12 Day - Cape Town - Kruger - 3/4 *
About this Tour
12 Days - 11 Nights
This tour takes you around the “Mother City”with all it’s diverse cultures. Enjoy some scenic drives along the coastal routes and visit some of the highlights Cape Town has to offer. Enjoy some of South Africa’s best wines in the Stellenbosch Wine Region. Explore the seaside town southeast of Cape Town, Hermanus, known as the Whale Watching Destination. Visit the White River area where it’s the perfect place to rest and rejuvenate. You will also have the chance to stay in the Timbavati Nature Reserve who shares a common unfenced border with Kruger National Park and promises good Game Viewing. In Xitsonga, the name Timbavati means “the place where something sacred came down to Earth from the Heavens”and refers to the rare white lions of Timbavati.
Destinations on Tour
Cape Town - La Splendida Hotel
White River/Nelspruit - eBundu Lodge
Timbavati Nature Reserve - Umlani Bush Camp
Our Package
This tour takes you around the “Mother City”with all it’s diverse cultures. Enjoy some scenic drives along the coastal routes and visit some of the highlights Cape Town has to offer. Enjoy some of South Africa’s best wines in the Stellenbosch Wine Region. Explore the seaside town southeast of Cape Town, Hermanus, known as the Whale Watching Destination. Visit the White River area where it’s the perfect place to rest and rejuvenate. You will also have the chance to stay in the Timbavati Nature Reserve who shares a common unfenced border with Kruger National Park and promises good Game Viewing. In Xitsonga, the name Timbavati means “the place where something sacred came down to Earth from the Heavens”and refers to the rare white lions of Timbavati.
ACCOMMODATIONS
- La Splendida Hotel (Mouille Point – Cape Town) – 4 Nights – VIEW FACT SHEET
- Windsor Hotel (Hermanus) – 2 Nights – VIEW FACT SHEET
- eBundu Lodge (between White River/Nelspruit) – 2 Nights – VIEW FACT SHEET
- Umlani Bush Camp (Timbavati Nature Reserve) – 3 Nights – VIEW FACT SHEET
KEYS
- BB – Bed & Breakfast
- DBB – Dinner, Bed & Breakfast
- L – Lunch
- LD – Lunch & Dinner
- D – Dinner
- FB – Full Board (Breakfast; Lunch & Dinner)
- AI – All Inclusive (All Meals, selected drinks, Game Drives/Walk)
- G/Drive – Open Safari Vehicle Game Drive
Mouille Point – Cape Town
HOTEL: LA SPLENDIDA HOTEL
Perched between the ocean and the mountain, with a national park as its heart, there is nowhere like Cape Town. Cape Town, the Mother City”, is the oldest city in South Africa and has a cultural heritage spanning more than 300 years.
The unique topography of the region makes it easy to orientate oneself as long as you remember that with Table Mountain behind you and Robben Island before you, you are facing north, looking across Table Bay and up the west coast of Africa.
It is in Cape Town that the Rainbow Nation really covers the spectrum. Between beautiful Cape Dutch homesteads, traditional dancers with painted faces performing in the streets, the smell of spicy Malay cooking and the taste of a well-made wine, this city will fill your senses. Cape Town offers top attractions from Table Mountain which you can access via Cable Car OR Hiking, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Boulders Beach with Penguins, Robben Island, Cape Point and many more. You will also have a chance to visit the wonderful Winelands of Stellenbosch.
Hermanus – Southeast of Cape Town
HOTEL: WINDSOR HOTEL
Hermanus is a seaside town southeast of Cape Town, in South Africa’s Western Cape Province. It’s known as a whale-watching destination. Beaches include Voëlklip Beach and the broad Grotto Beach, overlooking Walker Bay. The Old Harbour Museum is a site encompassing the old harbour, a fishermen’s village and the Whale House Museum. The latter has informative displays and a suspended skeleton of a whale. The independently owned Windsor Hotel and Self-Catering Apartments stand proudly on the edge of Hermanus’s breathtaking Walker Bay with a panoramic vista featuring the world’s best whale-watching available in most rooms.
Southern Right whales have been breeding and feeding here for centuries (July – November) and our guests have been returning, generation after generation, to delight in this spectacle.
The 120-year-old Windsor, near the town centre and its rich variety of restaurants, galleries and shops, has been modernised but steadfastly retains its family atmosphere with home-from-home hospitality.
