21-Day South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe Adventure

After a long flight to South Africa, you will be ecstatic to have a day of leisure in Cape Town. There are endless opportunities to uncover the local culture and lose yourself in the sensations sweeping the city’s colorful streets. After perusing boutique stores lining the city center’s famous Long Street, you may cruise the Cape coast to boulder-flanked pearl white beaches kissed by the sun. An optional guided walking tour is also available should you wish to wander Cape Town’s districts with the assistance of a local insider.

Cape Town is dripping with history you will gladly discover during a guided full-day heritage tour of the city and its surrounds. Beginning at the V&A Waterfront, you will board a ferry to Robben Island’s world-famous museum, an iconic landmark destination that will share insight into the country’s turbulent past through exhibits spotlighting the life of visionary former president Nelson Mandela. Other historic highlights you will discover include the marvelous multi-colored homes painting the Bo-Kaap in vivid hues and panoramic views atop the steep summit of Table Mountain, accessed via cable-car.

The city of Cape Town is a gateway to the Western Cape’s dreamy landscapes and flourishing environments. After breakfast, you will join your private guide and meander along the Cape’s rugged, winding coastline towards the tip of southern Africa, the Cape of Good Hope. The destination is the meeting point of the cold Atlantic and warm Indian Oceans, and its landscape is left untouched for visitors to appreciate the mesmerizing wilderness views. Afterward, you will continue along the coast to view the massive penguin colonies at Boulders Beach and the immaculate flora veiling Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.

As the sun rises over Cape Town and glistens off the azure Atlantic Ocean, you may savor a strong cup of coffee from the comfort of your stylish terrace before packing your bags. After breakfast, you may spend the morning admiring the city at your own pace. Several museums, including the renowned Zeitz MOCAA and Iziko South African Museum, will share insight into the country’s remarkable artistic talents and historic zoological, paleontological, and archaeological findings, respectively. You may also meander the city center’s spirited streets in search of exquisite South African cuisine at Michelin-starred restaurants.

Cape Town is only one of the beautiful destinations you will explore during your days wandering the Western Cape. Today, you will transfer from your hotel in the city center, through the phenomenal Cape Winelands, towards Franschhoek. The Cape Winelands is one of the world’s premier wine-making destinations, hosting numerous exceptional estates revered for producing incredible vintages. You will visit several of these estates to taste test their meticulously crafted bottles under the guidance of a sommelier, with backdrops of the region’s rolling viridian hills and cascading vineyards typifying the Cape’s boundless natural beauty.

There are too many estates to visit in one day, meaning your second day in Franschhoek is the perfect opportunity to dabble in more of the Cape Winelands exquisite vintages. At many of these estates, the spectacular wines are paired perfectly with chocolates, cold meats, or cheeses, offering an elevated tasting experience accompanied by panoramic views of the luxuriant landscapes. You may also cherish the enchanting green scenes from the saddle of a bicycle during a light cycling tour through the Winelands, weaving between the emerald vineyards to historic sites such as the Huguenot Monument.

Your final day in Franschhoek is yours to enjoy whichever way you please, choosing to relish in the amenities of your divine accommodation or revel in the additional activities on offer across Franschhoek. You may revitalize your mind and body with a series of heavenly spa remedies or learn more about Cape wines on a whimsical Hop-On Hop-Off Wine Tram chugging across the Cape’s olive-green pastures. However you decide to entertain yourself today, your adventures in Franschhoek are bound to leave a lasting impression.

South Africa’s Greater Kruger area boasts several safari reserves loved worldwide for their extraordinary natural environments, immense indigenous wildlife populations, and picturesque camps and lodges surrounded by the bushveld. Today, you will transfer to one of the region’s adored parks, Sabi Sands Game Reserve, and check into a glamorous bush camp flanked by open plains and acacia trees. After indulging in high tea with gorgeous views from the patio, you will join an experienced ranger for your first game drive across the reserve. Dinner and drinks under the blazing African sunset will conclude a brilliant introduction to South African safari.

A typical morning in Sabi Sands consists of warm tea or coffee and delicious rusks enjoyed as the sun rises over the horizon and welcomes a new day. As first light floods the plains, you will set off to discover game dwelling in the flourishing environments. Approaching waterholes in your 4x4 vehicle, you will spot striped zebras, horned buffaloes, and hairy warthogs gathering around the refreshing springs in communions formed for safety from predators. Continuing along rugged dirt roads, you will keep your eyes peeled for big cats lounging in the trees and crossing the plains in search of food.

There are many ways to appreciate the idyllic landscapes sweeping Sabi Sands and uncover the intriguing creatures who call this sanctuary home. Today, you may opt to wander the plains on foot following a knowledgeable guide and tracker with a knack for spotting the rarest animals. Encountering dazzling birdlife, such as eagles, perching themselves atop tall trees and beautiful four-legged mammals, such as Cape porcupines, rustling through the shrubbery up close as you stroll through the bushveld is a one-of-a-kind experience you will never forget.

