| Day One |
City / Town :
Pretoria | Accommodation ***** :
The Lombardy Boutique Hotel | Driving Distance :
±60 km to Hotel |
Welcome to South Africa, country of gold, diamonds, wild animals, unspoilt natural beauty and a larger cultural variety than in almost any other country in the world. You will be met at Johannesburg International Airport (O.R. Thambo National Airport) and collect your vehicle. Today is at leisure and accommodation just a short drive outside of Pretoria, the historic capital of South Africa.
Pretoria is one of the three capital cities of South Africa, serving as the administrative capital. The city was founded in 1855 and despite it mainly being a governmentally significant city, it is also alive with culture, housing many museums, monuments and theatres.
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| What makes Lombardy Boutique Hotel special?
Within close proximity to the hustle and bustle of city life, yet secluded and tranquil.
Excellent cuisine
Luxurious suite accommodation
Emphasis on detail
Value for money and unsurpassed service standards
| Tour suggestions:
At leisure
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| Day Two |
City / Town :
Magoebaskloof | Accommodation:
Sherwood’s Country House | Driving Distance :
±350 km |
Magoebaskloof lies in the Limpopo province 58 km from Polokwane and about 7 km from Tzaneen. This is hiking country, the landscape dominated by dramatic scenery and afromontane forests that rank as some of the most extensive in South Africa. Some of the most lovely tea plantations lie in this country as well.
Via the "Springbok Flats" and the interesting towns of Warmbaths (Bela Bela), Nylstroom and Pietersburg (Polokwane), the capital of the Limpopo Province, and the holy grounds of the Zion Christian Church to Magoebaskloof.
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| What makes Sherwood’s Country House special?
Semi-Finalist AA Travel Accommodation Awards
Walks on property and surrounding areas
Mountain bikes, swimming pool, birdwatching
| Tour suggestions:
Holy grounds of the Zionist Christian Church
Debegeni Waterfalls
Biggest tea plantations in South Africa
Modjadji (Rain Queen) cycad forest reserve
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| Day Three |
| Kruger National Park | Accommodation :
Satara Restcamp | Driving Distance :
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The world-renowned Kruger National Park offers a wildlife experience that ranks with the best in Africa. It was established in 1898 to protect the wildlife of the South African Lowveld. The Kruger National Park is larger than Israel, nearly 2 million hectares of land that stretch for 352 kilometers (20 000 square kilometres) from north to south along the Mozambique border. Its atmosphere is so unique that it allows those who enter its vastness to immerse themselves in the unpredictability and endless wilderness that is the true quality of Africa.
The word "restcamp" does not mean that you will have to go camping! Accommodation at the Kruger National Park is brick or stone cottages or bungalows, usually with a thatched roof. These bungalows or cottages all have private en-suite facilities (WC, shower and wash basin) and air-conditioning.
Satara Camp: Central camp, best for viewing lions
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Tour suggestions:
Travel towards scenic Mpumalanga. There is a direct route as well as a scenic route. The scenic route will take you via the Long Tom Mountain pass. The original route used during the Anglo-Boer war was treacherous but today, as you travel on the new tarred road, you will still see the old road twisting over its dangerous course but the danger is no longer present.
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| Day Four |
| Kruger National Park | Accommodation:
Satara Restcamp |
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A full day of game viewing within the Kruger National Park. All of the roads within the Kruger National Park are well maintained and is an ideal self-drive destination.
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Tour suggestions:
A full day of game viewing within the Kruger National Park. You set your own direction and pace.
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| Day Five |
| Kruger National Park | Accommodation:
Satara Restcamp |
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Spend the morning driving through the KNP. During the evening you will be taken for a evening game drive on a open 4x4 vehicle.
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Tour suggestions:
Morning game viewing at leisure
Evening bush walk
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| Day Six |
| Kruger National Park | Accommodation ***** :
Jackalberry Game Lodge |
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One day can be spent at a private game reserve. We recommend a number of smaller and more intimate game lodges which lie directly west of the Kruger National Park.
