Johannesburg To Cape Town

Day 1
Depart London.

Day 2
We leave the airport and make our way, on good roads, to the old gold rush town of Pilgrim's Rest on the eastern escarpment. En route we will travel through South Africa's highest town, Belfast (1970m) and the scenic Robbers Pass. We overnight in Graskop (Mpumalamga), with views over the Graskop Gorge. Our driving time today will be approximately 5 hours plus sightseeing.

Day 3 - 4
After an early start we drive through some spectacular countryside and we stop at scenic places like Bourke's Luck potholes and Blyde River Canyon, the third largest of its type in the southern hemisphere. Finally we enter Kruger National Park, justifiably one of the most famous wildlife parks in the world. It is also one of the oldest, established by the president Paul Kruger in 1898. It has arguably the greatest variety of animals of any park in Africa, with lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, black and white rhino, as well as cheetah, giraffe, hippo and many species of antelope and smaller plains game. The total census includes 147 mammals, 507 birds, 114 reptiles as well as 336 different trees. The campsites are also excellent and the general infrastructure good. If you see all the predators you will be very lucky, however you will almost certainly see some of the big five and a huge variety of smaller mammals. We game drive through the park to the campsite, where there will be a chance for a swim and hot showers. We have two days in the park and on Day 4 both morning and afternoon game drives are included to maximise our chances of seeing the plentiful fauna of this great Park.

Day 5
Today we cross over the Mozambique border and head north of Maputo to our campsite on the shores of Bilene's fresh water lake, our base for the next two nights. It is a short boat ride to reach the beach and its high sand dunes. Alternatively just sit back and relax on one of Mozambique's famous beaches.

Day 6
A free day to relax on one of Mozambique's beautiful beaches. There are a number of optional activities including deep sea fishing and a boat cruise to see turtles.

Day 7
Today we leave the beach for a short drive down the coast and head for the vibrant capital of Mozambique, Maputo. Maputo is famous for its seafood and nightlife. After a short orientation tour around this once Portuguese city we relax in our guest house before going to one of the local restaurants and then later out to town.

Day 8
We enter Swaziland and overnight in the Kings old hunting grounds, now the beautiful Hlane Royal National Park. In the afternoon there is the opportunity to leave the vehicle and enjoy a nature walk (optional). Seeing animals and tracks outside of the confines of a vehicle is a thrilling experience and gives us the chance to see and hear the variety of smaller animals and birds that are often passed by on game drives.

Day 9
We leave Swaziland today and drive through the Natal midlands and on to Dundee. En route we stop at Rourke's Drift and have a chance to learn about the famous battle at the local museum. Immortalised by Hollywood in the film Zulu! The events that took place here are well known and the small cluster of buildings isolated in the enormity of the African Bush are a moving reminder of this troubled time.

Day 10
We continue through the Natal midlands and on to the Northern Drakensberg, our base for the next 2 nights. The Drakensberg is a basalt escarpment forming the border between Kwa Zulu-Natal and Lesotho and continuing into the Free State. It means 'Dragon Mountains', but the Zulu named it Ukhahlamba ('the barrier of Spears'). This is a more accurate description of the sheer, forbidding, jagged escarpment. The walking takes us through the lowland areas with magnificent views.

Day 11
Our route will have us walking into the natural amphitheatre, past Protea trees. The Protea is the national flower of South Africa, as well as the name of their cricket team.

Day 12
Today is a long day's drive as we travel through the eastern farmlands of the Free State and enter Lesotho at the Maseru border post. This mountainous kingdom has been shielded from outside influence over the generations and the Bastho people historically used this strategic location as a defence against events on the plains below. The lodge situated in this rugged mountainous region provides us with an ideal opportunity to experience the Lesotho culture. Our driving time today will be approximately 7 hours.

Day 13
The day is free to relax and experience the unique culture that Lesotho has to offer. Mountain ridges protrude into the town and an optional day walking with local guides and their ponies to a local village is recommended. Alternatively the craft shops and markets can be an enjoyable way to pick up some African souvenirs.

Day 14
On the road today as we drive south to Graaf-Reinet, the oldest town on the Eastern Cape founded in 1786. Our driving time will be approximately 8 hours passing through the desert landscape of the Great Karoo.

Day 15
We drive down to the coast over the Baviaanskloof Mountains and the Kouga Mountains before arriving at Tsitsikamma National Park at Storms River mouth. This national park protects the indigenous forests as well as the marine life 50km out to sea. We camp on a beautifully positioned campsite with the waves breaking a stones throw away.

Day 16
Our second day in the Tsitsikamma N.P. is free to enjoy the beautiful setting. There are a range of optional activities including walks to the Storms River gorge and along the rocky coast, snorkelling, sea and river cruises and a tree canopy tour through the forests. In season, approximately August to October, the marine park becomes home to a population of migratory whales

Day 17
We drive along the beautiful Garden Route coastline via George and the rolling cultivated fields of the Western Cape Boland to Hermanus. The route is stunning and follows the ragged coast passing through small fishing villages and seaside resorts. Hermanus is an interesting little town, rightly famous for its delicious seafood and a visit to one of the great restaurants in the evening is highly recommended. It is also widely regarded as the best place in the world for land-based whale watching from August to November.

Day 18
In the morning we leave Hermanus and, hugging the coastline (there is always a good chance to see whales in season), we drive along this scenic route to Gordon's Bay and then onto Stellenbosch. The afternoon will be spent visiting a few of the vineyards, which make this area world famous. Having enjoyed the local produce, wine tasting is optional. We then take a short drive to Cape Town.

Day 19
After an early morning breakfast we drive to the former Royal Navy base town of Simonstown and visit to the resident Penguin Colony (optional) before heading to the famous Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, which covers an area of 7680 hectares. The reserve is home to eland, bontebok, grysbok, springbok, wildebeest, baboon and ostrich. Rugged cliffs, unspoilt beaches, shipwrecks and beautiful flora are the main features of the reserve. We will also visit the famous Cape Point lighthouse. In the afternoon we take a short (1 hour) walk that is almost entirely downhill. Our destination is the Cape of Good Hope with a detour to Diaz beach. The trail ends at the famous signboard 'Cape of Good Hope'. In the late afternoon we return to Cape Town via the coastal suburbs of Clifton, Camps Bay and Hout Bay.

Day 20
The day is free and an optional trip to Robben Island, site of Nelson Mandela's incarceration during the apartheid period, is highly recommended. Weather permitting a cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain is a must for any visitor to this picturesque city. Alternatively the beaches of Cape Town are a great place to relax and unwind.

Day 21
The morning is free for some last minute shopping or sightseeing. End Cape Town.

Day 22
Arrive London.