South Africa - Walking with Cheetahs Safari

South Africa, Walking with Cheetahs Safari - From £2,265pp excluding international flights

Day 1

On your arrival into Cape Town at the start of your African Safari, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Depending on your time of arrival, you can relax at the hotel or head to the vibrant V&A waterfront with its seafood restaurants, local craft shops and markets and the Two Oceans Aquarium.

Overnight: Kensington Place (superior room) – set on the slopes of Table Mountain each of the suites has an ensuite bathroom

Day 2

Today after breakfast you have a private tour to the Cape of Good Hope to witness the dramatic coast line. This trip includes visits to the exclusive beach town Camp’s Bay as well the fishing town of Hout Bay where you go on a boat trip to seal island to see the cape fur seal colony. At the Cape of Good Hopeyou will be met by Jenni who runs an endangered primate conservation and monitoring program. She will take you on a walk through the Fynbos where you will come across a troop of wild baboons. She will explain their behaviour patterns like feeding, grooming and communication along with their complex social structure. This is a unique experience to get close to these remarkable primates.

Overnight: Kensington Place (B)

Day 3

Cape Town and South Africa are renowned for their world class wines and today you have the opportunity to visit one of the wine estates in the region with a local wine guide. Your day starts with cheese tasting in the 200 year old barn at La Grange Fromagerie and chocolate tasting at the Franschhoek Chocolate factory with lunch at one of the top wine estates in South Africa. After lunch and wine tasting you return to Franschhoek with time to relax before heading back to Cape Town.

Overnight: Kensington Place (B)

Day 4

A rental car will be delivered to your hotel in the morning giving you the full day to drive along the coast to Plettenberg Bay and to your lodge. This is a beautiful drive along the dramatic coast passing towns such as Hermanus, Mossel Bay, George and Swellendam. During the months of May to November you can often see Southern Right whales off the coast.

Overnight: Hogs Hollow Country Lodge – is in a private reserve with 16 suites all with their own balcony and ensuite bathroom (B)

Day 5

Your South African safari continues with a private tour along the Garden Route, starting with scenic drive to the top of the “heads” overlooking the lagoon of Knysna. After a 25 minute ferry you find yourself in a secluded nature reserve, home to a variety of wildlife including South Africa’s national bird, the blue crane. Enjoy fresh local fish cooked on the BBQ. After lunch you have the opportunity to visit the Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre for a guided walk to see some of the rarer cats of Africa, including cheetah, serval and caracal. Your action packed day continues with a “walk with elephants” experience where you will learn more about the remarkable animals.

Overnight: Hogs Hollow Country Lodge (B/L)

Day 6

You have a full day to relax at the lodge or go on walks through the reserve.

Overnight: Hogs Hollow Country Lodge (B)

Day 7

Today you hit the road again and head to the private game reserve of Samara, situated in the Great Karoo, a semi arid desert. The reserve is home to springbok, eland, gemsbok, black wildebeest, giraffe, white rhino and cheetah.

Overnight: Karoo Lodge (Lodge Suite) (B/L/D)

Days 8, 9

The best time to see wildlife is in the early morning and later in the afternoon when the animals are most active, so an early start is in order. After a coffee you will go out in open land rovers with an experienced guide to look for the wildlife of the reserve. One of the highlights of Samara is that you can track the fastest land animal in the world, on foot!!! Samara was one of the first reserves in the Karoo area to reintroduce the cheetah back into the wild and so you are privileged to be able to see these amazing cats in their natural habitat.

Overnight: Karoo Lodge (Lodge Suite) (B/L/D)

Day 10

Further north is the private “Big Five” reserve of Shamwari where you will come across a totally different ecosystem to Samara. Shamwari is home to the “Big Five” and is the perfect place to finish your South African safari. Depending on your arrival time you may have time for an afternoon game drive.

Overnight: Bayethe Lodge – overlooks a waterhole. Each of the luxury tents is raised on platforms and has ensuite bathrooms and a plunge pool (B/L/D)

Days 11, 12

You have 2 full days to enjoy the game viewing in the reserve with your experienced guide. Each day you have 2 game drives or game walks giving you the best opportunity to see the “Big Five” which is a highlight of any African Safari.

Overnight: Bayethe Lodge (B/L/D)

Day 13

Today you drive to Port Elizabeth where you drop the car off and catch your flight back home. Your South African safari completed... (B)