South Africa

South Africa

Firstly, a more naturally beautiful country would be difficult to find - from the serrated peaks of the Drakensberg mountains, to the contorted and timeless semi-desert landscapes of the Karoo and the forested sea-shores and mirror-like lakes of the Garden Route, the enchanting temperate valleys of the Winelands, the rare proximity to nature found in the national parks and the instantly recognizable symbol of the country, Table Mountain - all under an endless azure-blue sky.

This wonderful 16-day tour is designed to highlight South Africa’s truly amazing diversity of cultures, its curious blend of old and new, and its phenomenal scenery and wildlife. You leave with the feeling that the new South Africa, open to the world after years of isolation, is a land of superlatives which cannot fail to impress the welcome visitor!

What's Included:

• 13 nights in three to four-star accommodation
• Return flights & transfers
• 15 included experiences
• Daily Breakfast, 2 lunches & 4 dinners
• Expert Tour Manager
• Checked luggage

Highlights:

• Tour the legendary Zulu War battlefields of Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift with a specialist guide and stay in the heart of the gorgeous Western Cape’s Winelands, enjoying a cellar tour and tasting at a 300-year-old wine estate.
• Visit Johannesburg’s Apartheid Museum, a real must in understanding contemporary South Africa, enjoy a scenic drive through the beautiful small country of Eswatini and take an internal flight to the stunning Garden Route.
• Visit Hermanus for the world’s finest on-shore whale watching, dependent on season and have a full-day guided safari in the Kruger National Park, one of the world’s most outstanding game reserves.
• Stay three nights in cosmopolitan Cape Town, one of the world’s most naturally beautiful cities, dominated by the instantly recognisable Table Mountain.
• Explore legendary Cape of Good Hope and Cape Town’s Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, and gaze at the awe-inspiring Blyde River canyon, the third largest in the world.

Battlefields Lodge's Facilities

• Swimming pool
• Breakfast restaurant
• Air-conditioning

Hippo Hollow Country Estate's Facilities

• 24-hour front desk
• Lounge & bar
• Restaurant
• Swimming pool
• Boutique gift shop
• Air-conditioning
• Laundry service

Pearl Valleyt Hotel's Facilities

• Swimming pool
• Spa & wellness
• Lounge & bar
• Restaurant
• Fitness centre
• 24-hour front desk
• Air-conditioning
• Laundry service
• Terrace
• Gift shop

Southern Sun Waterfront's Facilities

• Swimming pool
• Lounge & bar
• Restaurant
• Fitness centre
• 24-hour front desk
• Air-conditioning
• Free Wi-Fi
• Laundry service
• Shuttle service

Indaba Hotel's Facilities

• Swimming pool
• Spa & wellness
• Lounge & bar
• Restaurant
• Fitness centre
• 24-hour front desk
• Air-conditioning
• Terrace

Protea Hotel Knysna Quarry's Facilities

• Outdoor swimming pool
• Restaurant
• Spa & wellness centre (payable locally)
• Free Wi-Fi
• Air-conditioning
• Room service

Le Franschhoek Hotel & Spa's Facilities

• Restaurant
• Spa
• Outdoor swimming pool
• Gardens
• Lounge & bar

Battlefields Lodge

About the hotel

The simple three-star Battlefields Country Lodge is situated near Dundee and lies in the heart of the battlefields in Kwazulu Natal. The lodge is nestled in a green valley overlooking rolling hills and the famous Talana Hill which is the site of the first battle between the Boers and British soldiers!

Hippo Hollow Country Estate

About the hotel

The three-star superior Hippo Hollow Country Estate is beautifully located in the midst of lush riverine forest on the banks of the Sabie River, just a10-minute drive from the gate to the National Park.

Pearl Valley Hotel

About the hotel

The four-star Pearl Valley Hotel is a luxury hotel situated in the picturesque Paarl-Franschhoek Valley and forms part of the award-winning Val de Vie Estate.

Southern Sun Waterfront

About the hotel

The hotel is perfectly located less than a 10-minute stroll from a huge selection of restaurants, bars and shopping outlets. A shuttle service also operates to the waterfront.

Indaba Hotel

About the hotel

The four-star Indaba Hotel lies in a quiet and prosperous suburb, north of the city.

Protea Hotel Knysna

About the hotel

Facing the warm Indian Ocean through the Knysna Heads, the Protea Hotel Knysna Quays is located in the heart of the Garden Route in the coastal town of Knysna, close to the town centre and overlooking the Quays waterfront. It’s surrounded by scenic beauty, with the lagoon right at its doorstep, and Knysna’s historical train station nearby.

