Sea, Safari, South Africa

Africa South Africa
OVERVIEW
The Garden Route and its varied beauty. Hippo-spotting on one of Africa’s largest lakes. Camping under the stars at Kruger National Park as hyenas call in the distance. There’s South Africa… and then there’s SOUTH AFRICA. On this jaw-droppingly awesome adventure, you’ll meet the locals, discover the history and sample the Cape’s finest wines in 14 days – with beach life, city life and safari life all high on the agenda.
EXPERIENCES
Addo Elephant National Park: See these gentle giants in their natural habitat as you cruise in our Contiki coach through this scenic National park. Also be on the lookout for giraffes, antelopes, buffaloes, warthogs and all of Africa's incredible wildlife.

Cango Caves: Tour Africa's largest limestone caves system. At over 20 million years old, it makes our nan look like a spring chicken.

Durban: Hop onto the coach drop off and get ready for some ultimate beach vibes. This is the perfect spot to tune out the worries of life - just like the local Durbanite's do so well!

Gqeberha: The good folks at the SANCCOB Penguin Rehabilitation Centre work around the clock to rescue injured seabirds and help them make their way back into the wild. On this visit, we’ll see first hand how they work – and meet plenty of adorable penguins too.

Jeffreys Bay: Known for its waves, its calamari and its natural beauty, there’s no beach quite like Jeffreys Bay Beach. Don’t forget your sunscreen!

Johannesburg: Harrowing and hopeful at the same time, you’ll delve deeper into the troubled history of South Africa – with the chance to visit the Nelson Mandela museum too, where you’ll learn about his life and work, as well as how apartheid was brought to an end.

Knysna: If you’re looking for dramatic scenery, a trek through Tsitsikamma National Park will give you plenty of ops to fill up your memories and Insta feed.

Knysna: Stretch out on the golden sands and enjoy some sea air at one of South Africa’s best beaches.

Kruger National Park: Keep your eyes peeled and those binoculars close. We're heading out to spot more magnificent wildlife (cross those fingers for rhino's!) and stunning scenery with our last game drive as we say goodbye to Kruger.

Kruger National Park: Wanna know how K9 Dogs protect wildlife? Come meet one of our Rangers who'll tell you all about the K9 Watchdog Project, their fight against poachers, and how your donations from the MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience helps them save Africa's wildlife from extinction.

Kruger National Park: We'll go on an adventure in the world famous Kruger National Park, keep your eyes peeled for animal sightings!

Mbabane: We’ll cross the border to Eswatini and travel to a local village where we’ll meet some locals, spend time with them and find out all about their culture and everyday life.

Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary: Traverse through Mlilwane on your own two feet, keeping your eyes peeled for antelope, wildebeest and more as you go. With a local guide on hand to make sure everyone is going the right way.

Stellenbosch: Get to know the photogenic wine town of Stellenbosch. Rich in vineyards, but even richer in history.
DEPARTURE DATES AND PRICES
Tour
Departs		 Tour
Returns		 Starting From
(price per person)		 Definite Departure
What's this?		 Book Now!
11/08/2025 24/08/2025 £2,043 Book
25/08/2025 07/09/2025 £1,923 Book
08/09/2025 21/09/2025 £1,923 Book
22/09/2025 05/10/2025 £1,923 Book
06/10/2025 19/10/2025 £2,164 Book
20/10/2025 02/11/2025 £1,802 Book
03/11/2025 16/11/2025 £2,164 Book
17/11/2025 30/11/2025 £1,802 Book
15/12/2025 28/12/2025 £1,802 Book
ACCOMMODATION
DAY 1: Riempie Estate (or similar) - Meals:
DAY 10: Forest Lodge (or similar) - Meals: Breakfast
DAY 11: Mlilwane Beehive Huts (or similar) - Meals: Breakfast
DAY 12: Contiki Safari Camp (or similar) - Meals: Breakfast
DAY 13: Contiki Safari Camp (or similar) - Meals: Breakfast
DAY 2: Town Lodge Port Elizabeth (or similar) - Meals: Breakfast
DAY 3: Town Lodge Port Elizabeth (or similar) - Meals: Breakfast
DAY 4: Knysna Quays (or similar) - Meals: Breakfast
DAY 5: Knysna Quays (or similar) - Meals: Breakfast
DAY 6: Waterfront Breakwater Lodge (or similar) - Meals: Breakfast
DAY 7: OR Tambo Protea Hotel (or similar) - Meals: Breakfast
DAY 8: City Lodge Umhlanga (or similar) - Meals: Breakfast
DAY 9: Forest Lodge (or similar) - Meals: Breakfast
ITINERARY