Jackalberry Game lodge, Chapungu Luxury
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| Tour suggestions:
Morning game drive
Evening game drive
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| Day Seven |
City / Town :
Pilgrim's Rest | Accommodation *****:
Royal Hotel | |
There never was a more beautiful or romantic spot to have a gold rush than Pilgrim's Rest. When Pilgrim's Rest was officially proclaimed a gold field in September 1873, a scatter of tents and elementary shacks grew into a flourishing little village complete with sturdy brick houses, shops, churches, canteens, a newspaper and the well-known Royal Hotel. Today, visitors can relive the days of the old Transvaal gold rush as the entire town of Pilgrim's rest has been declared a national monument!
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| What makes The Royal Hotel special?
Situated in the main street of Pilgrims Rest.
An old-world atmosphere combined with world-class standards and luxuries expected in the modern era.
| Tour suggestions:
Early morning game drive, if preferred
Blyde River Canyon
Bourke's Luck Potholes
God's Window
Historic Town of Pilgrim's Rest
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| Day Eight |
City / Town :
Mbabane / Swaziland | Accommodation:
Forester's Arms Country Hotel | |
The landlocked Kingdom of Swaziland is surrounded on the north and south by South Africa, and on the east is bordered by Mozambique. The Kingdom provides travelers the ideal gateway between KwaZulu-Natal and the Kruger National Park, as well as Johannesburg and Maputo - no better route is available with added advantage of discovering a whole new country filled with bygone African traditions and culture. Swaziland offers many scenic drives. North of Mbabane, the road to Luve is known as Pine Valley with a series of waterfalls on the Black Umbeluzi River and the granite heights of "Bald Rock". The drive to Piggs Peak, in the north is one of the most scenic in the country. The Malolotja Nature Reserve lies to the west of the road and here, after a stiff walk, you can view the Malolotja Falls, the highest in Swaziland.
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| What makes Forester's Arms Country Hotel special?
Owner driven venue in beautiful country setting
Plenty of facilities onsite and nearby
| Tour suggestions:
Beautiful mountain scenery
Swazi culture
Piggs Peak drive
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| Day Nine |
City / Town :
St. Lucia | Accommodation ****:
St. Lucia Wetlands Guest House | |
When one speaks of St Lucia, really one is referring to the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, South Africa's third largest park. On the north-eastern coast of KwaZulu Natal, this wilderness reserve covers some 280 km of coastline, stretching from Kozi Bay in the north to Cape St Lucia in the south and was the first park in South Africa to be declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999.
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| What makes St. Lucia Wetlands GH special?
Central location and surrounded by beautiful gardens.
Plenty of facilities & attractions close by.
| Tour suggestions:
Home made Swazi curious
Traditional markets
Candle factory
Passing traditional homesteads
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| Day Ten |
City / Town :
St. Lucia | Accommodation ****:
St. Lucia Wetlands Guest House | |
The little town of St Lucia serves as something of a tourist hub for the park and has grown substantially from the sleepy little hollow, perched below a canopy of trees, to the feeder town that is geared for domestic eco tourism today. There are plenty of restaurants, supermarkets and other tourist facilities within the town that make a stay here pretty effortless.
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Tour suggestions:
Boat cruise on the St. Lucia Lake with its some 1000 hippos and more than 1200 crocodiles and Magnificent bird life
Game viewing in St. Lucia Wetland National Park
Cape Vidal with its endless white beaches
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| Day Eleven |
City / Town :
Shakaland | Accommodation ***:
Protea Hotel Shakaland | |
To gain an insight into the Zulus' former traditional way of life, one should visit the open-air museum "Shakaland" near Eshowe. It is the oldest "Zulu Cultural Village" in Zululand, originally built as scenery for the movie "Shaka Zulu". Shakaland represents the kraal of Senzangakhona. He was the father of legendary Zulu King Shaka, who conquered the various clans and tribes in Zululand and founded the Zulu nation by uniting them. Shakaland is beautifully situated in the Entembeni hills with a wide view of the bushland and
the quiet Pobane lake.
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| What makes Shakaland special?
A traditional Zulu homestead
Built on the original set of the moview Shaka Zulu and John Ross
Witness traditional customs
| Tour suggestions:
Zulu culture, history, music and dancing
Traditional Zulu dinner in the boma (Place of gathering)
Life in a traditional Zulu homestead
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| Day Twelve |
City / Town :
Drakensberg Mountains | Accommodation:
Didima | |
The Drakensberg mountain range stretches the entire length of KwaZulu-Natal's western boundary. The average height of this series of mountains is 2 900 metres, with some of the highest mountain peaks in Southern Africa rising as high as 3 482 metres. The entire Drakensberg is riddled with incredible waterfalls, rock pools, mountain streams, caves, crisp mountain air, and special spaces that draw both visitors to South Africa and locals alike. It is also home to the second highest waterfall in the world, the Tugela Waterfall.
