SOUTH AFRICA
- Cape Town
- Johannesburg
- Zambia
30 April 2007 - 14 May 2007
Highlights :
- Beautiful & Scenic 4D/3N Garden Route Drive (ride an ostrich, touch cheetahs & white lions, romantic sunset cruise)
- Cape Point Tour & Cape Winelands Tour
- Infamous Kruger National Park (back to basic stay at park's restcamp)
- Hunt for Africa's "Big Five" : Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo, Lion & Leopard ( yippee ! We spotted all five ! )
- Luxurious Wildlife Game Lodge (pampered silly)
- Magnificent Victorial Falls (totally drenched & loving it)
- Exhilarating 15mins Microlight Flight over Victoria Falls (saw hippopotamus!)
MAP OF GARDEN ROUTE : Cape Town > Oudtshoorn > Knysna > George > Cape Town
Map 1-Day Cape Point Tour:
Cape Town > Clifton & Camp's Bay > Hout's Bay > Chapman's Peak drive > Cape Point Nature Reserve ( Cape of Good Hope) > Boulder's Beach > Kirstenbosch Gardens
Cape Town > Clifton & Camp's Bay > Hout's Bay > Chapman's Peak drive > Cape Point Nature Reserve ( Cape of Good Hope) > Boulder's Beach > Kirstenbosch Gardens
Map 1-Day Cape Winelands Tour:
Cape Town > Paarl > Victor Verster Prison > Franschheok > Stellenbosch > Cape Town
Cape Town > Paarl > Victor Verster Prison > Franschheok > Stellenbosch > Cape Town
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Western Cape Province – Cape Town
We redeemed our business class SQ ticket and booked a 15-day land tour (small group of 2-7 people) with Southern Eagle Travel and Tours, which costs ZAR 23,370 (about S$2,400) per person. Upon arrival at the Cape Town Airport, we were transferred to our hotel by a local agent, situated at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. We spend the morning at leisure, exploring the vibrant Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. After lunch, we were picked up and started an afternoon City, Blouberg Beach & Table Mountain tour. We started our afternoon with a visit to Table Mountain for it’s spectacular views. After our descent, we head into the City before visiting the beach at Blouberg, where we get a magnificent view of Table Mountain from across Table Bay. We stayed at City Lodge, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. |
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Capetown > Oudtshoorn
Today was the start of the Garden Route, and the driver-cum-guide, Byran (hp: 27784589088), picked us from the hotel. We were the only two customers that signed up this trip, and hence he said he can stop whenever we want to :) We depart from Cape Town and headed to the Karoo town of Oudtshoorn. Today’s main sites include The Du Toit's Kloof mountain pass; The town of Worcester; Wine Tasting; and Oudtshoorn - ostrich capital of the world. We get to ride on an ostrich here, which is quite an experience. Our accommodation was La Plume Guest Farm. |
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Oudtshoorn > Knysna
Our first stop was The Cango Wildlife Ranch, where you can view crocodile, cheetah, tiger, lion, jaguar, puma, and for a fee, we get to touch some cheetahs, and a white lion. Thereafter, we traveled to The Cango Caves, before heading off to spend a night on the coast in Knysna where we did the cruise on the Knysna Lagoon to the Knysna Heads. We stayed at the Bradach Manor, and was fortunate to be upgraded to one of the biggest rooms overseeing the ocean as we were the only guests for that night. |
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Knysna > George
Today, we started the morning excursion towards Tsitsikamma Forest, visiting the indigenous forests of the Garden Route. We saw lots of monkeys during the forest walk. Thereafter, we had the coastal drive, including the town of Wilderness, on our way to George where we stayed at King George Hotel. |
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George > Cape Town
We returned to Cape Town via farmlands and the rolling hills of Swellendam after four fabulous days exploring the beautiful Garden Route. On the way back, we sopped at Mossel Bay, visiting the Post Office Tree, where early sailors left mail for homebound ships to Europe. Thereafter, we visited Swellendam, and Clarence Drive, a spectacular coastal road before arriving at Cape Town, where we stayed at City Lodge, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront again. |
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Cape Town
Today we joined a full day Cape Point Tour, following Africa's premier tour route to the romantic meeting place of the Indian & Atlantic Oceans. Sir Francis Drake the explorer called it "the fairest cape that we saw in the circumference of the globe". Other sites we visited includes: - Clifton & Camps Bay beach views - Hout Bay, where we opted a trip to seal island - Chapmans Peak Drive - Cape Point & nature reserve - Cape of Good Hope, - Penguin colony at Boulder’s Beach. and - Kirstenbosch botanical gardens |
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Cape Town > Johannesburg
