South Africa. Canyons, waterfalls, wildlife and two oceans

Price

€3195

Days

Tour description

These two weeks will be filled with memorable meetings, views that seem to come to life from famous screensavers, and sensations of earthly wonders!

Walk around the famous "black" district of Nelson Mandela and the wealthy Sandton neighborhood
Immerse your feet in two oceans at once - Indian and Atlantic at Cape Agulhas
Get a close-up view of the Big Five and Little Five African Animals
Appreciate the landscapes of the Panoramic Route and Garden Route, which you will recognize from the famous screensavers
Watch seals, whales, penguins and sharks in the open ocean
Explore Dutch and French architecture in Stellenbosch and Franshoek and savour the country's most famous wines

Tour departures

30 August 2024 - 11 September 2024

€3195

Book

The price of the tour includes

Three domestic flights;
All transportation including public and rented transport, taxis, cable car to Table Mountain, and the like;
Accommodation throughout the trip;
All game drives;
Breakfasts in some hotels and full three meals a day during your stay in the Kruger National Park;
Boat trip to watch whales and other marine animals;
Kayaking in the Tsitsikamma National Park along the Gardens Route;
Professional guiding services.

What is NOT included

Flight to Johannesburg / Cape Town and back. (Let us know if you need help finding the best deals);
Insurance (mandatory);
Food ($30-40 per day)
Entrance fees to national parks and attractions ($200);
Snorkeling / diving (cage diving and shark jumping - approximately $200 per person);
Extreme activities (bungee jumping $100, zipline / sandboarding $30-40);
Visa (if you need one).

Tour map

Tour itinerary

Day 1

Johannesburg, Soweto district, Sandton district

We arrive in Johannesburg (or Cape Town, and then fly to Johannesburg), check into a hotel in the Sandton area, one of the safest in the city. After a short rest, we head for a walk to Soweto - the largest "black" area of the city. Here we learn about the country's sad past - apartheid racial discrimination and the struggle for equality. Nelson Mandela, a famous statesman and fighter for human rights, lived in Soweto for almost twenty years, now is house is turned to a museum. We will also see the famous graffiti-painted towers of the closed Orlando power plant.

If we have time, we will take a walk through the modern district of Sandton to see how the wealthiest people in the country live. For dinner we head to a restaurant that serves local dishes. For example, we can try boboti - baked minced meat with spices, nuts and egg. Interestingly, this dish was brought to South Africa by the Dutch and Malays from the island of Java, who still live in South Africa. We might also try the famous marinated biltong jerky.

Day 2-3

Kruger national park, The Big five and the Little five of African animals, Blyde River Canyon

In the morning we fly to Hoedspruit (1 hour). It takes about an hour from the airport to reach the safari lodge in Kruger national park. Here we come under the care of professional photo hunters and guides. After lunch we begin our first safari in an open jeep. Today we will see all the animals from bright children's books - with our own eyes, very close!

August is dry season and animals spend a lot of time near rivers. We will see all the big "African five" up close - elephants, rhinos, buffaloes, lions and leopards. Have you heard about the Little five of African animals? These five most famous small animals in Africa are no less impressive! We will also enjoy views of the Blyde River Canyon - one of the largest canyons on our planet.

Next day we also spend in the park watching the animals. We will definitely see zebras, giraffes, cheetahs, and antelopes of different species. How to put the feelings of these meetings in words? Wonder, joy - you have to experience it!

Day 4

Panoramic route, Blyde River canyon, Waterfall

In the morning we begin our 300 kilometers long journey on the Panoramic route, with stops on the way. Incredible landscapes created by the deep canyon of the Blyde River await us. The first stop - and we change to a boat to admire the canyon from the river. Huge rocks are covered with yellow-green jungle. Wow!

We ride up by car to several observation decks, the most famous of them is called “Three Rondaveli”. From here we see three giant rocks, which in shape resemble the traditional African round houses, known as rondavelies.

The next stop is at a very unusual waterfall. For thousands of years, a falling stream of water has washed holes in the rocks, similar to holes in a head of cheese. A very unusual sight! In the evening we will reach the cozy town of Nelspruit, where we will spend the night at the hotel.

Tour leaders

Oleksandr Levytskyi

tour leader

Is this trip for you?

This trip is of easy physical grade, suitable for people with average health. We will take long walks in cities, marked trails in national parks and reserves (up to 4-5 hours a day), do several easy climbs (maximum 350 meters vertically). We will take four domestic flights and short trips by rented transport with stops in interesting places along the road, as well as boat trips. Accommodation in double/twin rooms of 4* hotels. In the Kruger Park, we might stay in safari tents, where conditions and amenities correspond to 4-5 * hotels.