A Journey into the Heart of Africa

Category: Africa

A journey into the heart of Africa is akin to a journey into the heart of us all. It reflects the love of life, creativity, history, nature, and camaraderie that we have all come to appreciate. This journey will take you from bushveld to vineyard to metropolis as only Southern Africa can combine.

Begin your journey in the bustling and vibrant metropolis of Johannesburg. Effortlessly travel by air to Botswana and the Moremi Wildlife Reserve where you are invited to immerse yourself in the African bushveld. Next on your adventure is Cape Town, South Africa’s answer to San Francisco and Sydney. Enjoy this unique “mother city” as well as the world-renowned South African winelands before journeying home having experienced the harmony between man and nature that only South Africa can convey!

Day 1: Johannesburg

When you touch down in Johannesburg, your journey will begin. Enjoy VIP airport assistance from a guide who will escort you from the gate through customs and baggage claim and to your hotel, The Westcliff. Johannesburg’s most iconic hotel is just half an hour’s drive from O.R. Tambo International Airport. The hotel offers spectacular views of the lush forested suburbs of Johannesburg and the Zoological Gardens.

Johannesburg

After unpacking, you’ll have your choice of ways to fill your first day in South Africa:

Everard Read Gallery
A private visit to the exhibitions to view modern and contemporary local art pieces.

“Going Green” Initiative
A private visit to view “jewelry with a difference” at Veronica Anderson Jewelry, where Ms. Anderson re-uses recycled silver and gold classic designs.

Visit to the historical Brenthurst Homestead.
The Brenthurst estate was started in 1906 and has been owned by the Oppenheimer family since 1922. Little Brenthurst was designed by Herbert Baker design in Cape Dutch style. The gardens include a sculpture collection, a rose garden, an indigenous grass garden, and a meditation garden.

Day 2-4:  Moremi Wildlife Reserve

Board a light aircraft for your transfer to Khwai River Lodge. Nestled on the edge of a leadwood and figtree forest, overlooking the vast Khwai River floodplains and beyond into the Moremi Wildlife Reserve, lies Khwai River Lodge. You can sense the big game heritage from the moment you arrive. Khwai is world-renowned for its large concentrations of big mammals such as elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah and wild dog, and it is not unusual to see many of these animals from the privacy of your own tent deck.

Khwai River Lodge

As wildlife is found here throughout the year, their predators are also active year round, making Khwai one of the most sought-after locations for viewing wildlife and the perennial drama of the African bushveld. Birdlife is also abundant with exceptional sightings of raptors. Activities offered at the camp include morning and afternoon game drives in open Land Cruisers, as well as after-dark spotlight game drives. For those wishing to enjoy further pampering, the lodge has a ‘Naturally Wild’ gym and spa facility. Guests are able to enjoy indulgent massages and body wraps in the spa or in the privacy of their own tent.

While at Khwai River Lodge, you’ll also have the opportunity to meet the chief of the local Khwai River village.

Day 5: Cape Town

This morning, transfer from Moremi Wildlife Reserve to Johannesburg via shared light aircraft. Then connect to your flight to Cape Town.

Arrive at your Cape Town home, Mount Nelson Hotel. The hotel of choice of cultured global travelers since 1899, a combination of a romantic heritage, warm professional service, timeless style and a magnificent setting reinforces its reputation as one of the most iconic leisure hotels on the African continent. Conveniently located within the city’s cultural center, the hotel is ideally situated for guests to explore the heart of the city, the V&A Waterfront and the best beaches.

Tonight, relax and recharge with a spa treatment or enjoy a dip in the plunge pool at Librisa Spa.

Day 6 – Cape Town

Wake up early this morning to get the most out of your private, full-day Cape Point Tour. Travel along the Atlantic seaboard passing the Twelve Apostles. Continue through Camps Bay, named after a German immigrant Ernst Von Kampz, on past Oudekraal toward Hout Bay (an old woodcutters’ outpost) to visit this picturesque fishing harbor. Thrill to the twists and turns of Chapman’s Peak Drive, a 9km route with 114 curves that skirts Chapman’s Peak and follows the rocky coastline to unfold stunning views in both directions.

Cape Point

Wind your way to the old silver mine, which offers sweeping views over the False Bay coast and back onto the Atlantic side of the peninsula to reach our destination: The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. After a  visit the penguin colony, stop for lunch at Casa Labia Café, home to a contemporary South African art gallery, an uber-stylish Africanova boutique, and a celebrated Italian café.

Day 7 – Cape Town

Set out this morning for a full day of exploring the Winelands Region. South Africa is the world’s 8th largest wine producer and has about 100,000 hectares under vine, concentrated in the Western Cape. Whether it is the region's magnificent natural beauty, its rich cultural heritage or its world-renowned wines, the Winelands Region is synonymous with all the best that the Cape has to offer.

Proceed to a wine tasting at a boutique wine estate and thereafter enjoy a private lunch at the oldest, traditional wine estate in Stellenbosch, Muratie Wine Estate. The traditional home-prepared South African lunch is personally prepared by the owner’s wife, Kim Melck, and the winemaker himself will take you through the wine pairing with each course.

After lunch, transfer to Cape Town International Airport to prepare for your return flight home.