South Africa, Namibia & Mozambique
Why choose South Africa? From Cape Town's waterfront, along the coastal regions and on safari to the Kruger National Park and beyond...South Africa has always been an elegant mix of safari and the new first world! South Africa's Western Cape  Starting in cosmopolitan Cape Town, and on to the beautiful winelands and the coast roads that take you along the Garden Route, a journey in this region of South Africa will include many delightful country house hotels, fine restaurants and championship standard golf courses to choose from. Luxury Trains are also an option in South Africa. From late September to June Cape Town, the winelands and the Garden Route provides a perfect African vacation. The Cape, winelands and Garden Route were settled by British, French, Dutch and Germans from the 17th century certain parts can be seen to resemble areas of northern Europe although bathed in Africa's wonderful sunshine. We select a few very special places from hundreds of small country house hotels, guesthouses and bed and breakfast establishments and custom design an itinerary for you which takes you in easy stages through the region, staying at some of the best places, using the Cape's excellent road network. Some of our favorites are La Residence and Relais et Chateau’s Le Quartier Français in the winelands, Grootbos Nature Reserve and Birkenhead House on the coast about an hour from Cape Town near whale watching (June-December), seals and great white shark cage diving in Hermanus, and Hunters Country House in the Garden Route. The best way to see this area is by road and we normally suggest a two or three night stay in Cape Town at one of several exclusive boutique hotels with views of the coast or waterfront such as the Cape Grace or Twelve Apostles, or just below Table Mountain at the Mount Nelson or smaller 5-room Bishop’s Court. If you would prefer, a wonderful hotel such as Grande Roche with its cape dutch architecture is located in Paarl, just a twenty minute drive into the winelands. After having ascended Table Mountain, taken a boat trip to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, done some shopping and dined out wonderfully yet inexpensively, you can head into the Winelands. This picturesque rolling countryside of Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franschoek has dozens of old wine estates tucked away where you can enjoy tastings, lunches and cellar tours. If you find a wine you particularly like, the wine estate will arrange a shipment to be sent home for you. A leisurely four hour drive along the scenic coastal road brings you to the heart of the Garden Route, to George, Knysna and Plettenberg, where you can stay at wonderful places like the Relais et Chateau Hunters Country House or, a marvelous hotel perched on the cliff edge, like The Plettenberg with its that stretch across the sweeping curves of Plettenberg Bay. There are a variety of water sports on the Knysna Lagoon for those feeling energetic, or you can climb aboard the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe steam train and enjoy a trip of three hours from George to Knysna, take refreshing walks in rich forested countryside, or explore the Garden Route's craggy shoreline. Golf Resort Two choices for golfers in South Africa include The Fancourt and Pezula! Both in idyllic settings, one with a top notch links course and the other set along the dramatic coastline. Safaris
South Africa is versatile, it can offer excellent two or three day safaris with almost guaranteed sightings of the Big Five, or a full scale two week safari vacation. Enjoy the semi-desert, rich wetlands, ancient forests and vast areas of open grassland, seeing almost every type of African animal, on the perfect safari that we will arrange for you. South Africa is the only place that offers an excellent range of malaria free safari lodges, a particularly good choice if you only want to spend a few days on safari and don't want to have to take malaria tablets for a couple of weeks. Kruger National Park In the Kruger there are many camps and lodges, all with their own qualities and varying characteristics of a fantastic private reserve. We will work out where you should stay, bearing in mind your preferences of style of accommodation and your game viewing objectives, and some of our favorites include Royal Malewane, Singita, Leopard Hills, Ulusaba and Lion Sands, at the top end of the spectrum, with Kings Camp, Kirkman’s, Selati and Earth Lodge providing an spectacular experience combined with amazing value! Eastern Cape and beyond The ancestral land of the Xhosa people, birthplace of Nelson Mandela and once one of the richest game areas of Africa, the Eastern Cape is returning to the abundance of its past, with lodges include Kwandwe and Shamwari, amongst others as well as those north of Port Elizabeth such as Samara Private Game Reserve or Phinda, much farther North past Durban near Richard’s Bay. It has so many different types of habitat and a wide range of animals with elephant, lion, antelope, buffalo, rhinoceros, and leopard all present in good numbers. At Phinda you can enjoy safaris by open vehicle in the day and at night, on foot and by boat, and you can even take a light aircraft down to a wonderful deserted beach. The accommodation at Phinda is superb and you can choose to be in the heart of the forest or on a mountain top. Madikwe Madikwe is a beautiful, red earth game reserve. This area resembles parts of Botswana and has packs of wild dog, hyena, leopard and big herds of elephant and plains game together with fabulous game lodges. This area is easily accessed from Johannesburg either by a two hour road journey or by air and some of our favorite lodges include the ultra elegant setting and fine art collection of Mateya, the family friendly Jaci’s Safari Lodge and the fabulous hospitality and chicness of Madikwe Hills. Johannesburg The capital city is typically a forced overnight at some point of the journey, but it’s collection of top boutique and stylish hotel properties make it very enjoyable, and a great place for dining, shopping and resting up before the journey home, or on arrival. Some of our favorites include The Westcliff, Saxxon, Melrose Arch, The Grace and Fairlawns, and visit to the area is not complete without the deep and moving experience of visiting the Apartheid Museum and to Soweto township.Spa,_Golf,_Rail,_Food_%26_Wine.htmlSpa,_Golf,_Rail,_Food_%26_Wine.htmlSpa,_Golf,_Rail,_Food_%26_Wine.htmlFamily_Safaris.htmlFamily_Safaris.htmlshapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1shapeimage_2_link_2shapeimage_2_link_3shapeimage_2_link_4
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Why choose Namibia? One of the world's most captivatingly beautiful desert regions, and the hauntingly attractive Skeleton Coast, combined with the opportunity for interaction with the Himba - a truly nomadic people who exemplify the rarely-seen indigenous Africa. Why choose a safari in Namibia? Namibia is for you if you want amazingly varied striking scenery and fascinating wildlife. We recommend that to see and understand Namibia fully, an expert guide or a fly in safari is best. Contrast the desert landscape with the watery wilderness offered by Botswana, or add a few days in Cape Town if you are looking for more conventional comfort.  A safari in Namibia will take you to the oldest desert in the world with its soaring apricot colored sand dunes at Sossussvlei , the unique Etosha salt pan, the huge mountainous deserts of Damaraland with their desert adapted elephant and rhinoceros,. At first glance seemingly barren, Namibia's oceans and deserts are teeming with unique flora and fauna, superbly adapted to their surroundings. The combination of activities focuses on Namibia's extreme environments: dune walking, quad-biking, and rhino tracking in the desert. A must-do adventure is kayaking at Walvis Bay Lagoon, amongst the pink flamingoes and white pelicans.  Private vehicle To see Namibia in depth, we will arrange a private vehicle and an expert guide to take you on an unforgettable journey. ranging from ten days to two weeks. On safari you'll admire the scenery, learning about Namibia's desert adapted flora and fauna, and occasionally you'll meet groups of Himba tribespeople giving you an insight into their ways of life. At night be you'll be inspired as you are taken on a tour round the galaxy as the sky in Namibia is like know where else on earth with the zero light pollution bringing out thousands of brilliant stars. Fly-in Safari If you have slightly less time, we can arrange a fly-in safari enabling you to maximize your time exploring the land but also offering you the best eagle eye view as you cut out the journey time by flying from one place to the next. A custom designed fly-in safari can take you to the Skeleton Coast National Park where many ships found their fate to giant seal colonies, to Damaraland to see the desert adapted wildlife and utterly beautiful, spectacularly colored desert scenery. A year round destination, Namibia gets very little rain and what rain it does get usually falls between December and February. Namibia combines very well with a few days with Cape Town and the winelands, and with the watery channels of Botswana’s Okavango Delta . Zim,_Zam,_Bots.htmlshapeimage_4_link_0
South Africa, Namibia & Mozambique
Sample Itineraries

