Destinations

Tours

Birdwatching

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Day 1:Cape Town
Upon your arrival at Cape Town International Airport, your guide will meet you and transfer to your overnight accommodation in Noordhoek, Cape Town. The rest of the day is spent at leisure, either at the pool or in the lounge of Afton Grove Country Retreat, after long flight to South Africa.

Accommodation: Afton Grove
Meals: Full Board

Day 2: Cape Town & Environment
After breakfast we leave for Cape Point via Kommetjie and visit this most south-western point of Africa, also known as Cape of Good Hope. As part of the Table Mountain National, The Park is recognised globally for its extraordinarily rich, diverse and unique fauna and flora. Nowhere else in the world does an area of such spectacular beauty and such rich bio-diversity exist almost entirely within a metropolitan area - the thriving and cosmopolitan city of Cape Town. From the Cape of Good Hope we transfer to the well-known Boulders Beach to visit the African Penguin Colony. These little creatures can entertain us all day, but we need to move on to our next stop – Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Founded in 1913 and lying on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch covers an area of 828ha, of which 60ha is cultivated with indigenous flora with the remainder uncultivated areas, protected as a natural floral reserve. Kirstenbosch is a living display featuring almost 5000 of the 20 000 indigenous floral species of the South African flora. Here we will have time to sooth our soul in the peaceful environment. Late afternoon we transfer back to Afton Grove, via the scenic Chapman’s Peak. Arriving Afton Grove we will have some time to relax in our rooms or at the pool. Dinner is served at the Guest House.

Accommodation: Afton Grove
Meals: Full Board

Day 3: Cape Town – Aquila Private Game Reserve
After breakfast our bags are loaded into the vehicles and we travel towards Worcester. En route we stop at some of the great wine cellars to taste the nectar of the Breede Kloof Valley. Lunch is at Kleinplasie Museum, a working display of yesteryear after which we depart for Aquila Game Reserve. Aquila Private Game Reserve and luxury Big 5, safari lodge, is named after the rare and endangered Black Eagle that thrives in the area. Proclaimed a Private Nature Reserve in 1985, this 4 star, malaria free, 4, 500 hectare reserve is steeped in Khoi San and Boer War history and boasts 3 pristine biomes of vegetation set in the most magnificent Karoo mountains, valleys, rivers and kloofs. Mid-afternoon we check in at the lodge and spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure. Late afternoon we embark on an evening game drive with a qualified field ranger in an open 4x4 vehicle. Game drives range between two and three hours with sparkling wine, grape juice, water and snacks served at various lookout points. We return to the lodge and prepare for dinner.

Accommodation: Aquila Private Game Reserve
Meals: Full Board

Day 4: Aquila Private Game Reserve
A full day at Aquila Private Game Reserve! Your ranger will fill you in on several optional extra activities, which include Horse Back safaris, Quad Bike Safari’s, etc. that you can partake in.

Accommodation: Aquila Private Game Reserve
Meals: Full Board

Day 5: Aquila Private Game Reserve – Sanbona Private Game Reserve
After an early morning activity, we have breakfast at the lodge and depart for Sanbona Private Game Reserve in the Little Karoo. At the foot of the Warmwaterberg, in the heart of the Little Karoo, between Montagu and Barrydale, the vision of the San is becoming a reality. The name Sanbona is a combination of the "San" people who roamed this area for thousands of years and "bona" which represents their vision in order to position this portion of the Little Karoo. Sanbona Wildlife Reserve, 54 000 hectares of undulating mountains and plains, indigenous fauna and flora, rock formations and rock art makes this a destination par excellence! Specialist guiding is a key element in providing a memorable and varied experience.

Accommodation: Sanbona Private Game Reserve
Meals: Full Board

Day 6: Sanbona Private Game Reserve
A full day at Sanbona Private Game Reserve! Apart from your inclusive activities at the lodge, you can relax at the spa or do a walk on the premises with one of the rangers.