Hello Africa… and hello Cape Town. Ready to get going? It’s off to the Karoo desert via the famous ‘Route 62’. Today's scenic drive goes through mountain passes, vineyards and epic desert scenery along the way.An included guided tour of Africa's LARGEST show cave system. The Cango Caves are replete with cavernous halls, limestone formations, cave paintings and artefacts (which indicate they were in use throughout the Middle Ages)! How's that for a pitstop?Welcome to the Klein Karoo! We'll check into Oudtshoorn with our first adventure on offer. How good does a scenic bike ride (or drive down) the UNESCO Swartberg Mountain Pass, plus a Karoo braai dinner on a local farm sound? (So good!). And this evening, you can opt to do just that.

Good morning! Let's continue heading East towards one of South Africa's most loved National Parks: Addo Elephant. (Anyone guess which animal this place is famous for?) That’s right, it’s elephant time. After lunch, we’ll set out in our comfy (and tall!) coach in search of Africa's largest land mammal here at the Addo National Park, home to over 600 of these tusk-tastic creatures. (Keep your eyes peeled for lions, buffalo, and antelope too though!) We'll retreat here for the night but fear not, more safari adventures await in the morning. Stuck for something to do this evening? Let us introduce you to the karaoke bar just around the corner. (Cue your fave Lion King jams.)

Today is all about wildlife, both on land and in the ocean. We’ll start with a morning tour of the SANCCOB Penguin Rehabilitation Centre, who give sick and injured penguins the care they deserve and help them to return to the wild. Later this morning, we’ll set out on the first of today’s two private game drives (both optional but highly recommended!). The Eastern Cape’s game reserves are some of South Africa’s best spots for seeing the Big 5, home to valleys, plains, rivers and much more. Yup. That's three game drives in 36 hours, giving you the best chance of spotting the Big 5. Lucky you, right? Tonight we’ll head back to the city where a free evening awaits. Karaoke round two? We won’t stop ya.

Beach time. Desert? Tick. Caves? Tick. Safari? Tick. Now it’s time to make our way along the famous Garden Route to our next destination, Knysna – with a few sensational stop-offs on the way. Known as one of the best surf spots in the world, it’d be wrong not to start our day with some chill time on J-Bay… which is exactly what we’ll do. And of course, there's an optional surfing lesson for the wave-dodgers among us. Welcome to our next pitstop, known for the infinitely Instagramable Storms River Bridge – which we’ll take a picturesque hike to so you can get all the legendary snaps you need. Wanna up the adrenaline? You can choose to go kayaking up the mouth of Storms River. And then we pull into the beautiful coastal town of Knysna, ready to explore all the sights and activities the Garden Route is known for. (We've got two nights here too!)

Rise and shine, team. Today starts with an included breakfast, overlooking the Knysna lagoon, and then we’re off again once more. It’s ocean time! You can choose to join our marine safari and set out in search of whales, dolphins, seals and more spectacular sea life. Afterwards, we’ll spend the rest of the day relaxing on Plettenberg's main beach, catching those rays and helping ourselves to some splendid seafood. This evening, we’ll embark on an optional Township visit here in Knysna, where you’ll meet the locals and have the chance to make a positive impact for the children who live here. Afterwards, you'll have the option to cruise the Knysna lagoon & see the sunset onboard. And finally, we'll tuck into a group dinner by the water before finishing off with a night on the town (again, optional but unmissable!).

Make sure you call dibs on a window seat. As we drive back to Cape Town, you’ll watch the magnificence of the Garden Route unfold as we pass coastal towns, forests, gorges and some jaw-dropping ocean views. Marine mania… We’ll have lunch and a little free time here in the coastal town of Hermanus, which is one of the world’s best areas for spotting whales – between July and November at least – so have your binoculars at the ready.  And here we are, back in the city where it all began. Tonight, you can opt for a cooking class and enjoy the food, music and drinks.

Fine wine, all in good time. Today we’ll add a touch of class to proceedings with a trip to Stellenbosch – the Cape’s famous wine region. But before that, why not choose to hit the skies on an epic helicopter ride over the seas and peaks? After some free time to explore (and shop till you drop) you have the option to discover Stellenbosch’s awesome wine farms, sampling the very finest of the Cape’s fine wines. With spectacular views, and a traditional South African braai for lunch, this really is one tasty excursion indeed. We'll then make our way to Cape Town and board our flight to the next destination - the biggest city in South Africa! Touching down, we’ll head straight to our hotel for the evening. The second half of our South African adventure awaits us in the morning...

