SABI SABI GAME RESERVE / CAPE TOWN / ROVOS RAIL / JOHANNESBURG

Day 1 JOHANNESBURG / SABI SABI GAME RESERVE

Landing at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport you will fly over the great mine dumps thrown up by shafts that probe more than a mile below this modern "city that gold built". After clearing immigration and customs formalities proceed to the check-in counters for a flight to Skukuza Airport in the Kruger National Park. You will be met and transferred by road to the Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve for check-in and a welcome drink. You may see the graceful impala, and other antelope species, perhaps some giraffe and baboons en-route to your lodge. In the late afternoon, you will be taken deep into the African bush in a four-wheel-drive safari vehicle with a knowledgeable game ranger and Shangaan tracker who will teach you all about the living things in the bush. Experience close encounters with Africa's big game, including the "Big 5", elephant, lion, rhino, leopard and buffalo.

Lunch and dinner at the lodge.

Overnight:

Bush Lodge.

Day 2 SABI SABI GAME RESERVE

Your ranger will wake you up early this morning with a knock on your suite door. Enjoy a hot beverage and a light snack before heading out into the African bushveld for a game spotting drive. Sabi Sabi epitomises Africa’s magic. With no fences between the reserve and the Kruger Park, big game abounds, moving freely through this unspoiled part of the ancient African continent. The game reserve is blessed with a great biodiversity of habitat and wildlife giving an excellent chance of close encounters with many animals. With over 300 bird species, the reserve is a birdwatcher’s delight. Relax at the lodge on your own until the wildlife experience continues on a late afternoon game viewing safari.

Lunch and dinner at the lodge.

Overnight:

Bush Lodge.

Day 3 SABI SABI GAME RESERVE

Your ranger will be an ambassador in exposing you to the pace and beauty of the wild during the morning and night game viewing drives. The entire Big Five is well represented in the Sabi Sabi Game Reserve. Various antelope species, from impala, waterbuck and duiker to kudu, bushbuck and nyala can also be seen, as can giraffe and warthog. However, it is the leopard that is the real star of the show with the area well known for some of the best leopard experiences in Africa. Lion prides also have territories in the area and are regularly spotted on game drives.

Lunch and dinner at the lodge.

Overnight:

Bush Lodge.

Day 4 SABI SABI GAME RESERVE / CAPE TOWN

The last opportunity to spot your favourite animals before transferring to Skukuza Airport for a flight to the “Mother City” of Cape Town. Collect your baggage and transfer from the airport to the hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

Own arrangements for lunch and dinner.

Overnight:

Table Bay Hotel.

Day 5 CAPE TOWN

After breakfast commence a tour of the city. Take a cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain for a panoramic view of the city and coastline. Drive past Greenmarket Square, the Company Gardens, The Castle and “Bo-Kaap”, the historic Malay Quarter. Then to Signal Hill to watch the “Noon Gun” being fired at noon on the dot, to uphold an old Capetonian tradition. This is followed by a visit to the Cape Town Ostrich Farm, where after many decades, the ostrich has been reintroduced to this part of the Cape. During the guided tour you will learn about the strange husbandry and history of the world's biggest bird. The remainder of the afternoon is free at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, South Africa's most talked-about tourist venue with many shops and restaurants.

Own arrangements for lunch and dinner.

Overnight:

Table Bay Hotel.

Day 6 CAPE TOWN

Travel via Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay to the fishing village of Hout Bay for a short boat cruise to see the hundreds of seals at Seal Island. The tour continues via the scenic Chapman’s Peak Drive and Simons Town to Boulder's Beach to see the African Penguin, also called the Jackass Penguin because of its donkey-like braying call. Then drive through the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve with its flowering plants and antelope - to the lookout point at Cape Point, where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans mythically merge. There is also a memorable photographic opportunity at the south-westernmost tip of the African continent.

Own arrangements for lunch and dinner.

Overnight:

Table Bay Hotel.

Day 7 CAPE TOWN / ROVOS RAIL

This morning transfer from the hotel to the Rovos Rail Lounge at the Cape Town railway station. Depart from platform 23 on a classic journey where you recapture the romance and atmosphere of a bygone era as you step aboard the wood-panelled coaches – classics remodelled and refurbished to mint condition – and enjoy fine cuisine in five-star luxury aboard Rovos Rail’s “Pride of Africa” train. Travel via Worcester and the scenic Hex River Valley to Matjiesfontein. In the late afternoon, you have a chance to stroll through the historic settlement of Matjiesfontein.

Lunch and dinner on the train.

Overnight:

“Pride of Africa” train.

Day 8 ROVOS RAIL – en-route

The journey continues through the barrenness of the Great Karoo towards Kimberley. In the afternoon disembark from the train at Kimberley and proceed on a tour of the “Big Hole", well-known for its diamond excavations and the Mine Museum.

Lunch and dinner on the train.

Overnight:

“Pride of Africa” train.

Day 9 ROVOS RAIL / PRETORIA / JOHANNESBURG

Travel through the grasslands of the gold-rich Highveld past the rich gold-producing towns of Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom to the Capital Park railway station near Pretoria, where you arrive at midday. You will be met at the station and taken on a short scenic tour of Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa. It is a spacious and attractive city with impressive architecture. Stop at the Union Buildings and see the 9-metre-tall bronze statueof Nelson Mandela. Visit the Voortrekker Monument, an interesting historical landmark associated with the early Voortrekker pioneers of South Africa before continuing to the hotel.

Own arrangements for lunch and dinner.

Overnight:

Montecasino Palazzo Hotel.

Day 10 JOHANNESBURG / HOME

Today you transfer from the hotel to OR Tambo Airport for a homebound flight to all those family and friends waiting to hear all about your adventures in South Africa.