A stunning 120km drive from Cape Town brings you to the famous champagne air of Hermanus, where you can relax in comfort at the venerable Windsor or enjoy a wide variety of gentle or adventurous activities
Nelspruit – Mpumalanga
LODGE: eBUNDU LODGE
Mbombela, formerly Nelspruit, is the capital of South Africa’s Mpumalanga Province. It’s a gateway to Kruger National Park, home to elephants, zebras, rhinos and other wildlife. The city’s Lowveld National Botanical Garden features a man-made rainforest. Northwest are the prehistoric Sudwala Caves, with unusual rock formations. South, Umhloti Nature Reserve contains the Jane Goodall Institute’s Chimp Eden sanctuary. The perfect place to rest and rejuvenate or from where to explore the Lowveld and Kruger National Park. The tranquility and splendour of the newly rebranded eBundu Lodge in the lush bushveld landscape is beyond doubt a revitalising experience.
Timbavati Game Reserve – Hoedspruit
LODGE: UMLANI BUSH CAMP
The Timbavati Game Reserve is located at the border line between Hoedspruit (in Limpopo) and Acornhoek (in Mpumalanga), north of the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve on the western edge of Kruger National Park. Geographically and politically, Timbavati is located in Mpumalanga Province. In Xitsonga, the name ‘Timbavati’ means “the place where something sacred came down to Earth from the Heavens”, and refers to the rare white lions of Timbavati. See the real Africa at Umlani: enjoy the ultimate experience of true wilderness and seclusion in a camp that accommodates just 16 guests, in traditional African reed and thatch huts.
Umlani’s philosophy of simplistic luxury and ‘getting back to nature’ is enhanced by the romance of operating without electricity. Enjoy the warm atmosphere of candlelight and oil lamps and open-air bush showers fuelled by wood fires.
Umlani Bushcamp offers an exciting, safe experience in Big Five territory. View lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino, in more than 10 000 hectares (24 000 acres) of traversing area. The camp is also home to more than 40 mammal species and 350 bird species.
Experience the thrill of game drives in open Land Rovers, guided bush walks and tracking game on foot with highly experienced rangers and trackers. At Umlani you are guaranteed an adventure of a lifetime in one of Africa’s world-renowned, unspoilt wilderness reserves.
NOTE: Optional Add On’s & Room Upgrades – Available at an Additional Costs – see day to day info below.
Day 1: LA SPLENDIDA HOTEL – Mouille Point – CAPE TOWN
On arrival in Cape Town. Car Rental – collect car and continue to Hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure for you to relax and settle in. You will stay in a Side View Room. Dinner @ Marco’s African Place included.
- Included: DBB
- Option/Add On: Car Rental
Day 2: LA SPLENDIDA HOTEL – Mouille Point – CAPE TOWN
Depart for Cape Point. Drive along the scenic coastal drive of Chapmans Peak, visiting the Cape of Good Hope National Park (with its funicular railway and lighthouse) and the penguins at Boulders Beach, you could include a boat cruise to see the seals at close hand. Tides permitting, you could even end the day with a swim among the penguins at Boulders Beach from the small secluded beach there (entrances own account).
- Included: BB
Day 3: LA SPLENDIDA HOTEL – Mouille Point – CAPE TOWN
Head off to the historic heart of South Africa’s wine industry. Explore Stellenbosch and walk down the canal-lined avenues, in the shade of giant oak trees and beautifully preserved historic buildings. Travel over the Helshoogte Pass to the town of Franschhoek, historically dating back to the 17th century, to when the French Huguenots first arrived. Enjoy some wine tasting along the route at various Wine Farms (own account). PM – Head up to Table Mountain today or early tomorrow morning before departure . Dinner @ Bobo’s Brasserie – Mouille Point – included.
- Included: DBB
Day 4: LA SPLENDIDA HOTEL – Mouille Point – CAPE TOWN
Today is at leisure for you to relax or enjoy some sight-seeing in and around the Waterfront. Perhaps head up Table Mountain if not done so yesterday by Cable Car. Visit Robben Island OR head out into the bay on a Sunset Yacht Cruise from the Waterfront. You will stay in a Sea Facing Room. Dinner @ Harbour House V&A Waterfront – included.
- Included: DBB
- Option/Add On: Robben Island / Sunset Yacht Cruise
Day 5: WINDSOR HOTEL – Hermanus – Southeast of Cape Town
Today you leave Cape Town and travel onto the Southern Cape. The southern coast boasts some of the finest land-based whale-watching in the world between July and early December, when the Southern Right Whales come right into the bays to give birth. Enthralling sightings are a daily occurrence with spectacular breaches and whale song. You could stop en route in the Winelands to visit Vergelegen Wine Estate with its fine gardens, Cape Dutch homestead and start of the art wine cellar. Whale Watching Boat today or tomorrow.
