Luxury South Africa Safari

On arrival at the Johannesburg International Airport you’ll be met and escorted to your onward shuttle flight to the Sabi Sands Game Reserve. On arrival, you’ll immediately head out on your first game drive en route to camp. This private wildlife concession shares an unfenced border with the Kruger National Park, allowing wildlife to migrate freely. Boasting the highest density of big game in South Africa (especially leopards), the wildlife in the Sabi Sands is also habituated to the presence of safari vehicles. This means prolific sightings and exceptionally close photographic opportunities. Your camp overlooks the Sand River and all of the suites have decks with their own private plunge pools and salas.

Two full days in the Londolozi Private Reserve offers an array of safari activities including safaris, bush walks, fishing, game tracking, and sleep-outs under the stars. Head out at dawn each day with your ranger and tracker in search of elephant, giraffe, zebra, hippos, impala, and gazelle and predators such as lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, and hyena. Rare white rhinos are also found here. Because your trackers are locals, they know the terrain and wildlife intimately.

As the sun warms the land and the wildlife beds down during the heat of the day, return to the lodge for breakfast and time to relax in your suite or visit the on-site spa. After lunch, head out on another game drive, stopping in the bush for a sundowner cocktail before returning to camp for a gourmet dinner served under the stars.

After a final early morning game drive, transfer to the airstrip for your flight to Tswalu in the Southern Kalahari. This vast private reserve protects a variety of habitats: open Kalahari savannahs (great for cheetah sightings) are interspersed with dunes adjacent to the Korannaberg Mountains. The diversity of the habitat offers sightings of some of Africa’s rarest and most extraordinary wildlife, including the desert black rhino, black-maned Kalahari lions, antelope such as roan, sable, and tsessebe, the elusive aardwolf, lynx, honey badger, and pangolin. There are two colonies of semi-habituated meerkats that allow close proximity for observation and photography. With guests enjoying exclusive use of the reserve, you are guaranteed to have a blissfully private experience.

The next three days are yours to explore the Southern Kalahari with your private naturalist guide and tracker. Game drives are flexible, although you typically set out early to catch wildlife when it’s most active. Walking safaris are also possible here and guests should definitely spend a morning with the meerkat colony before they go foraging for the day. Visit the San rock art sites, dating back nearly 400,000 years. Relax at the pool, at the on-site spa or on your private sun-deck overlooking the Kalahari. Tswalu offers an extensive wine cellar and pairings with gourmet plates that can be served on your private deck. On one night, enjoy a specially prepared sleep-out under the southern constellations, and on another night indulge your tastebuds dining at Klein Jan, one of the best restaurants in all of Africa. Overnight for three nights at Tswalu Motse.

Leave the Kalahari behind as you fly to Cape Town. Upon arrival you are met for your private transfer to the incomparable Cape Grace, located on the historic Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Set in the heart of Cape Town’s working harbor, the waterfront is a delightful collection of shops, farmer’s markets, dining, and street entertainment. It is a wonderful place to soak up the Cape Town vibe and enjoy Cape cuisine drawing from the diverse nationalities and cultures of the region.

This morning, head for the Table Mountain cable car that whisks you to the summit and panoramic views of the city just as the morning fog is breaking. You’ll have a chance to explore the top of the table before heading out on a city tour including Company’s Garden, Green Market Square, Saint George’s Cathedral, and the best coffee shop in the world. This afternoon, you’ll visit Uthando, which is focused on a variety of social development projects in Cape Town. This unscripted tour allows you to encounter an authentic side of Cape Town unknown to most visitors.

Today you’ll escape the city to the verdant wine country of Stellenbosch. This historic wine community will leave you with an array of choices for wine tasting. Next, it is on to Franschhoek, a charming town set in a beautiful valley. Exceptional wine and food co-mingle here, making it the perfect place for lunch at one of the many award-winning restaurants (lunch not included). This afternoon you’ll wrap up with a tasting at one of the exceptional wine estates of Paarl. Return to Cape Town as the sun sets on the western seaboard.

This morning begins at Kalk Bay, known for its fishing docks. With several arts and crafts stalls nearby you can do a bit of shopping in the boutiques and enjoy the antiques and collectibles along the main street. With an expert guide leading the way, you’ll meet your own splinter penguin colony away from the crowded main breeding site on a quieter beach known only by locals. After wondering at these remarkable birds, you’ll head out to the Cape Peninsula and hike along the Atlantic shore. It’s a fascinating place of remote beaches, shipwrecks, and unique wildlife. After a picnic lunch, a drive along the stunningly scenic and dramatic Chapman’s Peak Drive leads you back to town.

Depart this morning for the international airport and onward flight back home, or choose to extend your trip with a safari in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, a visit to Victoria Falls, or trekking to see the Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda.