15 Day Luxury Safari to South Africa, Botswana & Zimbabwe

On this 15 Day Luxury Safari of South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana, your journey from the diverse & vibrant city of Cape Town to the Singita Private Game Reserve for a once in a lifetime safari. From there into the remote Kalahari Desert’s Tswalu Kalahari Game Reserve for a ‘desert safari’ many don’t even realize exists. Then off to witness to the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, before your 15 days culminate with a safari deep in the wilderness of Botswana’s Okavango Delta.

It’s an itinerary spanning three countries, that mixes bush, desert, ocean, city and wetland and focuses on luxury and premier safari experiences. A truly once-in-a-lifetime experience!

The Itinerary at a Glance

• 3 Nights at the Cape Grace – Cape Town, South Africa
Explore the Cape Peninsula and the craggy coastal drives including Table Mountain

• 2 Nights at Singita Ebony – Sabie Sands Private Game Reserve, South Africa
Experience a mind-blowing safari in a top big 5 game reserve

• 4 Nights at Tswalu Kalahari Game Reserve – Kalahari Desert, South Africa
Vast spaces, blue skies, red deserts, and fascinating mammals of all shapes & sizes await you

• 1 Night at the Airport Sun InterContinental Hotel – Johannesburg, South Africa
Spend a night in Johannesburg before embarking on the next phase of this journey

• 2 Nights at the Old Drift Lodge – Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
A visit to Southern Africa would be incomplete without taking in the spectacular Victoria Falls

• 3 Nights at Little Vumbura – Okavango Delta, Botswana
A water wilderness made up of endless islands and teeming with wildlife is a fitting end to this luxury safari.

 

Day 01 – Arrive Cape Town, South Africa

On arrival at the Cape Town International Airport, South Africa, you will collect your luggage and be met by your private driver-guide, who will transfer you in luxury to the Cape Grace Hotel.  Here you will spend the next (3) nights on a bed-and-breakfast basis.  The rest of the day is spent at your own leisure to enjoy the services on offer or to stroll through the Waterfront!

The Cape Grace Hotel is ideally located right in the V&A Waterfront, a harbour that incorporates a range of shops & restaurants. It is just a 5-minute drive from Cape Town’s city bowl, which itself is home to a wide variety of restaurants, cultural & historical buildings and the South African Houses of Parliament. All of this to the glorious backdrop of Table Mountain that guards over the city.

Day 02 – Full-Day Private Tour of the Cape Peninsula

This morning after your breakfast, you will be collected by your private guide and embark on a full-day tour of the Cape Peninsula including entry fees and a wild picnic! The day aims to explore the highlights of the Cape Peninsula in a unique way off the beaten path, looking for any excuse to embrace the ocean and explore one of the most unique marine habitats in the world.
Your guide will assess your interests and level of energy and from there will suggest what activities we should focus on. These will include some or all of the following highlights:

• Explore Kalk Bay – An authentic working fishing harbour, complete with colourful boats, rugged fishermen and resident seals, all to the soundtrack of seagulls and the ocean.
• Visit the naval coastal town of Simonstown, home to the world-famous Boulders Beach and its colony of African penguins.
• Hike in the Cape Point Nature Reserve – with attractions such as shipwrecks, whales (seasonal), beaches and breathtaking views
• Lunch is a specially prepared picnic
• Roam the Noordhoek Farm Village with its shopping opportunities and the chance to ice cream and coffee
• Drive the precipitous Chapmans Peak, a winding coastal road cut into the high cliffs that tower above the ocean
• Early Evening Sundowners Like a Local – Surprise Location

Day 03 – Full Day Private Guided Tour to Hermanus & the Overberg

This morning after your breakfast, you will be collected once again by your private guide and embark on a full-day tour in search of excellent food & the Marine Big 5 (Southern Right Whale, Shark, Dolphin, Seal and Penguin).
We take the Sir Lowrys Pass up and out of the Cape Flats, wind through the fruit farming valley of Elgin and eventually to the famous whale-watching town of Hermanus located about 2 hours away from Cape Town in the Overberg Region. On the route back we follow the spectacularly scenic coastal road via Betty’s Bay and back to Cape Town.

Activities can include all or some of the following:
• A Whale Watching Boat Trip at Hermanus
• Whale Watching from the numerous rocky vantage points in the town (Seasonal from May to October)
• We enjoy lunch at The Tasting Room located at the Stanford Hills Estate`
• Whilst at Stanford we can take a walking trail or visit the local farmstalls

Day 04 – Cape Town to Singita Ebony Lodge, Sabie Sands Game Reserve

This morning after an early breakfast, you will be transferred to Cape Town International Airport where you will embark on a flight to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. On arrival in Johannesburg, you will be met and assisted to the Federal Air Lounge where you can relax in style & comfort before boarding your Federal Air Flight to the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve that adjoins the Kruger National Park.

As you arrive at the airstrip in the Sabi Sands, you will be welcomed and transferred to the authentic Singita Ebony Lodge, enjoying a spot of game-viewing along the way. You will be spending (2) luxurious nights here on a fully inclusive basis.

After an afternoon high tea, you will embark on your first open vehicle game drive (safari) in this premier game reserve, known for its unbelievable sightings of lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, buffalo and many more animals.

Day 05 – On Safari at Singita Ebony Lodge, Sabie Sands Game Reserve

This morning starts very early with another game drive. Wildlife is best spotted in the cooler mornings and late afternoon – evenings. This is when animals are more active and the colours and beauty of the environment are highlighted best. A stop for tea & coffee will be made, before returning to the lodge for a full breakfast followed by time to enjoy the exquisite surroundings of Singita Ebony.

After the late lunch – high tea we embark on another game drive which again becomes a night drive after sunset as you search for nocturnal animals and possibly predators on the move. Singita is home to a full range of African mammals. Apart from the big 5, there are giraffes, wild dogs, hippos, cheetahs, impalas, kudu, reedbuck, nyala, zebra and the list goes on! It is located in the Sabie Sands Game Reserve which is home to most of South Africa’s well-known private safari lodges. The reserve shares a fenceless border with the Kruger National Park and together the conglomerate of national park and private reserve covers about 2000 000 hectares.

Day 06 – Singita Ebony to Tswalu Kalahari Game Reserve

After your early morning safari and breakfast, you will be transferred to the airstrip where you head off on your Federal Air flight to OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg. From Johannesburg, you will connect with your next flight to Tswalu Kalahari Game Reserve. Here you will spend 3 nights at The Motse on a fully inclusive basis, starting with an afternoon safari activity.

The Tswalu Game Reserve lies in the vast interior of South Africa’s north & central Karoo. It is a wilderness of vast open spaces with electrifying scenery from stark mountains to red sand dunes. In addition to some of Africa’s big names like lion, rhino, cheetah and wild dog, it is home to a host of rare desert creatures.

Day 07 – 08 – On Safari at Tsawlu Kalahari

Enjoy full days on safari at Tswalu Kalahari. Although the format of going out in the early mornings and afternoons is followed at Tswalu as it was at Singita, at Tswalu you have your own private game-viewing vehicle and your guide will quiz you on your interests first.

There is a broad range of guided activities that include: game drives, horse riding, nature walks, the meerkat experience, a visit to Bushmen engravings, a visit to the community projects on the go, involvement in any wildlife conservation work that may be ongoing during your visit.

Day 09 – Tswalu Kalahari to Johannesburg

After your morning safari and breakfast, you will board your flight back to the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. On arrival you make you will be met and assisted to the OR Tambo Airport Sun InterContinental Hotel where you overnight on a bed and breakfast basis.

Day 10 – Johannesburg to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

After breakfast, you will be assisted to check in at OR Tambo International Airport where you will board your flight to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

On arrival, you will be met and transferred to the Old Drift Lodge where you will spend (2) nights on a full board basis including activities.

