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The South African Explorer Safari Tour - Detailed Information

DAY 1

On arrival in Johannesburg, your expert guide, who will privately transfer you to your hotel, will meet you. Half day Johannesburg City Tour including the downtown historical buildings and the arty suburb of Melville. Return to your hotel via the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens in Emmarentia and the suburb Rosebank. Protea Hotel Wanderers or similar - bed and breakfast basis

DAY 2

Depart from Johannesburg and travel to the 'Province of the Rising Sun', Mpumalanga, via the historic towns of Witbank, Dullstroom and Lydenburg. Travel over the famous Long Tom Pass on to the small town of Sabie. Visit the Lone Creek Waterfalls before arriving at your elegant hideway. Enjoy a delectable dinner that can only be described as a 'culinary masterpiece'. Lone Creek River Lodge (Timber Cottages) or similar - dinner, bed and breakfast basis

DAY 3

After breakfast, visit the Mac Mac Waterfalls. Along the Bonnet Pass, pay a short visit to the historic town of Pilgrim's Rest, where the richest alluvial gold deposits in South Africa were discovered in 1873. Continue exploring the Panorama Route featuring the Blyde River Canyon, Three Rondawels; Bourke's Luck Potholes, God's Window and various waterfalls. Traveling over Kowyn's Pass to the Hazyview area, arrive at your luxury safari hotel in a lush sub-tropical 'Garden of Eden' setting. Enter the Kruger National Park for a short introductory game drive in the late afternoon and return to your hotel for dinner under the stars in a traditional African Boma. (weather permitting). Protea Hotel Kruger Gate or similar - dinner, bed and breakfast basis + 2 game viewing activities

DAY 4

Early morning game drive in the Kruger National Park. An open safari vehicle is available as an optional extra. Enjoy a sumptuous breakfast in the Kruger Park followed by further game viewing en route to the private game lodge. Arrive in time for high tea, and late afternoon game viewing in an open safari vehicle with an experienced ranger and tracker. Return to the lodge for dinner where an African feast awaits you. Bongani Mountain Lodge or similar - dinner, bed and breakfast basis + 2 game viewing activities

DAY 5

Enjoy an early morning game drive. After breakfast depart via the Mananga border through eastern Swaziland and along the Lebombo Mountains. Leave Swaziland at Goelela border post and continue via the town of Pongola to a Maputaland safari lodge, arriving in the late afternoon. Dinner served in the Boma under the African sky (weather permitting). Gazebo Safari Lodge or similar - dinner, bed and breakfast basis + 1 game viewing activity

DAY 6

After an early safari in Hluhluwe Game Reserve and breakfast, visit St Lucia, a World Heritage site, and enjoy a river cruise on the estuary. Here you may see pelicans, fish eagles, hippos and crocodiles. After driving through sugar cane plantations along the Indian Ocean seaboard, arrive in the bustling city of Durban for drop off at your hotel. Protea Hotel Umhlanga or similar - bed and breakfast basis

DAY 7

Optional full day tour of Shakaland. Depart Durban and travel to Eshowe and the authentic Zulu Kraal of Shakaland. Feel the pulsating rhythm of Africa as you re-live the excitement and romance of the days of Shaka, King of the Zulus. Experience the sight of assegai wielding warriors, share the fascinating secrets of Sangomas and witness traditional customs such as tribal dancing, spear making and the beer making ceremony. Traditional Zulu lunch will be served. For those not taking the tour, enjoy the day at leisure. Please note that this excurion is not included in the package price. Protea Hotel Umhlanga or similar - bed and breakfast basis

DAY 8

Morning at leisure. Semi-private transfer to Durban International Airport for your flight to Port Elizabeth (not included). On arrival at Port Elizabeth Airport, semi-private transfer to your beachfront hotel. Protea Hotel Marine - Port Elizabeth or similar - bed and breakfast basis

DAY 9

Departing Port Elizabeth, enter the Garden Route via the high forests of the Tsitsikama Mountains and the Bloukrans and Groot River Passes. Attractions to be visited through the Tsitsikama Forest area include the Big Tree and the Garden of Eden. Gaze in awe at the scenery whilst crossing the bridge over the Storms River where photographic opportunities abound. After lunch at the scenic Storms River mouth (not included) continue via the 'millionaires playground' of Plettenberg Bay to South Africa's 'oyster capital', Knysna. After a short refreshment stop at Knysna's East Head we continue via Sedgefield to the quaint seaside village of Wilderness. Protea Hotel Wilderness Resort or similar - bed and breakfast basis

DAY 10

From our hotel in Wilderness, we board the famous Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe and travel to Knysna. On arrival at the Knysna Waterfront, we embark on the Featherbed Nature Reserve's ferry, nature trail and lunch. After the ferry returns to the Featherbed Ferry Terminus, the day's adventure ends with a scenic drive back to Wilderness for drop off at your hotel. Protea Hotel Wilderenss Resort or similar - bed and breakfast basis including lunch

DAY 11

The day's adventure begins as we depart Wilderness to the historic town of Mossel Bay. Our tour continues via the Robinson Pass to the town of Oudtshoorn. Here we visit the Safari Ostrich Show Farm and enjoy a traditional Lunch. The day continues with a fully guided tour of the Cango Caves as well as the Cango Wildlife Ranch and Valley of Ancients endangered species breeding facility. The day concludes with a scenic drive over the Outeniqua Pass into George and onward to Wilderness where you will be dropped off at your hotel. Protea Hotel Wilderness Resort or similar - bed and breakfast basis including lunch

DAY 12

After a sumptuous breakfast, our journey to Cape Town begins. Driving through Mossel Bay, we travel over the majestic Tradouw's Pass toward Barrydale. On arrival in the Tradouw valley, take a nostalgic trip on a vintage tractor through the vineyards of the Joubert Tradouw Cellars where we enjoy a cellar tour and wine tasting. Continuing through the Little Karoo, we arrive in Montagu in time for a delectable country luncheon at Mimosa Lodge reputed as a place of fine hospitality and superb cuisine. After lunch we traverse Kogmanskloof Pass through to the town of Robertson and over the Franschhoek Pass to Franschhoek. After a short visit to the town's 17th century Huguenot Memorial we travel over the Helshoogte Pass into the town of Stellenbosch. Take a fascinating stroll through 'Oom Samie se Winkel' - Stellenbosch's first trading store, and admire the historical beauty of the heart of the winelands. With Table Mountain in sight, the tour ends off at your hotel or Cape Town International Airport.