SOUTH AFRICA 13 DAYS / 12 NIGHTS
DAY 1 – 12 SEPTEMBER 2024
- Upon your arrival at Johannesburg International Airport you will be met by our representative and transferred to the Maslow Hotel****.
- Accommodation at the hotel is on a Bed & Breakfast basis.
- Dinner at Maslow hotel.
DAY 2 – 13 SEPTEMBER 2024
- After breakfast – depart for the Soweto tour.
- From its beginnings as a creation of apartheid South Africa, Soweto has become the vibrant trendsetting heart of Johannesburg, the City of Gold. It is a cultural melting pot of over a million black people many of whom remain there because of its heritage as the centre of the struggle against apartheid.
- There are rumoured to be more millionaires in Soweto than in any other part of South Africa. From the poorer parts such as Kliptown to the upmarket suburb of Diepkloof Extension, one can experience the full spectrum of life in an African “city”.
- After the Soweto tour – Johannesburg/Pretoria City Drive.
- Dinner at Montecasino Entertainment Centre.
- Accommodation at the Maslow**** hotel is on a Bed & Breakfast basis.
DAY 3 – 14 SEPTEMBER 2024
- After breakfast, you will be taken to Lesedi, an African cultural village.
- Lesedi is located in the heart of Africa’s bushveld, at the Cradle of Humankind which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Discover the culture and traditions of the peoples of Southern Africa, and visit the five traditional settlements of the Zulu, Khoza, Pedi, Basotho, and Ndebele tribes, who live according to their folklore and the traditions of their ancestors.
- “Our culture is the light of our nation – whoever comes here for our traditions can also see the light.” After the traditional lunch “Monati”, you will depart towards the Sun City Resort.
- Accommodation at the Sun City Hotel**** hotel is on a Bed & Breakfast basis.
DAY 4 – 15 SEPTEMBER 2024
- After an early breakfast – Full-Day Safari at the Pilanesberg National Park.
- Among Southern Africa’s fascinating game reserves, the Pilanesberg National Park is possibly the most accessible. Situated in the ecologically rich transition zone between the Kalahari and the Lowveld, this vast area promises thrilling big-game viewing in a malaria-free environment!
- Lunch during the safari.
- Accommodation at the Sun City Hotel**** is on a Bed & Breakfast basis.
DAY 5 – 16 SEPTEMBER 2024
- After breakfast – transfer to Johannesburg airport for your flight to Cape Town. Upon your arrival at Cape Town Airport, meet and greet our representatives.Due to the amazing nature of the Cape Peninsula, Cape Town is considered one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
- On the one hand, the city is surrounded by majestic mountains dominated by the famous “Table Mountain”, and on the other – by the waters of a beautiful bay. The coast is considered one of the best in South Africa for a beach holiday. In addition to the natural beauty of the city itself and its surroundings, the city has many other interesting attractions.
- Transfer to Radisson Red****. Accommodation is on a Bed & Breakfast basis.
- Dinner at the Waterfront.
DAY 6 – 17 SEPTEMBER 2024
- After breakfast – depart for Cape Town City Tour and Table Mountain.
- The City tour includes an ascent to the famous “Table Mountain”.
- Unforgettable beauty opens from the top of “Table Mountain”, where you will ascent by cable car.
- From an altitude of 1086 meters (3563 feet) above sea level in clear weather, an extraordinary view of the Cape Peninsula, the bay, and Robben Island opens.
- The flora of “Table Mountain” is amazingly beautiful.
- Next, we will get acquainted with the historic Cape Town city centre and walk through “Company Gardens”, on where there are many historical buildings, including:
- – The Parliament Building and the National Library which were built in the style of colonial classicism;
- – The wonderful stained glass windows of St. George’s Cathedral – the most famous cathedral in all of South Africa; and
- – Town Hall and the Castle of Good Hope, which are the oldest buildings in Cape Town. Both of which are museums today.
- You will visit Bo Kaap, where the Cape Malay people live.
- Bo Kaap is a bright gem on the slopes of Signal Hill above Cape Town city centre. It’s houses are bright and colourful, and most of its inhabitants are proud of their rich cultural heritage.
- After lunch – excursion to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden that acclaimed as one of the great botanic gardens of the world. Few gardens can match the sheer grandeur of the setting of Kirstenbosch, against the eastern slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain.
- Accommodation at Radisson Red**** is on a Bed & Breakfast basis.
DAY 7 – 18 SEPTEMBER 2024
- After breakfast, you will go on an unforgettable Whale Watching tour.
- You will take a trip from Cape Town to Hermanus on the magnificent coastal route along Clarence Drive. Past the Rocky Mountains and wide coves, you will be taken to a place to observe these amazing creatures of nature. Whales can often be seen from the coastal road, and there are many places you can stop to enjoy the magnificent view of False Bay.
- At 11:00 you will go to the ocean for a 2-hour Whale Watching tour.
- After lunch, you will visit the famous Bouchard Finlayson Winery in The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, where you will have an opportunity to visit cellars and taste different wines.
DAY 8 – 19 SEPTEMBER 2024
- After breakfast – Full-day excursion to the Cape of Good Hope.
- The journey passes through the most beautiful embankment of the Chapman Peak Drive to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, where the southernmost point of Africa is located.
