21 DAY SPECTRA OF SOUTHERN AFRICA

Travel the crude treasures of Southern Africa on an extravagance excursion that fuses the continent’s the greatest riveting scenes

Day 1: Mpumalanga Highlands

Visitors will be met upon arrival at O R Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, from where the 21 Day Spectra of Southern Africa Safari traverses east crossing the coal-rich Highveld and the sublime slopes of Mpumalanga to the settlement of Dullstroom. The region encompassing Dullstroom entails of unsheltered plains, which is governed by the 2 332m high “Intaba” (the mountain). It is the topmost feature flanked by the Limpopo and the Vaal Rivers. We make a call to the Dullstroom Bird Of Prey & Rehabilitation Center, which was founded in 1997 in order to promote awareness of indigenous raptors and their increasing dilemma as endangered species. A huge amount of diverse raptor species and their part in the ecology is underscored. Thereafter we travel on to the overnight Walkersons hotel.

Overnight:  Walkersons
Meals:  Dinner

Day 2: Greater Kruger National Park

The centre of the day tour is Mpumalanga Panorama Route. Stopovers are made to the Blyde River Gorge, prominently featuring the triplet peaks of the Three Rondavels and Bourke’s Luck , where the distinctive geographical marks of the potholes can be seen. The tour proceeds to God’s Window. It is a fissure in the edge of the cliff from where glorious views of the Lowveld can be adored. God’s Window is located in a territory of indigenous jungle where many blossoming flowers and scented plants flourish. The safari then criss-crosses and descends onto the eastern incline and drifts its way into the heart of South Africa’s Big Five country and the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve, which is part of the Greater Kruger National Park. A late afternoon game drive is conducted in open 4×4 safari vehicle and accompanied by your experienced local ranger and tracker.

Overnight:  Lion Sands River Lodge
Meals:  Full Board

Day 3: Greater Kruger National Park

Game leisure interests on this day cover two open 4×4 safari vehicle as well as a voluntary bush walk. Visitors may also choose to devote the day in the extravagant solace of the private Lion Sands Ivory Lodge, viewing game from the exclusive decks or squelch pools at each cabin with a cocktail in hand. Otherwise, you may make use of the spotting scope provided on the lodge’s main viewing deck. Qualified and pleasant team are constantly in attendance. A splendid style of splurging a day on safari in the Greater Kruger National Park’s top private game reserve.

Overnight:  Lion Sands River Lodge
Meals:  Full Board

Day 4: Greater Kruger National Park

Perpetual paces of existence in this far-flung ecology should turn out to be more apparent as the days on safari pass. Having already sighted the Big Five on several points, you may realize a change in appeal on the day’s two safari game drives. The plan may lean towards more on the smaller creatures of the terrain and growing an admiration of that all life is inter-reliant, with just as the minutest of living things playing a vital role in the existence and sustainability of every eco-system in the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve.

Overnight:  Lion Sands River Lodge
Meals:  Full Board

Day 5: Cape Town

A final morning game drive is followed by a late breakfast. Visitors are then shuttle transferred to Kruger Mpumalanga Airport for a flight to Cape Town. Visitors will be met upon arrival in Cape Town International Airport and transferred to their hotel, which is located on Cape Town’s famous V & A Waterfront. The late afternoon is spent at leisure.

Overnight:  Commodore
Meals:  Breakfast & Dinner

Day 6: Cape Town

Your Cape Town morning tour is dedicated to a cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain . The central attribute of the mountain is a level plateau of 3km, adjoined to the east by Devil’s Peak and to the west by Lion’s Head. Table mountain is a great flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town. The cable car ride, which takes about 5 minutes, presents extraordinary viewpoints of Cape Town. On making it to the summit, you may dedicate some time to pay a visit the various vantage points, from which amazing views of the Cape Peninsula may be enjoyed.

The expedition heads for the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens from Table Mountain. The gardens overlay is of an area of 528 hectares, of which is of 36 hectares of cultivated garden. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden lives up to its reputation as the most beautiful garden in Africa and one of the great botanic gardens of the world. Few gardens can match the sheer grandeur of the setting of Kirstenbosch, against the eastern slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain. Visitors return to the hotel after Kirstenbosch tour.

Overnight:  Commodore
Meals:  Breakfast & Dinner

Day 7: Cape Town

The remarkable Chapman’s Peak Drive, cut into the 650m high Chapman’s Peak, the tour traverses across the Noordhoek town to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. A botanic and picturesque delight, the reserve is home to numerous antelope species, as well as an abundant variety of blossoming plants and birds. The icing on the cake is bound to be the stride to the apex of Cape Point, it is said the turbulent sea waters of the Atlantic collide with the unruffle Indian Ocean.