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| What makes Didima special?
Located in central Drakensberg
Host an unique blend of ancient cultural heritage and modern luxury
Variety of activities at hand
| Tour suggestions:
Anglo Boer and Zulu war history
Magnificent mountain scenery
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| Day Thirteen |
City / Town :
Drakensberg Mountains | Accommodation:
Didima | |
The Drakensberg Park is one of the most densely painted regions in Africa, if not the entire world, containing some 550 known San rock painting sites, amounting to over 40 000 recorded individual images. Archaeological evidence has shown the San lived in this area from approximately 8 000 years ago.
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Tour suggestions:
Hiking trails
Bushman cave art
Magnificent mountain scenery
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| Day Fourteen |
City / Town :
Bloemfontein | Accommodation:
De Oude Kraal Guest Farm | |
Bloemfontein, the City of Roses, serves as something of an oasis, lying as it does plum in the middle of the Free State and indeed the country. The only major city for miles around, it is also the sixth largest city in the country, the Judicial Capital of South Africa, and it lies on the N1 between Johannesburg and Cape Town. The city centre is lined with historical buildings, including the beautiful tree-lined President Brand Street - a national monument - its pavements home to several graceful museum buildings.
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| What makes De Oude Kraal Guest Farm special?
Old world charm
Gourmet dinners can be served
Spa treatments available on site
Away from the city noise
Wine cellar on site
| Tour suggestions:
Sterkfontein Dam and the Vulture feeding station
Golden Gate National Park with its towering sandstone formations
Bloemfontein, city of roses
Die Vroue Monument (Woman's Monument)
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| Day Fifteen |
City / Town :
Graaff-Reinet | Accommodation:
Buiten Verwagten Guest House | |
Graaff-Reinet, the fourth oldest town in South Africa, is recognized as the home of magnificent examples of Cape Dutch architecture, and over 220 heritage sites (more than any other town in South Africa!). The past is preserved in four extraordinary museums which hold collections of photographic memorabilia, firearms, artworks and fossils, tracing the story of the Karoo - and the town - from pre-history right up to the present day.
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| What makes Buiten Verwagten Guest House special?
In the heart of the city but set back from the street
Well appointed, carefully decorated bedrooms
Unobtrusive service
Home to the second oldest vineyard in South Africa
| Tour suggestions:
Gariep dam and hydroelectric scheme
Arid semi desert Great Karoo landscape
Awe-inspiring landscape of the "Valley of Desolation" at the sun set
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| Day Sixteen |
City / Town :
Oudtshoorn | Accommodation ****:
La Pension Guest House | |
Oudtshoorn is home of the flightless bird, the ostrich. Around 1870 ostrich feathers became a tremendously sought after fashion item in Europe and Oudtshoorn was transformed to a very wealthy town! After a sudden slump in the industry between 1885 and 1902, the second and best "feather boom" started between 1902 and 1914 and this is when Oudtshoorn's famously opulent "feather palaces" were built".
Due to perfect weather conditions all year around, excellent facilities and numerous activities and attractions, Oudtshoorn is a must visit for all!
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| What makes La Pension special?
Close to Oudtshoorn CBD
Spacious, en-suite, air-conditioned rooms
Beautiful gardens
Large swimming pool
| Tour suggestions:
Historic walk through the streets of Graaff-Reinet
Small Karoo landscape
Meiringspoort Pass
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| Day Seventeen |
City / Town :
Knysna | Accommodation ****:
Bradach Manor | |
Knysna nestles on the banks of an 18 square km estuary where the Knysna River meets the tides of the Indian Ocean. The Knysna Heads, two great sandstone cliffs guarding the mouth of the lagoon, which connects the estuary with the sea, must be the most striking geological feature along the entire southern African coastline. Knysna is a town of fascination, nostalgia and with many tales of bygone eras.
Your travel towards Knysna will lead you through towns like Swellendam, Heidelberg and Mossel Bay.
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| What makes Bradach Manor special?
