12 Day Southern African Adventure Tour

On arrival in Cape Town, you'll be met, welcomed, and transferred to your accommodation on the Atlantic Seaboard.

After some relaxation, you'll enjoy a late afternoon champagne cruise on Table Bay. From the cruise, you'll witness a spectacular ocean sunset, enhanced by Table Mountain towering over Cape Town. The cruise also makes it possible to view Robben Island at close quarters. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for part of his 27-year sentence on Robben Island. During the late afternoon, you'll be returned to your accommodation.

Today, you'll participate in an ocean fishing adventure. The waters around our Cape are some of the richest fishing grounds in the world, with an abundance of pelagic fish, including yellowfin and longfin tuna, yellowtail, snoek, cape salmon, skipjack, katonkel, dorado, reef fish, kob, blue and Mako sharks and the occasional marlin, all of which ensure a year-round fishing experience.

Your charter departs at first light from the seaside village of Simon's Town on the eastern side of the Peninsula. En route, you'll pass Cape Point and cruise to the locale to spend your day fishing. Your excursion includes all relevant tuna equipment, rods, tackle, and bait. Snacks, lunch, and drinks are also included. The charter includes an experienced fishing guide and a qualified skipper to assist you and increase your chances of landing fish. Your day will be spent at sea before returning to Simonstown after 15H00, where you'll be met and returned to your overnight accommodations.

Table Mountain, arguably Africa's most famous natural landmark, is on today's agenda. As part of your Table Mountain visit, you'll have the opportunity to experience the mountain in a way most visitors don't: abseiling down a sheer cliff face. Step off the top, at 1,000 meters above sea level, and rappel into pure vertical space! It is the world's original highest commercial abseil. Fantastic views and the deep blue Atlantic at your feet will surround you.

After completing this exhilarating activity, guests may enjoy scenic views from the many walkways along the top of the mountain. From here, some of the most impressive views in the world may be enjoyed: the Indian Ocean and the deep blue waters of the Atlantic, and the Cape Peninsula as it sinks away to the south. Later in the day, you'll return to your overnight accommodation.

You'll be met early this morning for a shark cage diving excursion - the exact time to be announced - and transferred by road to the seaside village of Gansbaai, roughly 2½ hrs from Cape Town. On arrival and after orientation, a boat ride of about twenty minutes will take you to the anchoring site off Pearly Beach. The specific site chosen is based on weather and sea conditions, the season, and previous shark sightings. Once the desired location is reached, your crew will start chumming to attract sharks, following which shark observation and cage diving begin.

The time it takes for the first shark to appear cannot be forecast and varies from a few minutes to several hours. When a shark is spotted, the crew carefully monitors its behavior. If it appears relaxed, the cage will be lowered into the water, and guests will enter and view the sharks. Snacks and drinks are served on the boat throughout the excursion. After the cage diving experience, you'll be returned to Cape Town.

Breakfast in Cape Town is followed by a transfer to the airport, where you'll be assisted in boarding a local flight to Skukuza in the heart of the southern Kruger National Park. On arrival, you'll be met and transferred to Rhino Post's exclusive 12,000-hectare private concession, which shares a 15km common, unfenced border with the internationally acclaimed Mala Mala Private Game Reserve and the Sabi Sand.

After settling in at Plains Camp, your afternoon is devoted to a first bush walk accompanied by two armed rangers. A traditional open 4x4 game drive follows the approximately 45-minute walk in this spectacular wilderness area.

At Rhino Walking Safaris, the focus is on getting up close and personal with the wildlife of Africa. Each morning of your stay, you will enjoy a three to four-hour guided walk accompanied by two armed rangers. The size of the party is limited to eight guests, ensuring intimate encounters with the various wildlife species, not the least being a member of Africa's legendary 'Big Five.'

During the afternoon, a shorter bush walk is followed by an open 4x4 game drive in this renowned conservation area. The camp accommodates a maximum of eight guests in safari tent accommodations, which feature the creature comforts of home. The ambiance is reminiscent of the great safaris endeavored by early pioneers to the African continent. Set in an acacia thicket overlooking Timbitene plain and waterhole, Plains Camp offers one of the most intimate wildlife adventures in the Greater Kruger National Park.