The tour traces back to Cape Town via False Bay. Guests will make a stoppage at Boulders Beach, an appealing sheltered harbour which contains a tumble of mammoth circular rocks on a sandy shore. The rocks are perfect points for viewing the antics of the cluster of mainland-based African penguins. Some time spent being appreciative admiring these endangered flightless birds is followed by a return trip to Cape Town.

Overnight:  Commodore
Meals:  Breakfast & Dinner

Day 8: Winelands

The tour heads-off to Stellenbosch. Established by Dutch Cape Colony Governor Simon van der Stel in 1697, Stellenbosch is South Africa’s second oldest town. Home to one of the country’s top universities and bordered by award-winning wine farms on all sides, the captivating City of Oaks offers rich history, fine-looking architecture and a fortune of flavours to pleasure every palate. Some of the finest vineyards in the region are explored before backing back o the town of Somerset West, where a visit is made to Vergelegen.

Throughout its history, internationally well-known celebrities have often visited Vergelegen, one of the most amazing places in the Western Cape. Over the last decade Vergelegen has been privilege to host visits from the executive committee of the ANC, Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, and in March 1998 by Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton and their First Ladies. On completion of the visit to Vergelegen, your safari heads-off to the overnight destination.

Overnight:  Le Franschhoek
Meals:  Breakfast & Dinner

Day 9: Winelands

The morning is dedicated to visiting two of the supreme wineries in the Franschhoek Valley , where a variety of different cultivars are formed. The Cape winelands town of Franschhoek is potrayed by its characteristically French flavour, a vestige of the French Huguenot refugees that established this epicurean corner of South Africa. With its superb range of award-winning restaurants, historic wine farms and the almighty natural beauty of the area, Franschhoek is a prime South African travel destination. The Franschhoek Pass is then crossed with some of the most majestic mountain scenery in the Western Cape on display, as the tour makes its way to Grabouw. Grabouw and Elgin form the heart of the apple-producing region. Here a stop is made at a working apple farm. A tour of the farm is included and describes the complete process of apple cultivation.

Overnight:  Le Franschhoek
Meals:  Breakfast & Dinner

Day 10: Swakopmund

After breakfast visitors are shuttle transferred to Cape Town International for a flight to Windhoek. Visitors will be met at Windhoek Airport and then shuttle transferred to Eros for a light charter flight to Swakopmund. Swakopmund is a city on the coast of western Namibia. Its sandy beaches face the Atlantic Ocean. Established by German colonists in 1892, the city’s colonial landmarks include the Swakopmund Lighthouse and the Mole, an old sea wall. Next to the lighthouse, the Swakopmund Museum documents. It is also a incredible base to enjoy desert-based interest like dune carting and sand boarding.

Overnight:  Hansa Hotel
Meals:  Breakfast & Dinner

Day 11: Swakopmund

Our initial stop is at ‘ Bird Rock ‘ – a guano island populated by some 200 000 birds and one of the first illustrations of man’s determination to exploit the rich natural resources of the region. The tour then heads off to the lagoon at Walvis Bay and then on to Sandwich Harbor, both regions that have been nominated as ‘wetlands of international importance’.

On our way to Sandwich Harbour, we observe the towering, wind-sculptured dunes of the Namib Desert as they reach right up to edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Some 40 000 birds – 34 different species in total were logged in this region in recent surveys. Enjoy a leisurely walk along the lagoon (an official marine sanctuary) and you may as well catch sight of seals, dolphins and even whales. The tour then heads off back to Swakopmund, and we arrive at the hotel late afternoon.

Overnight:  Hansa Hotel
Meals:  Breakfast & Dinner

Day 12: Sossusvlei

After breakfast, visitors are shuttle transferred to the Swakopmund airfield for a charter flight to Sossusvlei. Witness the haunting splendour of the Namib Desert at Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, located in the foothills of the private NamibRand Nature Reserve.

Sossusvlei appears to exist simply to take a visitor’s gasp away. Hosting some of the world’s tallest dunes in striking red and amber hues, this area of the Namib Desert presents an attractive solitude for persons who desire to ‘get away from it all’. Evenings offer a unique delight, the sky vanquished by the Milky Way in its full glory. With city lights and civilization out of your reach, from crowds and cacophony, a night in this otherworldly outpost will prove memorable.

Overnight:  Sossusvlei Desert Lodge
Meals:  Full Board

Day 13: Sossusvlei

The morning is dedicated to a trip to the renowned Sossusvlei sand dunes, said to be some of the tallest in the world, and we then move a visit to Sesriem Canyon . The name ‘Sossusvlei’ relates to a region that included the immense plain of the Tsauchab River, along with the red dunes that march along like gigantic sentinels to the south and north of the plain. After your foray into the dunes where visitors will have the opportunity to sightsee the area on foot, it’s on to Sesriem Canyon. The canyon begins as an almost unnoticeable but however deep cleft in the level, stony ground, and then widens until it eventually flattens out onto the plain. Because it is so deep and shielded, it frequently holds water well into the dry season – a stimulating scene in this inhospitable and stark environment. In the afternoon, we head back to the lodge and, after some time for relaxation, the close by area is sightseen by quad bike.

