South African Adventure Tour: City, Safari, and Ocean

The thrill of South Africa will welcome you in Johannesburg, a city with vibrant arts and heritage. Lively restaurants, artisan cafes, and chic art studios reflect the evolving culture of the city around fascinating museum galleries. Your flight will land at OR Tambo International Airport, where your private transfer will meet you upon arrival. You will settle into the luxuries of your gorgeous hotel steeped in cascading bougainvillea and charming terraces. The remainder of the day is yours to relax in the ambiance of your hotel or learn about South Africa’s history at the Apartheid Museum.

In the morning, your South Africa adventure will begin with your private transfer to the airport for your brief flight into the protected landscape of Thornybush Game Reserve. The landscape encompasses more than 29,652 acres adjacent to the famous borders of Kruger National Park.  Your first game drive will take you into the mixture of woodlands, savannah, and shrublands in search of the spectacular local wildlife such as lion, rhinoceros, elephants, and Cape buffalo. You will wind along the trails with your guide as you scour the wilderness in search of grazing zebra or playful baboons.

In the early hours of the morning, you will join your guide on a game drive in search of wildlife active before the heat of the day. Your guide will spot signs of passing animals inherent in the landscape, such as broken branches, droppings, or grazed grass. You can spot lounging leopards hiding from the sun in the canopy or catch sight of a Bateleur eagle, whose wingspan can grow to over six feet wide. When you return to the lodge after the drive, you can rejuvenate by the pool and lounge in the sun like a local lion.

You can bask in the adventurous spirit with a guided Bush Walk led by qualified rangers and trackers. After spending the morning on a traditional game drive, you can explore the wilderness's intricate details to learn how rangers can track wildlife like lions, elephants, or rhinoceros. You will be able to spot tracks in the soil and even notice the scent of fresh droppings that mean the animal is close by. You will learn about local flowers and find insects lingering in the brush, such as rambunctious antlions or shimmering rhino beetles.

Fly directly from Hoedspruit Airport to Cape Town International Airport, where your private transfer will meet you upon arrival. After settling into your gorgeous hotel boasting a waterfront ambiance, you will have the remainder of the day to enjoy Cape Town at your leisure. You can wander around the elegant architecture of V&A Waterfront as Table Mountain looms large in the background. Artisans display their wares in the converted warehouse to showcase jewelry, woodwork, and artisanal jams. The timeless elegance of the neighborhood will bring a lovely respite from the previous adventure.

Begin with an early pick-up from your hotel to reach the unspoiled coastline of Gansbaai. You will board a boat bound for the open water in search of a diverse array of sharks. During the migration season, you can also spot whales spouting and dolphins arching out of the water. When the boat anchors, you will climb into the protective cage with your goggles to watch as copper sharks, the occasional stingray, and great white sharks inspect the cage. The thrill will exceed expectations as you see a staggering 20 foot long great white up close.

You will venture to Stellenbosch in the morning for a stunning cycling tour that will take you approximately seven miles around the charming Cape Winelands. Estates blanket the landscape with vines leading to the foothills of the bordering mountains. The historical town will fill with the scents of stroopwafels and a dynamic array of unpretentious international cuisine. Then, you will stop at several wineries to sample the delicious diversity of varietals ranging from Pinotage to Chenin Blanc. In the tasting room, you will sample a Pinotage to find aromas of ripe plum and strawberry with a lingering vanilla finish.

You will enjoy a scenic ride south toward Cape Peninsula in the morning as you pass charming towns along the Atlantic seaboard. Surfers will take to the curling waves at Sea Point and Camps Bay before you reach the Good Hope Nature Reserve. Ostriches forage in the windswept landscape, and Cape chacma baboons rustle the bushes amid the sounds of waves crashing against the rugged coastline. Before returning to Cape Town, you will stop at Boulders Beach to view the braying penguins on the pebbled coastline. You can walk along the boardwalk to view the 3,000-strong penguin colony.

In the morning, the aromas of coffee will fade beneath the sea breeze washing over the V&A Waterfront. Locals visit popular cafes to order local favorites that are a far departure from the instant coffees of the past. The scent of sweet pastries like hertzoggies will fill the dining room representing the mixture of a tart and cookie stuffed with jam and topped with coconut. Your private transfer will meet you at the hotel after breakfast and escort you to the airport for your flight home, bringing an end to your adventurous exploration of South Africa.