A full day tour of the magnificent Cape Winelands today. In the late afternoon, we en-route back to Cape Town, where we were dropped off for a flight to Johannesburg. Upon arrival at the Johannesburg International Airport, we took the complimentary shuttle bus to our nearby hotel, where the night is spent. Today’s most memorable features: Paarl - A drive through the town of Paarl - Nelson’s Creek cellar tour with wine tasting - Victor Verster Prison, where Nelson Mandela was released in 1990 Franschhoek - Cheese & wine tasting at a Franschhoek vineyard - The village of Franschhoek - The Huguenot Memorial - Lunch stop in Franschhoek Stellenbosch - The Helshoogte Mountain Pass - City tour of Stellenbosch - Some free time to explore on foot - Informal wine tasting in the area - Minimum of 3 wine tastings, 1 with cheese Our hotel in Johannesburg was The Metcourt Laurel Hotel at Emperor’s Palace. |
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Johannesburg > Kruger National Park Border (Mpumalanga Province)
An early departure from Johannesburg as we traveled east towards the Mpumalanga Province and visited the many attractions along the “Panorama Route”, including God’s Window, the Bourke’s Luck Potholes, the Three Rondavels and the historic gold mining town of Pilgrim’s Rest. In the late afternoon we descended the eastern escarpment and travel through the warm “lowveld” to the charming town of Hazyview, just minutes away from the world famous Kruger National Park. We overnight at a beautiful country lodge, Hamilton Parks Country Lodge, a short distance outside the town. |
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Kruger National Park Border (Mpumalanga Province) - Kruger National Park (Limpopo Province)
After an early breakfast at the lodge we traveled the short distance to the Phabeni Gate of the Kruger National Park. Once inside the Park, we started seeing some of the numerous animals that inhabit this magnificent wildlife sanctuary. We spend most of the day travelling north inside the Kruger Park arriving at our “restcamp” in the late afternoon. There is time for a short break before joining an exciting “open vehicle” game drive, looking for Africa’s “Big Five” - Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo, Lion and Leopard. Here, we stayed at Olifants Restcamp. |
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Kruger National Park > Thornybush Private Game Reserve
After breakfast we exited the Kruger Park and traveled to an exclusive lodge in a nearby private game reserve, where we were dropped off around lunchtime. Later the afternoon an exhilarating game drive in specially adapted open 4X4 vehicles was undertaken. At dusk sundowners are enjoyed deep in the bush, after which the drive continues, making use of spotlights to search for nocturnal animals. A final highlight is a specially prepared dinner enjoyed under the stars around the campfire. Our accommodation was at Serondella Game Lodge. |
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Limpopo Province - Thornybush Private Game Reserve
An early wake up call signals the start of yet another exciting day in Big Five territory. We departed on an early morning safari in open 4x4 vehicles after which we returned to the lodge for a late breakfast. After breakfast, we embarked on a guided bush walk with an armed ranger, who identify spoor and droppings and shared with us some of the fascinating secrets of the bush. In the evening, we took another safari in open 4x4 vehicles, followed by a scrumptious South African dinner. Our accommodation was at Serondella Game Lodge. |
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Thornybush Private Game Reserve > Johannesburg
After a final open vehicle game drive and a late breakfast, we traveled back to Johannesburg, where we were dropped off at our hotel, via a complimentary shuttle service to the airport. Our hotel in Johannesburg was The Metcourt Laurel Hotel at Emperor’s Palace. |
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Johannesburg > Victoria Falls (Zambia)
Today, we took the shuttle bus back to the Johannesburg International Airport in time for a 2-hour flight to Livingstone, on the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls. Upon arriving at the Livingstone Airport, we were met by the local tour guide and transferred to our hotel, Zambezi Sun Hotel. The hotel is within easy walking distance of the Falls, to which we have unlimited access. A final highlight today was a romantic sundowner cruise on the mighty Zambezi River. |
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Zambia > Johannesburg
We were lucky that the weather was good this morning, and permitted us try the Microlight operated by Batoka Sky, where we enjoyed an exhilarating 15 mins introductory flight over the Victoria Falls, the islands near the Falls and thundering Zambezi River. The costs of the flight is US$165 per pax, and we strongly urge people to try this, Also try to book early as the slots are taken up quite quickly. We headed back to Johannesburg in late afternoon, and stayed at the Metcourt Laurel Hotel before traveling back to Singapore the following day. |
TRIP PHOTOS - SOUTH AFRICA 2007