- The Cape of Good Hope was first stumbled upon by the Portuguese sea traveller Bartolomeo Dias. This significant event occurred in 1488. He named it The Cape of Storms.
- However, the Portuguese King John II did not like this name, and he ordered the renaming of it to the Cape of Good Hope. Thus hoping that the name would somehow appease the depths of the sea and the way to India would be opened, which later happened.
- From the Cape of Good Hope, you will be taken by boat to Seal island. The main attraction of Good Hope, of course, is the lighthouse with a height of 240 meters (788 feet), built in 1860.
- Today the lighthouse does not work, because often it is shrouded in a veil of clouds and ships still do not see it. It is equipped with an observation deck which is reachable by cable car.
- The tour also includes Cape of Good Hope National Park, Simons Town, African Penguin Colony at Boulders Beach, and lunch.
- Accommodation at Radisson Red**** is on a Bed & Breakfast basis.
DAY 9 – 20 SEPTEMBER 2024
- After breakfast – depart to the “Garden Route” in the direction of the exotic town of Oudtshoorn, the centre of the world’s ostrich industry.
- On the way, at the Cango Ostrich Farm, you can get acquainted with the cultivation of ostriches.
- Ostrich skin is very highly valued and used in a variety of products, ranging from belts to women’s jackets, ostrich meat, which does not contain cholesterol, is considered a delicacy.
- After lunch at the ostrich farm – transfer to the Eldorado Hotel****. The hotel accommodation is on a Bed & Breakfast basis.
DAY 10 – 21 SEPTEMBER 2024
- After breakfast – depart to the Cango Wildlife Ranch farm where crocodiles, pink flamingos, cheetahs, and lions live. For those with stronger nerves, you will be able to enter the cheetahs cage.
- Daily from October to April with a duration of 30 minutes, all visitors are invited to test their bravery by descending in a specially designed cage into crystal clear heated water, where the four-meter Nile crocodiles live. The facility has been in existence for 35 years and comprises of over 90 different species of animals. Cango Wildlife Ranch provides guided tours which are fundamental in our education ethos, providing a voice for each species and creating animal and environmental awareness.
- Cango Wildlife Ranch apart, is that we take our animal care and visitor safety standards to an international level. The ranch accomplishes this by ensuring upholding r internationally recognised accreditation by the Pan-African Association of Zoos & Aquaria (PAAZA).
- This specific accreditation has only been awarded to 4 facilities in the whole of Africa, it is extremely prestigious and difficult to achieve and is reviewed every 5 years.
- The Natural Encounter programs, along with our new Experience Department, offers visitors both young and old the chance to interact with a few of our ambassadors species:
- After lunch, you will continue your route to Knysna – a resort town on the shores of the Indian Ocean.
- Upon arrival in Knysna – transfer to Knysna Hollow Country Estate****. The hotel accommodation is on a Bed and Breakfast basis.
- Afternoon – Lagoon Cruise
- Dinner at the Waterfront.
DAY 11 – 22 SEPTEMBER 2024
- After breakfast – Safari at Plettenberg Bay Game Reseve.
- After lunch, you will proceed through the Tsitsikamma rain forest to Port Elizabeth.
- Check-in at the Paxton Hotel****.
- The hotel accommodation is on a Bed and Breakfast basis.
DAY 12 – 23 SEPTEMBER 2024
- After breakfast – Full-day Safari at Addo Elephant National Park.
- Addo Elephant National Park malaria-free is a diverse wildlife sanctuary located near Port Elizabeth in South Africa and one of the country’s 20 national parks.
- It currently ranks third in size after Kruger National Park and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.Including the adjacent water area of the Indian Ocean, the total territory of the park reaches 3600 km2 (1390 miles2).
- This is the only park in the world where the African Group of Seven (elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo, lion, leopard, whale, and great white shark) is located.
- The park is home to a natural environment, as well as many species of antelopes, spotted hyenas, and other wild animals.
- During the safari, you will enjoy the traditional African “braai” (barbeque lunch).
- Overnight at the Paxton Hotel****.
DAY 13 – 24 SEPTEMBER 2024
- After breakfast – transfer to Port Elizabeth airport for your flight to Johannesburg and back home.
TOUR INCLUDES:
- Accommodation during the tour on a Bed & Breakfast Basis in double or twin wheelchair-friendly rooms;
- All transfers, tours, excursions, safaris, and cruises as per itinerary with English-speaking professional guide/ranger;
- All land transport – air-conditional wheelchair-friendly buses with professional drivers;
- Lunches: during Lesedi Cultural Village Excursion, Pilanesberg National Park Safari, Cape Point Tour, Whale Watching Tour, Ostrich Farm, after Wildlife Ranch Tour, on the way to Port Elizabeth, and Addo Elephant National Park;
- Dinners: at Montecasino Entertainment Centre, Maslow Hotel, Cape Town Waterfront, and Knysna Waterfront;
- Local Economy Class Airfares Johannesburg – Cape Town, Port Elizabeth – Johannesburg.
TOUR EXCLUDES:
- International airfares;
- Medical insurance.
Price: $5980 per person based on double occupancy (does not include international flights, travel insurance or gratuities.)
Please call Debra at 951-202-2208 for more information and to sign up.
