Cape Town to Kruger Safari 35 to 45

Hello Africa… and hello Cape Town. Ready to get going? It’s off to the Karoo desert via the famous ‘Route 62’. Today's scenic drive goes through mountain passes, vineyards and epic desert scenery along the way. An included guided tour of Africa's LARGEST show cave system. The Cango Caves are replete with cavernous halls, limestone formations, cave paintings and artefacts (which indicate they were in use throughout the Middle Ages)! How's that for a pitstop? Welcome to the Klein Karoo! We'll check into Oudtshoorn with our first adventure on offer. How good does a scenic bike ride (or drive down) the UNESCO Swartberg Mountain Pass, plus a Karoo braai dinner on a local farm sound? (So good!). And this evening, you can opt to do just that.

• Explore Cango Caves

Good morning! Let's continue heading East towards one of South Africa's most loved National Parks: Addo Elephant. (Anyone guess which animal this place is famous for?) That’s right, it’s elephant time. After lunch, we’ll set out in our comfy (and tall!) coach in search of Africa's largest land mammal here at the Addo National Park, home to over 600 of these tusk-tastic creatures. (Keep your eyes peeled for lions, buffalo, and antelope too though!) We'll retreat here for the night but fear not, more safari adventures await in the morning. Stuck for something to do this evening? Let us introduce you to the karaoke bar just around the corner. (Cue your fave Lion King jams.)

• Take a Coach Game Drive in Addo Elephant National Park

Today we’ll have a leisurely morning before heading off for two game drives on the Eastern Cape. That's three game drives in 36 hours, giving you the best chance of spotting the Big 5. Lucky you, right? The Eastern Cape’s game reserves are some of South Africa’s best spots for seeing the Big 5. Valleys, plains, rivers and much more await, so keep those eyes peeled. Tonight we’ll head back to the city where a free evening awaits. Karaoke round two? We won’t stop ya.

Beach time. Desert? Tick. Caves? Tick. Safari? Tick. Now it’s time to make our way along the famous Garden Route to our next destination, Knysna – with a few sensational stop-offs on the way. Known as one of the best surf spots in the world, it’d be wrong not to start our day with some chill time on J-Bay… which is exactly what we’ll do. And of course, there's an optional surfing lesson for the wave-dodgers among us. Welcome to our next pitstop, known for the infinitely Instagramable Storms River Bridge – which we’ll take a picturesque hike to so you can get all the legendary snaps you need. Wanna up the adrenaline? You can choose to go kayaking up the mouth of Storms River. And then we pull into the beautiful coastal town of Knysna, ready to explore all the sights and activities the Garden Route is known for. (We've got two nights here too!)

• Discover One of the World’s Best Surfing Beaches
• Hike Tsitsikamma National Park

Rise and shine, team. Today starts with an included breakfast, overlooking the Knysna lagoon, and then we’re off again once more. It’s ocean time! You can choose to join our marine safari and set out in search of whales, dolphins, seals and more spectacular sea life. Afterwards, we’ll spend the rest of the day relaxing on Plettenberg's main beach, catching those rays and helping ourselves to some splendid seafood. This evening, we’ll embark on an optional Township visit here in Knysna, where you’ll meet the locals and have the chance to make a positive impact for the children who live here. Afterwards, you'll have the option to cruise the Knysna lagoon & see the sunset onboard. And finally, we'll tuck into a group dinner by the water before finishing off with a night on the town (again, optional but unmissable!).

• Kick Back at Plettenberg Bay Beach

Make sure you call dibs on a window seat. As we drive back to Cape Town, you’ll watch the magnificence of the Garden Route unfold as we pass coastal towns, forests, gorges and some jaw-dropping ocean views. Marine mania… We’ll have lunch and a little free time here in the coastal town of Hermanus, which is one of the world’s best areas for spotting whales (between July and November at least) so have your binoculars at the ready. On our way back to Cape Town, we’ll stop off at Stony Point Nature Reserve - a protected home of African Penguins (yup, they got penguins here too!). The Reserve conserves one of the only two breeding colonies of African penguins on the mainland of Africa with boardwalks to view them go about their daily activities in their natural habitat. And here we are, back in the city where it all began. After checking in, you’ll have a free evening to enjoy the V&A Waterfront, followed by a walkabout dinner.

• See Penguins at Stony Point

Fine wine, all in good time. Today we’ll add a touch of class to proceedings with a trip to Stellenbosch – the Cape’s famous wine region. But before that, why not choose to hit the skies on an epic helicopter ride over the seas and peaks? After some free time to explore (and shop till you drop) we’ll set out to discover Stellenbosch’s awesome wine farms with an optional experience to sample the very finest of the Cape’s fine wines. We'll also stop at a local food market to find some lunch. Not into wine? No stress. You can still taste your way through the region with local meats, cheeses, spirits, teas and more - all proudly produced right here. Tonight in Cape Town, you can opt for a cooking class – complete with music, drinks, and the chance to sample the food you’ve cooked up too.