Day 11 – Full Day at Victoria Falls

Today you will have the full day to enjoy the activities on offer at Old Drift Lodge including a guided tour of the falls, morning or afternoon game drives or River Safaris.

Day 12 – Victoria Falls to Little Vumbura, Okavango Delta, Botswana

After breakfast, you will be transferred across the border to the Kasane Airport in Botswana. Here you will board a light aircraft for a scenic air transfer to the Okavango Delta, where you will spend the next (3) nights on a fully inclusive basis at the Little Vumbura. You will arrive in time for a late lunch and your first magical safari in the wetland wilderness.

The Okavango Delta of northern Botswana is a huge freshwater inland delta. The Okavango River originates in the highlands of Angola and runs southeast through a portion of Namibia and into Botswana where the water fans out into thousands of channels and islands and simply soaks away into the sands of the Kalahari Desert.

The oasis that characterizes the Okavango Delta serves as a critical water and food supply to the vast wildlife populations in the region and therefore is truly a wildlife gem and experience that will never be forgotten.

Day 13 – On Safari at Little Vumbura, including a Hot Air Balloon Flight

Your daily game-viewing activities will follow the early morning, and late afternoon format again and will include game drives, boating, mokoro (dug-out) excursions and nature walks.

However early this morning before sunrise, you will board a helicopter for the flight to the launch field. Here you enjoy tea & coffee before climbing into the basket of the hot air balloon and lifting off on 50 minute silent float above the islands and waterways of the Okavango Delta. The Ballooning season only runs from Apr–Sep each year, so if you travel outside of these times you will be credited for this portion of the trip.

Day 14 – On Safari at Little Vumbura, Okavango Delta, Botswana

Today while you enjoy another full day on safari at Little Vumbura in the Okavango Delta, you get to reflect on the last 15 Day Luxury Safari that has taken you from oceans to bush, to desert and wetland.

Day 15 – Travel Okavango Delta to Johannesburg South Africa

Ending your luxury safari is never nice, but having the memories lasting a lifetime is special! After your early morning safari and breakfast, you will board a light aircraft for a transfer back to the Maun Airport.  Here you will connect with your outbound Flight back to the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Safari Costs for 2023

* The costs below are split out into the SA section (in ZAR) and the Botswana & Zimbabwe section (in USD). The exchange rate between the ZAR: USD can be seen here

Jan - Mar 2023
R275,950 per person sharing
$5,925 per person sharing

Apr 2023
R275,950 per person sharing
$6,690 per person sharing

May 2023
R282,080 per person sharing
$8,175 per person sharing

Jun 2023
R287,390 per person sharing
$10,400 per person sharing

Jul - Aug 2023
R287,660 per person sharing
$10,400 per person sharing

Sep - Oct 2023
R282,230 per person sharing
$10,400 per person sharing

Nov 2023
R276,140 per person sharing
$6,665 per person sharing

Jan - Mar 2024
R301,200 per person sharing
$6,408 per person sharing

Apr 2024
R294,056 per person sharing
$7,664 per person sharing

May 2024
R307,585 per person sharing
$8,614 per person sharing

Jun 2024
R314,705 per person sharing
$10,986 per person sharing

Jul - Aug 2024
R315,650 per person sharing
$11,056 per person sharing

Sep - Oct 2024
R308,531 per person sharing
$10,170 per person sharing

Nov 2024
R300,590 per person sharing
$7,307 per person sharing

Cost Includes
03 Night’s accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis at the Cape Grace, including:
• Use of the Hot Spa area and its facilities
• 24-hour use of the in-house Fitness Studio situated at the Spa on the 4th floor
• Unlimited wireless internet access
• Parking; 24hr security
• 24-hour computer hubs with internet
• Morning tea and coffee with wake-up calls
• Morning local newspaper on request
• Use of our in-room iPod docking stations
• Use of our Playstations and collection of DVDs (available on request)
• Complimentary shower rooms, with standard guest amenities, available for early arrivals and late departures *
• Over-night shoe shine service
• Luxury chauffeur transfers for a maximum of 3 guests, within the City Bowl (10km radius) from 07h00 to 23h00 *
• Cape Wine Experience: Introduction to Wines of the Cape *
• Port and Sherry in the Library between 18h00 and 22h00
(Cape Grace Hotel)

