Exceptional South Africa and Botswana: Sabi Sands to Okavango Delta

Sabi Sands Game Reserve is one of South Africa’s premier private wildlife sanctuaries set in the Greater Kruger National Park. Your commercial flight from Johannesburg will touch down at Skukuza Airport, where you will transfer to a stunning river lodge tucked away in the reserve’s luxuriant grasslands. After checking in and savoring a light lunch with views of the untouched wilderness, you will join your game ranger for a tour of the park. Sabi Sands boasts wonderful wildlife spotting opportunities around tranquil waterholes and immaculate landscape vistas sweeping from the foothills of lofty viewpoints.

You will wake up before dawn on your second day in the park and sip on a fresh cup of coffee while watching animals and birds come and go from your balcony. After slurping up your last sip of coffee, you will head out on an early sunrise safari where you will hope to spot big cats and other predators hunting under the mask of the hazy morning sky. In the afternoon, you will relish another opportunity to witness the wildlife activity on the spectacular stage that is Sabi Sands.

From watching hippos galavant in the blue rivers to gazing up at birds of prey gliding in the wind, you will adore every moment spent amongst the untamed South African wildlife in Sabi Sands. Today, you will also enjoy the luxury of sensational spa therapies at a wellness center featuring backdrops of the bushveld. You will feel all of your stress melt away as you witness giraffes pecking at the thorny acacia trees and hear colorful birds chirping from the bushes while each treatment invigorates your mind and body.

Your adventures will lead away from the secluded and rural grassy reserve’s carpeting South Africa’s Mpumalanga province, taking you instead to the dazzling and exuberant city of Cape Town, the beating heart of the Western Cape. You will arrive at the airport and immediately notice the monumental flat precipice of Table Mountain, the destination’s claim to fame, as you transfer to your boutique hotel hemmed in the heart of the city center. Today, you will relax and unwind with the help of your accommodation’s top-tier amenities before stepping out onto the Cape streets to indulge in its nightlife scene.

Cape Town is more than just an exciting city to discover; it is also a gateway to the Western Cape’s spellbinding natural scenery and one-of-a-kind wildlife encounters. Joined by an insider guide, you will begin your cruise along the winding roads weaving around the Cape Peninsula, including the world-famous Chapman’s Peak Drive. Your slow meander across the peninsula will bring you to impressive lofty viewpoints overlooking vibrant towns peppering the coastline, the southern tip of Africa’s magnificent oceanic display, and the pearl-white sands of a colossal penguin colony home at Boulders Beach.

With so much to see and do in Cape Town, you will be thrilled to join your experienced guide today for a ‘Go as You Please Tour.’ Along with the help of your guide, you will map out an exhilarating tour specific to your preferences and Cape bucket list. You may stroll along the beautiful V&A Waterfront and try exquisite cuisine at the city’s Michelin-star, chef-owned restaurants, tour to the summit of Table Mountain via cable car and admire the all-encompassing views, or peruse the Bo-Kaap’s colorful streets to delve into the region’s dramatic past to name a few.

Situated around the corner from Cape Town, the rolling viridian hills of Franschhoek will offer a charming retreat from the busy city. Before arriving at your glamorous estate, you will partake in a guided tour of the Cape Winelands. Boasting the country’s elite wine estates and signature vintages, every stop on your Cape Winelands excursion will allow you to sip on sumptuous glasses of wine while delving into the winemaking history of the region and each cellar’s distinct production process. You will leave the tour having purchased exquisite vintages you may sip on when you arrive back at your accommodation.

Franschhoek is also home to several significant wineries you may explore today at leisure. Either on your own or guided by a knowledgeable sommelier, you will head for the region’s most impressive estates and tuck into delightful charcuterie boards while learning more about their sensational wines. With tours of the cellars allowing you to educate yourself more about the local winemaking process and backdrops of the cascading lime-green vineyards composing your scenery, the magic of the Western Cape wine experience will seduce you.

Today, you will leave South Africa’s dazzling Western Cape and begin your adventures in Botswana after a short international flight to the neighboring country. You will arrive in Maun, a charming town on the Thamalakane River that is the entry point to the immense marshy wildlands of the Okavango Delta. You will adore the opportunity to witness Okavango from the sky during a light aircraft flight or private helicopter tour from Maun to the great grasslands and sprawling savannas of the Khwai Concession. A game drive this afternoon will officially introduce you to Botswana’s breathtaking wildlife paradise.

As the morning sun breaks over the horizon and the sky bursts into hues of orange, pink, and red, you will capture the iconic African sunrise scene of the fiery open plains silhouetting grazing animals strolling across the delta. After tucking into breakfast accompanied by this beautiful backdrop, you will join a knowledgeable ranger and revel in safaris across the delta. From unique boating safaris showcasing the majesty of the delta’s marshy floodplains swarming with colorful birdlife and animals wallowing in the refreshing waters to grassland game drives showing off Africa’s world-famous Big Five, there will be much to explore.

You will be thrilled to spend one more night in the Okavango Delta, affording you further opportunities to witness the wildlife and capture the scenic splendors during delightful safari adventures across the Khwai Concession. Your exquisite camp also offers several amenities, including romantic outdoor showers and a pool boasting views of the concession that you may luxuriate in today. With massages enjoyed on the open-air deck and star gazing like no other under the midnight sky, your final moments in Botswana will blow you away.

No morning is quite as peaceful as one spent in the Okavango Delta. As you let out a big yawn and slowly rise from bed, you will catch the sweet symphony of birds singing from the trees outside your patio and smell the saccharine scent of morning dew blanketing your lush lawn. After enjoying a cup of freshly brewed coffee with a backdrop of the rolling, grassy concession, you will head down to the restaurant for a scrumptious breakfast to fuel up before your final game drive. Afterward, you will transfer to the airport and begin your journey back home.