After landing in Johannesburg you will be assisted in transferring to a domestic flight. Phinda Game Reserve is an ideal first place for a first-time safari, even more so than the Sabi Sands. It’s home to the big five and the reserve is large enough for you to appreciate wildlife abundance. Yet the private reserve is also very accessible and easy to get around. You can literally see elephants from your villa’s swimming pool. It makes for a relaxed start accompanied by the famous animals, and that will be the highlight of your first afternoon and evening.

Almost every first-time safari-goer wants to see the big five. These are the largest and most dangerous animals, the most mysterious symbols of Africa. Phinda is perfect because these five are plentiful. You can see them on a single game drive, something unheard of elsewhere in Africa. Elephants maraud across the savannah, buffalo gather in large herds, and Phinda has a remarkably high rhino population. Then there’s the cats, lions and leopards discovered as you spend today on leisurely game drives with your expert guide.

While lions and leopards reside inside Phinda, parts of the reserve are made safe for walking safari. A local guide will teach you about animal tracking before you spend a morning following ungulates. With this safari activity you focus on antelope and smaller animals. They aren’t as fearful of you on foot, so you can get much closer. Plus, from ground level, the size of these animals is truly revealed. After an afternoon and evening game drive, you will have a final evening in your villa, safely gazing across animal-dappled savannah.

Enjoy a final morning game drive before you fly to the Sabi Sands this morning. Part of the Greater Kruger ecosystem, the Sabi Sands has one of Africa’s finest concentrations of wildlife. There’s more to see, but some species are harder to find. After the big-five introduction, you will be ready to dive into the wonderful unpredictability of an African safari. Start with a special highlight, as you spend an afternoon and evening tracking wild leopards. Expect to see more than one. And expect to discover their beautifully varied behavior.

You will be spending four nights in a private and unfenced reserve. These provide real luxury because access is restricted to only a few lodge guests, so no animal sighting is crowded. You can also go off the trail. Wildlife prefers private reserves as they are quieter, hence the Sabi Sands’ incredible animal concentration. Complement this private experience with today’s full-day drive in Kruger National Park. You will cover a big distance and really appreciate Kruger’s scale. Home to half the world’s rhinos and a remarkable predator population, Kruger is one of the world’s largest protected spaces.

Your seven days on safari can be further tailored when you are on the ground. Both Sabi Sands and Phinda have a varied safari program, so you can mix walks and drives with other activities, such as rhino conservation. Today’s treat is a hot air balloon ride over Blyde River Canyon, a stunning aerial perspective of a land you will have explored in intimate detail. From up here you can often spot elephants and giraffe, along with large antelope herds. Then back in Sabi Sands, you can spend an afternoon in a photography hide, the perfect place for close-up encounters with massive animals.

Sabi Sands and Phinda have so much more than five. The Kruger area is home to over 100 wild mammal species and over the week you can explore the sublime variety of Africa wildlife. On a first-time safari you naturally focus on lions, elephants, and hippos early on. By now you will love the nuance that exists, from rare species to strange behaviors playing out before your eyes. Having private activities aids this, as you can tailor each drive or walk to your interests, rather than just doing a standard loop of famous creatures.

From the Sabi Sands you will fly directly to Cape Town, for two nights featuring more nature. After an airport transfer and check in you will head straight up Table Mountain, the city’s most iconic experience. Take the cable car and appreciate a city from on high, especially the two oceans stretching out below. Then enjoy a private city tour, a chance to explore colorful streets and vibrant energy. Bo Kaap delights with its strange hues while the Waterfront will offer a relaxed place to dine come evening time.

Wildlife encounters continue this morning as you take the road to Boulders Beach. It’s a fabulous journey, halfway between mountain and ocean, with stupendous views all the way along. Walk the famous boardwalk and you will get relatively close to a colony of jackass penguins. But your guide also knows another beach, where you can sunbathe next to their waddling antics. After a morning here you can choose to continue to Cape Point, or return to Cape Town for more laid-back city treats.

From your hotel it’s only 30 minutes by road to the airport. You will have a private transfer after breakfast.