Accommodation: Sanbona Private Game Reserve
Meals: Full Board

Day 7: Sanbona Private Game Reserve - Hermanus
After an early morning coffee, we board our open game viewing vehicle for our last game drive at Sanbona. We return for breakfast and soon afterwards we depart for Hermanus. We arrive in Hermanus - the best land based whale-watching destination in the world, and check in at Abalone Guest Lodge. The upmarket Abalone Guest Lodge offers luxurious accommodation and is set on the cliffs of Walkerbay with spectacular views of the ocean. Hermanus is situated along the shores of Walker Bay and home to the Southern Right Whale. We might see the “Whale Crier”, sounding his kelp horn to announce where the whales have been sighted. At noon we return to our overnight accommodation and relax in style after yet another exciting day in Africa.

Accommodation: Abalone Guest Lodge
Meals: Full Board

Day 8: Hermanus
The activities for the day include an optional boating excursion in order to maximise your whale watching- and whale photography opportunities in Walkerbay. Weather permitting, we board a boat around mid-morning and set sail to deeper waters in search of the “Gentle Giants”. On our excursion, the more likely whale to encounter is the Southern Right Whale, with close-up photographic opportunities of whale behaviour. Your experienced skipper will explain the meaning of Blowing, Breaching, Lob-tailing and Spy Hopping in whale behaviour to you as guests. Other whales that might be seen include Humpback Whale and Bryde’s Whale. Mammals that might be encountered on this excursion include Cape Fur Seal and Common Dolphin.

Accommodation: Abalone Guest Lodge
Meals: Full Board

Day 9: Hermanus - Stellenbosch
After breakfast, we board our vehicles and travel via a scenic route along the shores of False Bay Stellenbosch. En route, we visit one of the two land-based African Penguin colonies at Stony Point, in the small settlement of Betty’s Bay. The significance of these two penguin colonies is the mere fact that penguins usually breed on islands in order to be safe from natural and alien predators such as mongooses, dogs, snakes, etc. With fond memories of these little creatures, we board our vehicle and travel towards Stellenbosch. We check in at Evergreen Manor in Stellenbosch mid afternoon. The rest of the day is spent at leisure in Stellenbosch.

Accommodation: Evergreen Manor
Meals: Full Board

Day 10: Stellenbosch
The lodge’s healthy big breakfast is complimented with a visit to some of the finest wine cellars in the world. Our day is spent tasting some of the best wines in the world and appreciate the true Cape Dutch architecture of most of these wine estates. Lunch is served at one of the wine cellars. Some of the wine estates we could visit, depending on time available, include Rickety Bridge, Chamonix, Dieu Donne and Blaauwklippen.

Accommodation: Evergreen Manor
Meals: Full Board

Day 11: Stellenbosch – Cape Town
From Stellenbosch, we transfer to Cape Town and enter the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, a shopping mecca to the “shop-aholics”, and board the ferry to Robben Island. Robben Island. Today a world heritage site, Robben Island became internationally known for its institutional brutality towards “political prisoners”. The duty of those who ran the Island and its prison was to isolate opponents of apartheid and to crush their morale. Some freedom fighters, of which Nelson Mandela is probably the most famous, spent more than a quarter of a century in prison for their beliefs! You will have the opportunity to interact with some of these prisoners who are guides at the prison today. This emotional and human-touching visit to the island will last for ±3hours after we board the ferry once again and “sail” back to Cape Town. From the harbour we board the vehicle and transfer to Table Mountain. Weather permitting we ascend this young World Heritage Site to a height of 3 500ft. Sweeping views of Cape Town, Table Bay, Robben Island and most of the spectacular Cape Peninsula. We return to Afton Grove Country Retreat via the scenic route of Clifton, Camps Bay, Llandudno, Hout Bay and the ultra scenic Chapman’s Peak Drive. We check in late afternoon and prepare for our last dinner in Africa.

Accommodation: Afton Grove
Meals: Full Board

Day 12: Cape Town
Depending on your time of departure from Cape Town International Airport, your guide will drop you off, in time for your flight back home.

Meals: Breakfast