02 Night’s accommodation on a fully inclusive basis at Singita Ebony, including:
•  All meals and beverages (including premium wines, spirits and liqueurs, but excluding French Champagne)
• Twice-daily game drives in open game-viewing vehicles, walking safaris
(accompanied by experienced guides and trackers)
• Return road transfers between the Singita airstrip and the lodges
• Laundry service
•  WiFi access where applicable

03 Night’s accommodation on a fully inclusive basis at Tswalu Kalahari, including:
• Private game-viewing vehicle with a dedicated guide and tracker for all bookings
• Walking-safaris
• Nature walks, including traditional plant use interpretation
• Habituated meerkats experience; Horse riding; Bird watching
• Short hike to view some of the oldest bushman rock engravings in Africa
• A visit to our community clinic and pre-school
• A visit and/or introduction to The Tswalu Foundation research projects
• Involvement in wildlife project work on the property, when available
• Luxury full-board accommodation
• All meals including a variety of dining experiences from boma dinners to dune picnics
• All beverages and a full selection from our award-winning wine list
• In-suite tea and coffee-making facilities
• In-suite private bar and gourmet pantry
• Laundry and valet services
• Wireless internet access and National telephone calls
• Children’s Junior Ranger program and babysitting

01 Night’s accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis at OR Tambo Airport Sun InterContinental Hotel

02 Night’s accommodation on a fully inclusive basis at Matetsi Victoria Falls, including:
• Scheduled Luxury Return Transfer to/from Matetsi from/to within the Victoria Falls area, i.e. VF town, VF Airport & VF borders with Botswana/Zambia
• Experience including a guided walking Tour of the Falls and High Tea at The Victoria Falls Hotel, with the option of earlier transfer for guests doing additional activities (once per guest per stay).
• Three meals daily, the house selection of non-alcoholic & alcoholic beverages
• Refreshments on game drives
• Laundry
• Safari activities including game drives & safari walks; birdwatching; a sunrise or sunset boat cruise on the Zambezi River and additional boat cruises subject to availability
• Amateur fishing & canoeing
• Emergency medical evacuation insurance
• A Conservation Contribution of US$ 20 per person per night towards the ongoing conservation work carried out on Matetsi Private Game Reserve (Matesti River Lodge)

03 Night’s accommodation on a fully inclusive at Little Vumbura, including:
• All meals
• Twice daily game viewing activities
• Park fees
• Laundry
• Bar accounts (excluding premium imports)
• The services of professional ranger and camp staff

All road transfers on a private basis as per itinerary
All scheduled charter flights as per itinerary
Two full-day private guided day tours in Cape Town as per itinerary
1 Hot Air Ballooning Experience in season in the Okavango Delta (01 Apr - 30 Sept 2021 ONLY)

Flights:
Cape Town - Johannesburg One Way excl taxes (Economy Class)
Johannesburg - Singita Return excl taxes
Johannesburg - Tswalu Return excl taxes
Johannesburg to Victoria Falls One Way incl taxes (Economy Class)
Maun to Johannesburg excl taxes (Economy Class)
Airport tax is subject to change

Cost Excludes
Visas if required
Meals not specified
Bar accounts / beverages not specified and premium imports
Laundry not specified
Flights not specified
Airport taxes
Additional activities/sightseeing/entry fees/park fees not specified
Travel Insurance
Table Mountain Tickets (weather dependent)
Personal items & gratuities