African Safari for First Timers

Your guide will meet you at your hotel after breakfast and introduce you to the wonders of Cape Peninsula during a private tour making your way along the more than four miles of beautiful Atlantic coast following Chapman’s Peak Drive. The breeze will carry the briny aroma of the ocean as you gaze down on deserted beaches, sheltered bays, and stunning rocky outcrops. The charming village of Hout Bay will offer images of wading wooden fishing boats accompanied by the aromas of barbecued crayfish and traditional frying fish.

The aromas of rooibos tea will drift through the dining room of your hotel at breakfast before you meet your guide in the lobby eager to explore the famous Cape Winelands. You will have a full-day excursion dedicated to indulging in the splendor of South African wine. You will quickly discover the gentle tranquility of the landscape dotted with stone farmhouses, empty country roads, and lush vineyards. The elevated hills of Franschhoek and Stellenbosch are perfect for cultivating red and white wines. Here, you will find decaying thatched cottages filled with long wooden tables and some of the continent's most exclusive bottles of wine.

In the morning, you will have a private transfer to Cape Town Airport for your domestic flight to Mpumalanga, where you will continue to your lodge in the exclusive Sabi Sands Game Reserve. You can view the wildlife from your private verandah discovering a white rhino glancing at you before plodding through the trees. Impala and kudu will skip by revealing how the wilderness completely surrounds you in the luxurious and prestigious resort connected by an open border with the famous Kruger National Park.

You will rise early for a fascinating safari taking you into the open savannah in search of active wildlife. Predators hunt and rhinos drink from the river before the searing afternoon sun sets. Your guide will take you into the wilds in a 4 x 4 open-topped safari truck to quickly find elephants plowing a dramatic trail by uprooting trees and smashing through branches. Cape buffalos will protect their young, standing guard and giving a ferocious stare to everyone who takes an interest.

After breakfast, you will fly from Mpumalanga to Johannesburg O.R. Tambo International Airport. Your private transfer will meet you at baggage claim and escort you to your luxury hotel before you discover South Africa's largest city. The sprawling suburbs and neighborhoods are some of the most dazzling and evocative on the whole continent as they hum with energy, flashing lights, and the layered history dating back to the 19th century when gold was discovered. The sprawl of the city hides a network of magnificent museums and delectable restaurants representing the true diversity of South Africa’s cultural cuisine.

You will have a private transfer to the airport in the morning for your flight to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, where you will continue by private transfer to your luxury accommodation. While waterfalls around the world might be higher, or wider, none are as powerful as Victoria Falls. You will hear the series of cascades before you see them, with the mighty thunder roaring day and night. You will wander along the walkways for views of the water plunging 328 feet into a gaping chasm resulting in dramatic plumes of mist. The spray will sail above the lip and cover the walkways and crowds of people.

In the morning, you will find the aromas of a porridge flavored with peanut butter and milk filling the dining room accompanying the floral scent of rooibos tea. Before departing, you will look once more for images of the remarkable collection of cascades resulting in a mile-long curtain of water rushing over the canyon wall. After breakfast, your private transfer will meet you at the hotel and escort you to Victoria Falls Airport for your flight to Johannesburg where you will have plenty of time to check-in to your flight and continue your journey home.