Overnight:  Sossusvlei Desert Lodge
Meals:  Full Board

Day 14: Windhoek

A morning desert thrill is followed by breakfast, after which visitors are shuttle transferred to the local airstrip for a flight to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, where a brief tour of the city is followed by an afternoon at leisure.

Overnight:  Hotel Heinitzburg
Meals:  Breakfast & Dinner

Day 15: Okavango Delta

Visitors are shuttle transferred to Windhoek Airport for a flight to Maun and for connecting light charter flight into the Okavango Delta, where an afternoon safari is performed in open 4×4 safari vehicle by local rangers and trackers. The region at one time was a portion of Lake Makgadikgadi, an ancient lake went dry some 10 000 years ago. The Okavango River has no passage to the ocean. As an alternative, it sips into the sands of the Kalahari, irrigating 15 000km² of the desert. The waters of the Okavango Delta are experience to seasonal flooding, which commences about mid-summer in the north and six months later in the south (May/June).

Overnight:  Camp Moremi
Meals:  Full Board

Day 16: Okavango Delta

Two game drives in one of Africa’s most natural wilderness areas are the main focus during day. The game drives include open 4×4 safari vehicle and motorized boat sails along the reed-lined channels of the delta. The delta environment contains a huge number of odd animal species, such as elephant, wattled crane, crocodile, red lechwe, buffalo, sitatunga and wild dog and many more common animals and astounding bird life. May-October period is the ideal time for game viewing in the delta, as animal life is congregated in these flooded areas as the bush is very dry and harsh at this time.

Overnight:  Camp Moremi
Meals:  Full Board

Day 17: Okavango Delta

The day is dedicated to safaris and motorized boat cruises on the channels of the Okavango. All game interests are aimed at interpretive viewing on the great quantity of mammal and bird species, which call the labyrinth of waterways and islands their home. From the grandeur of the Big Five to the obscure ways of the Puku, the mysteries of the wild unwrapped by your experienced and skilled ranger.

Overnight:  Camp Moremi
Meals:  Full Board

Day 18: Livingstone

After your morning game drive and breakfast we board light charter flight to Kasane in the north-eastern part of Botswana. Visitor will be met upon arrival at Kasane and then shuttle transferred via the Kazungula border post to Livingstone in Zambia. The town named after famous British explorer Sir David Livingstone, was a Scottish Christian Congregationalist, pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society, an explorer in Africa and the first European to see on the magnificent Victoria Falls in 1855. The afternoon is spent at leisure.

Overnight:  Royal Livingstone
Meals:  Breakfast

DAY 19: Livingstone

The morning is dedicated to a guided tour of the mighty Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The falls are within the local Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, translated to ‘the smoke that thunders’, which is the term that indigenous tribes have used to describe the Victoria falls. The sanctuary usher’s in implausible views and, during the dry season, you may make your way across to Livingstone Island for a heart-stopping peek into the churning chasm below. At the entrance of the falls there is also a curio market and visitors may take some time to observe the diverse African art and crafts on parade before returning to the hotel.

In the late afternoon, we depart for the exciting sunset cruise is on the mighty Zambezi River. Traditional cocktails and snacks are served on board of the river boat. The sun setting over one of Africa’s most remarkable attractions and an unforgettable experience of your lifetime.

Overnight:  Royal Livingstone
Meals:  Breakfast

Day 20: Livingstone

The morning is dedicated to an elephant-back safari in a wilderness area not far from Livingstone. Upon arrival at the venue, visitors will enjoy a brief presentation about the project and be given a brief induction on how to intermingle with the elephants, after which the safari commences. An experienced elephant minder escorts each elephant and client. The path trails through the adjoining woodland and may consist of a stop along the banks of the Zambezi River. Riding quietly on top of a gigantic pachyderm is undoubtedly the experience of a lifetime. Your safari ends with a brief induction session and interaction with the elephants, which is followed by a late breakfast or early lunch. Visitor then return to the hotel, where the remainder of the day is spent at leisure.

Overnight:  Royal Livingstone
Meals:  Breakfast

Day 21: Departure

A last glance of the thundering Victoria Falls is followed by breakfast, then shuttle transferred to Livingstone Airport for a flight to Johannesburg, where visitors will be met and transferred to a site of their choice in Pretoria or Johannesburg and this concludes your memorable 21 Day Spectra of Southern Africa.

Overnight:  None
Meals:  Breakfast