Southern African Adventure Tour - 12 Days

Guests will be met at any location of their choice in either Johannesburg or Pretoria and are then transferred to the airport for a flight to Hoedspruit, where the Southern African Adventure begins in earnest. Hoedspruit is a small tourism- and agriculturally-oriented town in the central Lowveld just outside the famous Kruger National Park. Guests will be met at Hoedspruit Airport from where they travel to the Moholoholo Forest Camp. The camp is set in a luscious rain forest below Mariepskop, also known as "the Very Great One", approximately 60km from Kruger National Park's Orpen Gate. The late afternoon will be spent at leisure.

During the morning we visit the Moholoholo Animal Rehab Center, where injured or ill animals are brought and, when healthy, are re-introduced into their natural environment. Animals not fortunate enough to recover fully are cared for by the center and are used to educate the visitors to Moholoholo. The afternoon will be enjoyed exploring the area surrounding the center on foot, with the opportunity of viewing many of the different plains game species as well as some members of the Big Five. During the late afternoon, guests will embark on a game drive which extends into the early evening. This experience gives guests the opportunity to view the nocturnal animals of Africa in their natural surroundings.

A last breakfast at Moholoholo is followed by a short drive to the Timbavati Private Game Reserve. The reserve consists of prime wildlife habitat; its western boundary forms part of the boundary of the two million hectare Greater Kruger National Park, which is one of the world's premier conservation areas. The late afternoon is devoted to a first game drive in the Timbavati in search of Africa's legendary Big Five. The area hosts many other mammal and bird species and gives meaning to the words "Spirit of Africa". The game drives are conducted by skilled rangers and trackers in open 4x4 vehicles.

It's off to an early start as coffee and rusks are enjoyed in the dining area before embarking on a morning safari adventure in the Timbavati Reserve. During the period shortly following sunrise, the bush comes alive with the birds singing, indicating the start of another day in the African wilderness. The morning game drive is followed by some time for relaxation before guests have the opportunity to experience a bush walk guided by an armed ranger. The late afternoon is once again devoted to an open 4x4 safari.

After a last morning game drive and breakfast guests will be met and transferred to Nelspruit for a flight to Cape Town. On arrival in Cape Town, guests will meet up with their guide and check in at their hotel after which they will visit the oldest gardens in South Africa - the Company Gardens. It was established in early 1652 by Jan van Riebeeck as a vegetable garden which was originally located closer to the coast. In a bid to plant in a more fertile soil and on ground sheltered from the wind, he moved his garden with its northern boundary on Wale Street. This is where it stands today. A large public park and botanical garden, it is home to a rose garden, Japanese garden, fish pond and aviary.

After breakfast you will put on your hiking boots and start climbing Table Mountain, accompanied by your guide. Table Mountain forms part of the Table Mountain National Park and the mountain is a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town. It is featured in the flag of Cape Town and other local government insignia. Because of steep cliffs around the summit, direct ascent from the city side is limited. Platteklip Gorge, a prominent gorge up the center of the main 'table', is the most popular and direct ascent to the summit. The hike will take between 1 and 3 hours, depending on your level of fitness. Guests will descend the mountain via the cable car. The afternoon is spent exploring the famous V&A Waterfront.

An early breakfast is followed by a transfer (pick up at 05:45) to Gansbaai where a shark cage diving adventure is enjoyed. A boat trip (+/- 20 min) will lead to the anchoring site close to Dyer Island. The specific anchor site is chosen depending on the weather, sea conditions, season and previous shark sightings. Upon reaching the desired location, the crew will begin the chumming process. The timing of the first shark appearance can take some time, and when it is spotted, its behavior is monitored by the crew. When the shark appears to be relaxed, the cage and divers can be lowered into the water. Snacks and drinks can be enjoyed on the boat throughout the whole trip. The cage diving experience is followed by a return journey to Cape Town.

After a very early breakfast and a two hour flight to Johannesburg, guests will connect with a flight departing for Livingstone. On arrival, guests will be met and transferred to Kasane, the meeting point of four countries - Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Kasane is a bustling little town offering easy access to the Chobe National Park. Guests will then be checked into their accommodation. The afternoon is spent exploring the Chobe National Park on an open vehicle game drive or a river cruise.

The Chobe National Park is the second largest national park in Botswana and covers 10 566 square kilometers. It has one of the greatest concentrations of game found on the African continent. This park, which is especially famous for the large number of elephant which inhabit the area, is the focus of game drives. The sounds of the wild and the cry of the African fish eagle are sure to provide the perfect backdrop to this experience. The day is devoted to two game experiences - one during the early morning and one during the late afternoon. he game experiences are led by a qualified ranger and can take the form of open 4x4 game drives or water-based game experiences on the Chobe River.

After a last morning game experience and breakfast, guests will return to Livingstone to check in at their next lodge. As the sun sets over the Zambezi River, guests willboard the African Princess for a sunset cruise. Highlights of the late afternoon cruise may include sightings of herds of elephants and antelope coming down to the river to drink.

The mighty Zambezi River is on the schedule today. The Zambezi River has one of the wildest one-day white water runs in the world. You will spend the day enjoying a white water rafting adventure. The river is also recognized by rafting and kayaking enthusiasts as one of the top ten paddling rivers. The British Canoe Union classified the Batoka Rapids as a grade 5. It has extremely difficult, long and violent rapids, steep gradients, big drops and pressure areas. This is a high volume, pool-drop river, with little exposed rock either in the rapids or in the pools below the rapids. Upon completion of the white water rafting, you will visit several vantage points from where the mighty Victoria Falls can be viewed.

The morning is spent at leisure after which guests will be transferred to the airport for their flight to Johannesburg. Guests are then met on arrival at O R Tambo International and are assisted with check-in onto an international flight back to their country of origin. Alternatively, guests will be transferred to any location of their choice in either Johannesburg or Pretoria, bringing to an end an exhilarating 12 Day Southern African Adventure Tour.