Le Franschhoek Hotel & spa

About the hotel

Nestled in the heart of the Cape Winelands, Le Franschhoek offers a serene escape surrounded by majestic mountains and lush natural landscapes. This picturesque setting places you within easy reach of renowned vineyards and scenic trails, making it an ideal base for exploring the region’s rich heritage and breathtaking beauty.

Day 1: Departure

Take your overnight flight to Johannesburg.

Day 2: Arrival in Johannesburg

After your morning arrival, you'll visit the Apartheid Museum, taking us on a fascinating, horrifying, humbling and ultimately inspiring journey from the dark days of ‘whites only’ privilege, through to Nelson Mandela’s historic release. It’s a truly fascinating exhibition charting the apartheid years and the struggle against it, culminating in the first democratic elections. It is a superbly presented walk through contemporary history using original material, riveting eyewitness accounts, photographs and film.

The rest of the afternoon is at leisure.

Day 3: Panorama Route

After breakfast you'll depart for the open spaces and farmlands of the Highveld, following the Panorama Route to Kruger National Park, one of the most scenic drives in South Africa. Follow the spectacular rim of the Blyde River Canyon, an amazing 20-mile long and 2,300-foot-deep gorge cutting a vast swathe through the Great Escarpment separating the temperate grasslands of the highveld and the drier savannah beyond. Deep circular rock formations created by years of erosion and many excellent vantage points offer superb photo opportunities for some of the most breath-taking views in Africa.

Your hotel for the next three nights is beautifully located in the midst of lush forest on the banks of the Sabie River on the edge of the National Park. Dinner is included tonight.

Day 4: Kruger Game Drive

Today you will have a full day’s game drive in specially adapted 10 seat 4x4 vehicles. Experience areas of sweeping savannah, bisected by rivers full of hippos, muddy waterholes lined with animals quenching their thirst, and the bush itself, studded by biscuit-coloured termite mounds. There is simply nothing to beat that rising feeling of anticipation and excitement as we enter the nearby park in the half-light of the spectacular African dawn, surrounded by the noise of a unique ‘dawn chorus.'

Which animal shall we spot first? Perhaps an elephant, a family of warthogs or possibly even the elusive cheetah. The experienced game rangers know the best tracks and waterholes whilst their stories will amuse, inform and fascinate you. Most have lived here all their lives, accumulating a vast wealth of knowledge.

Day 5: Kruger Free Day

This is a day at leisure for anyone who just wants to take it easy by one of the pools at the hotel or do some hippo-spotting from the lovely lawn overlooking the river.

Alternatively, you could try river rafting (subject to weather conditions), as well as sunset safaris or night safaris where you can experience the unique thrill of an open 4x4 vehicle game drive by spotlight. Exclusively for Riviera Travel guests, there are also a limited number of places available to stay the night at a tented camp and go on a bushwalk.

Your camp provides a ‘glamping’ experience with comfortable beds, electricity and en-suite shower with WC. Our chef will create excellent wholesome cuisine and you can listen out for any nocturnal visitors whilst sitting around the campfire!

You re-join the main tour on the morning of day 6.

Day 6: Eswatini & Kwazulu Natal

Today you will leave Kruger and embark on a long coach journey to the historic battlefields in Kwa Zulu Natal – a journey that takes us through the small but scenically beautiful country of Eswatini. As the road climbs past the interestingly named Piggs Peak we descend through lush green fields and rolling hills interspersed with small farms and drive through the country’s small capital Mbabane, passing the parliament house and Royal Palace en route.

You will cross back into South Africa in the afternoon entering Kwazulu Natal. This area is more remote and less populated, and as a result the accommodation here is more modest than what you will experience in other towns and cities on this tour. It is the history of this area that will truly enhance your visit to South Africa.

Day 7: Isandlwana & Rorke's Drift

After breakfast you'll visit the battlefields of the Zulu Wars, Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift – one a crushing British defeat sending shock waves throughout the Empire, the other a valiant stand of just 140 against 4,000 Zulus. Brilliantly dramatised in the films Zulu Dawn and Zulu, these two battles, just a day apart, became a defining moment for the British Empire.

In 1879 at Isandlwana, a depleted force of 1,300 were surprised and outmanoeuvred by a 20,000-strong Zulu army armed with cowhide shields and spears. Only a handful survived.

The next day just 9 miles away, about 140 British soldiers, some wounded, held off 4,000 Zulus for over ten hours at Rorke’s Drift, an action earning eleven Victoria Crosses, the largest number ever awarded in a single engagement. Isandlwana particularly, remains a haunting and lonely place, with mass graves marked by simple white stones. Your specialist Zulu guide will really make those desperate encounters come alive.

