Vilakazi Street

Day 1 depart from Johannesburg and head off to Soweto to visit Vilakazi Street. Vilakazi Street is the only street in the world where once two Nobel Peace Prize laureates lived. Today, Nelson Mandela's house is a museum, while Archbishop Desmond Tutu residence is still maintained. In front of Mandela House, as the former is now called, there is a sculpture of two bulls.

Kruger National Park

From Mandela House we head off to Kruger National Park. Kruger National Park, in northeastern South Africa, is one of Africa’s largest game reserves. Its high density of wild animals includes the Big 5: lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalos. Hundreds of other mammals make their home here, as do diverse bird species such as vultures, eagles and storks. Mountains, bush plains and tropical forests are all part of the landscape. Where nearly 2 million of hectares of unrivaled diversity of life forms fuses with historical and archaeological sights – this is real Africa. The world renowned Kruger National Park offers a wildlife experience that ranks with the best in Africa.

Kruger National Park

Enjoy an early morning Game Drive in a 4 x 4 Game Drve Vehicle in the Kruger National Park. Here there is an opportunity to see many types of wildlife including the big 5, lions, elephants, leopard, cheetah, rhino, kudu, zebra, antelope, and much more

Kruger National Park

After the game drive, we have breakfast at the hotel. We drive around the Kruger National Park area before embarking on a 5 hour long journey from Kruger National Park to Isimangaliso Wetlands Park, a World Heritage Site.

iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Isimangaliso Wetlands Park was listed as South Africa’s first World Heritage Site in December 1999 in recognition of its superlative natural beauty and unique global values. iSimangaliso Wetland Park is a huge protected area along the coast of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Province. The park’s centrepiece is the vast Lake St. Lucia, home to large numbers of hippos, crocodiles, pelicans and flamingos. On arrival in Isimangaliso Wetlands Park, we check into our accommodation before proceeding for a Hippo and Croc Boat Cruise in the St Lucia Estuary.

iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Take a game drive in the Isimangaliso Wetlands Park in one of the game reserves in St Lucia. You are likely to encounter a large number of animals including some of the big 5 such as elephants, rhino, zebra, buffalo, kudu, giraffe, antelope, and many more. You will enjoy the bush setting with all types of trees. After the game drive, we make our way to Durban - that is after a brief stop over for lunch (optional).

Durban

We arrive in Durban in late afternoon. Durban, South Africa’s famous Surf City that is now part of the greater eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, is justifiably proud of its Golden Mile – a stretch of some of the safest swimming beaches in South Africa. Since 2010, the view from the Golden Mile has included an additional landmark; the imposing Moses Mabhida Stadium, from which a meandering brick-paved promenade stretches north to Blue Lagoon and south to Addington Beach. Durban’s beachfront promenade is patronised by early morning joggers, cyclists, pram-pushing moms, dog-walking seniors and a host of perambulating city dwellers who love taking in the fresh, salt-laden morning breeze. In Durban you can visit the beaches, take a walk in the promenade or just simply relax at the hotel. You can also visit the Victoria market in the city centre as well as the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Howick Falls

After just over an hour drive and having past Pietermaritzburg we reach Howick Falls. The Howick Falls view from the top, in particular, is pretty inspiring, and the volley of water mesmerising. The waterfall is a 95 metre cascade into a broiling, restless pool, regarded by the local Zulus with grave superstition, and said to be the place of the spirits of ancestors.

Nelson Mandela Capture Site

A short distance from Howick Falls we make a stop at Nelson Mandela Capture Site which is also in Howick. Nelson Mandela was arrested on 5 August 1962 outside Howick, Natal, South Africa. He spent the next 27 years of his life in prison. The Nelson Mandela Capture Site commemorates this moment in history with a visitor centre and a world renowned sculpture.

Drakensberg Mountains

From the Nelson Mandela Cature Site we travel in the beautiful Midlands Meander area with its beautiful valleys and hills as we make our way to the Drakensberg. We arrive at the Drakensberg in mid day and proceed to do some hiking. The hiking is anything from 2 hours to 4 hours depending on one’s level of fitness and desire. The Drakensberg region is extraordinary, thanks to the dramatically beautiful setting. This region is home to the awe-inspiring mountain range which is predominantly found in the KwaZulu Natal Province. The Drakensberg Mountain range is more than 200 kilometres long and combines rugged peaks with verdant valleys and spectacular backdrops. It creates a natural border between the kingdom of Lesotho and the province of KwaZulu-Natal. On arrival, we go on a hiking of the Drakensberg Mountains. This can be 2 hours to 4 hours depending on one's level of fitness. Overnight accommodation will be in the Drakensberg Region.

Port Shepstone

We travel from Drakensberg to Durban. From Durban we travel along the South Coast N2 route and make our stop for lunch in Port Shepstone. Port Shepstone is one of the largest towns of the KwaZulu Natal South Coast. Port Shepstone is a popular tourist destination and offers a diversity of attractions and activities and boasts unspoiled sandy beaches with warm waters rich in marine life. After lunch we take a tour of Port Shepstone and visit the beaches for a swim.

