South Africa Flying Circuit

Cape Town City, the Peninsula, and the Winelands
Sunset Cruise on the Knysna Lagoon
Spectacular viewpoints, Wine and Oyster tastings
Vibrant Durban Culture
Pristine Beauty of iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Highlights of the Panorama Route
Big Five Kruger Safari

• Day 1 Arrival in Cape Town : Private Transfer

• Day 2 Morning City Tour & Table Mountain: Locally Guided Private Half Day

• Day 3 Cape Point & Peninsula: Locally Guided Private Full Day

• Day 4 Winelands Tour: Private Full Day: Locally Guided Private Full Day

• Day 5 From Cape Town to George and onto Knysna

• Day 6 Exploring Knysna & Plettenberg Bay at their finest: Locally Guided Private Full Day

• Day 7 Garden Route to the Tropical East Coast and City of Durban: Locally Guided Private Half Day

• Day 8 & 9 Exploring the iSimangaliso Wetland Park: Locally Guided Private Full Day

• Day 10 Leaving the City Behind: Hosted by the Hotel Staff

• Day 11 & 12 Your Safari begins: Locally Guided Morning Touring & Hosted by the Lodge Team

• Day 13 Nelspruit to Johannesburg: Local Transfer

• Day 1 - Arrival in Cape Town : Private Transfer

  On arrival, you will be met at the door of your aircraft with your name on a paging board and assisted through immigration, baggage collection and customs. You will then be shown to your awaiting transfer vehicle and transferred to your boutique hotel with the remainder of the day to explore the vibey Kloof Street area at your leisure.
  Overnight: Cloud Nine Boutique Hotel 

• Day 2 - Morning City Tour & Table Mountain: Locally Guided Private Half Day

  Your day will commence with a tour of Table Mountain (weather permitting; cable car fee not included). Enjoy panoramic views over the Mother City and the Atlantic Seaboard with Robben Island in the distance lying sleepily in Table Bay harbour. In the city itself, enjoy a walk through the Company Gardens and a visit to the South African Museum. This is followed by a visit to the Castle of Good Hope. Built between 1666 and 1679 by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) as a maritime replenishment station, the Castle of Good Hope is the oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa. The drive through the city centre would also take you past the Houses of Parliament, the Grand Parade and City Hall from where Nelson Mandela first addressed South Africans after his release. From here you have the choice of being dropped off at the Waterfront to experience this vibrant location at your own pace, with its many shops, restaurants and pubs – or at your hotel.
  Overnight: Cloud Nine Boutique Hotel B

• Day 3 - Cape Point & Peninsula: Locally Guided Private Full Day

  Today you embark on a full day tour of the Cape Peninsula. Take in the beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay, before crossing over to Hout Bay, a quaint village and fishing harbour with magnificent mountain views and beaches. From here you drive to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve via Chapman’s Peak, one of the world’s most breathtaking coastal drives, where you will board a funicular (optional and for your own account) to get to the top of the Peninsula to witness the symbolic meeting of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans and enjoy spectacular views over False Bay.
  After lunch (for your own account), continue to Simonstown, the naval base, and visit the African Penguin breeding colony at Boulders Beach. Then stop at the world-renowned Kirstenbosch Gardens before arriving at your hotel for overnight.
  Overnight: Cloud Nine Boutique Hotel B

• Day 4 - Winelands Tour: Private Full Day: Locally Guided Private Full Day

  You will be met this morning by your guide and will set off for the Winelands, a delightful drive which winds its way through superb mountain ranges, vineyards and Cape Dutch homesteads. The first stop is Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa, with canal-lined avenues, and magnificent examples of Cape Dutch architecture where you can do wine tasting, coupled with a chocolate and dessert tasting. Onward over the scenic Helshoogte Pass, to Franschhoek, founded by French Huguenots over 350 years ago, and widely regarded as the culinary capital of South Africa. The beautiful setting and café lined streets will charm you and a further wine tasting is included at one of the renowned estates here. Your final stop is at the town of Paarl, at the foot of a cluster of remarkable granite domes where you enjoy your final wine tasting before heading back to Cape Town.
  Note: Alternative estates may be visited over weekends and public holidays.
  Overnight: Cloud Nine Boutique Hotel B

• Day 5 - From Cape Town to George and onto Knysna: Transfer

  This morning you’ll transfer to Cape Town Airport in time to board your morning flight to George*. On arrival, you’ll transfer to Knysna, a relaxed and friendly town situated on the shores of a protected lagoon and surrounded by lush, indigenous forest. Use the opportunity to walk around the Knysna Waterfront on your own before your late afternoon cruise.

  Make your way to the Springtide Charters jetty at the Waterfront in time for an outing on the water. The most popular way to cruise on the lagoon, this daily scheduled sunset charter sails across the sweeping estuary and out through the iconic Knsyna Heads. After a sublime sail, you’ll return to the calmer waters of the estuary and be served a delicious feast of Mediterranean style cuisine along with a couple of glasses of fine South African bubbly.
  Overnight: The Turbine Boutique Hotel BD

• Day 6 - Exploring Knysna & Plettenberg Bay at their finest: Locally Guided Private Full Day

  Depart your Knysna hotel this morning and journey to the Knynsa Heads, with spectacular sea views and jutting rock formations. The viewing platforms allow for fabulous photo opportunities out to sea from the heads, or the other way towards the Knysna lagoon. Proceed to Thesen Island where you can participate in a hands-on oyster demonstration where you learn all about this famous local delicacy, have a go at “shucking” or opening an oyster and tasting the difference between the wild and cultivated varieties. From here we head to Mitchell’s Brewery – home of South Africa’s Original Craft Beer for an extensive tour through the brewery and see how our beers are perfected. The tour includes a Taproom tasting.

