True African Adventure: 14-Day South Africa, Kenya and Uganda

The former seat of Uganda’s government, Entebbe, is a peninsula town in Lake Victoria that boasts charming cultural activities and is a marvelous gateway to the country’s surrounding natural beauty. After arriving and transferring to your traditionally-styled hotel, you may explore more of Entebbe during strolls through its flourishing Botanical Gardens, a visit to the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, or as you lounge on the soft sands of beaches hugging the banks of Lake Victoria. In the evening, you may tour Entebbe’s nightlife and culinary scene at vibrant restaurants and local eateries.

The highlight of your Ugandan getaway will be the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a prolific evergreen jungle spanning a vast belt of the country’s southwestern landscape. Within the immense forest, you will explore cascading waterfalls, shimmering mountain streams, and enormous emerald valleys and encounter the magnificent wildlife that inhabits these rich, untouched environments. On your first day in Bwindi, you may spend your afternoon soaking up the spectacular scenery from the comfort of your forest-flanked accommodation and enjoy traditional Ugandan meals prepared over the open flames.

After breakfast, you will join your knowledgeable ranger and tracker this morning and meet the Bwindi Gorilla Guardians. These locals will share more information about this immense conservation area and the massive gorillas that inhabit its wooded hills. You will then set off across trails weaving through the forest in search of the famous primates, stopping at breathtaking viewpoints along the way where you will admire your pristine wilderness surrounds. You will soon meet a troop of gorillas and spend the afternoon in their company, watching them curiously play around you in the middle of the jungle.

You will leave Uganda this morning and transfer to Kenya, making a stopover in Nairobi for the evening. You will arrive at your hotel hemmed in the lush landscapes sweeping from the border of Nairobi’s city center and spend your afternoon acclimating to the spirited destination. After checking in, you may visit the Giraffe Centre and Sheldrick Wildlife Trust to learn more about the local conservation efforts and meet the friendly animals, such as elephants and giraffes, enjoying the refuge offered by these cherished initiatives.

You will depart from Nairobi early in the morning and transfer to Kenya’s untouched wilderness sweeping the pristine protected area of Selenkay Conservancy. You will pass enormous golden deserts and vast stretches of bushveld as you draw closer to your accommodation tucked beneath the shade of acacia trees. After unpacking your things, you will revel in a guided safari drive across Selenkay, one of Kenya’s greatest wildlife stages, and capture iconic African game images from the comfort of your open-air 4x4 vehicle.

You will rise to the sounds of singing birds and the roars of big cats in the distance, and feel the refreshing breeze against your cheeks as you step onto your balcony and take in the unbridled wilderness views. Today, you will set off on an extensive safari tour of Amboseli National Park, an enchanting African escape set beneath the looming snow-capped summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. Your adventure will bring you to waterholes where friendly giants, like elephants, lap up the refreshing water and observation decks offer uninterrupted vistas of the magnificent mountain.

Forming part of the Masai Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, Olare Motorogi Conservancy is a postcard-perfect safari destination boasting golden savannas and sprawling open plains. You will transfer through the conservancy to a stunning camp stationed on the banks of the Ntiakatiak River. From here, you will have unparalleled access to the pristine wilderness of Masai Mara as well as encounters with the abundance of big cats indigenous to this wildlife paradise. An afternoon game drive today will be your first opportunity to discover the flora and fauna, and your safari will culminate with sundowners at a gorgeous viewpoint overlooking the savanna.

You will enjoy several guided tours through Olare Motorogi’s bushveld during your days here, with an abundance of opportunities to encounter Kenya’s iconic indigenous wildlife. With professional cameras and an experienced ranger and tracker, you will set off in search of the Big Five, following tracks and broken bushes to viewing areas where you will likely chance upon massive elephants, swimming hippos, and the king of the bushveld, lions. You will spot leopards lounging in acacias and buffaloes gathering around water holes, among other fascinating local creatures.

Before the sun rises, you will join your ranger for a nocturnal safari and illuminate the bushveld with spotlights, hoping to witness several creatures active before dawn as well as big cats hunting by moonlight. In the afternoon, you will return to camp and relish a bushwalk allowing you to get closer to nature than ever before, with your adventures culminating at an authentic Maasai village where friendly locals will introduce you to their traditions and customs as well as share delicacies cooked over the blazing fire.

Heading for South African by plane on the morning of your tenth day, you will soon touch down in the country’s crown jewel cosmopolitan cityscape on the Western Cape, Cape Town. Transferring from the international airport, you will see the towering Table Mountain soaring above the sky-rise buildings and picturesque golden beaches wrapping around the rugged coast. You will arrive at your accommodation pinned beneath Table Mountain’s precipice and stationed within the heart of the city, a stone’s throw away from all of the action on Long and Kloof Street.

You will tuck into an exquisite South African breakfast before you meet your guide and partake in a marvelous Cape Town city tour. Today, you will ascend to the summit of Table Mountain by cable-car and capture 360-degree views of the southern tip of Africa, peruse the colorful streets of the Bo-Kaap, traceback Cape Malay traditions through food and in museums, and wander the exhibitions of the iconic Zietz MOCAA as you admire the incredible artistic talent of South Africa’s finest creatives.

The Western Cape is a dreamy region boasting spectacular geological formations, a mesmerizing azure seascape, and sprawling viridian countryside, all of which you will explore during a tour of the Cape Peninsula today. You will snap up photos of the penguin colonies swarming Boulders Beach, embrace panoramic seaside views atop the Chapman’s Peak drive, swoon over the topography of the tip of southern African, and indulge in the Cape’s finest wines as you pass the Constantia Valley’s elite wine estates. Your Cape Peninsula tour will prove why Cape Town is one of the hottest places in the world.

After breakfast, you will have the fortune of experiencing one of the most exhilarating activities to do in South Africa, shark cage diving. You will transfer to a shark diving center stationed on the coast, meet your experienced instructors, and set sail across the sea to prime Great White viewing hotspots. You will climb into a safe and secure cage designed to protect you from marine life and descend into the depths to discover what lies below the surface. From massive Great Whites to cordial dolphins, colossal whales, and more, you may spot the Marine Big Five during your dive.

Views of the sunrise illuminating Table Mountain will greet you in the morning from your patio, and you will feel the cool sea breeze as you step outside for a cup of coffee. After breakfast, you may wander V&A Waterfront one final time for last-minute shopping at boutique stores and a trip on the Ferris wheel for charming panoramas of the Atlantic seaboard. You will return to your room afterward to collect your things, check out of your accommodation, and meet your private transfer, who will take you to Cape Town International Airport in time for your flight.