Best of South Africa

Royal South Africa

Ultimate Elephants: Namibia, South Africa, Botswana

Namibia Highlights

Why choose Mozambique? Stretching along the Indian Ocean from South Africa to Tanzania, Mozambique has over 1530 miles of dazzling white beaches and azure waters, untamed wilderness and fascinating history.  A visit there is a perfect ending to a Southern Africa safari. As it recovers from years of hard luck, Portuguese-flavored Mozambique may be poised on the verge of one of Africa's great comebacks, and offers great value! Why Mozambique? Several small island paradises sit just off the coast, including the Bazaruto Archipelago made up of 5 islands, some of which are protected national parks, offering beautiful beaches, abundant bird and marine life, and lovely coral reefs that make for top-notch fishing, diving and snorkeling, and divers can explore ancient shipwrecks. Over 1 200 species of fish have been identified in Mozambique’s coastal waters. Mozambique Island is a World Heritage Site with Persian and Arabic influences and is linked to the mainland by a bridge. Rich artistic tradition – the sculptures produced by the Makonde people of the North are recognized as some of Africa’s most sophisticated art forms. The country has recently been included in a vast transfrontier park project incorporating wilderness reserves in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Called the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, it is the world’s largest reserve and infrastructure for visitors will be developed over the next few years. Where to go? We suggest 3-4 nights at a beach resort either neither Maputo or Vilanculos, or on one of the five islands that make up the archipelago --Bazaruto, Benguerra, Magaruque, Bangue and Paradise, or venture on to Pemba which is also the access point for the Quirimbas Archipelago, which is made up of some 30 islands, including Quirimba, Sencar and Ibo. This Archipelago is another pristine destination, and less frequented than Bazaruto Archipelago. The best time of year to visit Mozambique is during the cooler dry months April to September are best for the wildlife viewing and excellent weather. November to December is normally best for birding activities. June, July and August are Mozambique's coolest months; you'll need a light duvet at night, even though the temperature reaches over 84 degrees Fahrenheit by day. The southern beaches can be crowded during South African school holidays (Dec, Jan, early April, July, late September) so avoid those periods if you can.  Some island lodges are closed during February, as this is generally hurricane/cyclone season.