We return to your hotel in the afternoon. Lunch is included today.

Day 8: Knysna

After breakfast you'll return to Johannesburg airport, flying to George in the Western Cape and at the heart of the gorgeous Garden Route, before the short drive to the Jewel of the Garden Route, Knysna.

Knysna sits within the unmatched beauty of the indigenous forests, miles of sandy beaches, rivers and lakes that border the town. There's also a picturesque lagoon which opens between two massive cliffs called The Heads. Standing on either head offers panoramic views over the lagoon to the mountains and out towards the ocean. The small but spirited town has a lovely harbour front lined with galleries, shops, restaurants and cafés - the perfect place to explore for dinner this evening overlooking the lagoon.

Day 9: Featherbed Nature Reserve

Leaving your hotel this morning, you'll drive to Knysna where you'll take a ferry across the lagoon to the Featherbed Nature Reserve - a privately-owned reserve in the middle of a scenic lagoon. We'll board 4x4 vehicles to explore the area.

Stopping at some magnificent viewpoints, our guide will describe the area’s fauna, flora, history and shipwrecks before an easy downhill guided walk and delicious buffet lunch under the canopy of the milkwood trees. (Note: Due to weather conditions over the winter period, departures between May and Aug will have lunch at a restaurant in Knysna).

After taking the ferry back to Knysna, you will have some free time to explore this small town, with its numerous art galleries, craft shops and the Knysna Quays marina shopping complex.

Day 10: Hermanus

This morning, you'll take the long scenic drive to the Cape’s beautiful Winelands before continuing to Hermanus, a lovely town that’s also the world’s best spot for on-shore whale watching, usually between July and November. These gentle giants move in seemingly permanent slow motion and are a truly amazing sight as they playfully cavort in the water.

Day 11: Winelands

Today you'll tour the awesomely beautiful Winelands. Set in a valley backed by majestic mountains, rows of manicured vines and orchards stretch into a distance studded by lime-washed, often thatched, 300-year-old wineries built in the unique Cape Dutch style, seemingly mirroring the undulations of the surrounding countryside.

Your first stop is elegant Stellenbosch, established 300 years ago and home of South Africa’s most prestigious university. Period buildings and historic streets reinforce the town’s dignified atmosphere. We have time to explore this delightful town before enjoying a fascinating cellar tour and tasting at the award-winning Neethlingshof Wine Estate.

After that, we visit the small town of Franschoek, set at the head of a valley. Tonight, we’ll enjoy an included typical South African BBQ or Cape Malay buffet dinner at our hotel.

Day 12: Cape Town

This morning you'll visit the amazing Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, located just outside Cape Town and set against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. These incredible gardens are some of the best in South Africa, with numerous and fascinating endemic flora and orchid varieties.

We soon arrive in Cape Town and our hotel, the four-star Southern Sun Waterfront Hotel, staying three nights on bed-and-breakfast. It is located right in the centre of this bustling city within walking distance of the V&A waterfront.

The afternoon is spent at leisure when you can start to explore this beautiful city.

Day 13: Cape of Good Hope

This morning, you'll visit Cape Point and the legendary Cape of Good Hope, firstly driving past pristine beaches to the picturesque fishing harbour of Hout Bay.

Continue along the breathtakingly scenic Chapman’s Peak Drive, full of rugged seascapes, to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, then on to Cape Point itself. We see the confluence of the Indian and Atlantic Ocean currents and the treacherous promontory of rocks and swells, the scourge of mariners for centuries.

Finally, you'll visit Boulders Beach and its penguin colony, returning to the city during the afternoon.

Day 14: Free Day in Cape Town

Cape Town, featuring British, Dutch and Cape Malay influences, is simply one of the world’s most naturally beautiful cities with so much to offer the visitor! You could do some bargain shopping at the Waterfront, followed by a sumptuous seafood lunch. Or maybe go peoplewatching at fashionable Camps Bay?

Obviously, no visit to Cape Town is complete without taking a revolving cable car ride to the top of iconic Table Mountain which has announced the city to generations of seafarers. The views are fabulous. You should also visit Robben Island (weather permitting and based on availability), where Nelson Mandela spent most of his 27- year incarceration, and whose visitors since its opening have included Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, Bill Gates and even Nelson Mandela himself.

Perhaps though, simply wander where your feet take you, or relax a little, taking afternoon tea in beautiful colonial splendour at the Mount Nelson hotel – the choice is yours.

Day 15: Journey home

It’s time to say goodbye and start your journey home.

Depending on your travel date and airline schedule, your flight home will either be via Johannesburg with an aircraft change or a direct flight from Cape Town.

Day 16: Arrive Home

We arrive back home after a truly unique tour.