• Explore Stellenbosch

It’s our final day in the Mother City, and we got some exploring to do! We’ll take a cable car to the top of Table Mountain, we’ll take a short guided city tour, and we’ll have some time to explore the world-famous V&A Waterfront too – an ideal spot for shopping and dining. Sightseeing all done, we’ll head to the airport en-route to Durban, where our second week in South Africa will begin… After touching down on the East Coast, we’ll head straight to the hotel to check in and freshen up. We’ll have dinner in the city, followed by a night on the town (if you like!).

• Tour the City of Cape Town
• Visit the V&A Waterfront

After a delicious breakfast this morning, we're off to the Elephant Coast of Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal en-route to our next destination: the sensational St Lucia. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife by day and hippos by night here in St Lucia (we’re right by the UNESCO World Heritage listed iSimanagaliso Wetlands Park after all). Once we arrive, we’ll stop for lunch and then you can opt to see the town’s main residents for yourself on a Hippo boat cruise. After some free time to freshen up, you’ll have the chance to visit a local Zulu village on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, meeting local people and learning all about their culture, customs and traditions.

This morning you have the option to take a walking safari in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (eyes peeled for elephants, buffalo, rhinos & antelopes). If you're craving Vitamin Sea, you can choose to join us for a marine safari (for whales, sharks, dolphins & more). In the afternoon, you’ve got some free time to chill or kick back by the pool at the lodge. And then to round things off this evening, you have the option to take a sunset game drive (with a traditional South African buffet dinner too). Yup, this day's as action-packed as it is awesome.

It's an early start today – we’re heading inland to the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve and we aim to be there by sunrise. The Big Five. The option to take a half-day game drive at the reserve instrumental for bringing the White Rhino back from the brink of extinction. And even a picnic lunch if you like! Today’s excursion is a biggie indeed. With our wildlife bucket lists sufficiently checked, it’s time to set off for a brand new country. Passports at the ready folks – here in Eswatini, we’ll meet some of the locals and learn about their culture and language on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. You've learnt from locals. Now its time to sleep like them too. Tonight you will stay at Mlilwane's Main Lodge - unique beehive thatched huts with ensuite bathrooms (and hotel room amenities for a bit of comfort).

• Meet Swati Locals in One of Africa’s Smallest Countries MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience

Ah, to wake up in nature. We'll kick off the day with a hearty breakfast and then join the Trip Manager for a morning safari walk. Don't forget to sign up for the optional guided Mountain bike ride through the wilderness. There is no Big 5 here so feel free and safe to explore as you choose. Keep an eye out to spot some antelopes and warthogs! Next up, it’s the big one. The world famous one. Here in Kruger, we’ll stay at an exclusive safari campsite – located right in the middle of the park. (Struggling to picture it? Think glamping canvas tents with mattresses, linen and stretchers, a roaring bonfire burning all the while.) This is a true Once in a Lifetime experience, where you’ll fall asleep to the nocturnal calls of hyenas, jackals and lions.

• Stay at Contiki Safari Camp
• Walk on the Wild Side on a Walking Safari
• Afternoon Game Drive

Today we're up bright and early for our first taste of the fresh morning air. We'll start with an optional sunrise safari – just in time to catch Africa’s elusive predators finishing off their nocturnal hunt. At midday, you’ll have the chance to relax back at the camp: you can visit the local shop, take a dip in the pool or visit the nearby restaurant where you can look out over the Sabie River and watch as the animals come to quench their thirst (yup, it's preddy special.) This afternoon, it’s back to the safari vehicles for another optional sunset game drive to see the Big Five and more. Tonight back at camp, you've got the chance to join us for a traditional South African braai or BBQ, complete with local sides and desserts.

• Join an Anti-Poaching Talk MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience

Our final day. But is there time for one (or two) last morning game drives? You bet there is. You can choose to head out for a sunrise game drive to spot the nocturnal cats (or just choose to sleep in, like the rest of the animals). Then, we'll head out on our last game drive in Kruger as we make our way out of the park. It's our last chance to spot some spellbinding safari animals IRL. Have we saved the best for last? Let's hope so! And now, with heavy hearts (and even heavier camera rolls) we’ll make our way back to either the Kruger Mpumalanga Airport or Johannesburg International Airport. (Don't feel like leaving yet? Lucky for you, our Victoria Falls Explorer & Cape Town Explorer trips are starting later this evening!). Oh, it’s been a thrill… we’ve seen wildlife, we’ve made friends for life. The only question is: where next?

• Take a Morning Game Drive at Kruger