Upon arrival at Cape Town airport , you are met by a representative from Pembury Tours. You will receive your travel documents and will then be transferred to La Splendida for your five night stay.

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 very early and are transferred to Cape Town airport for your flight to Durban. Upon arrival at King Shaka Airport you head to the car hire kiosk to collect your group C Hire car. You leave the airport and head straight out to the Drakensberg for your two night stay.

The Drakensberg is the highest mountain range in Southern Africa, rising to 3,482 metres (11,424 ft) in height. Soaring basalt cliffs and golden sandstone ramparts tower over rolling grasslands, steep-sided valleys, rocky gorges and ancient San rock art. Adventure activities abound: hiking, abseiling, canoeing, mountain-biking, mountain-climbing, while the more sedentary will enjoy the awe-inspiring views and abundant birdlife.

Today you leave the mountains behind and head to the battlefield sites of the Anglo-Zulu War – Isandlwana, Rorke’s Drift and Fugitive’s Drift. You spend the next two nights at your lodge here.

The Ango-Zulu War battlefield region abounds in evocative symbols of South Africa’s turbulent past. Dramatic and bloody battles such as Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift are brought to life by raconteur tour guides.

This morning you set off eastward through rolling hills to the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve, in the heart of Zululand. You check in at Rhino Ridge Lodge, which is situated in a private concession within the Park. You have time to freshen up before departing on the late afternoon game drive.

Set in the heart of Zululand, this is the oldest game reserve in Africa where Zulu kings such as Dingiswayo and Shaka hunted and put in place the first conservation laws, where today the "big five" of African legend stalk the verdant savannah. Established in 1895, game viewing is the prime attraction. Viewing hides overlook waterholes enabling visitors to see animals at close range.

As the home of Operation Rhino in the 1950s and 60s, the Park became world renowned for its white rhino conservation. Other areas of focus for which Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park is famed include wilderness trails which originated in Imfolozi in the 1950s and its renowned Game Capture unit recently upgraded into the Centenary Capture Centre, a bench mark for animal capture and sustainable utilization throughout Africa. The Park covers some 96 000 ha and contains an immense diversity of fauna and flora. Hluhluwe is characterised by hilly topography, and this northern section of the park is noted for its wide variety of both bird and animal life.

After your morning game drive, you bid farewell to this African wonderland and drive back to Durban and the Durban Airport. Here you return your hire car before checking in for your flight.

La Splendida Hotel is ideally situated on the bustling Mouille Point promenade, Cape Town’s own “platinum mile”, minutes away from the sights and sounds of the Atlantic Seaboard’s happening beaches and bars as well as the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Stroll along the promenade or just soak up the sun’s rays from the comfort of your room.

This iconic hotel on Cape Town’s ‘platinum mile’ offers 24 rooms and suites with views of either the Atlantic Ocean or the newly developed Golf Course and Cape Town Stadium. All rooms are non smoking. The spacious solitude of your room is always a good place to retire after a day of work or play in the city. Each room is also fitted with an en-suite bathroom, air-conditioning, ceiling fans, Wi- Fi, tea- and coffee-making facilities, a safety deposit box as well as a TV with selected DStv channels. The rooms are also serviced daily.

La Splendida Hotel also offers guests a same day laundry service, babysitting as well as arrangements for tours and car rentals.

The Cavern is a stunning Drakensberg resort situated on 3000 hectares of private mountain reserve, adjacent to the Royal Natal National Park and the Amphitheatre.

The Cavern is set in a secluded valley beneath the massive sandstone cliffs of the Northern Drakensberg. The thatch accommodation and facilities blend beautifully with the natural surroundings of the area. The Cavern is home to numerous Bushman paintings, 213 species of birds, 150 species of trees and numerous wild animals. As a nature lover, this would be your ideal location.

Spend your days hiking or mountain biking, exploring on the back of a horse or a quad bike – or take time out and enjoy a pampering in our Forest Retreat spa and our excellent dining opportunities.

Rorke’s Drift Lodge is a small 4-star guesthouse in the heart of the Battlefields region, tucked up against the Sinqindi Mountain in kwaZulu-Natal and only 5 km from Rorke’s Drift battlefield.

The Lodge is a tastefully converted farm house that is situated in an expansive 5 hectare garden with rolling lawns on a 1,000 acre property. The main building of the Lodge houses the cozy and tastefully decorated lounge, the dining room and kitchens, and the reception area with a small curio shop. A multi-level deck area is located in front of the Lodge and guests can choose to simply lounge comfortably on one of the levels while enjoying the spectacular view. There are four en-suite rooms, two in the main lodge and two in cottages in the garden. All the rooms are tastefully decorated in a Contemporary African style and two units have baths and two have showers.

Accommodation is offered on a Bed & Breakfast basis. Cuisine with a South African flavour is the lodge speciality. They also pack delicious picnic lunches for guests who want to spend the day on a Battlefields tour. Dinners and lunches can be ordered from their on-site deli.

Rhino Ridge is situated in one of Africa’s oldest proclaimed Game Reserves, the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park. The Lodge enables guests to enjoy 4-star luxury at a private lodge that offers spectacular scenery and excellent safari opportunities in the heart of Big 5 territory.