  We then continue to the newest wine region in South Africa near Plettenberg Bay where you could enjoy a tapas lunch (own account) at Bramon Wine Estate before enjoying a taste of their boutique cellar’s wines. Bramon is the first estate this far east of the Western Cape. A glorious end to a perfect day – glide up the deep ravine of the Keurbooms River for 4.5km, moor at the sandy cove at Whiskey Creek. Walk through the indigenous forest, swim in the gentle waters, sip on an ice-cold drink and relax in natural splendour before returning to the hotel this evening.
  Overnight: The Turbine Boutique Hotel B

• Day 7 - Garden Route to the Tropical East Coast and City of Durban: Locally Guided Private Half Day

  This morning you will transfer to George Airport in time for your scheduled flight from George to Durban. Your local Durbanite guide will meet you in the arrivals hall and take you on a short, introductory tour of this vibrant City before dropping you off at your Guest House.

  Durban, recently voted as one of the ‘New 7 Wonders cities of the World’ is a melting pot of European, African and Indian influences. Its warm weather, outdoor lifestyle and the laid-back, friendly attitude of the locals make it a great city to explore both by vehicle and on foot. Our outing begins with a visit to one of the prime viewpoints in one of the oldest suburbs of this once British colony where we get our bearings. We then head into the city centre to explore one of the oldest and most culturally diverse areas. With Durban having the largest Indian community outside of India, it’s no surprise that they have played a huge role in the character and architecture of the city and the narrow lanes and arcades around Grey Street are a vibrant collection of trading stores featuring colourful fabric, beads and homewares. We’ll end with a drive along the famous ‘Golden Mile’ where locals flock to make use of the safe swimming beaches and the promenade, which stretches from the harbour to the mouth of the Umgeni River, passing the famous World Cup soccer stadium en-route.
  Overnight: Goble Palms B

• Day 8 & 9 - Exploring the iSimangaliso Wetland Park: Locally Guided Private Full Day

  After breakfast, your new driver-guide will collect you form the Guest House for your journey Northwards. We depart and drive North along the coast through varying landscapes of sugar cane and Eucalyptus forests towards the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. En route in Groutville we stop and visit The Luthuli Museum (entrance fee payable locally) a national cultural institution charged with conserving, upholding, promoting and propagating the life, values, philosophies and legacy of the late Chief Albert Luthuli – a very worthwhile stop! Reach your destination of Makakatana Bay Lodge in St Lucia – surrounded by vast stretches of the wilderness and wetlands of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site and your base for the next 2 nights.

  Activities at Makakatana are centred around the wetland and on your first evening you’ll head out on an afternoon game drive. The following day you’ll explore the waterways of Lake St Lucia from a totally unique perspective – by boat. Watch the resident hippo perform, focus on the myriad of water birds and enjoy the gentle pace with your knowledgeable guide.
  Overnights: Makakatana Bay Lodge BLD

• Day 10 - Leaving the City Behind: Hosted by the Hotel Staff

  This morning you transfer by road to Durban’s King Shaka International Airport where you’ll once again board your scheduled flight to Nelspruit. Once you’ve arrived a local representative will meet you and transfer you to your hotel in Hazyview.
  Overnight: Rissington Inn B

• Day 11 & 12 - Your Safari begins: Locally Guided Morning Touring & Hosted by the Lodge Team

  This morning you’ll head out for a morning’s exploration covering the Highlights of the Panorama region. The mountainous escarpment of Mpumalanga provides stunning views of the Lowveld. Your highlights tour with a local guide can include sights such as God’s Window, with its spectacular views across the Lowveld, the Blyde River Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in the World and the quaint little town of Graskop. After the morning touring your guide will drop you off at your Lodge in time to check-in and head out on your first afternoon game drive.

  A typical day on safari would include an early morning wake-up call and a steaming cup of coffee before heading out into the bush. The animals are usually at their most active as they start the day, grooming, searching for food and heading down to the waterholes for a drink. You’ll head back to the lodge for a hearty breakfast and some siesta time to enjoy the comforts of your luxury suite. After lunch and a siesta, you’ll head out again for your afternoon drive where the quality of the light lends itself to spectacular photography and a sundowner stop is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a gin and tonic and celebrate a true African sunset. You’ll return to the lodge in the dark to enjoy dinner and drinks around the fire.
  Overnights: Jock Safari Lodge  BLD

• Day 13 - Departure Day

  Flight time permitting, you may still enjoy a morning activity before breakfast and departure. If not, your driver will collect you mid-morning for your road transfer back to Kruger Mpumalanga Airport where you board a scheduled flight to Johannesburg Airport to connect to your homeward flight. B

• Departure Dates

  Flexible departures (any day)

• Included

  eDocs
  VIP Meet and Greet
  12 Night’s Accommodation
  Meals as specified
  Transfers as specified
  SAA Scheduled flights CPT/GRJ/DUR/MQP/JNB
  Activities as specified
  Park Fees/ Conservation levies / Entrance fees / Taxes as specified

• Non Included

  All other flights and transfers not specified
  Any meals or drinks not specified
  Park Fees/Conservation levies not specified
  Gratuities
  Items of a personal nature

Year Round Destination