Cape Peninsula and the Big Five Safari

Welcome to South Africa! Upon arrival at Cape Town International Airport, meet your private driver and transfer to the hotel. In the Western Cape , between Robben Island and Table Mountain you’ll discover the famed five-star Table Bay Hotel. During the day, the cool Atlantic Ocean breeze eases the heat of Africa’s Mother City - Cape Town. Sophisticated, gracious and relaxed, The Table Bay Hotel is the sum of all that is good about its hometown. At dusk, the hum of the Victoria Alfred Waterfront’s restaurants, bars and clubs will beckon you from your luxurious room. Be it business or pleasure, The Table Bay Hotel is a destination like no other.

Depart the hotel and flank the colder Atlantic Ocean en route to Hout Bay. Once a fishing community, now one of the most popular residential areas, the harbor still has a charm of days gone by. A chance to join the M.V "Circe" for a half hour cruise to "Seal Island" (optional) or for the not so adventurous, the fish market "Mariners Wharf" is a must. The tour now continues over the famous Chapman’s Peak drive – if open, with a 200 meter drop on one side of the coach and a 200 meter rise on the other, as we make our way south, following the Atlantic Ocean until we reach Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. Said to be the romantic meeting place of the two mighty oceans, the Atlantic and the Indian, Sir Francis Drake the Explorer once called it "the fairest Cape that we saw in the whole circumference of the Globe". And rightly so, it must be the highlight of any visit to the Mother City, if not South Africa. Our optional lunch stop today is at the Fish Hoek Galley (additional cost). We pass the naval base of Simonstown as we continue along the Indian Ocean, en route to see the Jackass penguin colony which has become well established at Boulders beach near Simonstown. Our last stop of the day is at the Kirstenbosch Botanical gardens, home of some 3 500 species of Southern African fauna and flora. Return to the hotel for overnight. (b)

Cape Town has something for everyone. From the landmark beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay to the vibrant Waterfront and Cape Town city center. Today is at leisure to enjoy it all! (b)

After breakfast, transfer to Cape Town International Airport for your flight to Johannesburg where you connect with your onward flight to Hoedspruit Airport. You will be met on arrival and transferred by road to the Thornybush Reserve. Adjacent to the Greater Kruger National Park, within the famous Thornybush Nature Reserve lies Thornybush Game Lodge. The lodge offers unique exclusive safari experiences in both open Land Rovers, and on foot. The private reserve is home to an abundance of species: 147 mammals including the "Big Five", 114 reptiles, 507 birds, 49 fish, 34 amphibians and 336 types of trees. The reserve is predominantly open Savannah and with a near perfect year round climate, it is the ideal African safari holiday destination. Dinner and overnight (b,d)

The day starts as dawn breaks over the African bushveld. After your early morning wakeup call, coffee, tea Rusks are served on the main deck overlooking the riverbed. Shortly after, you depart in your open Land Rover with your experienced Rangers and Trackers who will share their extensive knowledge of the bush with you. These drives are undertaken at times best suited for game viewing which vary depending on the season but typically start early morning. Where applicable you may be invited out of the vehicle to see tracks, examine certain plants and follow spoor. After an exhilarating hunt for tracks to see what the animals have been up to during the night, and tracking down whatever you find, you will stop somewhere out in the bush for a break of coffee or tea. Time to stretch your legs whilst having your sunglasses cleaned indulge in cool towels in summer, and hot towels in winter. In winter, guests are kept warm on the vehicle with hot water bottles warm blankets. After a sumptuous breakfast is served either back at the camp or in the riverbed or bush, guests are offered walks to suit their interests and fitness levels and are accompanied by an armed ranger and tracker. Walks allow guests a better chance to see some of the smaller creatures of the bush as well as an opportunity to learn more about the flora and fauna of the region to have a chance to follow tracks in more detail. Shangaan trackers will enthrall you with their explanations of the medicinal and other uses of the numerous plants and trees along with tales of traditional folklore. The rest of the day is spent at your discretion, for other activities that are on offer, with a delicious lunch being served around 1.30pm. The afternoon game drive is preceded by high tea and extends into the evening to view seldom seen nocturnal species by torchlight. Upon returning for a gourmet 3 course dinner, either in the ‘Boma’, bush or lodge. (b,l,d)