Sabi Sands Game Reserve boasts some of South Africa’s wildest game viewing opportunities. The illustrious park also reflects the country’s deep traditional roots at tribal villages standing amongst the wilderness. Today, friendly locals will welcome you to their African village, and you will learn more about their lives and ancient customs. Returning to camp later, you may spend your afternoon basking in the brilliant wilderness scenes spreading towards the horizon as you treat yourself to a therapeutic spa treatment at your accommodation’s exceptional wellness facilities.

Your adventure in Zimbabwe will begin today after your short airplane journey from Nelspruit to Livingstone. After arriving, checking through immigration, and meeting your private transfer, you will be whisked away to one of the country’s most enchanting destinations, Victoria Falls. Home to one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and named after this geological phenomenon, Victoria Falls is a marvelous escape and fantastic introduction to Africa’s magnificent life-giving waterways. Views of the falls from your terrace while indulging in high tea will just be the start of a spellbinding Zimbabwean getaway.

The Victoria Falls has to be seen to be believed, and only once you are standing alongside its mighty and monstrous stream of water will you truly capture the majesty of this impressive geological spectacle. Stranding on terraces and pathways speckling the edge of the falls, you will feel the spray of the massive streams as they crash down into the valley below and smell the fragrant mist enveloping the colossal natural wonder. After your tour of the falls, you will board a boat departing along the Ra-Ikane River for a sensational sunset cruise cherished over elegant cocktails.

The next destination of your African safari vacation lies in northern Botswana, adjacent to the immense Okavango Delta. You will transfer to the stunning Chobe National Park, check into a thatched chalet, and cruise across the reserve within a 4x4 vehicle for marvelous game spotting accompanied by an expert ranger. Your extensive safari will reveal the wonders of the bushveld, from diverse animal gatherings of rhinos, zebras, and giraffes to elephant watching from viewpoints sharing images of the herds wallowing in the refreshing rivers.

Today, you will tour more of the park and explore its unique features, including San rock art and the zebra migration, depending on your travel time. History shrouds the iconic Savute Marsh, and San rock paintings that coat cave walls along the Gubatsa Hills will spotlight the region’s ancient heritage. The vast area also boasts an extraordinary zebra migration between November and December, in which massive herds of zebra cross the parched pastures to green grasslands flourishing under the nourishing rainfall. Many hungry predators follow the zebra crossing in the hope of catching some of them off guard.

You will rise before dawn in the hopes of spotting predators hunting in the early hours of the morning. You may witness lions cutting off calves through clever hunting strategies or leopards leaping down from acacia trees and sprinting after gazelles. These scenes will showcase the untamed beauty of nature as it remains preserved and unhindered by human intervention across the Chobe National Park. In the afternoon, you may enjoy tea on your patio before venturing through Savute under cover of the night sky on a spotlighted game drive revealing the nocturnal creatures of Chobe.

Pinned in the immense Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve is a proclaimed destination you will be thrilled to explore during the final days of your safari vacation. Your kitted-out camp lies within the untamed wilderness of Moremi and boasts top-tier amenities to relish during your stay. After unpacking your things, you will cruise through the reserve towards viewing spots perched atop hills and hides hidden beneath the greenery. These surreal spotting points provide ample opportunities to capture nature while it is completely unaware of your existence, allowing you to snap up images of the wildlife in its purest form.

Moremi’s open plains and golden savannas are dissected by several rivers and lagoons, which will allow you to discover unique ecosystems blanketing the reserve. Today, you will join your knowledgeable ranger and head for the river banks, where you will begin a boat safari across the Xakanaxa Lagoon. A gateway to the Okavango Delta, the lagoon will share surreal scenes of the riverside environments and the fascinating creatures and birds who call this nourishing habitat home. You will enjoy capturing these exquisite wildlife moments with the help of high-tech photography equipment provided by your guide.

Beyond rare four-legged mammals and other large animals, Moremi is home to thousands of species of birds. During your safaris across the reserve, you may partake in special bird watching experiences led by rangers with uncanny abilities to spot the winged creatures. From soaring fish eagles to dazzling malachite kingfishers and the rare Pel’s fishing owl, vivid birdlife waits to be seen during these magnificent tours to Moremi’s bird sanctuaries. In the evening, you will conclude your final night in Moremi with a toast of champagne and hearty campfire cuisine.

While your vacation draws to a close as the sun rises above Moremi and you slowly pack your bags this morning, you will feel a great sense of fulfillment having explored Africa’s stunning unspoiled wilderness and learned more about its indigenous flora and fauna. After breakfast, you will say your goodbyes to your hospitable chaperones and rangers and transfer to the airport to catch your flight home. You will leave Moremi with wonderful memories of your adventures in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.