In the morning, you'll be transferred to Kruger Mpumalanga Airport. Once there, you'll board a regional flight to Livingstone in Zambia. The town was established in 1905 by the British South Africa Company and bore the name of the famous missionary explorer Dr David Livingstone. On arrival, you'll be met and transferred to your overnight accommodation. Some time is available for lunch and relaxation.

Later, an afternoon visit is made to  Victoria Falls, located in the 'Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park.' That local name translates in English to 'the smoke that thunders' and has been commonly used in the area for many hundreds of years. The sanctuary affords incredible views in all directions. A walk across the knife-edge bridge with the falls thundering into the chasm below will surely be an exciting prospect. During peak flow, the mist rising above the falls can be seen as far as sixty kilometers away. At the entrance, there is also an extensive African curio market, and guests may take some time to view the different arts and crafts on display before returning to the hotel in the late afternoon.

During the dry season, when the prolific Zambezi River is at its lowest, a serene pool becomes accessible at the very lip of Victoria Falls, the aptly named Devil's Pool. However, the experience cannot be described as 'serene.' That rock lip is the only thing preventing one from falling into the gorge below. At low water levels, the current is calm enough not to pull you over, ensuring relative safety while savoring one of the most awe-inspiring views in the world from a hair-raising perspective. The Devil's Pool excursion is conducted from the Zambian side of the Falls and starts with a trip to Livingstone Island, a short boat ride from the jetty at the Royal Livingstone Hotel. You'll enjoy a guided tour of the island, which includes some insight into its ancient history, along with either morning tea, lunch, or afternoon high tea (depending on the time of day you've elected to partake in this activity).

After that, you'll start swimming and go to the pool. You'll carefully navigate across rock formations and swim both against and with the current, all with the assistance of a guide. If you're not a strong swimmer, reaching the pool might take a bit longer, but you can also wade across more leisurely. Eventually, you'll find yourself at the edge of the Falls, where millions of liters of water plummet into a gorge in one of the most magnificent natural displays on the continent! It is an incredible experience. You are then returned to your accommodation, where the rest of the day is spent leisurely.

The mighty Zambezi River is on the schedule today. The Zambezi River has one of the world's wildest one-day white water runs. You will spend the day enjoying a whitewater rafting adventure. Rafting and kayaking enthusiasts also recognize the river as one of the top ten paddling rivers.

The British Canoe Union classified the Batoka Rapids as a grade 5. There are challenging, long, violent rapids, steep gradients, big drops, and pressure areas. It is a high-volume, pool-drop river with little-exposed rock either in the rapids or in the pools below the rapids. After completing the white water rafting, you will return to your overnight accommodations for rest after an adventure-filled day.

The early morning is devoted to an elephant-back safari in a wilderness area not far from Livingstone town. On arrival at the venue, you'll participate in a short presentation about the project and receive instructions on how to interact with the elephants. After that, the activity begins. An experienced elephant groom accompanies every elephant. The route follows one of several trails through the surrounding woodland and might include a stop along the banks of the Zambezi River. Riding silently atop a gigantic pachyderm is certainly an experience of a lifetime! The activity ends with a session of interaction with the elephants. Once you've returned to your accommodations, you'll have the opportunity to freshen up, enjoy your lodge's amenities, or otherwise catch an afternoon nap.

You'll be met and transferred to a local jetty during the middle of the afternoon. The remainder of your day is spent enjoying a tranquil sunset cruise on Africa's fourth-largest river, the mighty Zambezi. Drinks and snacks are served on the riverboat, and on a good day, you might see a pod of hippos or an elephant or two. After a spectacular African sunset, you'll be returned to your overnight accommodations.

Today, your morning is at leisure, although many folks choose to book an additional last-minute activity if they prefer to be 'on the go.' Activities such as helicopter flips, or microlight flights over the Falls start early and last just fifteen minutes.

Later, at a time to be announced, your transfer will arrive and return you to the local airport. There, you'll board a flight to Johannesburg in South Africa, ending a memorable Southern African holiday.