Eastern Cape

From Port Shepstone we travel inland and see the village set up of the Xhosa villages in the Eastern Cape. This route takes us all the way to Mount Ayliff, where we make our stop over for the night.

Eastern Cape

On day 6 we depart from Mount Ayliff after breakfast and continue to travel inland enroute towards Mthatha. We make a brief stop over in Mthatha before continuing on our route. We travel back towards the coast as we make our way to East London where we arrive mid-day. We check into our accommodation and spend a relaxed afternoon in East London’s beautiful beaches.

East London

East London is a city on the Indian Ocean, in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. It’s known for its beaches, such as Nahoon and Cove Rock. It is a very popular tourist destination. When we arrive in East London we check into our hotel before exploring the beaches and also relaxing.

Port Alfred

After breakfast we depart from East London and head off to Port Alfred, one of South Africa’s most beautiful coastal towns. In Port Alfred we visit the Kowie river, watch some boat rides and even go into the rides – optional extra. We depart from Port Alfred after lunch and head towards Port Elizabeth..

Port Elizabeth

Known as the "Friendly City", Port Elizabeth is located on the south-eastern coast, 763 km east of Cape Town. A superb value-for-money holiday base, Port Elizabeth offers a diverse selection of attractions as a family-fun holiday destination including scenic nature trails, historic heritage, magnificent wildlife, cultural experiences and countless water sport activities. We visit the beaches in port Elizabeth before proceeding to Jeffreys Bay for the night.

Jeffreys Bay

Jeffreys Bay is a popular tourist destination because of its surfing opportunities and the Blue Flag beach.[12] Jeffreys Bay is famous for abundant seashells, great seafood and calamari. The nearby Kabeljous, Seekoei and Krom River lagoons host numerous water birds, and are also ideal for watersports like canoeing, boardsailing, and fishing. Every year, migrating whales make their way to Hermanus and Witsand to give birth, and whales can be seen breaching almost every day during the season.

Bloukrans Bridge

We leave Jeffreys Bay and travel further along the coast, passing pretty coastal towns and picturesque estuaries. In this area we drive through the beautiful Tsitsikama National Park. Before we reach Plettenberg Bay, the Bloukrans Bridge crosses a deep ravine, which is the site of the world’s highest bungy, a full 216m in height. We stop at the viewpoint for a look at this spectacular site, and an optional bungy jump.

Plettenberg Bay

We proceed with our tour from the Bloukrans Bridge and head to Plettenberg Bay or Plett as it is popularly known. We make a stop over for lunch (optional) in Plettenberg Bay. We make a brief tour of Plettenberg Bay. We then proceed to Knysna arriving at around 1pm.

Knysna Heads

In Knysna we check into our accommodation. In Knysna we visit the Knysna Heads. The Knysna Heads are a pair of sandstone cliffs that separate the Knysna Lagoon from the sea beyond; a famous landmark along the renowned Garden Route. The eastern head is easily accessible by car and has many spectacular viewpoints overlooking the channel, Indian Ocean, the Knysna Lagoon and estuary, and the Outeniqua Mountains.

The Waterfront Knysna Quays

We also visit the Knysna Quays Waterfront to watch the sun set and enjoy some drinks in extremely relaxed conditions. The Waterfront is a chilled out extension of Knysna. A scenic view of the harbor with quite a number of yachts make it a scenery. A good number of restaurants from cafes to great restaurants, one can easily spend 2-3 hours here, you can also book some rides on the lagoon on the fast boat. And like any tourist spot, you can find a great number of shops with tinkers and souvenirs.

Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate

Day 9 after breakfast we start off and head to Hermanus. Our major stop is at Benguela Cove Wine Estate where a world class wine tasting is organized. Benguela Cove Wine Estate is a specialist producer and wine destination, in Walker Bay. Located in the Western Cape, between Cape Town and Hermanus. Here each person gets to taste 5 different wines.

Hermanus

From Benguela Cove Wine Estate we head to Hermanus arriving in the afternoon. In Hermanus, we visit the beaches as well as the new habor. During whale season there are several opportunities to spot whales from the numerous vantage points along Hermanus’ elevated rocky coastline (the best land-based viewing point in the world for whale–watching).

Cape Town

Thereafter we start on our journey to Cape Town, driving on the side of the coast. This is a beautiful breathtaking part of the route. The route is well-known for its natural beauty, white sandy beaches, majestic mountains, a rich diversity in plant life and excellent wines. During whale season there are several opportunities to spot whales from the numerous vantage points along Hermanus’ elevated rocky coastline (the best land-based viewing point in the world for whale–watching). Travelling along the scenic coast road with its most breath taking vistas is a delight. There are view points located every 200 meters should you wish to garner photographic memories for ‘back home’.