- Included: BB
- Option/Add On: Whale Watching (Aug – Nov)
Day 6: WINDSOR HOTEL – Hermanus – Southeast of Cape Town
Drive to Mosaic Farm today, as it offers a range of activities including quad bike nature rides, 4×4 trips to deserted golden beaches, kayaking on the lagoon and walks. Nature enthusiasts will discover the amazing Cape Floral Kingdom at Mosaic Farm with its magnificent fynbos, birds and insects. You can explore the 933ha reserve on foot, mountain bike, quad bike or kayak. Hop onto the open 4×4 vehicle for a sundowner excursion and discover fynbos, birds and deserted beaches in search of Southern Right Whales. Dinner @ La Pentola – Included.
- Included: DBB
- Option/Add On: 4×4 Sundowner Excursion
Day 7: eBUNDU LODGE – Nelspruit – MPUMALANGA
This morning you are transferred back to Cape Town in time for the direct flight from Cape Town to Hoedspruit Airport (Flight included). Rental Car. Collect Rental Car and Transfer to the lodge. You will stay in a Standard Room. Dinner @ the Lodge – included.
- Included: DBB + Domestic Flight CPT-HDS
- Option/Add On: Rental Car
Day 8: eBUNDU LODGE – Nelspruit – MPUMALANGA
You travel up into the Drakensberg Escarpment, a beautiful area of tumbling streams and waterfalls among indigenous woodland and forest plantations where you enjoy a scenic tour of the Blyde River Canyon visiting the Three Rondavels, Bourke’s Luck Potholes and God’s Window (entrances own account). Continue to Lodge. Dinner @ the Lodge included.
- Included: DBB
Day 9: UMLANI BUSH CAMP – Timbavati Game Reserve – HOEDSPRUIT
Head north today and head into the bush for 3 nights on safari in the Greater Kruger Park. You stay at Umlani Bush Camp. On Route: There is time to enjoy some activities such as the Elephant Whisphers Interaction near Hazyview, the Cheetah Rehabitation Cente (at Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre) or the Moholoholo Wildlife Centre. We also recommend the Roots of Rhythm Cultural Tour which is close to the Timbavati Game Reserve. Enjoy a Sunset Game Drive followed by Dinner at the Lodge. Following is includedat Umlani for the next 3 days: 3 Meals p/day, Selected Local Drinks, 2 Game Drives and/or a Bush Walk p/day ,1 night Tree House sleep out(depends on availability time of booking) & conservation levy. Exclude Vehicle Permit – payable at the Timbavati Gate. You will stay in an Eco Hut
- Included for the next 3 days: All Meals, Selected Local Drinks, 2 Game Drives/Bush Walk per day, 1 night tree house sleep out (availability depends)
Day 10: UMLANI BUSH CAMP – Timbavati Game Reserve – HOEDSPRUIT
Umlani was founded in 1989 by Marco and Marie-Louise Schiess in the central section of the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve. In 1993, the fences between the Timbavati and the Kruger were removed to allow for wildlife migration and this pristine wilderness area became known as the Greater Kruger National Park. Lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino are all regularly sighted in the Timbavati, along with a host of smaller mammal species. Your experienced game ranger is keen to share with you their extensive knowledge and love of the African bush. The day starts with an early morning game drive, followed by some time to relax, perhaps enjoying game-viewing from your deck. (All Meals/2 x Game Drives included)
- Included: 2 Game Drives & all meals.
Day 11: UMLANI BUSH CAMP – Timbavati Game Reserve – HOEDSPRUIT
Enjoy AM and PM Game Drive – included and Leisure Time
- Included: AM & PM Game Drive + all meals.
Day 12: DEPARTURE DAY – HOEDSPRUIT
Depart to Hoedspruit Airport for your flight to JNB (Flight included)
- Included: BB + Domestic Flight HDS – JNB
PACKAGE INCLUDES:
• Accommodation as stated
• Breakfast daily
• 9 x Dinners
• 3 x Lunches
• 6 x Open Vehicle Game Drive Safari’s (3 x AM & 3 x PM) – can do a Game Walk instead if preferred by client
• Domestic Flight from CPT – HDS
• Domestic Flight from HDS – JNB
PACKAGE EXCLUDES:
• Porterage – not included
• Transport (Car Rental available to add on / as Option)
• Flights back & from your Hometown
• Medical Insurance (for clients own account)
• Visa’s (clients need to arrange where needed themselves)
• Service Fees at Restaurants / Lodges not included for staff
• Entrances at own costs (as indicated on the day to day information)
• Meals not included in itinerary (see day by day) will be at clients own cost
• Drinks not included in itinerary (see day by day) will be at clients own cost
OPTIONAL ADD ON’s: Available on various days of the Tour (See Day to Day) at Additional Costs.
