KR12: Cape Town to Johannesburg (Small Group)

After breakfast, your guide will pick you up for the peninsula daytour, which includes activities like the Cape of Good Hope Reserve, Cape Point (Funicular fee not included) and the Boulders Beach Penguins. You will also visit the Cape Ostrich farm, which is located 600 meters from the entrance to the Cape of Good Hope nature reserve.

We have four activities planned for today, each lasting four hours. Pick your favourite two.

• Option 1: Tour of the Langa township with Thami, a former street child and prisoner, who is now a tour guide and will introduce you to the richness of his community.
• Option 2: Departure for Hermanus and a whale watching cruise to observe southern right whales, which come to give birth in the shallow waters around the small town of Hermanus (from mid-June to November only).
• Option 3: Famous as a prison for anti-apartheid activists like former president Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, a trip to Robben Island is a bittersweet experience but is a must for anyone visiting Cape Town.
• Option 4: Embark on a half-day wine tour, including a guided tour of Franschhoek or Stellenbosch and wine tasting sessions at 2 wineries.

Early in the morning, you will be transferred to Cape Town airport for your flight to Durban. Once you land in Durban, your guide will take you on a short tour of the city before heading North towards Saint Lucia.
St. Lucia is a strong contender for the title of South Africa's wildest town. It occupies a jungle-covered peninsula sandwiched between the vast St. Lucia estuary and the open waters of the Indian Ocean. Here, you shouldn't be surprised to encounter hippos, warthogs, or Cape bushbucks wandering the streets, or heavy birds like African fish eagles, trumpeter hornbills, and purple-crested turacos calling loudly from the canopy. Aside from the wildlife, St. Lucia is a modern town with many restaurants and the best urban base for exploring iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its terrestrial and marine biodiversity.

• 5:00 Half day game drive in Hluhluwe: Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Reserve is the oldest national park and one of the largest in South Africa. Less touristy than the Kruger National Park, it is the meeting of two reserves: Hluhluwe and Umfolozi, named after the two rivers which cross it. Proclaimed a national reserve in the 1950s for the conservation of the rhino, the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi reserve is now home to nearly 90% of the world’s rhino population. (Breakfast included in the reserve)
• 13:00 -13:30 Return transfer to Saint Lucia and lunch
• 15:30 Boat trip on the Saint Lucia estuary. The park in which the estuary is located is a world natural heritage. The cruise is a treat for bird watchers with over 500 species to see, coastal dune forests and marshes. With over 800 hippos and 1,500 crocodiles in the St Lucia ecosystem, you are sure to come face to face with one of these creatures during your cruise.

After breakfast, you depart for Eswatini (new name for the Kingdom of Swaziland) where you will meet your local guide. eSwatini is a State located in southern Africa and landlocked between South Africa and Mozambique. This magnificent little country offers kilometers of parks and large natural spaces particularly suitable for hiking or safaris. Indeed, in addition to its unique and spectacular landscapes, eSwatini is home to many animal species that will delight lovers of African wildlife.

Two accommodation options are available for the night:

• A night in town in a guesthouse
• A night in an authentic Swati village where you will sleep in a traditional beehive hut

After breakfast, you will drive to the Ngwenya glass factory. Ngwenya Glass’ charming complex is set in large indigenous gardens and is considered one of Swaziland’s/Eswatini’s major tourists attractions! Here a small group of Swazi craftsmen and women – with age old artistry – breath life into enchanting interpretations of the animals and birds of Africa, imbuing each with its own irresistible personality. Witness first-hand the magical art of glassblowing from an overhead balcony. Each item handmade from 100 % recycled glass ! Browse around the adjoining showroom which is well stocked and purchase your little memento of a truly African visit to our Kingdom.

Then, you will cross the border and drive North to reach Hazyview where you will spend the night. On the way to Hazyview, we suggest a visit the Jane Goodall Chimpanzee Eden. The Jane Goodall Institute is a global leader in the effort to conserve and preserve endangered species and habitats, particularly chimpanzees. Chimpanzees are considered our closest living relatives; however, their numbers have declined significantly in recent years due to factors such as the bushmeat trade and the illegal pet trade.

Today you will go north to visit the famous Bourkes’ potholes and the Blyde canyon! Deep from 6 to 800 meters, it extends over 26 km, making it the 3rd largest canyon in the world. Several viewpoints are worth a stop, particularly in the north, the “3 Rondavels” site. You will also visit the famous falls near Gŕaskop (Lisbon Falls, Berlin) as well as the former gold mining village of Pilgrim’s Rest, whose exploitation ceased in 1972. Classified as a historic monument, its old houses have been restored and transformed into a living museum. The Graskop gorge lift company allows you to zipline and cross a suspension bridge over a 70m deep gorge. After the tour, you will be transferred back to your accommodation in Hazyview.

Embark on a full-day 4x4 safari in Kruger National Park, one of the world's largest and most renowned wildlife reserves. Spanning an area larger than Wales or Israel, Kruger Park is teeming with majestic creatures, including the iconic Big Five: lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, and rhinoceroses.

As you explore the park's diverse landscapes, your experienced ranger will expertly navigate the terrain, ensuring your safety and maximizing your chances of encountering wildlife. Keep your eyes peeled for these magnificent animals as you venture through the park at a leisurely pace, limited to 50 km/h on paved roads and 40 km/h on tracks to minimize any disturbance to the ecosystem.

After breakfast, leave with you guide for the Timbavati game reserve, where you will spend the night. The Timbavati reserve was established in 1956 by the land owners at the time. Today, Timbavati, along with the adjacent Kruger National Park, is one of the largest reserves in the world. One of the specificities of Timbavati is the low density of lodges present on the reserve. They all have one thing in common: preserving the ecosystem and the wildlife found there. Here, all your meals and two guided safaris with ranger are included and depending on availability, a complmentary guided walk in the bush can be organised.

Note: Availability and the number/age of participants will determine the game reserve we select for your group

After breakfast, leave for a guided tour of Johannesburg and Soweto. The township of Soweto, once marked by segregation during apartheid, represents the heart of South Africa’s fight against injustice. This guided tour will allow you to discover Soweto, the house of Nelson Mandela and the museum of the young Hector Pieterson, who was shot during a peaceful march in Soweto. The excursion also includes a guided tour of the Apartheid Museum (OR Constitution Hill, if the Apartheid Museum is closed). After the tour and lunch, you will be dropped at the airport for your international flight.