A day of history. Here in the City of Gold, we’ll take a drive through the heart of South Africa to the coastal city of Durban. Along the way, we’ll stop off for a sobering exploration of the nation’s troubled history, with a visit to the site of Nelson Mandela’s capture during the apartheid era. We’ll then take a trip to the museum – yes, you’ll confront the history, but you’ll leave feeling hopeful as you learn how apartheid was finally brought to an end. Tonight’s accom is conveniently located next to plenty of shops and restaurants… So you can go right ahead and treat yourself.

You have a free morning here at one of the finest coastal spots in South Africa. Sleep in, take a walk and shop the strip or head down to the beach to simply sit back and soak up those rays like the sun junkie you are. Afterwards, we’ll make our way to St Lucia. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife by day and hippos by night here in St Lucia (we’re right by the UNESCO World Heritage listed iSimanagaliso Wetlands Park after all). And on an optional MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experience this afternoon, we’ll visit a local Zulu village, learning all about the Zulu people and their traditions with a chance to meet some of the locals.

Beach or bush? Why decide when you can do both? This morning you have the option to take a walking safari of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (so watch out for elephants, buffalo, rhinos & antelopes). Or, if you're craving Vitamin Sea, you can choose to join us for a marine safari (for whales, sharks, dolphins & more). In the afternoon, we’ll embark on a Sunset Hippo Boat cruise on Lake St Lucia (Africa’s largest estuary – home to over 800 hippos and 1200 crocodiles). So, join us if you please! And then, to round things off, you have the option to take a sunset game drive (with a traditional South African buffet dinner). Yup, this day's as action-packed as it is awesome.

It's an early start today – we’re heading inland to the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve and we aim to be there by sunrise. The Big Five. The option to take a half-day game drive at the reserve instrumental for bringing the White Rhino back from the brink of extinction. And even a picnic lunch if you like! Today’s excursion is a biggie indeed. With our wildlife bucket lists sufficiently checked, it’s time to set off for a brand new country. Passports at the ready folks – here in Eswatini, we’ll meet some of the locals and learn about their culture and language on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. You've learnt from locals. Now its time to sleep like them too. Tonight you will stay at Mlilwane's Main Lodge - unique beehive thatched huts with ensuite bathrooms (and hotel room amenities for a bit of comfort).

Ah, to wake up in nature. We'll kick off the day with a hearty breakfast and then join the Trip Manager for a morning safari walk. Don't forget to sign up for the optional guided Mountain bike ride through the wilderness. There is no Big 5 here so feel free and safe to explore as you choose. Keep an eye out to spot some antelopes and warthogs! Next up, it’s the big one. The world famous one. Here in Kruger, we’ll stay at an exclusive safari campsite – located right in the middle of the park. (Struggling to picture it? Think glamping canvas tents with mattresses, linen and stretchers, a roaring bonfire burning all the while.) This is a true Once in a Lifetime experience, where you’ll fall asleep to the nocturnal calls of hyenas, jackals and lions.

Today we're up bright and early for our first taste of the fresh morning air. We'll start with an optional sunrise safari – just in time to catch Africa’s elusive predators finishing off their nocturnal hunt. At midday, you’ll have the chance to relax back at the camp: you can visit the local shop, take a dip in the pool or visit the nearby restaurant where you can look out over the Sabie River and watch as the animals come to quench their thirst (yup, it's preddy special.) This afternoon, it’s back to the safari vehicles for another optional sunset game drive to see the Big Five and more. Tonight back at camp, you've got the chance to join us for a traditional South African braai or BBQ, complete with local sides and desserts.

Our final day. But is there time for one (or two) last morning game drives? You bet there is. You can choose to head out for a sunrise game drive to spot the nocturnal cats (or just choose to sleep in, like the rest of the animals). Then, we'll head out on our last game drive in Kruger as we make our way out of the park. It's our last chance to spot some spellbinding safari animals IRL. Have we saved the best for last? Let's hope so! And now, with heavy hearts (and even heavier camera rolls) we’ll make our way back to either the Kruger Mpumalanga Airport or Johannesburg International Airport. (Don't feel like leaving yet? Lucky for you, our Victoria Falls Explorer & Cape Town Explorer trips are starting later this evening!). Oh, it’s been a thrill… we’ve seen wildlife, we’ve made friends for life. The only question is: where next?
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