Rhino Ridge Lodge has 18 luxurious rooms, ranging from Bush Villas, Honeymoon Villas and Safari Rooms to Family Safari Rooms. All the rooms and villas are located away from the main lodge building. The rooms have been carefully positioned high up on a ridge to take full advantage of the spectacular views over the hills and valleys of Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park while at the same time giving each room maximum privacy. This has resulted in some of the rooms being quite a distance from the central lodge facility with some of them being a 200 metre walk to the main lodge area. Guests are advised to pack comfortable flat shoes for walking along the paths. Each room has a private viewing deck, air-conditioning, mosquito nets, an outdoor & indoor shower and a bath.

The welcoming and comfortable central lodge facility houses a lounge, dining area, swimming pool and viewing deck.

Rhino Ridge offers a great range of activities to enjoy during your stay in this safari paradise. Some of the activities include game drives, a visit to the Spa and a visit to the Mpembeni Community to learn more about the Zulua in the area.

A tour guide takes you on a city tour of one of the world’s most beautiful cities. You will visit the historic Castle and the Bo-Kaap Malay Quarter with its narrow cobbled streets and colourful mosques. You will also visit District Six, site of forced removals during the Apartheid era. You view the Houses of Parliament, the City Hall and the Slave Lodge and will enjoy a walk through the Company Gardens. Weather-permitting, you will ride the cable car up Table Mountain to enjoy the view over Cape Town and across Table Bay to Robben Island. If the weather is inclement, you will be taken on a scenic drive up Signal Hill.

You are taken on a drive along the Atlantic seaboard via glamorous Clifton to the quaint seaside village of Hout Bay. We continue via the scenic Chapman’s Peak Drive to Cape Point. Looking at this dramatic promontory jutting into the sea gives one an idea why early sailors nicknamed it the Cape of Storms. We then follow the coastline northwards via Simonstown, where you can visit the penguin colony of Boulders Beach. We also visit Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, which is dedicated to the extraordinary variety of plants found in the Cape Floral Kingdom. A leisurely drive through the leafy southern suburbs will bring us back to the city bowl in the late afternoon.

You are collected from the hotel this morning and are taken on a Full-day tour of the Cape Winelands, with its backdrop of majestic mountain ranges and lush valleys. We stop for wine tastings at a minimum of two wineries and you have the chance to purchase some of the wines you have tasted. We visit Stellenbosch, the “town of oaks” for a short guided tour of South Africa’s second oldest town. A scenic drive over the Helshoogte Pass (Hell’s Heights) takes us to the Franschhoek Valley. 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. After the tour you are dropped off at your hotel

Enjoy guided morning walks to one of the many beauty spots on the property. These walks take place daily and walkers are rewarded with freshly brewed tea and crunchies at their destination. For those feeling a little less energetic or wanting to venture further afield you may like to take a scenic drive to a different part of the Drakensberg and admire the views. The most dramatic drive of all is the trip to the top of the Sani Pass in the southern Drakensberg. This route is suitable for 4-wheel drive vehicles only, but there are many tour operators offering guided trips. Other activities available at the Cavern include guided horse-riding, bird watching, mountain bike trails as well as swimming, tennis, bowls, table tennis, darts and the adventure center.

Guided Horse-Riding
Horse riders of all abilities will find an ideal mount in our stable of more than 20 horses. Each day Cavern grooms lead rides through splendid scenery. Join us and enjoy our breathtaking scenery and temperate climate.

Birding
The Drakensberg mountain range hosts more than 290 species and is a birder’s paradise. Amongst the towering peaks of the majestic Drakensberg, the bearded vulture is undisputed monarch of the skies. This soaring raptor has a wingspan of nearly three metres. Witness these giants flying at great height and speeds between the towering peaks and along the crags. Other regularly sighted raptor species include lanner falcons, jackal buzzards, black eagles and cape vultures. Birders will also enjoy spotting the Natal sugarbird, swifts, sunbirds, kingfishers and the orangebreasted rockjumper.

Thought-provoking and often emotionally charged tours are conducted daily to Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift. On a battlefield tour, you will visit places that will evoke a deep sense of history. As your raconteur-tourguide shares dramatic stories of the battles of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift, you will experience the hardship, tragedy, sense of victory and the futility of war.

The Battle of Rorke’s Drift in 1879 was a part of the Anglo-Zulu war that saw the first defeat of the British Forces - by an imposing Zulu Impi - in the morning at Isandlwana and a complete turnaround in the evening of the same day at Rorke’s Drift. Also during this time the French Prince Imperial died in a skirmish and ended the Bonaparte dynasty. Today it is marked by a single cenotaph in a lonely field. At Fugitive’s Drift is another lone cenotaph raised to the honour of two men, Lieutenants Melvill and Coghill, who lost their lives attempting to save the Queen’s Colour of their regiment and whose bravery was acknowledged by the award of a Victoria Cross.

Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge is the only private lodge situated inside the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park so all their game drives start from the lodge. Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge offers both early morning and afternoon/evening game drives. Game drive safaris are conducted in specially adapted open game viewing vehicles, with professional guides (maximum 9 people per vehicle). To preserve the wilderness, no off-road driving is practised. In addition to driving on our private concession within the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park we also have unlimited access to the greater RHluhluwe iMfolozi Park where you have the opportunity to spot the Big 5.

Early morning tea/coffee, rusks & fruit are served on the deck before setting off on your morning drive. Another refreshment stop is made during the morning drive after which you return to the lodge to enjoy a scrumptious breakfast. High tea is served in the early afternoon after which guests can enjoy an afternoon game drive with a sundowner break before driving into the early evening looking for nocturnal creatures. On arrival back at the lodge guests are given the opportunity to freshen up before enjoying a delicious dinner on the deck.