11 DAYS SOUTH AFRICAN HIKE & DINE SAFARI

Arriving into Johannesburg, connect your domestic flight to a private game reserve within the greater Kruger National Park area. Relax at the lodge before departing for your evening game drive in search of nocturnal wildlife.

Enjoy morning and evening game drives tracking down Africa’s Big Five, comprising of elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos and buffaloes, as well as other interesting species. This is a real wilderness experience.

Depending on your flight time, you may enjoy another game safari at dawn before transferring on your flight via Johannesburg to George, your entry point to the soft adventure and culinary delights of the Garden Route.

Start your morning with a sunrise meerkat encounter and watch them in their natural environment as they forage for their morning breakfast. Afterwards, we drive to Knysna, the oyster capital of South Africa and home to the annual Oyster Festival (usually end Jun-July). Embark on an oyster boat experience to learn everything about the oyster beds and taste the difference between wild and farmed oysters as you cruise the Knysna Lagoon.

Famed the world’s best coastal drives, embark on a Garden Route scenic drive. Make a stop at Mossel Bay’s Post Office Tree at the Dias Museum Complex, South Africa’s first post office before arriving into your Whale Coast accommodation.

During your stay, you may enjoy one of the guided coastal and fynbos walks to admire the rolling landscapes and chance encounter with unique wildlife. Acclaimed as one of the world’s best places for land-based whale watching, the Whale Coast enjoys arrival of the Southern Right Whales from Antarctica between July and November. Outside of whale season, you may still be lucky to encounter four of the other Marine Big 5: sharks, seals, penguins and dolphins.

Boot up for a guided abalone farm walking tour at Heart Shed to learn how the aquaculture infrastructure keeps over 10 million abalones healthy! After the delicious abalone tasting, it’s time to get active with one of below two activities:

1. 90-minute fat bike from Walker Bay sand dunes to the beach
2. 2-hour sea kayaking along the coastline with dolphins and seals

Start your morning by hiking Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve (8km). The Winelands is also home to some of the continent’s best restaurants, so reward yourself with impeccable lunch in Stellenbosch (i.e. Tokara, Overture, Jardin, Eike by Bertus Basson) or Franschhoek (i.e. Foliage, La Petite Colombe, Le Coin Français, Orangerie Restaurant) at your own expense.

Jump onto a Land Rover for a vineyard safari along the slopes of Helderberg Estate followed by a cellar tour and award-winning wine sampling. Thereafter, you have the opportunity to learn wine pairing with chocolates at Waterford Estate.

This morning, we drive to Cape Town where you will ascend Table Mountain by cable car (weather permitting) for a sensational view of the city bowls.

Next, enjoy Cape Town tour with a specialist, visiting the Green Market Square, Adderley St. and Flower Sellers, Grand Parade, City Hall and Castle of Good Hope. Hear the stories of District Six, Bo-Kaap (Malay Quarter) and the slavery precincts of Slave Lodge, Slave Tree Site and Church Square. Continue to Company’s Garden where the Parliament, Tuynhuys and St. George’s Cathedral can be seen, as well as the historical newsmakers of Rhodes, Smuts, Mandela, Tutu and De Klerk.

Late afternoon, embark on Table Bay food foraging experience. Work up your appetite by hunting ingredients from the city’s nooks and crannies before feasting on multi-course bounty.

Enjoy a full day out in the Cape Peninsula. Depart along South Africa’s most scenic routes passing by Hout Bay. If weather permits, we cruise to Duiker Island to view seals, sea birds and black cormorants before heading to Chapman’s Peak Drive. Ascend by Funicular to the top of Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and visit Cape Point where you can admire the world’s most powerful lighthouse.

After a sumptuous lobster lunch at a local restaurant, we visit Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens where you can experience the forest from a treetop canopy walk. In the evening, if you’d like you can enjoy dinner at Test Kitchen or La Colombe – both listed in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants at your own account.

Free time before we transfer to airport for your onward flights. Cape Town offers plenty of optional soft adventure opportunities such as hiking Lion’s Head, tandem paragliding and downhill scooter fun from Table Mountain, so if you have more time we absolutely recommend to extend your time.