly experienced guides. The village of Hermanus has many delightful shops and there are over 50 restaurants available offering stunning food and local wines.

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.

The Hermanus Wine Route, along the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, unites the passion and reputation of fifteen wineries, each growing small volumes of premium quality wine in carefully and sustainably managed vineyards. They are well known for their maritime-influenced Pinot noirs and Chardonnays. Innovative blends and mineral Sauvignon Blancs complement the range. Just outside Hermanus is the Harold Porter 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.

After breakfast, you set off for the winelands. You may consider taking the more inland route via Villiersdorp where you can stop for a tour of the small town, where you will find a small museum as well as a tractor museum and wine farms. You can stop at the roadside fruit stalls or `padstals’ as you make your way over the scenic Franschhoek pass to Franschhoek where you can take a walk through the town with its top restaurants and wine estates. You continue to Stellenbosch where you check in to your hotel for your two night stay.

Driving time – Hermanus to Stellenbosch: approx. 1 hour and 30 minutes (direct drive)

The picturesque town of Stellenbosch is surrounded by majestic mountains, lush vineyards, arts, history and culture. Famed for the oldest wine route in the country, the wine estates offer informative guided wine-tastings to the public as well as cellar tours or tours of the vineyards.

This morning is at leisure to relax before you make your way to Cape Town airport where you return your hired car and check in for your return international flight.

Driving time – Stellenbosch to Cape Town Airport: approx. 45 minutes