SPLENDID SOUTH AFRICA

Upon arrival at Cape Town International Airport (CPT) you’ll be picked up and swiftly transferred to our first hotel. Depending on when you arrive, you may have some time to explore the surrounding area of Sea Point, where you can take a stroll along the promenade before meeting the group and your Local Insider for a welcome dinner.

Our first full day in Cape Town is about gaining an understanding of the city’s unique melting-pot culture. After breakfast at the hotel we’ll head to Langa, the oldest Black African Township in Cape Town. There is no better place to understand the impact Apartheid South Africa had on its black inhabitants. Our visit will be an eye-opener, but also a testament to the power of community and an insight into the inspirational cultures forged in horrific times. After lunch in Langa we’ll return to Cape Town before embarking on a Cape Malay cooking experience later this afternoon. The Muslim South African community of Bo Kaap is often overlooked, so the historical and cultural insights gained on this culinary masterclass will enrich your understanding of Cape Town, while the aromatic fusion of South African and Eastern cuisines will leave your appetite more than satisfied.

Equipped with a fresh understanding of the people of Cape Town, today is our chance to explore the extraordinary natural beauty of the city’s surrounding areas. First up is the spectacular cable car journey to the freakily flat top of Table Mountain. Explore some footpaths as you take in the stunning panorama below, gazing over Cape Town and the Atlantic or Indian Oceans (depending which way you’re facing). Next up we’ll head to Cape Peninsula, stopping off at Simons Town, where you can grab lunch and join an optional kayaking activity surrounded by the local penguins. We’ll continue to the most southwestern point in all of Africa – the Cape of Good Hope. No trip to South Africa is complete without visiting this iconic spot, which has dazzled countless seafaring explorers over the centuries. We’ll return to the hotel late in the afternoon and you’ll have the evening to spend at your own leisure.

This morning we leave Cape Town behind for the town of Franschhoek, in the glorious Cape Winelands. The best way to discover this place is with your tastebuds, so we’ll jump onboard the region’s hop on hop off wine tram, a charming old locomotive that takes you from vineyard to vineyard, and stop off for tastings at three different farms en route. Be sure to grab some lunch on one of our stops, so you’re not too groggy when we check in to our boutique countryside guest lodge late in the afternoon. You’ll have plenty of time to freshen up before dinner at an authentic local restaurant this evening.

Who said getting from A to B has to be a chore? Not in South Africa, not today, as we traverse the world famous Garden Route on Route 62. Stretching along the Western and Eastern Cape coastlines, we’ll pass epic cliffs, picture-perfect beaches and indigenous forests on this spectacularly scenic road trip. Our ultimate destination is Oudtshoorn, a town known as the ostrich capital of the world. We’ll get up close to nature’s largest bird on a tractor safari visit to an ostrich farm – when in Oudtshoorn, after all.

After breakfast this morning we’ll head to the otherworldly Cango Caves, a 20 million year-old underground limestone complex. Gaze in awe at the football field-sized main cavern and see if you can spot creatively named rock formations like Cleopatra’s Needle, the Organ Pipes, the Ballerina and the Frozen Waterfall. In the afternoon we’ll head to one of South Africa’s most beloved coastal towns, Knysna, embarking on a boat cruise around Knysna Heads – one of the world’s most beautiful, and dramatic, river mouths. You’ll have a laid-back evening back on land in Knysna, where you can sample the delights of coastal life and find yourself a delicious seaside dinner.

This morning we head to Tsitsikamma National Park, the gem of the Garden Route, where the luscious greenery of forest and Fynbos meet the crashing waves of the Indian Ocean. We’ll explore verdant hiking trails, cross a suspension bridge across Storms River mouth and discover cosy little coves and beaches before heading to Bloukrans Bridge, famous for being the world’s tallest bungee jump bridge. For those that way inclined, yes, you have the option to do it yourself. For those very much not that way inclined, don’t worry, you don’t have to take the 709ft (216m) leap of faith – the Skywalk bridge tour might be more your speed. With feet back on firm ground we’ll return to Knysna for another evening on the coast.

No trip to South Africa is complete without experiencing the country’s extraordinary range of wildlife, so our last few days will be spent at an 11,000ha (over 27,000 acres) luxury game reserve. The reserve is the perfect place to go on game drives and explore the amazing mountain landscapes. You’ll be given ample time to spot the Big Five while you’re here, starting with an afternoon game drive before dinner at the lodge. Hopefully you’ll settle into your luxurious lodge having ticked a few off already, but fear not, your safari isn’t over yet!

After tucking into a delicious breakfast you’ll have the option to go on a morning game drive, but if you’d like to mix it up you can also take advantage of the reserve’s many activities. Take some complimentary mountain bikes out on a trail, discover the area’s flora on a Fynbos tour or detox at Tented Bush Spa. We’ll head out on another game drive this afternoon in search of elephants, giraffes, lions, leopards, hippos, buffalo and rhino, before a well-deserved dinner with a view at the reserve.

If some of the Big Five still elude you, we’ll have the option to go on one last game drive this morning before breakfast, after which we’ll drive back to Cape Town. You’ll have some free time in the city this afternoon before checking back into our first hotel. Enjoy your final hours in South Africa before reconvening with the group for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

And so our time in this majestic country has come to an end. Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before taking a transfer back to the airport or, if 10 days wasn’t enough, continue your adventure in South Africa solo!