Kruger Victoria Falls Safari – 1 night Port Elizabeth | 2 nights Pumba Game Reserve | 2 nights Plettenberg Bay | 1 night Franschhoek | 4 nights Cape Town | 3 nights Sabi Sand | 1 night Johannesburg | 2 nights Victoria Falls
Overview
The service we received from Pembury tours was next to none. It was our holiday of a Life time. South Africa had been on our bucket list for years. Tammy Harding arranged everything, down to maps and instruction on where to turn at what point. Thank goodness for those instruction that Tammy had thought of , as our GPS in the Rental car, did not work . Game Lodges were brilliant. We will always have this trip in our thoughts, thanks again for all the work you put into this holiday for us Tammy.
Upon arrival at Johannesburg airport off your international flight, you head to domestic departures for your flight to Port Elizabeth. Upon arrival at Port Elizabeth airport you are met in the arrivals hall by a Pembury Tours representative who will hand over your travel documents before transferring you to your hotel in Port Elizabeth.
This morning you enjoy breakfast and possibly a walk along the beach before you are collected and transferred to Pumba Game Reserve for the next two nights.
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 you enjoy your last game drive at Pumba before checking out. You are collected and transferred to the Port Elizabeth Airport to collect your Group E hire car. You leave Port Elizabeth and head towards the Garden Route. You bypass the towns of Jeffreys Bay and Humansdorp before reaching the Tsitsikamma Forest. The area is covered in large tracts of indigenous forest, commercial plantation and Fynbos. Deep river gorges cleft the plateau as they make their way down to the sea, creating spectacular waterfalls and deep kloofs. You might like to take a drive down to Tsitsikamma National Park where you can enjoy one of the walks into the forest.
The jewel of The Garden Route, tranquil and charming, hospitable and rather special. Plettenberg Bay offers the visitor miles of sweeping, unspoilt golden beaches, a dramatic rocky peninsula, intriguing lagoons and estuaries, towering indigenous forests and unpolluted rivers and sea. With its exceptional climate and beautiful view sites over the Indian Ocean, Plettenberg Bay is perfect for tourists interested in exploring, watching or just lazing.
Today you leave Plettenberg Bay after breakfast and drive through the towns of Knysna, Wilderness and George before continuing to Franschhoek. You can either take the direct N2 route or the more scenic and longer R62 which takes you over the Outeniqua Pass and through the Klein Karoo and Fruit Route. The village of Franschhoek is at the heart of the Franschhoek Wine Route and is surrounded by craggy mountains and verdant vineyards. Many of the 42 wine estates on the Franschhoek Wine Route 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. There is a hop-on hop-off Wine Tram, which visits some of these estates. Franschhoek village, South Africa’s “French Corner”, has a distinct French feel and is undoubtedly South Africa’s gourmet capital, with several of South Africa’s Top Ten restaurants. It is also filled with quirky shops
I suggest spending a bit of time exploring Franschhoek and the Winelands area before heading to Cape Town where you make your way to the V&A Waterfront for your 4 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.
You enjoy an early breakfast at your hotel before checking out . You head to the Cape Town airport where you return your hire car before checking in for your flight to Nelspruit. Upon arrival at Nelspruit airport you are met by a representative who will transfer you to the lodge.
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.
Enjoy your last game drive and breakfast before you are collected. You are transferred to the Nelspruit airport for your flight to Johannesburg. Upon arrival at Johannesburg airport you are met in the arrivals hall by a representative from African Rock Hotel who will transfer you to the hotel for the night.
This morning you enjoy breakfast at your hotel before you are transferred back to the Johannesburg Airport by the hotel shuttle for your flight to Victoria Falls. Upon arrival at Victoria Falls airport you are collected and transferred to your lodge for the next two nights.
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.
The Victoria Falls is considered to be the largest waterfall in the world. See the mighty Zambezi River as it thunders over the 1700 metre wide Victoria Falls and plunges 100 metres into a narrow gorge below. The great columns of spray rising from the tumultuous falls can be seen from 80 kilometres away on a clear day. If you are lucky enough to be there at full moon, a “moonbow” can be seen in the spray instead of the usual daylight rainbow. The Victoria Falls is located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, and travellers can access the falls through either the town of Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe side or from Livingstone in Zambia.
This morning is at leisure until you are transferred to the Victoria Falls airport for your flight Johannesburg . Upon arrival at Johannesburg airport you head to the international departures terminal to check in for your flight home.
