South Africa Complete

Nights

14

Party

4–6 guests

Countries

South Africa

From

Price on application

Best season

Year-round; whales June–November

One country, one passport stamp, and most of what South Africa does well. Cape Town, the whales of Walker Bay, the Big Five in fynbos at Gondwana, Addo's elephants, leopard in the Sabi Sand and meerkats in the Kalahari. All of it is linked by one private aircraft, with the occasional drive where the road is the better way.

Malaria, plainly: Cape Town, Hermanus, Gondwana, Addo, Tswalu and Johannesburg are all malaria-free. The three nights in the Sabi Sand are in a malaria area. If anyone in a family of four to six cannot take prophylaxis, we replace the Sabi Sand with Madikwe in North West Province, which is malaria-free, and the rest of the trip stays the same.

Highlights

• A helicopter flight over the Cape Peninsula
• Southern right whales from the cliff at Birkenhead House in season
• Malaria-free Big Five at Gondwana and Addo
• Your own villa at Cheetah Plains for three nights of leopard country
• Meerkats at dawn at Tswalu in the Kalahari

1. Day 1–2

   Cape Town · Belmond Mount Nelson

   Family suites at the Mount Nelson, with its big garden and family pool. Day one: a private helicopter over the Peninsula. Day two: Constantia's wine estates for the adults, the Boulders Beach penguins for the children, and lunch together at Babel at Babylonstoren.

2. Day 3

   Cape Town → Hermanus

   Your own vehicle along Clarence Drive on the False Bay coast to Hermanus. One night at Birkenhead House on the cliff above Walker Bay, with the in-house chef. From June to November, whales from the terrace.

3. Day 4

   Hermanus → Gondwana

   A long drive east through the Overberg, with lunch on the way, to Gondwana Private Game Reserve near Mossel Bay.

4. Day 4–5

   Gondwana · 2 nights

   Family suites in a Big Five reserve in fynbos. Drives at the family's pace, the fynbos walk for the children, sundowners above the valley.

5. Day 6

   Gondwana → Addo

   Pilatus PC-12 class turboprop from Mossel Bay to Gqeberha, then road to Gorah Elephant Camp, inside Addo Elephant National Park.

6. Day 6–7

   Gorah Elephant Camp · 2 nights

   Adjacent suites at a colonial-style camp inside the park. Elephants are the point of Addo, and drives here rarely go long without them.

7. Day 8

   Addo → Sabi Sand

   Turboprop north to the Arathusa strip. Malaria area for the next three nights.

8. Day 8–10

   Cheetah Plains · 3 nights

   One of the three villas, let whole to your family, with four suites for up to eight, a pool, a chef and your own electric vehicle, guide and team. Over the festive season, 20 December to 4 January, a villa takes a minimum of six guests. The Sabi Sand is leopard country, and three nights gives you time to find them.

9. Day 11

   Sabi Sand → Tswalu

   Turboprop west to Tswalu's own airstrip in the Kalahari. Malaria-free again.

10. Day 11–13

    Tswalu, The Motse · 3 nights

    A family legae at the Motse; families of five or six add a second. Tswalu asks for at least two nights, three in peak season, so you have three. Meerkats at dawn, the lion pride on a morning drive, a sunset drive across the red dunes. Tarkuni, Tswalu's private homestead, on request.

11. Day 14

    Tswalu → Johannesburg

    Turboprop to Johannesburg. A last night at The Saxon and dinner at Grei.

12. Day 15

    Home

    Road to O.R. Tambo for your international flights.

Flown by turboprop and helicopter. How we choose the aircraft