Stunning views overlooking the Heads and Knysna Lagoon
In the heart of the Garden Route
Not on the busy main road, yet close to town
Great Hospitality
The best value for money in town
| Tour suggestions:
Tour of a working ostrich farm
World renowned Cango Caves or alternatively the Cango Wildlife Ranch
Outeniqua Mountain Pass
Knysna Waterfront
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| Day Eighteen |
City / Town :
Knysna | Accommodation **** :
Bradach Manor | |
Today a visit to Featherbed Nature Reserve will provide magnificent viewpoints and some spectacular photographic opportunities of the town of Knysna. This spectacular four-hour eco-experience includes a return ferry trip, nature drive and guided walk, ending with a sumptuous buffet lunch at the Food Forest Restaurant. The afternoon is spent at leisure at the Knysna Waterfront
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Tour suggestions:
Featherbed Eco Experience (nature drive and guided walk)
Return ferry trips
A scrumptious buffet lunch
Knysna Waterfront
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| Day Nineteen |
City / Town :
Cape Town | Accommodation ****:
Floréal House, Oranjezicht | |
The sightseeing is spectacular, the adventure OK to WHOW, the water cold, the pace relaxed and the overall experience unforgettable. Cape Town is South Africa's oldest town and is therefore aptly known as the Mother City. Constantly engulfed by the fast maternal presence of Table Mountain, a fine selection of white sandy beaches, a wholly unique floral kingdom, various tourism attractions and a idyllic temperature makes Cape Town a logical destination throughout the year!
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| What makes Floréal House special?
In the heart of the city yet away from the hustle and bustle of city noise.
Romantic building with wooden floors and large, wooden framed windows.
Views in all directions of mountain and harbor.
A beautiful garden, home to birds and squirrels.
Poolside dining.
| Tour suggestions:
Swellendam, South Africa's third oldest town
Whale watching in Hermanus and Walker Bay
Scenic drive along the False Bay Coast.
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| Day Twenty |
City / Town :
Cape Town | Accommodation ****:
Floréal House, Oranjezicht | |
Today's schedule can include the Cape Peninsula which will lead you to where the Atlantic Ocean meets with the Indian Ocean. Cape Point is situated within the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP). The TMNP is recognized globally for its extraordinary rich, diverse and unique fauna and flora and nowhere else in the world does an area of such spectacular beauty and such bio-diverse exists almost entirely within a metropolitan area, the city of Cape Town.
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Tour suggestions:
Hout Bay via Clifton & Camps Bay
Chapman's Peak Drive
Cape Point & Nature reserve
Cape of Good Hope
Simon's Town via False Bay
Penguin Colony at Boulder's Beach
Kirstenbosch botanical gardens
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| Day Twenty One |
City / Town :
Cape Town | Accommodation ****:
Floréal House, Oranjezicht | |
Today can be spent within the city itself. Visit the Castle of Good Hope which was built between 1666 and 1679 and is the oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa, or Robben Island which was used as prison and hospital until declared a museum and world heritage sight in 1997. Summit Table Mountain for the best views Cape Town or go to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens which is world renowned for the beauty and diversity of the Cape flora it displays. Kirstenbosch grows only indigenous South African plants.
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Tour suggestions:
Robben Island
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Castle of Good Hope
Company Gardens
Signal Hill with spectacular views of Cape Town
Cable Car ride to the top of Table Mountain
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| Day Twenty Two |
| Cape Town | | |
Time at leisure before making your way to the airport in time for your flight back home.
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Total: R13, 560.00 (from per person sharing)
Includes:
- Accommodation and breakfast at the above mentioned properties - Satara and Didima room only.
Game walk in the Kruger National Park. Three meals daily and morning and evening game drives at Jackalberry Game Lodge. Dinner at Forester's Arms Country Hotel. Dinner and cultural experience at Protea Hotel Shakaland.
Excludes:
- Transport, gratuities, entrance fees, visa fees, travel & medical insurance, items of a personal nature, all not mentioned above.
Car Rental:
We have a very good and special relationship with some top SA car rental companies.
Contact us for any car rental requirements: info@ambienceinntravels.com
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Please Note:
- Single supplement is 50% of the per person sharing rate.
- The activities and excursions mentioned under "tour suggestions" in the tour schedule are suggestions only, and the cost therefore is not included in the tour price.
- The above price is seasonal and indicative.
- All tours can be customized, subject to terms and availability.
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